METHOD AND ENTITY FOR TRANSMITTING IN A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20190320466A1
• Filed: 06/27/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: MESTANOV, Filip, SODER, Johan, TAYAMON, Soma, WANG, Yu, WIKSTROM, Gustav
• Granted Patent: US 11,064,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0816 with collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method performed in an entity for transmitting in a communications system. The method comprises assessing a channel to be available for transmission by establishing an on-going transmission to have a received signal strength such as to allow simultaneous transmission in view of a first clear channel assessment threshold; establishing type of transmission of the on-going transmission; and determining, based on the established type of transmission, whether to transmit or to defer transmitting. A corresponding entity, computer programs and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting frames, the method comprising:

detecting a transmission on a channel;

determining a signal strength of the detected transmission;

determining a transmission type for the detected transmission; and

based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission, delaying a transmission of a frame on the channel, wherein

the delaying of the transmission of the frame is performed regardless of whether or not the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is less than a first clear channel assessment threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein delaying the transmission of the frame based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is performed as a result of:

determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is less than the first clear channel assessment threshold, and

determining that the determined transmission type matches a particular transmission type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein delaying the transmission of the frame based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is performed as a result of:

determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is less than the first clear channel assessment threshold,

determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is greater than a second clear channel assessment threshold, and

determining that the determined transmission type matches a particular transmission type.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

the first clear channel assessment threshold varies during a time period, and

the second clear channel assessment threshold does not vary during the time period.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein delaying the transmission of the frame comprises waiting at least a random back-off period before deciding whether or not to further delay the transmission of the frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transmission type for the detected transmission comprises determining a number of devices to which the detected transmission is addressed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transmission type for the detected transmission comprises determining whether the detected transmission is an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM) transmission.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the transmission type for the detected transmission comprises determining whether the detected transmission carries a control message.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for handling transmissions, the computer program comprising computer program code, which, when executed on at least one processor of an entity causes the entity to:

detect a transmission on a channel;

determine a signal strength of the detected transmission;

determine a transmission type for the detected transmission; and

based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission, delay a transmission of a frame on the channel regardless of whether or not the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is less than a first clear channel assessment threshold.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer program comprises computer program code for configuring the entity such that the entity delays the transmission of the frame as a result of the entity determining that i) the signal strength of the detected transmission is less than the first clear channel assessment threshold and ii) the determined transmission type matches a particular transmission type.

11. An entity for transmitting in a communications system, the entity comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the entity is configured to;

employ the receiver to detect a transmission on a channel;

determine a signal strength of the detected transmission;

determine a transmission type for the detected transmission; and

based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission, delay a transmission of a frame on the channel regardless of whether or not the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is less than a first clear channel assessment threshold.

12. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity delays the transmission of the frame based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is performed as a result of:

the entity determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is less than the first clear channel assessment threshold, and

the entity determining that the determined transmission type matches a particular transmission type.

13. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity delays the transmission of the frame based on the determined transmission type for the detected transmission and the determined signal strength of the detected transmission is performed as a result of:

the entity determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is less than the first clear channel assessment threshold,

the entity determining that the signal strength of the detected transmission is greater than a second clear channel assessment threshold, and

the entity determining that the determined transmission type matches a particular transmission type.

14. The entity of claim 13, wherein

the first clear channel assessment threshold varies during a time period, and

the second clear channel assessment threshold does not vary during the time period.

15. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity delays the transmission of the frame by waiting at least a random back-off period before deciding whether or not to further delay the transmission of the frame.

16. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity determines the transmission type for the detected transmission by determining a number of devices to which the detected transmission is addressed.

17. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity determines the transmission type for the detected transmission by determining whether the detected transmission is an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM) transmission.

18. The entity of claim 11, wherein the entity is configured such that the entity determines the transmission type for the detected transmission by determining whether the detected transmission carries a control message.