OPERATOR IDENTIFICATION FOR CO-EXISTENCE ON A SHARED COMMUNICATION MEDIUM

• US 20170063504A1
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chande, Vinay, Luo, Tao, Patel, Chirag, Gaal, Peter, Valliappan, Nachiappan, Sadek, Ahmed
• Granted Patent: US 10,651,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Techniques for operator identification on a shared communication medium are disclosed. An access point may determine an operator identifier for an operator associated with an access point and configure a set of resource elements to carry an operator identifier reference signal embedded with the operator identifier. The access point may then transmit the operator identifier reference signal using the configured set of resource elements. An access terminal may receive signaling from an access point on a set of resource elements and monitor the signaling for an operator identifier reference signal. The access terminal may then determine an operator identifier for an operator associated with the access point based on the operator identifier reference signal.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising:

determining an operator identifier for an operator associated with an access point;

configuring a set of resource elements to carry an operator identifier reference signal embedded with the operator identifier; and

transmitting, from the access point, the operator identifier reference signal using the configured set of resource elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operator identifier corresponds to a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resource elements forms part of an Enhanced Discovery Reference Signal (eDRS) subframe.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises selecting the set of resource elements based on the operator identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selecting is further based on a cell identifier associated with the access point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises scrambling the set of resource elements based on the operator identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the scrambling is further based on a cell identifier associated with the access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises:

scheduling the set of resource elements for another reference signal; and

repurposing the scheduled set of resource elements for the operator identifier reference signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the other reference signal corresponds to a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resource elements comprises at least eight resource elements in a corresponding resource block.

11. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

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;

determine an operator identifier for an operator associated with an access point, and

configure a set of resource elements to carry an operator identifier reference signal embedded with the operator identifier; and

at least one transceiver configured to transmit, from the access point, the operator identifier reference signal using the configured set of resource elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operator identifier corresponds to a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID).

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to select the set of resource elements based on the operator identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to scramble the set of resource elements based on the operator identifier.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to:

schedule the set of resource elements for another reference signal; and

repurpose the scheduled set of resource elements for the operator identifier reference signal.

16. A communication method, comprising:

receiving signaling from an access point on a set of resource elements;

monitoring the signaling for an operator identifier reference signal; and

determining an operator identifier for an operator associated with the access point based on the operator identifier reference signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the operator identifier corresponds to a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID).

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of resource elements forms part of an Enhanced Discovery Reference Signal (eDRS) subframe.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the monitoring comprises selecting the set of resource elements to monitor based on a preferred operator identifier.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting is further based on a cell identifier associated with the access point.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the monitoring comprises descrambling the signaling on the set of resource elements based on a preferred operator identifier.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the descrambling is further based on a cell identifier associated with the access point.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the monitoring comprises:

identifying the set of resource elements as being scheduled for another reference signal; and

monitoring the scheduled set of resource elements for the operator identifier reference signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the other reference signal corresponds to a Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of resource elements comprises at least eight resource elements in a corresponding resource block.

26. A communication apparatus, comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to receive signaling from an access point on a set of resource elements;

at least one processor; and

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;

monitor the signaling for an operator identifier reference signal, and

determine an operator identifier for an operator associated with the access point based on the operator identifier reference signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the operator identifier corresponds to a Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID).

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to select the set of resource elements to monitor based on a preferred operator identifier.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to descramble the signaling on the set of resource elements based on a preferred operator identifier.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one memory are configured to:

identify the set of resource elements as being scheduled for another reference signal; and

monitor the scheduled set of resource elements for the operator identifier reference signal.