User equipment assisted deployment in an unlicensed band

• US 10,027,453 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Toskala, Antti Anton, Nielsen, Sari
• Primary Examiner(s): Towfighi, Afshawn M
• Application Number:
  US15/101,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points

Abstract

A user apparatus having a primary cell on a licensed band is requested to scan an unlicensed band, the scanning being performed with a raster. The thus obtained availability of the unlicensed band is used for determining a secondary cell. To improve the reparation of the traffic between the primary cell and the secondary cell, timing information measurements are carried out which can be exploited to avoid interferences between the primary and the secondary cell.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a primary cell on a licensed band to a user apparatus;

sending, to the user apparatus, a message indicating a request to scan an unlicensed band with a raster;

receiving, from the user apparatus, scan results indicating one or more cells on the unlicensed band, and timing information measurements on the one or more cells on the unlicensed band;

using the scan results to select a carrier frequency for a secondary cell on the unlicensed band;

using received timing information measurements for determining timing information for the secondary cell;

sending, to a network apparatus providing the secondary cell, information on the secondary cell and the timing;

receiving, from the user apparatus, a message indicating a newly detected network apparatus providing one or more new cells on the unlicensed band;

determining whether or not to readjust the secondary cell because of the one or more new cells; and

if readjustment is needed, readjusting information on the secondary cell, and sending the readjusted information to the network apparatus providing the secondary cell.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing information measurements comprise measuring a timing difference between the primary cell and one or more cells on the unlicensed band.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing information measurements are received in response to sending to the user apparatus a message indicating at least one cell indicated in the scan results and requesting timing information measurement results on indicated cells.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising selecting a frequency indicated as empty in the scan results to be the carrier frequency for the secondary cell.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cell identified as a strongest one on the unlicensed band or as a strongest one for a specific public land mobile network identification on the unlicensed band in the scan results is the cell for which the timing information measurement results are received.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, over a primary cell on a licensed band, from a network apparatus providing the primary cell, a request to scan an unlicensed band;

scanning the unlicensed band using a raster;

sending as scan results information on one or more found cells on the unlicensed band and timing information measurements on the one or more found cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus; and

sending a message indicating a newly detected network apparatus providing one or more new cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus,

wherein the message comprises information associated with determining whether or not to readjust a secondary cell because of the one or more new cells.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of:

the scanning comprises determining for each found cell on the unlicensed band a transmission power used in the cell;

the timing information measurements comprise measuring a timing difference between the primary cell and one or more cells on the unlicensed band;

the timing is frame timing; and

wherein the raster is either sent in the request to scan an unlicensed band or a predefined raster that is not sent in the request is used.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein timing information measurements are done for the cell identified as a strongest one on the unlicensed band or as a strongest one for a specific public land mobile network identification on the unlicensed band in the scan results.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the timing information measurements are done in response to receiving from the network apparatus a request for measuring a timing information for one or more cells indicated in the request.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring the unlicensed band after the scanning;

detecting one or more new cells on the unlicensed band provided by a network apparatus; and

sending information on the new cells to the network apparatus providing the primary cell.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

provide a primary cell on a licensed band to a user apparatus;

send, to the user apparatus, a message indicating a request to scan an unlicensed band with a raster;

receive, from the user apparatus, scan results indicating one or more cells on the unlicensed band, and timing information measurements on one or more cells on the unlicensed band;

use the scan results to select a carrier frequency for a secondary cell on the unlicensed band;

use the received timing information measurements to determine timing information for the secondary cell;

send, to a network apparatus providing the secondary cell, information on the secondary cell and the timing;

receive, from the user apparatus, a message indicating a newly detected network apparatus providing one or more new cells on the unlicensed band;

determine whether or not to readjust the secondary cell because of the one or more new cells; and

if readjustment is needed, readjust information on the secondary cell, and send the readjusted information to the network apparatus providing the secondary cell.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the timing information measurements comprise a timing difference between the primary cell and one or more cells on the unlicensed band.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cell identified as a strongest one on the unlicensed band or as a strongest one for a specific public land mobile network identification on the unlicensed band in the scan results is the cell for which the timing information measurement results are received.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, over a primary cell on a licensed band, from a network apparatus providing the primary cell, a request to scan an unlicensed band;

scanning the unlicensed band using a raster;

sending as scan results information on one or more found cells on the unlicensed band and timing information measurements on the one or more found cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus; and

sending a message indicating a newly detected network apparatus providing one or more new cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus,

wherein the message comprises information associated with determining whether or not to readjust a secondary cell because of the one or more new cells.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein timing information measurements comprise measurement of a timing difference between the primary cell and one or more cells on the unlicensed band.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein timing information measurements are done for the cell identified as a strongest one on the unlicensed band or as a strongest one for a specific public land mobile network identification on the unlicensed band in the scan results.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the timing information measurements are done in response to receiving from the network apparatus a request for measuring a timing information for one or more cells indicated in the request.

18. A computer program product comprising a program code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said program code, when run on a computer, configures the computer to:

receive, over a primary cell on a licensed band, from a network apparatus providing the primary cell, a request to scan an unlicensed band;

scan the unlicensed band using a raster;

send as scan results information on one or more found cells on the unlicensed band and timing information measurements on the one or more found cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus; and

send a message indicating a newly detected network apparatus providing one or more new cells on the unlicensed band to the network apparatus,

wherein the message comprises information associated with determining whether or not to readjust a secondary cell because of the one or more new cells.