Method of radio resource scheduling in unlicensed spectrum and related apparatuses using the same

• US 9,936,393 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Pao, Wei-Chen, Cheng, Ching-Wen, Tsai, Tzu-Jane, Tseng, Yung-Lan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US14/983,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a method of radio resource scheduling in an unlicensed spectrum and related apparatuses using the same method. In one of the exemplary embodiments, the method would include not limited to transmitting a node control information which may include an occupancy pattern of a radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving an occupancy notification; transmitting an equipment control information which comprises the occupancy pattern of the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving the occupancy notification; transmitting a packet data by using the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving the occupancy notification; and receiving the occupancy notification which informs an availability of the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum.

Claims

1. A method of radio resource scheduling in an unlicensed spectrum implemented by a base station, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a licensed assisted access (LAA) node, a node control information which coordinates the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum with the LAA node and comprises an occupancy pattern of a radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving an occupancy notification, wherein the LAA node is controlled by the base station to connect a user equipment to the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum;

transmitting, to a user equipment, an equipment control information which indicates a packet data is to be transmitted through radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum and comprises the occupancy pattern of the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving the occupancy notification;

transmitting, through the LAA node the packet data to the user equipment by using the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving the occupancy notification; and

receiving, from the LAA node, the occupancy notification which informs that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data is transmitted has been successfully occupied.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

pre-scheduling the packet data to be transmitted over the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum comprising;

determining a starting subframe according to the occupancy pattern; and

transmitting the packet data to the licensed assisted access node ahead of the starting subframe according to a delay and the occupancy pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the packet data to the licensed assisted access node further comprising:

transmitting a downlink control information (DCI) destined toward a user equipment through a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for same subframe scheduling or cross subframe scheduling.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the occupancy pattern comprises

a consecutive period which is restricted by a regional maximum occupancy period;

and

a blank period which is used for a clear channel assessment or a random backoff period.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the equipment control information further comprising:

transmitting a first mapping information within the equipment control information which corresponds to a first subframe of consecutive subframes, wherein the first mapping information comprises;

an existence bit which indicates whether the licensed assisted access node will deliver the packet data; and

a reservation duration which indicates a duration of the consecutive subframes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating a channel occupancy mechanism for the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum by at least one of;

transmitting a first indicator to start a channel occupancy mechanism;

transmitting the occupancy pattern; and

transmitting the packet data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

stopping the channel occupancy mechanism for the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum by at least one of;

transmitting a second indicator to stop a channel occupancy mechanism; and

transmitting no packet data.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a ACK signal or a NACK signal for each subframe in the consecutive period; and

determining a cause of failure based on the NACK signal and the occupancy notification.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

in response to a NACK signal being received, the cause of failure is determined to be an occupancy failure if the occupancy notification indicates that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is not available, and the packet data is determined to be a new transmission due to the occupancy failure; and

in response to a NACK being received, the cause of failure is determined to be a non-occupancy related failure if the occupancy notification indicates that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is available and the packet data is determined to be a retransmission due to the non-occupancy related failure.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to receiving the occupancy notification indicating that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is available, transmitting the packet data through a configured scheduling message to schedule another consecutive subframes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the node control information further comprises at least one or a combination of:

a delay, a synchronization information, a transmission power, a channel number, and an indication to start or stop performing channel occupancy.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment control information further comprises at least one or a combination of:

a frequency band, a channel number, a LAA cell index or identification (ID), and a delay.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the occupancy pattern is determined according to either a frequency domain duplex (FDD) configuration or one of time domain duplex configurations (TDDs).

14. A method of radio resource scheduling in an unlicensed spectrum implemented by a licensed assisted access (LAA) node, the method comprising:

receiving, from a base station, a node control information which is to coordinate uses the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum by the base station and comprises an occupancy pattern of a radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before transmitting an occupancy notification;

after receiving the node control information, receiving a packet data which uses the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before transmitting the occupancy notification;

determining that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data has been transmitted is successfully occupied; and

transmitting the occupancy notification to inform the base station that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data has been transmitted is successfully occupied.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

Transmitting, to a user equipment, the packet data if the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is determined to be available; and

discarding the packet data if the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is determined to be not available.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a downlink control information (DCI) destined toward a user equipment through a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for either same subframe scheduling or cross subframe scheduling.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupancy pattern comprises

a consecutive period which is restricted by a regional maximum occupancy period;

and

a blank period which is used for a clear channel assessment or a random backoff period.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving an equipment control information which comprises a first mapping information which corresponds to a first subframe of consecutive subframes, wherein the first mapping information comprises;

an existence bit which indicates whether the licensed assisted access node will deliver the packet data; and

a reservation duration which indicates a duration of the consecutive subframes.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

performing a channel occupancy mechanism for a radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum in response to at least one of;

receiving a first indicator to start a channel occupancy mechanism;

receiving the occupancy pattern; and

receiving the packet data.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

stopping the channel occupancy pattern for the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum in response to at least one of;

receiving a second indicator to stop a channel occupancy mechanism; and

receiving no packet data.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in response to transmitting the occupancy notification indicating that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum is available, receiving the packet data through a configured scheduling signaling to schedule another consecutive subframes.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting a reservation signal to reserve the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum in response to having occupied the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before setting a transmission time for the packet data.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the node control information further comprises at least one or a combination of:

a delay, a synchronization information, a transmission power, a channel number, and an indication to start or stop performing channel occupancy.

24. A base station comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver and is configured at least for;

transmitting, to a licensed assisted access (LAA) node via the transmitter, a node control information which coordinates the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum with the LAA node and comprises an occupancy pattern of a radio resource of an unlicensed spectrum before receiving an occupancy notification;

transmitting, to a user equipment, via the transmitter, an equipment control information which indicates a packet data is to be transmitted through radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum and comprises the occupancy pattern of the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving an occupancy notification;

transmitting, through the LAA node via the transmitter, to the user equipment the packet data by using the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before receiving the occupancy notification; and

receiving, from the LAA node via the receiver, the occupancy notification which informs that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data has been transmitted is successfully occupied.

25. A licensed assisted access node comprising:

a first transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the first transceiver and is configured at least for;

receiving, from a base station, via the first transceiver, a node control information which is to coordinate uses the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum by the base station and comprises an occupancy pattern of a radio resource of an unlicensed spectrum before transmitting an occupancy notification;

after receiving the node control information, receiving, via the first transceiver, a packet data which uses the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum before transmitting the occupancy notification;

determining that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data is transmitted is successfully occupied; and

transmitting, via the first transceiver, the occupancy notification to inform the base station that the radio resource of the unlicensed spectrum through which the packet data has been transmitted is successfully occupied.