Asymmetric TDD in flexible use spectrum

• US 9,148,273 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DBSD Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Network Corporation (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Sorond, Mariam, Corea, Peter, Hyslop, Doug, Peters, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Fan
• Application Number:
  US14/094,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20140086115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/315, 370/316, 370/319, 370/321, 370/328, 370/329, 370/336, 370/337, 370/345, 370/347
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2615 using hybrid frequency-time division multiple access [FDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/22 in which the sources have different rates or codes simultaneous speech and digital data or video transmission H04M11/06; see provisional also H04J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex

Abstract

A method according to an embodiment of the invention includes receiving and transmitting signals over a time division duplex (TDD) communication path. Signals are received over the TDD communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band. The first frequency band is adjacent to a second frequency band and to a third frequency band. The first frequency band is different from the second frequency band and from the third frequency band. A first frequency division duplex (FDD) communication path can be operable in the second frequency band. A second FDD communication path can be operable in the third frequency band. Signals are transmitted over the TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band that is different from the first portion of the first frequency band.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication device configured to send a first signal over a first time division duplex (TDD) communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band during a first time period, the first frequency band being disposed between and mutually exclusive of a second frequency band and a third frequency band, the second frequency band including a second TDD communication path, the second TDD communication path being an asymmetric TDD communication path, the third frequency band including a third TDD communication path synchronous with the first TDD communication path,

the communication device configured to receive a second signal over the first TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band during a second time period, the second portion of the first frequency band being different than the first portion of the first frequency band, the first portion of the first frequency band and the second portion of the first frequency band being contiguous with the third frequency band.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first frequency band is separated from the second frequency band by a guard band, the second portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the first frequency band is adjacent to the second frequency band, the second portion of the first frequency band being separated from the third frequency band by a guard band.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third TDD communication path operates as an uplink communication path during substantially the first time period, the third TDD communication path operating as a downlink communication path during substantially the second time period.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second TDD communication path operates as an uplink communication path during a first portion of the first time period, the second TDD communication path operating as a downlink communication path during a second portion of the first time period, the first portion of the first frequency band being separated from the second frequency band by a guard band, the second portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second TDD communication path operates as a downlink communication path during both the second time period and a portion of the first time period, the first portion of the first frequency band being separated from the second frequency band by a guard band, the second portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second TDD communication path operates as an uplink communication path during a first portion of the second time period, the second TDD communication path operating as a downlink communication path during a second portion of the second time period, the first portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band, the second portion of the first frequency band being separated from the second frequency band by a guard band.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second TDD communication path operates as an uplink communication path during both the first time period and a portion of the second time period, the first portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band, the second portion of the first frequency band being separated from the second frequency band by a guard band.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication device configured to send a first signal over a first time division duplex (TDD) communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band during a first time period, the first frequency band being disposed adjacent to and mutually exclusive of a second frequency band, the second frequency band including a second TDD communication path, the second TDD communication path being an asymmetric TDD communication path,

the communication device configured to receive a second signal over the first TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band during a second time period, the second portion of the first frequency band being different than the first portion of the first frequency band.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, herein the first portion of the first frequency band is separated from the second frequency band by a guard band, the second portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first portion of the first frequency band is adjacent to the second frequency band, the second portion of the first frequency band being separated from a third frequency band by a guard band.

12. A method, comprising:

transmitting a first signal over a first time division duplex (TDD) communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band during a first time period, the first frequency band being disposed adjacent to and mutually exclusive of a second frequency band, the second frequency band including a second TDD communication path; and

receiving a second signal over the first TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band during a second time period, the second portion of the first frequency band being different than the first portion of the first frequency band.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion of the first frequency band is adjacent to the second frequency band, the second portion of the first frequency band being separated from a third frequency band by a guard band.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the second TDD communication path operates as an uplink communication path during a first portion of the first time period, the second TDD communication path operating as a downlink communication path during a second portion of the first time period, the first portion of the first frequency band being separated from the second frequency band by a guard band, the second portion of the first frequency band being adjacent to the second frequency band.

15. A computer program product for communicating one or more communications signals via a time division duplex (TDD) communication path, the computer program product comprising computer readable storage and a non-transient computer program stored therein, the non-transient computer program comprising:

instructions for uplinking a first signal over a first TDD communication path via a first portion of a first frequency band during a first time period, the first frequency band being disposed adjacent to and mutually exclusive of a second frequency band, the second frequency band including a second communication path; and

instructions for downlinking a second signal over the first TDD communication path via a second portion of the first frequency band during a second time period, the second portion of the first frequency band being different than the first portion of the first frequency band.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the first frequency band is separated from the second frequency band by a guard band and the non-transient computer program comprises instructions for uplinking a second signal over the second communication path.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein a first portion of the second communication band utilizes a smaller duration of time for uplinking the second signal than a second portion of the second communication band utilizes for downlinking a third signal over the second communication path and the non-transient computer program comprises instructions for uplinking the second signal over the second communication path.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a first portion of the second communication band utilizes a larger duration of time for uplinking the second signal than a second portion of the second communication band utilizes for downlinking a third signal over the second communication path and the non-transient computer program comprises instructions for downlinking the second signal over the second communication path.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second portion of the first frequency band is separated from the second frequency band by a guard band and the non-transient computer program comprises instructions for downlinking a second signal over the second communication path.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first frequency band and the second frequency band arise in spectrum allocated within an advanced wireless services (AWS) spectrum and designated as AWS-3.