MONITORING INTERFERENCE LEVEL TO SELECTIVELY CONTROL USAGE OF A CONTENTION-BASED PROTOCOL

• US 20180220428A1
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sun, Jing, Barghi, Sanaz, Patel, Chirag Sureshbhai, Naghshvar, Mohammad, Kadous, Tamer Adel
• Granted Patent: US 11,096,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/008 with additional processing of random access related information at receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described for monitoring interference level to selectively control usage of a contention-based protocol. In an example, a wireless device may transmit, while operating in a non-contention-based mode for a wireless link with a second wireless device, a first beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over a shared channel. The wireless device may determine that an interference level condition is satisfied for the shared channel and transition from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operating in a contention-based mode for the wireless link based at least in part on the interference level condition being satisfied. The wireless device may perform a contention-based protocol, while operating in the contention-based mode for the wireless link with the second wireless device, prior to transmission of a second beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over the shared channel.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless device, comprising:

transmitting, while operating in a non-contention-based mode for a wireless link with a second wireless device, a first beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over a shared channel;

determining that an interference level condition is satisfied for the shared channel;

transitioning from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operating in a contention-based mode for the wireless link based at least in part on the interference level condition being satisfied; and

performing a contention-based protocol, while operating in the contention-based mode for the wireless link with the second wireless device, prior to transmission of a second beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over the shared channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the interference level condition is no longer satisfied for the shared channel;

transitioning from operating in the contention-based mode to operating in the non-contention-based mode for the wireless link based at least in part on the interference level condition no longer being satisfied; and

transmitting, while operating in the non-contention-based mode for the wireless link with the second wireless device, a third beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over the shared channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring interference on the wireless link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring interference on the wireless link comprises:

determining a level of interference due to a second wireless link based at least in part on a reference signal (RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring interference on the wireless link comprises:

determining a ratio of message acknowledgments to negative acknowledgments communicated by the second wireless device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a variation in a level of the monitored interference over a time period satisfies a threshold.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining a difference between a maximum observed value of the monitored interference and a minimum observed value of the monitored interference within a time period; and

determining that the difference satisfies a threshold.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a level of the monitored interference satisfies a bursty metric.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a magnitude of a level of the monitored interference satisfies a threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contention-based protocol is a listen before talk (LBT) protocol or a channel reservation (CR) LBT protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied for the shared channel comprises:

detecting interference in a particular beam direction;

wherein the interference level condition is based at least in part on the detected interference.

12. A method for wireless communication by a first wireless device, comprising:

determining that a second wireless device is transmitting a beamformed data transmission over a shared channel while operating in a non-contention-based mode;

determining that an interference level condition is satisfied for a wireless link over the shared channel; and

instructing the second wireless device to transition from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operating in a contention-based mode based at least in part on the interference level condition being satisfied.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein instructing the second wireless device to transition from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operate in the contention-based mode comprises:

transmitting a signal waveform to the second wireless device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the interference level condition is no longer satisfied; and

instructing the second wireless device to transition from operating in the contention-based mode to operating in the non-contention-based mode based at least in part on the interference level condition no longer being satisfied.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

monitoring interference on the wireless link.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein monitoring the interference on the wireless link comprises:

determining a level of interference caused by the second wireless device based at least in part on a reference signal (RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein monitoring the interference on the wireless link comprises:

determining a ratio of message acknowledgments to negative acknowledgments for data transmissions received by the first wireless device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a variation in a level of the monitored interference over a time period satisfies a threshold.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining a difference between a maximum observed value of the monitored interference and a minimum observed value of the monitored interference within a time period; and

determining that the difference satisfies a threshold.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a level of the monitored interference satisfies a bursty metric.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises:

determining that a magnitude of a level of the monitored interference satisfies a threshold.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the contention-based mode is associated with a contention-based protocol that is a listen before talk (LBT) protocol or a channel reservation (CR) LBT protocol.

23. An apparatus for wireless communication, in a system that includes a first wireless device, the apparatus comprises:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

transmit, while operating in a non-contention-based mode for a wireless link with a second wireless device, a first beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over a shared channel;

determine that an interference level condition is satisfied for the shared channel;

transition from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operating in a contention-based mode for the wireless link based at least in part on the interference level condition being satisfied; and

perform a contention-based protocol, while operating in the contention-based mode for the wireless link with the second wireless device, prior to transmission of a second beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over the shared channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine that the interference level condition is no longer satisfied for the shared channel;

transition from operating in the contention-based mode to operating in the non-contention-based mode for the wireless link based at least in part on the interference level condition no longer being satisfied; and

transmit, while operating in the non-contention-based mode for the wireless link with the second wireless device, a third beamformed data transmission to the second wireless device over the shared channel.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

monitor interference on the wireless link; and

wherein monitoring interference on the wireless link comprises instructions further executable by the processor to;

determine a level of interference due to a second wireless link based at least in part on a reference signal (RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or any combination thereof;

or

determine a ratio of message acknowledgments to negative acknowledgments communicated by the second wireless device;

or

any combination thereof.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises instructions further executable by the processor to:

monitor interference on the wireless link; and

determine that a variation in a level of the monitored interference over a time period satisfies a first threshold;

or

determine that a difference satisfies a second threshold, the difference calculated between a maximum observed value of the monitored interference and a minimum observed value of the monitored interference within a time period;

or

determine that a level of the monitored interference satisfies a bursty metric;

or

determine that a magnitude of a level of the monitored interference satisfies a third threshold;

or

any combination thereof.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication, in a system that includes a first wireless device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to;

determine that a second wireless device is transmitting a beamformed data transmission over a shared channel while operating in a non-contention-based mode;

determine that an interference level condition is satisfied for a wireless link over the shared channel; and

instruct the second wireless device to transition from operating in the non-contention-based mode to operating in a contention-based mode based at least in part on the interference level condition being satisfied.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to:

determine that the interference level condition is no longer satisfied; and

instruct the second wireless device to transition from operating in the contention-based mode to operating in the non-contention-based mode based at least in part on the interference level condition no longer being satisfied.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises instructions further executable by the processor to:

monitor interference on the wireless link; and

wherein monitoring the interference on the wireless link comprises instructions further executable by the processor to;

determine a level of interference caused by the second wireless device based at least in part on a reference signal (RS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), or any combination thereof;

or

determine a ratio of message acknowledgments to negative acknowledgments for data transmissions received by the first wireless device;

or

any combination thereof.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein determining that the interference level condition is satisfied comprises instructions further executable by the processor to:

monitor interference on the wireless link; and

determine that a variation in a level of monitored interference over a time period satisfies a first threshold;

or

determine that a difference satisfies a second threshold, the difference calculated between a maximum observed value of the monitored interference and a minimum observed value of the monitored interference within a time period;

or

determine that a level of the monitored interference satisfies a bursty metric;

or

determine that a magnitude of a level of the monitored interference satisfies a third threshold;

or

any combination thereof.