Methods and Apparatuses for Provision of a Flexible Time Sharing Scheme on an Unlicensed Band of a System

• US 20140378157A1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wei, Na, Gao, Chunyan, Wang, Haiming, Zeng, Erlin, Bai, Wei, Hong, Wei, Han, Jing, Charbit, Gilles
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/454
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided facilitating flexible time sharing among systems. A method and apparatus may generate a secondary component carrier transmission plan including planned on and off durations. The planned on durations correspond to a time period for an apparatus and devices to communicate via an unlicensed band of the secondary component carrier. The planned off durations correspond to a time interval in which the devices may deactivate from the unlicensed band or remain disconnected from the unlicensed band. The method and apparatus may also enable provision of the plan to the devices via a licensed band of a primary component carrier and detecting a medium of the unlicensed band prior to the expiration of the time period to determine whether the medium is available in order to decide whether to turn on transmissions to the unlicensed band after one of the planned off durations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a secondary component carrier transmission plan comprising one or more planned on durations and one or more planned off durations, the planned on durations corresponding to a time period for an apparatus and one or more devices to communicate via an unlicensed band on the secondary component carrier and the planned off durations corresponding to a time interval in which the devices deactivate from the unlicensed band or remain disconnected from the unlicensed band;

enabling provision of the plan to the devices via a licensed band of a primary component carrier; and

detecting a medium of the unlicensed band prior to the expiration of the time period to determine whether the medium is available in order to decide whether to turn on transmissions to the unlicensed band after at least one of the planned off durations.

2-17. -17. (canceled)

18. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

generating a secondary component carrier transmission plan comprising one or more planned on durations and one or more planned off durations, the planned on durations corresponding to a time period for the apparatus and one or more devices to communicate via an unlicensed band on the secondary component carrier and the planned off durations corresponding to a time interval in which the devices deactivate from the unlicensed band or remain disconnected from the unlicensed band;

enabling provision of the plan to the devices via a licensed band of a primary component carrier; and

detecting a medium of the unlicensed band secondary cell carrier prior to the expiration of the time period to determine whether the medium is available in order to decide whether to turn on transmissions to the unlicensed band after at least one of the planned off durations.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

turn on the transmissions by turning on transmissions to the devices via the medium after expiration of the planned off duration in response to determining that the medium is available.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

suspend at least one of the planned on durations in response to determining that the medium is unavailable.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

suspend the planned on duration based in part on sending one or messages to the devices, the messages comprising data indicating to remain off in the unlicensed band for a predetermined time period.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

continue detection of the medium upon expiration of the predetermined time period; and

turn on transmissions to the unlicensed band in response to determining that the medium is available during a predefined duration.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

inform the devices that the transmissions to the unlicensed band is turned on to enable the devices to utilize the medium.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

inform the devices by directing sending one or more indications to the devices via the licensed band of the primary component carrier indicating the turning on of the transmissions to the unlicensed band and triggering the devices to communicate via the unlicensed band.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

inform the devices by directing sending of one or more signals via the unlicensed band of the secondary component carrier to enable the devices to detect the signals, wherein the signals, once detected, denote to the devices the turning on of the transmissions to the unlicensed band.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

request the devices to acknowledge receipt of the signals; and

receive an acknowledgement from at least one of the devices confirming receipt of at least one of the signals.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

turn off the transmissions to the unlicensed band upon expiration of a planned on duration.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive at least one wireless medium reservation report from at least one of the devices, the report indicates one or more windows that communication devices of the unlicensed band are scheduled to use the medium; and

enable transmission on the medium during a time in which the communications devices are not scheduled to use the medium based in part on analyzing data of the report.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

analyze a detection period corresponding to a plurality of observation windows in which a different subset of the devices turn on in respective observation windows to detect signals;

enable the subset of devices to turn off in windows outside of an assigned observation window;

detect that the medium is available for a predetermined duration during one of the assigned observation windows;

identify at least one of the devices, of one of the subsets, that turns on during the observation window; and

instruct the device to communicate with the unlicensed band.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

enable transmission of a starting subframe to at least one of the devices during a duration of an period, in which transmissions to the unlicensed band are turned on, the starting subframe comprising one or more reference signals in one or more symbols to keep the medium busy to avoid collision with at least one other system and to enable the device to synchronize and obtain frequency alignment information.

32. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive one or more indications of a plurality of channels of the unlicensed band being utilized by one or more communications devices; and

enable transmission to at least one of the devices of one or more tunnel reference signals in one or gaps of the channels prior to at least one of the planned on durations, the tunnel reference signals enable the device to synchronize and obtain frequency alignment information prior to the planned on duration.

33. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

align a timing of the primary component carrier with a timing of the secondary component carrier based in part on enabling transmission of one or more items of dummy signals on an unlicensed band of the secondary component carrier until a start of a next subframe of the primary component carrier and enabling transmission of one or more symbols at the start of the next subframe.

34. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

enable transmission of one or more items of dummy data via the medium, prior to or during at least one planned on duration, wherein the transmission is provided in at least one guard period of a time division duplex frame to keep the medium busy to avoid collision with at least one other system.

26. (canceled)

35-44. -44. (canceled)

45. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

receiving a generated secondary component carrier transmission plan comprising one or more planned on durations and one or more planned off durations, the planned on durations corresponding to a time period for a network device and one or more devices to communicate via an unlicensed band of the secondary component carrier and the planned off durations corresponding to a time interval in which the devices deactivate from the unlicensed band or remain disconnected from the unlicensed band; and

receiving at least one indication specifying whether transmissions to the unlicensed band are turned on after at least one of the planned off durations, wherein the generated plan is received via a licensed band of the primary component carrier.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

remain off in the unlicensed band for a predetermined time period in response to a receipt of a message indicating suspension of at least one planned on duration based in part on a determination that the medium is unavailable.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive information indicating that the transmissions to the unlicensed band is turned on to enable utilization of the medium in response to a determination that the medium is available.

48-50. -50. (canceled)