Silent period method and apparatus for dynamic spectrum management

• US 10,764,906 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2017
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freda, Martino M., Ma, Liangping, Ahmad, Saad, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, Demir, Alpaslan, Ye, Chunxuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Roudani, Oussama
• Application Number:
  US15/831,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20180092108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling

Abstract

Described herein is a silent period method and apparatus for dynamic spectrum management. The methods include configuration and coordination of silent periods across an aggregated channel in a wireless communication system. A silent period management entity (SPME) dynamically determines silent period schedules for channels based on system and device information and assigns a silent period duration and periodicity for each silent period. The SPME may reconfigure the silent period schedule based on system delay, system throughput, channel quality or channel management events. A silent period interpretation entity (SPIE) receives and implements the silent period schedule. The silent periods for the channels may be synchronized, independent, or set-synchronized. Interfaces for communicating between the SPME, SPIE, a channel management function, a medium access control (MAC) quality of service (QoS) entity, a sensing/capabilities database, a MAC layer management entity (MLME) and a wireless receive/transmit unit (WTRU) MLME are described herein.

Claims

1. A wireless transmit and receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a beacon on a channel, the beacon comprising a quiet element that indicates a silence period schedule associated with the channel relative to a beacon period, wherein a silence period associated with the channel comprises a no-transmission time period on the channel;

determine a silent period interval based on a silent period indication and a silent period offset indication comprised in the quiet element, wherein on a condition that the determined silent period interval is smaller than a beacon interval, the quiet element is configured to indicate a length of time between two adjacent silent periods;

determine a start time of the silent period based on the determined silent period interval, and a quiet count indication and the silent period offset indication comprised in the quiet element; and

refrain from transmitting on the channel during the silence period.

2. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein on a condition that the determined silent period interval is greater than a beacon interval, the silent period offset indication indicates a length of time between the beacon and the silent period.

3. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the silent period offset indication indicates the length of time between two adjacent silent periods associated with the channel within one beacon interval.

4. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the silent period indication indicates a periodicity of the silent period relative to a beacon interval.

5. The WTRU of claim 4, wherein the silent period indication having a value of zero indicates that the silent period interval is smaller than the beacon interval.

6. The WTRU of claim 4, wherein the silent period indication having a non-zero value indicates a number of beacon intervals in a silent period interval.

7. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a silent period duration associated with the channel based on a silent period duration indication comprised in the quiet element, wherein the sensing is performed for the determined silent period duration.

8. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the silent period offset indication indicates a number of time units between two adjacent silent periods associated with the channel within one beacon interval.

9. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the quiet count indication having a value of zero indicates that the silence period occurs in a current beacon interval.

10. The WTRU of claim 1, wherein the beacon comprises an aggregated beacon for an aggregated channel set that comprises the channel, and the quiet element indicates a plurality of silent periods associated with a plurality of channels in the aggregated channel set.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a beacon on a channel, the beacon comprising a quiet element that indicates a silence period associated with the channel relative to a beacon period, the silence period comprises a no-transmission time period on the channel;

determining a silent period interval based on a silent period indication and a silent period offset indication comprised in the quiet element;

determining a start time of the silent period based on the determined silent period interval, and a quiet count indication and the silent period offset indication comprised in the quiet element, wherein on a condition that the determined silent period interval is smaller than a beacon interval, the quiet element is configured to indicate a length of time between two adjacent silent periods; and

refraining from transmitting on the channel during the silence period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein on a condition that the determined silent period interval is greater than a beacon interval, the silent period offset indication indicates a length of time between the beacon and the silent period.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the silent period offset indication indicates the length of time between two adjacent silent periods associated with the channel within a beacon interval.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the silent period indication indicates a periodicity of the silent period relative to a beacon interval.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the silent period indication having a value of zero indicates that periodicity of the silent period is smaller than the beacon interval.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the silent period indication having a non-zero value indicates a number of beacon intervals in a silent period interval.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a silent period duration associated with the channel based on a silent period duration indication comprised in the quiet element, wherein the sensing is performed for the determined silent period duration.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the silent period offset indication indicates a number of time units between two adjacent silent periods associated with the channel within one beacon interval.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the quiet count indication having a value of zero indicates that the silence period occurs in a current beacon interval.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the beacon comprises an aggregated beacon for an aggregated channel set that comprises the channel, and the quiet element indicates a plurality of silent periods associated with a plurality of channels in the aggregated channel set.