TD LTE secondary component carrier in unlicensed bands

• US 9,986,559 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bontu, Chandra Sekhar, Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Guang W
• Application Number:
  US14/925,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0006 Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A method is provided for communication in a wireless telecommunication system. The method comprises adaptively designating, by a network element following a frame-based communication protocol, for use as a secondary component carrier in a carrier aggregation scheme, at least a portion of radio resources on an unlicensed band.

Claims

1. A method performed by a base station of a wireless telecommunication system, the method comprising:

detecting, by the base station, a demand for wireless radio resources;

requesting, by the base station, a user equipment (UE) to perform a scan for wireless channels in response to detecting the demand, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to perform the scan in response to detecting an increase in demand for wireless radio resources over a licensed band;

receiving, by the base station in response to the requesting, a measurement report from the UE;

selecting, by the base station after receipt of the measurement report, a wireless channel based on feedback information obtained from the measurement report, the feedback information corresponding to wireless channels within a vicinity of the UE; and

transmitting, by the base station after the selecting, at least one of a synchronization channel and a broadcast channel via the selected wireless channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to offload traffic onto an unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to scan for 802.11 beacon transmissions over the unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising offloading traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band upon the base station determining that traffic requirements cannot be satisfied by a primary component carrier (PCC) operating over the licensed band.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein offloading traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band comprises:

enabling, by the base station, a secondary component carrier (SCC) to operate over the unlicensed band; and

directing downlink traffic from the base station to the UE via the SCC while directing uplink communications from the UE to the base station via the PCC.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein enabling the SCC to operate over the unlicensed band comprises the base station transmitting a media access control (MAC) control element to the UE via the PCC.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein directing downlink traffic from the base station to the UE via the SCC comprises transmitting a subframe to the UE over the unlicensed band such that transmission of the subframe does not interfere or substantially interfere with an existing transmission over the unlicensed band between an access point and a second UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information from the UE includes at least one of:

Wi-Fi beacon transmission parameters;

path loss;

traffic load of a Wi-Fi system;

or

a maximum medium access control (MAC) payload size set by a Wi-Fi access point (AP).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the base station selects the wireless channel according to at least one of a lowest traffic load or a lowest received beacon power, the method further comprising:

responsive to transmitting the at least one of the synchronization channel and the broadcast channel, directing downlink traffic from the base station to the UE via the wireless channel and directing uplink transmissions from the UE to the base station via a different channel than the wireless channel.

9. A base station, comprising:

at least one memory device; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored on the at least one memory device such that when executed, cause the base station to;

detect a demand for wireless radio resources;

request a user equipment (UE) to perform a scan for wireless channels in response to detecting the demand, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to perform the scan in response to detecting an increase in demand for wireless radio resources over a licensed band;

receive, in response to the request, a measurement report from the UE;

select, after receipt of the measurement report, a wireless channel based on feedback information obtained from the measurement report, the feedback information corresponding to wireless channels within a vicinity of the UE; and

transmit, after the selecting, at least one of a synchronization channel and a broadcast channel via the selected wireless channel.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein the base station is configured to determine whether to offload traffic onto an unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to scan for 802.11 beacon transmissions over the unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band.

11. The base station of claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to offload traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band upon the base station determining that traffic requirements cannot be satisfied by a primary component carrier (PCC) operating over the licensed band.

12. The base station of claim 11, wherein offloading traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band comprises the base station:

enabling a secondary component carrier (SCC) to operate over the unlicensed band; and

directing downlink traffic from the base station to the UE via the SCC while directing uplink communications from the UE to the base station via the PCC.

13. The base station of claim 9, wherein the feedback information from the UE includes at least one of:

Wi-Fi beacon transmission parameters;

path loss;

traffic load of a Wi-Fi system;

or

a maximum medium access control (MAC) payload size set by a Wi-Fi access point (AP).

14. The base station of claim 13, wherein the base station selects the wireless channel according to at least one of a lowest traffic load or a lowest received beacon power.

15. A non-transitory computer medium storing instructions executable by a processor of a base station such that when executed, cause the base station to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting, by the base station, a demand for wireless radio resources;

requesting, by the base station, a user equipment (UE) to perform a scan for wireless channels in response to detecting the demand, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to perform the scan in response to detecting an increase in demand for wireless radio resources over a licensed band;

receiving, by the base station in response to the requesting, a measurement report from the UE;

selecting, by the base station after receipt of the measurement report, a wireless channel based on feedback information obtained from the measurement report, the feedback information corresponding to wireless channels within a vicinity of the UE; and

transmitting, by the base station after the selecting, at least one of a synchronization channel and a broadcast channel via the selected wireless channel.

16. The non-transitory computer medium of claim 15,

wherein the method further comprises determining whether to offload traffic onto an unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band, wherein requesting the UE to perform the scan for wireless channels comprises the base station requesting the UE to scan for 802.11 beacon transmissions over the unlicensed band in response to detecting the increase in demand for wireless radio resources over the licensed band.

17. The non-transitory computer medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises offloading traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band upon the base station determining that traffic requirements cannot be satisfied by a primary component carrier (PCC) operating over the licensed band.

18. The non-transitory computer medium of claim 17, wherein offloading traffic from the licensed band onto the unlicensed band comprises:

enabling a secondary component carrier (SCC) to operate over the unlicensed band; and

directing downlink traffic from the base station to the UE via the SCC while directing uplink communications from the UE to the base station via the PCC.

19. The non-transitory computer medium of claim 15, wherein the feedback information from the UE includes at least one of:

Wi-Fi beacon transmission parameters;

path loss;

traffic load of a Wi-Fi system;

or

a maximum medium access control (MAC) payload size set by a Wi-Fi access point (AP).

20. The non-transitory computer medium of claim 19, wherein the base station selects the wireless channel according to at least one of a lowest traffic load or a lowest received beacon power.