STRUCTURED CHANNEL RASTERS FOR UNLICENSED SPECTRUM

• US 20160088625A1
• Filed: 09/03/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: KADOUS, Tamer Adel, LEE, Heechoon, JI, Tingfang, MALLADI, Durga Prasad, LUO, Tao
• Granted Patent: US 11,109,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Techniques for structured channel rasters for unlicensed spectrum are described. In an aspect, a first channel raster is identified, where the first channel raster is determined from a set of carrier frequencies and is used over an unlicensed or shared spectrum for a wireless wide area network (WWAN). The first channel raster is aligned with a second channel raster that is used over the unlicensed spectrum for a wireless local area network (WLAN). A frequency scanning may be performed by a user equipment (UE) or a network entity over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN using the first channel raster. In an aspect, the first channel raster is used over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by the user equipment (UE) or the network entity.

Claims

1. A method for frequency scanning during wireless communication, comprising:

identifying a first channel raster determined from a set of carrier frequencies, wherein the first channel raster is used over an unlicensed spectrum for a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and wherein the first channel raster is aligned with a second channel raster being used over the unlicensed spectrum for a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

performing the frequency scanning over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN using the first channel raster.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel raster is user over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a user equipment (UE) or a network entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation,

a third channel raster is determined from the set of carrier frequencies and used over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a UE, and

the third channel raster corresponds to a second channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation that is different from the first channel raster pattern.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first channel raster pattern is offset from the second channel raster pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the WWAN includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the WLAN includes a Wi-Fi network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the set of carrier frequencies includes multiple subsets of carrier frequencies,

each subset is aligned to a carrier frequency in the second channel raster,

each subset has a same number of carrier frequencies as each other subset,

the carrier frequencies within each subset are equally spaced, and

the first channel raster is determined from the multiple subsets of carrier frequencies.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of carrier frequencies in a subset is five (5) and the spacing between carrier frequencies in a subset is 100 kHz.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein for downlink operations, the first channel raster includes carrier frequencies determined based on the following expression:

11. An apparatus for frequency scanning during wireless communication, comprising:

means for identifying a first channel raster determined from a set of carrier frequencies, wherein the first channel raster is used over an unlicensed spectrum for a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and wherein the first channel raster is aligned with a second channel raster being used over the unlicensed spectrum for a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

means for performing the frequency scanning over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN using the first channel raster.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first channel raster is user over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a user equipment (UE) or a network entity.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation,

a third channel raster is determined from the set of carrier frequencies and used over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a UE, and

the third channel raster corresponds to a second channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation that is different from the first channel raster pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein for downlink operations, the first channel raster includes carrier frequencies determined based on the following expression:

16. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for frequency scanning during wireless communication, comprising:

code for identifying a first channel raster determined from a set of carrier frequencies, wherein the first channel raster is used over an unlicensed spectrum for a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and wherein the first channel raster is aligned with a second channel raster being used over the unlicensed spectrum for a wireless local area network (WLAN); and

code for performing the frequency scanning over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN using the first channel raster.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first channel raster is user over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a user equipment (UE) or a network entity.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein:

the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation,

a third channel raster is determined from the set of carrier frequencies and used over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a UE, and

the third channel raster corresponds to a second channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation that is different from the first channel raster pattern.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein for downlink operations, the first channel raster includes carrier frequencies determined based on the following expression:

21. An apparatus for frequency scanning during wireless communication, comprising:

a transceiver;

a memory configured to store data; and

one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory via at least one bus,

wherein the one or more processors and the memory are configured to;

identify a first channel raster determined from a set of carrier frequencies, wherein the first channel raster is used over an unlicensed spectrum for a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and wherein the first channel raster is aligned with a second channel raster being used over the unlicensed spectrum for a wireless local area network (WLAN), and

perform, via the transceiver, the frequency scanning over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN using the first channel raster.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first channel raster is user over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a user equipment (UE) or a network entity.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the first channel raster corresponds to a first channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation,

a third channel raster is determined from the set of carrier frequencies and used over the unlicensed spectrum for the WWAN supported by a UE, and

the third channel raster corresponds to a second channel raster pattern for WWAN using carrier aggregation that is different from the first channel raster pattern.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first channel raster pattern is offset from the second channel raster pattern.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the WWAN includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the WLAN includes a Wi-Fi network.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the set of carrier frequencies includes multiple subsets of carrier frequencies,

each subset is aligned to a carrier frequency in the second channel raster,

each subset has a same number of carrier frequencies as each other subset,

the carrier frequencies within each subset are equally spaced, and

the first channel raster is determined from the multiple subsets of carrier frequencies.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the number of carrier frequencies in a subset is five (5) and the spacing between carrier frequencies in a subset is 100 kHz.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein for downlink operations, the first channel raster includes carrier frequencies determined based on the following expression: