RE-CONTENTION-BASED CO-EXISTENCE ON A SHARED COMMUNICATION MEDIUM

• US 20170055260A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: VALLIAPPAN, Nachiappan, SADEK, Ahmed Kamel, GAAL, Peter, KADOUS, Tamer Adel, RADULESCU, Andrei Dragos
• Granted Patent: US 10,542,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance

Abstract

Techniques for managing re-contention on a shared communication medium are disclosed. In order to facilitate re-contending for access to the communication medium, an access point may adjust one or more uplink transmission parameters associated with a triggering condition for invoking a contention timer. In addition or as an alternative, the access point may mute transmission on the communication medium during one or more symbol periods designated for transmission. In addition or as an alternative, the access point may configure a timing advance to create a re-contention gap.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising:

contending for access to a communication medium for a series of subframes associated with a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame structure;

transmitting on the communication medium during a first portion of the series of subframes;

refraining from transmitting on the communication medium during a second portion of the series of subframes;

configuring a timing advance of the second portion of the series of subframes to create a re-contention gap between the second portion of the series of subframes and a third portion of the series of subframes;

re-contending, during the re-contention gap, for access to the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes; and

transmitting on the communication medium during the third portion of the series of subframes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises sending a timing advance command to an access terminal instructing the access terminal to commence uplink transmission prior to a scheduled start time of an uplink subframe of the second portion of the series of subframes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the timing advance command further instructs the access terminal to shorten a subframe of the first portion of the series of subframes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the shortened subframe is a special subframe preceding the uplink subframe.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the special subframe is shortened by one or more symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the special subframe is shortened by between one and three symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a first channel reservation message to reserve the communication medium for the series of subframes.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting a second channel reservation message to further reserve the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes.

9. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor and the at least one memory being configured to contend for access to a communication medium for a series of subframes associated with a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame structure; and

at least one transceiver configured to transmit on the communication medium during a first portion of the series of subframes and to refrain from transmitting on the communication medium during a second portion of the series of subframes,

wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are further configured to configure a timing advance of the second portion of the series of subframes to create a re-contention gap between the second portion of the series of subframes and a third portion of the series of subframes and re-contend, during the re-contention gap, for access to the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes, and

wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to transmit on the communication medium during the third portion of the series of subframes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to send a timing advance command to an access terminal instructing the access terminal to commence uplink transmission prior to a scheduled start time of an uplink subframe of the second portion of the series of subframes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the timing advance command further instructs the access terminal to shorten a subframe of the first portion of the series of subframes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the shortened subframe is a special subframe preceding the uplink subframe.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the special subframe is shortened by one or more symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the special subframe is shortened by between one and three symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to transmit a first channel reservation message to reserve the communication medium for the series of subframes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one transceiver is further configured to transmit a second channel reservation message to further reserve the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes.

17. A communication apparatus, comprising:

means for contending for access to a communication medium for a series of subframes associated with a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame structure;

means for transmitting on the communication medium during a first portion of the series of subframes;

means for refraining from transmitting on the communication medium during a second portion of the series of subframes;

means for configuring a timing advance of the second portion of the series of subframes to create a re-contention gap between the second portion of the series of subframes and a third portion of the series of subframes;

means for re-contending, during the re-contention gap, for access to the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes; and

means for transmitting on the communication medium during the third portion of the series of subframes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for configuring comprises means for sending a timing advance command to an access terminal instructing the access terminal to commence uplink transmission prior to a scheduled start time of an uplink subframe of the second portion of the series of subframes.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the timing advance command further instructs the access terminal to shorten a subframe of the first portion of the series of subframes.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the shortened subframe is a special subframe preceding the uplink subframe.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the special subframe is shortened by one or more symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the special subframe is shortened by between one and three symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for transmitting a first channel reservation message to reserve the communication medium for the series of subframes; and

means for transmitting a second channel reservation message to further reserve the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations for communication, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for contending for access to a communication medium for a series of subframes associated with a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) frame structure;

code for transmitting on the communication medium during a first portion of the series of subframes;

code for refraining from transmitting on the communication medium during a second portion of the series of subframes;

code for configuring a timing advance of the second portion of the series of subframes to create a re-contention gap between the second portion of the series of subframes and a third portion of the series of subframes;

code for re-contending, during the re-contention gap, for access to the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes; and

code for transmitting on the communication medium during the third portion of the series of subframes.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the code for configuring comprises code for sending a timing advance command to an access terminal instructing the access terminal to commence uplink transmission prior to a scheduled start time of an uplink subframe of the second portion of the series of subframes.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the timing advance command further instructs the access terminal to shorten a subframe of the first portion of the series of subframes.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the shortened subframe is a special subframe preceding the uplink subframe.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the special subframe is shortened by one or more symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the special subframe is shortened by between one and three symbol periods as compared to the uplink subframe.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising:

code for transmitting a first channel reservation message to reserve the communication medium for the series of subframes; and

code for transmitting a second channel reservation message to further reserve the communication medium for the third portion of the series of subframes.