Techniques for enabling asynchronous transmissions in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band

• US 9,949,315 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Chen, Wanshi, Bhushan, Naga, Gaal, Peter, Somasundaram, Kiran Kumar, Luo, Tao, Wei, Yongbin, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Xu, Hao, Ji, Tingfang
• Primary Examiner(s): Crompton, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US14/553,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 370328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]

Abstract

Techniques are described for wireless communication. One method includes monitoring, by a first base station of a first operator, for clear channel assessment (CCA) exempt transmission (CET) timing information of a second base station of a second operator; identifying transmission timings of CETs of the second base station of the second operator based at least in part on the monitoring; and discontinuing transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the second operator. Transmissions of the second base station of the second operator may be asynchronous to transmissions of the first base station of the first operator.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

monitoring, by a first base station of a first operator, for clear channel assessment (CCA) exempt transmission (CET) timing information of a second base station of at least one second operator, wherein the first base station is deployed in a first network of the first operator and the second base station is deployed in a second network of the second operator, and transmissions of the second base station of the at least one second operator are asynchronous to transmissions of the first base station of the first operator;

identifying transmission timings of CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the monitoring, wherein the CETs are transmitted to a first mobile device served by the second base station and deployed in the second network of the second operator; and

discontinuing the transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

detecting the CET timing information for the second base station of the at least one second operator directly from the second base station of the at least one second operator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring comprises:

ceasing data transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during at least one time sub-interval of each of a plurality of time intervals to detect a transmission of a CET of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one time sub-interval changes from a first of the plurality of time intervals to a second of the plurality of time intervals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the monitoring comprises receiving a report from a second mobile device located in a first cell of the first base station of the first operator; and

the identifying comprises identifying the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the report from the second mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a timing difference between the first base station of the first operator and the second base station of the at least one second operator, wherein the second mobile device is served by the first base station of the first operator.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a timing difference between a reference CET timing and the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the at least one second operator, the second mobile device being a member of a PLMN of the first operator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first base station of the first operator, CETs of the first base station, the CETs of the first base station of the first operator comprising system configuration information for the first base station of the first operator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the system configuration information for the first base station of the first operator comprises:

information regarding a configuration of a listen before talk (LBT) frame.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information regarding the configuration of the LBT frame indicates a duration of the LBT frame as two milliseconds or five milliseconds.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a downlink CCA during a number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) symbols of a listen before talk (LBT) frame, wherein the number of OFDM symbols occur at a beginning of a first subframe of the LBT frame.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuing of the transmissions of the first base station of the first operator comprises:

discontinuing transmissions of a cell using an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band that supports a supplemental downlink (SDL) mode of operation.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for monitoring, by a first base station of a first operator, for clear channel assessment (CCA) exempt transmission (CET) timing information of a second base station of at least one second operator, wherein the first base station is deployed in a first network of the first operator and the second base station is deployed in a second network of the second operator, and transmissions of the second base station of the at least one second operator are asynchronous to transmissions of the first base station of the first operator;

means for identifying transmission timings of CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the monitoring, wherein the CETs are transmitted to a first mobile device served by the second base station and deployed in the second network of the second operator; and

means for discontinuing the transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for monitoring comprises:

means for detecting the CET timing information for the second base station of the at least one second operator directly from the second base station of the at least one second operator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for monitoring comprises:

means for ceasing data transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during at least one time sub-interval of each of a plurality of time intervals to detect a transmission of a CET of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one time sub-interval changes from a first of the plurality of time intervals to a second of the plurality of time intervals.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the means for monitoring comprises means for receiving a report from a second mobile device located in a first cell of the first base station of the first operator; and

the means for identifying comprises means for identifying the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the report from the second mobile device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a timing difference between the first base station of the first operator and the second base station of the at least one second operator, wherein the second mobile device is served by the first base station of the first operator.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a timing difference between a reference CET timing and the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the report from the second mobile device comprises:

a public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the at least one second operator, the second mobile device being a member of a PLMN of the first operator.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for transmitting, by the first base station of the first operator, CETs of the first base station, the CETs of the first base station of the first operator comprising system configuration information for the first base station of the first operator.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the system configuration information for the first base station of the first operator comprises:

information regarding a configuration of a listen before talk (LBT) frame.

24. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

monitor, by a first base station of a first operator, for clear channel assessment (CCA) exempt transmission (CET) timing information of a second base station of at least one second operator, wherein the first base station is deployed in a first network of the first operator and the second base station is deployed in a second network of the second operator, and transmissions of the second base station of the at least one second operator are asynchronous to transmissions of the first base station of the first operator;

identify transmission timings of CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the monitoring, wherein the CETs are transmitted to a first mobile device served by the second base station and deployed in the second network of the second operator; and

discontinue the transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to monitor comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

detect the CET timing information for the second base station of the at least one second operator directly from the second base station of the at least one second operator.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to monitor comprise instructions executable by the processor to:

cease data transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during at least one time sub-interval of each of a plurality of time intervals to detect a transmission of a CET of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one time sub-interval changes from a first of the plurality of time intervals to a second of the plurality of time intervals.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

the instructions executable by the processor to monitor comprise instructions executable by the processor to receive a report from a second mobile device located in a first cell of the first base station of the first operator; and

the instructions executable by the processor to identify comprise instructions executable by the processor to identify the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the report from the second mobile device.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communications, the code executable by at least one processor to:

monitor, by a first base station of a first operator, for clear channel assessment (CCA) exempt transmission (CET) timing information of a second base station of at least one second operator, wherein the first base station is deployed in a first network of the first operator and the second base station is deployed in a second network of the second operator, and transmissions of the second base station of the at least one second operator are asynchronous to transmissions of the first base station of the first operator;

identify transmission timings of CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator based at least in part on the monitoring, wherein the CETs are transmitted to a first mobile device served by the second base station and deployed in the second network of the second operator; and

discontinue the transmissions of the first base station of the first operator during the transmission timings of the CETs of the second base station of the at least one second operator.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the code is executable by the at least one processor to:

detect the CET timing information for the second base station of the at least one second operator directly from the second base station of the at least one second operator.