Radio-spectrum sharing (NR-SS) in frequency-division duplexing (FDD) spectrum

• US 10,715,301 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaoxia, Yoo, Taesang, Mallik, Siddhartha, Montojo, Juan, Damnjanovic, Aleksandar
• Primary Examiner(s): Scheibel, Robert C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Mohammed S
• Application Number:
  US15/637,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 370302
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/12 the signals being represented by different phase modulations of a single carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0808 using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA]

Abstract

Wireless communications systems and methods related to sharing a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) spectrum among multiple network operating entities. In one embodiment, a first wireless communication device communicates, with a second wireless communication device in a downlink (DL) frequency band, a reservation signal in a first channel sensing time slot of a frame to reserve a transmission time slot in the frame. The first wireless communication device communicates, in an uplink (UL) frequency band, an UL control signal in the first channel sensing time slot. The UL frequency band and the DL frequency band are shared by a plurality of network operating entities for frequency-division duplexing (FDD) communications. In another embodiment, a first wireless communication device communicates, in a first frequency band of a FDD network shared by a plurality of network operating entities, a reservation signal to reserve the first frequency band for time-division duplexing (TDD) communications.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

communicating, by a first wireless communication device with a second wireless communication device, a reservation signal in a downlink (DL) frequency band during a first channel sensing time slot of a frame to reserve the DL frequency band for communicating a DL communication signal in a transmission time slot of the frame and to reserve an uplink (UL) frequency band for communicating a UL communication signal in the transmission time slot concurrent with the DL communication signal, wherein the DL frequency band and the UL frequency band are shared by a plurality of network operating entities for frequency-division duplexing (FDD) communications, and wherein the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device are associated with a first network operating entity of the plurality of network operating entities;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device in the UL frequency band, an UL control signal in the first channel sensing time slot;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device, the DL communication signal in the DL frequency band concurrent with the UL communication signal in the UL frequency band during the transmission time slot in response to the reservation signal; and

refraining, by the first wireless communication device, from communicating in the UL frequency band and the DL frequency band during another frame based on a reservation from another network operating entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring, by the first wireless communication device in a second channel sensing time slot before the first channel sensing time slot in the frame, for a reservation for the frame from the another network operating entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring includes monitoring at least one of the DL frequency band or the UL frequency band for the reservation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the another network operating entity has priority over the first network operating entity in the frame, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is designated for the first network operating entity, and wherein the second channel sensing time slot is designated for the another network operating entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation signal includes scheduling information, and wherein the method further comprises communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device in the transmission time slot, a communication signal based on at least the scheduling information transmitted in the first channel sensing time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the first wireless communication device in the DL frequency band, a DL control signal in the first channel sensing time slot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation signal indicates first scheduling information, and wherein the method further comprises:

communicating, by the first wireless communication device in the DL frequency band during the transmission time slot, updated scheduling information; and

communicating, by the first wireless communication device during the transmission time slot, a communication signal based on at least the updated scheduling information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating, by the first wireless communication device in the UL frequency band while communicating the updated scheduling information in the DL frequency band, a UL data signal in the transmission time slot according to the first scheduling information or previous scheduling information transmitted in a previous frame.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first scheduling information includes one or more transmission grants for one or more third wireless communication devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first wireless communication device from the one or more third wireless communication devices in the UL frequency band, one or more clear-to-send (CTS) indications for the one or more transmission grants; and

generating, by the first wireless communication device, the updated scheduling information based on at least the one or more CTS indications.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting, by the first wireless communication device in the UL frequency band in response to the first scheduling information, a clear-to-send (CTS) indication, wherein the communicating the updated scheduling information includes receiving, from the second wireless communication device, the updated scheduling information based on the CTS indication.

11. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

identifying, by a first wireless communication device, a frame in a first frequency band of a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) network shared by a plurality of network operating entities, the frame including a plurality of channel sensing time slots, wherein each channel sensing time slot of the plurality of channel sensing time slots is assigned to a different network operating entity power class, and wherein the first wireless communication device is associated with a first network operating entity of the plurality of network operating entities;

identifying, by the first wireless communication device, a first channel sensing time slot from the plurality of channel sensing time slots based on the first network operating entity associated with a first network operating entity power class;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with a second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, a reservation signal in the first channel sensing time slot to reserve the first frequency band in a transmission time slot in the frame;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, downlink (DL) data in a DL portion of the transmission time slot;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, uplink (UL) data in a UL portion of the transmission time slot; and

refraining, by the first wireless communication device, from communicating in the first frequency band during another frame based on a reservation from another network operating entity, the another network operating entity associated with a second network operating entity power class.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity, and wherein the method further comprises monitoring, by the first wireless communication device in a second channel sensing time slot of the plurality of channel sensing time slots, the second channel sensing time slot being before the first channel sensing time slot in the frame, for a reservation for the first frequency band in the frame from the another network operating entity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity power class, and wherein the second channel sensing time slot is associated with the second network operating power class, and wherein the first network operating entity power class is different from the second network operating entity power class.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency band is an uplink (UL) frequency band of the FDD network.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency band is a downlink (DL) frequency band of the FDD network.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

communicate, with a second wireless communication device, a reservation signal in a downlink (DL) frequency band during a first channel sensing time slot of a frame to reserve the DL frequency band for communicating a DL communication signal in a transmission time slot of the frame and to reserve an uplink (UL) frequency band for communicating a UL communication signal in the transmission time slot concurrent with the DL communication signal, wherein the DL frequency band and the UL frequency band are shared by a plurality of network operating entities for frequency-division duplexing (FDD) communications, and wherein the apparatus and the second wireless communication device are associated with a first network operating entity of the plurality of network operating entities;

communicate, in the uplink (UL) frequency band, an UL control signal in the first channel sensing time slot;

communicate, with the second wireless communication device, the DL communication signal in the DL frequency band concurrent with the UL communication signal in the UL frequency band during the transmission time slot in response to the reservation signal; and

refrain from communicating in the UL frequency band and the DL frequency band during another frame based on a reservation from another network operating entity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a processor configured to monitor, in a second channel sensing time slot before the first channel sensing time slot in the frame, for a reservation for the frame from the another network operating entity.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the reservation for the frame from the another network operating entity by monitoring at least one of the DL frequency band or the UL frequency band for the reservation.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the another network operating entity has priority over the first network operating entity in the frame, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is designated for the first network operating entity, and wherein the second channel sensing time slot is designated for the another network operating entity.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reservation signal includes scheduling information, and wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate, with the second wireless communication device in the transmission time slot, a communication signal based on at least the scheduling information transmitted in the first channel sensing time slot.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate, in the DL frequency band, a DL control signal in the first channel sensing time slot.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the reservation signal indicates first scheduling information, and wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

communicate, in the DL frequency band during the transmission time slot, updated scheduling information; and

communicate, during the transmission time slot, a communication signal based on at least the updated scheduling information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate, in the UL frequency band while communicating the updated scheduling information in the DL frequency band, a UL data signal in the transmission time slot according to the first scheduling information or previous scheduling information transmitted in a previous frame.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first scheduling information includes one or more transmission grants for one or more third wireless communication devices, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive, from the one or more third wireless communication devices in the UL frequency band, one or more clear-to-send (CTS) indications for the one or more transmission grants, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a processor configured to generate the updated scheduling information based on at least the one or more CTS indications.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

transmit, in the UL frequency band in response to the first scheduling information, a clear-to-send (CTS) indication; and

communicate the updated scheduling information by receiving, from the second wireless communication device, the updated scheduling information based on the CTS indication.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

identify a frame in a first frequency band of a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) network shared by a plurality of network operating entities, the frame including a plurality of channel sensing time slots, wherein each channel sensing time slot of the plurality of channel sensing time slots is assigned to a different network operating entity power class, and wherein the apparatus is associated with a first network operating entity of the plurality of network operating entities; and

identify a first channel sensing time slot from the plurality of channel sensing time slots based on the first network operating entity associated with a first network operating entity power class; and

a transceiver configured to;

communicate, with a second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, a reservation signal in the first channel sensing time slot to reserve the first frequency band in a transmission time slot in the frame;

communicate, with the second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, downlink (DL) data in a DL portion of the transmission time slot;

communicate, with the second wireless communication device in the first frequency band, uplink (UL) data in a UL portion of the transmission time slot; and

refrain from communicating in the first frequency band during another frame based on a reservation from another network operating entity, the another network operating entity associated with a second network operating entity power class.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity of the plurality of network operating entities, and wherein the processor is further configured to monitor, in a second channel sensing time slot of the plurality of channel sensing time slots, the second channel sensing time slot being before the first channel sensing time slot in the frame, for a reservation for the first frequency band in the frame from the another network operating entity.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first channel sensing time slot is associated with the first network operating entity power class, and wherein the second channel sensing time slot is associated with the second network operating entity power class, and wherein the first network operating entity power class is different from the second network operating entity power class.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first frequency band is an uplink (UL) frequency band of the FDD network.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first frequency band is a downlink (DL) frequency band of the FDD network.