Determine channel statistics for clear channel assessment

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and systems for determining channel statistics for use in clear channel assessment are disclosed. A method (900) includes determining (902), by an apparatus (102), channel statistics corresponding to a plurality of listen-before-talk channel access types, a plurality of channel access priorities, a plurality of frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. The channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for a transmission on a shared resource was successful. The method (900) includes sending (904) information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment. Background Art

[0002] The following abbreviations are defined herein, at least some of which are referenced in the following description: 3rd Generation Partnership Project ("3GPP"), 5G QoS Indicator ("5QI"), Acknowledgement Mode ("AM"), Backhaul ("BH"), Broadcast Multicast ("BM"), Buffer Occupancy ("BO"), Base Station ("BS"), Buffer Status Report ("BSR"), Bandwidth ("BW"), Bandwidth Part ("BWP"), Component Carrier ("CC"), Code Division Multiplexing ("CDM"), Control Element ("CE"), Coordinated Multipoint ("CoMP"), Class of Requirement ("CoR"), Control Plane ("CP"), Channel Occupancy ("CR"), CSI-RS Resource Indicator ("CRI"), Cell RNTI ("C-RNTI"), Channel State Information ("CSI"), Channel Quality indicator ("CQI"), central unit ("CU"), codeword ("CW"), downlink control information ("DCI"), downlink ("DL"), demodulation reference signal ("DMRS" or "DM-RS"), data radio bearer ("DRB"), dedicated short range communication ("DSRC"), distributed unit ("DU"), enhanced mobile broadband ("eMBB"), evolved Node B ("eNB"), enhanced PDCCH ("EPDCCH"), enhanced subscriber identity module ("eSIM"), enhanced ("E"), frequency division duplex ("FDD"), frequency division multiple access ("FDMA"), frequency range ("FR"), 45 0MHz–6000MHz (“FR1”), 24250MHz–52600MHz (“FR2”), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (“HARQ”), Integrated Access Backhaul (“IAB”), Identity or Identifier or Identity (“ID”), Interference Measurement (“IM”), International Mobile Subscriber Identity (“IMSI”), Internet of Things (“IoT”), Internet Protocol (“IP”), Joint Transport (“JT”), Level 1 (“L1”), License Assisted Access (“LAA”), Listen Before Talk (“LBT”), Logical Channel (“LCH”), Logical Channel Group (“LCG”), Logical Channel ID (“LCID”), Logical Channel Priority (“ LCP), Long Term Evolution (“LTE”), Level of Automation (“LoA”), Medium Access Control (“MAC”), Modulation and Coding Scheme (“MCS”), Multiple Input Multiple Output (“MIMO”), Mobile Terminal (“MT”), Machine Type Communication (“MTC”), Multi-User (“MU”), Multi-User MIMO (“MU-MIMO”), Negative Acknowledgement (“NACK”) or (“NAK”), Next Generation (“NG”), Next Generation Node B (“gNB”), New Radio (“NR”), NR Unlicensed (“NR-U”), Non-Zero Power (“NZP”), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (“OFDM”), Peak to Average Power Ratio (“PAPR”),Physical Broadcast Channel ("PBCH"), Physical Downlink Control Channel ("PDCCH"), Physical Downlink Shared Channel ("PDSCH"), Policy Control Function ("PCF"), Packet Data Convergence Protocol ("PDCP"), Packet Data Network ("PDN"), Protocol Data Unit ("PDU"), Physical Layer ("PHY"), Public Land Mobile Network ("PLMN"), Precoding Matrix Indicator ("PMI"), ProSe Per-Packet Priority ("PPPP"), ProSe Per-Packet Reliability ("PPPR"), Physical Resource Block ("PRB"), Packet Switched ("PS"), Physical Sidelink Control Channel ("PSCCH"), Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (“PSSCH”), Phase Tracking RS (“PTRS” or “PT-RS”), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (“PUSCH”), Quasi Co-location (“QCL”), Quality of Service (“QoS”), Random Access Channel (“RACH”), Radio Access Network (“RAN”), Radio Access Technology (“RAT”), Resource Element (“RE”), Rank Indicator (“RI”), Radio Link Control (“RLC”), Radio Link Failure (“RLF”), Radio Network Temporary Identifier (“RNTI”), Resource Pool (“RP”), Radio Resource Control (“RRC”), Radio Resource Management (“RRM”), Reference Signal (“RS”), Reference Signal Received Power ("RSRP"), Reference Signal Received Quality ("RSRQ"), Received Signal Strength Indicator ("RSSI"), Reception ("RX"), Secondary Cell ("SCell"), Subcarrier Spacing ("SCS"), Service Data Unit ("SDU"), Subscriber Identity Module ("SIM"), Signal-to-Interference and Noise Ratio ("SINR"), Sidelink ("SL"), Sequence Number ("SN"), Scheduling Request ("SR"), SRS Resource Indicator ("SRI"), Sounding Reference Signal ("SRS"), Synchronization Signal ("SS"), SS / PBCH Block ("SSB"), Transport Block ("TB"), Transmission Control Information ("TCI"), Time Division Duplex ("TDD") ”), Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (“TMSI”), Transmitted Precoding Matrix Indicator (“TPMI”), Transmission Reception Point (“TRP”), Transmission (“TX”), User Entity / Equipment (Mobile Terminal) (“UE”), Universal Integrated Circuit Card (“UICC”), Uplink (“UL”), Unacknowledged Mode (“UM”), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (“UMTS”), User Plane (“UP”), Universal Subscriber Identity Module (“USIM”), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (“UTRAN”), Vehicle-to-Everything (“V2X”), Voice over IP (“VoIP”), Visited Public Land Mobile Network (“VPLMN”), Vehicle RNTI (“V-RNTI”),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX") and Zero Power ("ZP"). As used herein, "HARQ-ACK" may collectively represent positive acknowledgement ("ACK") and negative acknowledgement ("NAK"). ACK means that the TB is received correctly, while NAK means that the TB is received in error.

[0003] In some wireless communication networks, a clear channel assessment may be performed to determine whether a channel is available for transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A method for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment is disclosed. Apparatus and systems also perform the functions of the apparatus. In one embodiment, the method includes determining, by the apparatus, channel statistics corresponding to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, multiple frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. In such embodiments, the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmission on a shared resource was successful. In certain embodiments, the method includes transmitting information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device.

[0005] In one embodiment, an apparatus for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment includes a processor that determines channel statistics corresponding to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, multiple frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for a transmission on a shared resource was successful. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a transmitter that transmits information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] A more particular description of the embodiments briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only some embodiments and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, the embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a wireless communication system for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment;

[0008] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of an apparatus that may be used to determine channel statistics for clear channel assessment;

[0009] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of an apparatus that may be used to receive information corresponding to channel statistics;

[0010] Figure 4is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment;

[0011] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of a system for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment;

[0012] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating yet another embodiment of a system for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment;

[0013] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the format of information corresponding to channel statistics;

[0014] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the format of information corresponding to channel statistics; and

[0015] Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aspects of the embodiments may be embodied as a system, apparatus, method, or program product. Thus, the embodiments may take the form of a fully hardware embodiment, a fully software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or a combination of software and hardware aspects, which may all be generally referred to herein as a "circuit," "module," or "system." Additionally, the embodiments may take the form of a program product embodied in one or more computer-readable storage devices storing machine-readable code, computer-readable code, and / or program code, hereinafter referred to as code. The storage device may be tangible, non-transitory, and / or non-transmittable. The storage device may not embody a signal. In a certain embodiment, the storage device employs only a signal for accessing the code.

[0017] Certain functional units described in this specification may be labeled as modules to more specifically emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom very large scale integration ("VLSI") circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices, and the like.

[0018] Modules can also be implemented in code and / or software to be executed by various types of processors. The identified code modules can, for example, include one or more physical or logical blocks of executable code, which can, for example, be organized as objects, procedures, or functions. However, the executable files of the identified modules need not be physically located together, but can include unrelated instructions stored in different locations that, when logically connected together, comprise the module and achieve the purpose of the module.

[0019] In fact, code module can be a single instruction or many instructions, and can even be distributed on several different code segments, among different programs and across several memory devices.Similarly, in this article, operational data can be identified and illustrated in the module, and can be embodied in any suitable form and be organized in the data structure of any suitable type.Operational data can be collected as a single data set, or can be distributed in different locations included on different computer-readable storage devices.When the part of a module or a module is implemented with software, the software portion is stored on one or more computer-readable storage devices.

[0020] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be a storage device that stores code. The storage device may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0021] More specific examples of storage devices (a non-exhaustive list) would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM" or flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory ("CD-ROM"), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0022] The code for performing the operations of the embodiments can be any number of lines and can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages including object-oriented programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language, and / or machine languages such as assembly language. The code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer, partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network ("LAN") or a wide area network ("WAN"), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0023] References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, unless expressly stated otherwise, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment," and similar language appearing throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, but rather to "one or more but not all embodiments." Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "having," and their variations mean "including but not limited to." Unless expressly stated otherwise, an enumerated list of items does not imply that any or all items are mutually exclusive. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms "a," "an," and "the" also refer to "one or more."

[0024] In addition, the features, structures or characteristics of the described embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other cases, well-known structures, materials or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring some aspects of the embodiments.

[0025] Aspects of the embodiments are described below with reference to schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams of the methods, devices, systems, and program products according to the embodiments. It will be understood that each block of the schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams and the combination of blocks in the schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagrams can be implemented by code. The code can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine so that instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device create a means for implementing the functions / operations specified in the schematic flow charts and / or schematic block diagram blocks or some blocks.

[0026] The code may also be stored in a storage device that can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a particular manner so that the instructions stored in the storage device produce an article of manufacture including instructions that implement the functions / operations specified in a block or blocks of the schematic flowchart and / or schematic block diagram.

[0027] The code may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the code executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provides a process for implementing the functions / operations specified in a block or blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0028] The schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate possible implementations of the architecture, functions, and operations of the apparatus, system, method, and program product according to various embodiments. In this regard, each block in the schematic flowcharts and / or schematic block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions of the code for implementing the specified logical function.

[0029] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions annotated in the blocks may not occur in the order annotated in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. Other steps and methods are contemplated that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect to one or more blocks, or portions thereof, of the illustrated figures.

[0030] Although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, it will be understood that they do not limit the scope of the respective embodiments. Indeed, some arrows or other connectors may be used solely to indicate the logical flow of the depicted embodiments. For example, arrows may indicate wait or monitoring periods of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted embodiments. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs a specific function or operation, or a combination of dedicated hardware and code.

[0031] The description of an element in each figure may refer to an element in the previous figure. The same numerals refer to the same elements in all figures, including alternative embodiments of the same elements.

[0032] Figure 1 An embodiment of a wireless communication system 100 for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment is depicted. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system 100 includes a remote unit 102 and a network unit 104. Figure 1 While a specific number of remote units 102 and network units 104 are depicted in FIG, one skilled in the art will recognize that any number of remote units 102 and network units 104 may be included in the wireless communication system 100.

[0033] In one embodiment, the remote unit 102 may include a computing device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant ("PDA"), a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smart TV (e.g., a TV connected to the Internet), a set-top box, a game console, a security system (including a security camera), an in-vehicle computer, a network device (e.g., a router, a switch, a modem), an Internet of Things device, etc. In some embodiments, the remote unit 102 includes a wearable device such as a smart watch, a fitness band, an optical head-mounted display, etc. Furthermore, the remote unit 102 may be referred to as a user unit, a mobile device, a mobile station, a user, a terminal, a mobile terminal, a fixed terminal, a user station, a UE, a user terminal, a device, or other terms used in the art. The remote unit 102 may communicate directly with one or more network units 104 via UL communication signals and / or the remote unit 102 may communicate directly with other remote units 102 via sidelink communication.

[0034] The network elements 104 may be distributed across a geographic area. In some embodiments, the network elements 104 may also be referred to as access points, access terminals, base stations, base stations, node-Bs, eNBs, gNBs, home node-Bs, RANs, relay nodes, devices, network devices, IAB nodes, donor IAB nodes, or any other terminology used in the art. The network elements 104 are typically part of a radio access network, which includes one or more controllers communicatively coupled to one or more corresponding network elements 104. The radio access network is typically communicatively coupled to one or more core networks, which may be coupled to other networks, such as the Internet and a public switched telephone network. These and other elements of the radio access and core networks are not shown, but are generally well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0035] In one implementation, the wireless communication system 100 complies with the 5G or NG (next generation) standards of the 3GPP protocol, wherein the network element 104 transmits using NG RAN technology. However, more generally, the wireless communication system 100 may implement some other open or proprietary communication protocol, such as WiMAX or other protocols. The present disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular wireless communication system architecture or protocol implementation.

[0036] The network unit 104 can serve multiple remote units 102 within a service area (eg, a cell or cell sector) via wireless communication links. The network unit 104 sends DL communication signals to serve the remote units 102 in the time, frequency, and / or spatial domains.

[0037] In various embodiments, the remote unit 102 can determine channel statistics corresponding to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, multiple frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. In such embodiments, the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmissions on shared resources was successful. In certain embodiments, the remote unit 102 can send information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device (e.g., the network unit 104). Thus, the remote unit 102 can be configured to determine channel statistics for clear channel assessment.

[0038] Figure 2One embodiment of an apparatus 200 that can be used to determine channel statistics for clear channel assessment is depicted. Apparatus 200 includes one embodiment of a remote unit 102. Furthermore, remote unit 102 may include a processor 202, memory 204, an input device 206, a display 208, a transmitter 210, and a receiver 212. In some embodiments, input device 206 and display 208 are combined into a single device, such as a touch screen. In some embodiments, remote unit 102 may not include any input device 206 and / or display 208. In various embodiments, remote unit 102 may include one or more of processor 202, memory 204, transmitter 210, and receiver 212, and may not include input device 206 and / or display 208.

[0039] In one embodiment, the processor 202 may include any known controller capable of executing computer-readable instructions and / or capable of performing logical operations. For example, the processor 202 may be a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a central processing unit ("CPU"), a graphics processing unit ("GPU"), an auxiliary processing unit, a field programmable gate array ("FPGA"), or a similar programmable controller. In some embodiments, the processor 202 executes instructions stored in the memory 204 to perform the methods and routines described herein. In some embodiments, the processor 202 may determine channel statistics corresponding to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, multiple frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. In such embodiments, the channel statistics may indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmission on a shared resource was successful. The processor 202 is communicatively coupled to the memory 204, the input device 206, the display 208, the transmitter 210, and the receiver 212.

[0040] In one embodiment, the memory 204 is a computer-readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 204 includes volatile computer storage media. For example, the memory 204 may include RAM, including dynamic RAM ("DRAM"), synchronous dynamic RAM ("SDRAM"), and / or static RAM ("SRAM"). In some embodiments, the memory 204 includes non-volatile computer storage media. For example, the memory 204 may include a hard drive, flash memory, or any other suitable non-volatile computer storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 204 includes both volatile computer storage media and non-volatile computer storage media. In some embodiments, the memory 204 also stores program code and related data, such as an operating system or other controller algorithms operating on the remote unit 102.

[0041] In one embodiment, input device 206 may include any known computer input device, including a touchpad, buttons, keyboard, stylus, microphone, etc. In some embodiments, input device 206 may be integrated with display 208, for example, as a touch screen or similar touch-sensitive display. In some embodiments, input device 206 includes a touch screen, so that text can be entered using a virtual keyboard displayed on the touch screen and / or by handwriting on the touch screen. In some embodiments, input device 206 includes two or more different devices, such as a keyboard and a touchpad.

[0042] In one embodiment, the display 208 may include any known electronically controllable display or display device. The display 208 may be designed to output visual signals, auditory signals, and / or tactile signals. In some embodiments, the display 208 includes an electronic display capable of outputting visual data to the user. For example, the display 208 may include, but is not limited to, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLED display, a projector, or similar display devices capable of outputting images, text, etc. to the user. As another non-limiting example, the display 208 may include wearable displays such as smart watches, smart glasses, and head-up displays. In addition, the display 208 may be a component of a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a television, a desktop computer, a notebook (laptop) computer, a personal computer, a vehicle dashboard, etc.

[0043] In some embodiments, the display 208 includes one or more speakers for generating sound. For example, the display 208 can generate an audible alarm or notification (e.g., a beep or chime). In some embodiments, the display 208 includes one or more haptic devices for generating vibration, motion, or other tactile feedback. In some embodiments, all or part of the display 208 can be integrated with the input device 206. For example, the input device 206 and the display 208 can form a touch screen or similar touch-sensitive display. In other embodiments, the display 208 can be located near the input device 206.

[0044] Transmitter 210 is used to provide UL communication signals to network element 104, and receiver 212 is used to receive DL communication signals from network element 104. In one embodiment, transmitter 210 sends information corresponding to channel statistics to a network device (eg, network element 104).

[0045] Although only one transmitter 210 and one receiver 212 are shown, the remote unit 102 may have any suitable number of transmitters 210 and receivers 212. The transmitter 210 and receiver 212 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter 210 and receiver 212 may be part of a transceiver.

[0046] Figure 3 One embodiment of an apparatus 300 that can be used to receive information corresponding to channel statistics is depicted. Apparatus 300 includes one embodiment of a network unit 104. Furthermore, network unit 104 can include a processor 302, a memory 304, an input device 306, a display 308, a transmitter 310, and a receiver 312. It will be appreciated that processor 302, memory 304, input device 306, display 308, transmitter 310, and receiver 312 can be substantially similar to processor 202, memory 204, input device 206, display 208, transmitter 210, and receiver 212, respectively, of remote unit 102.

[0047] In various embodiments, receiver 312 receives information corresponding to channel statistics. Although only one transmitter 310 and one receiver 312 are shown, network element 104 may have any suitable number of transmitters 310 and receivers 312. Transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be any suitable type of transmitter and receiver. In one embodiment, transmitter 310 and receiver 312 may be part of a transceiver.

[0048] In some embodiments, unlicensed cells may be loaded due to interference that is not under the control of the serving operator. In various embodiments, it may be beneficial to consider interference that is not under the control of the serving operator for RRM and / or scheduling. In certain embodiments, periodic measurements of channel occupancy and RSSI may be useful for NR-U.

[0049] In various embodiments, if the channel occupancy is high, there may be a high risk that a node will not be able to access the channel at a given time (e.g., a UE, such as remote unit 102, may experience a high number of unsuccessful transmission attempts). In certain embodiments, due to hidden node and signal propagation properties, different nodes (such as a gNB or a UE, or different UEs) may typically observe different channel occupancies and, therefore, have different transmission attempt statistics. For example, a gNB may observe very low channel occupancy and frequently successfully access the channel, while a UE served by a gNB may observe very high channel occupancy, resulting in a high number or rate of unsuccessful transmission attempts, due to transmissions from nearby gNBs of the same or different operators, or from nearby nodes of different communication systems, such as Wi-Fi nodes.

[0050] In some embodiments, an unlicensed cell experiencing high occupancy or congestion may generally have a negative impact on cell throughput as well as user data throughput. Additionally, in various embodiments, UL procedures such as LCP or UL transmissions may be negatively impacted if licensed resources cannot be used due to a channel access failure. In such embodiments, a TB may be generated for transmission on an unlicensed cell and PDCP data packets may be routed to the unlicensed cell even though actual transmission on the PHY may not occur due to the channel access procedure. In certain embodiments, the centralized scheduler may obtain reports from the served UE regarding successful and / or unsuccessful transmission attempts.

[0051] In various embodiments, there may be two or more defined channel access types (e.g., Type 1 and Type 2) that specify how a transmitter performs channel access as defined in Sections 4.1.1 and 4.2.1 of TS 37.213 v15.1.0, which is incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, channel access priority levels may be defined as described in Tables 4.1.1-1 and 4.2.1-1 of TS 37.213. It is understood that, unless otherwise specified, a UE may use a Type 1 channel access procedure to send transmissions, including PUSCH transmissions, on autonomous UL resources. Furthermore, it is understood that, unless otherwise specified, a UE may use a Type 2 channel access procedure to send transmissions, including PUSCH transmissions. Alternatively, the UE may be instructed to indicate which channel access procedure type and / or channel access priority level to use via an indication sent by the gNB, such as a resource grant.

[0052] In some embodiments, a common attribute for DL and UL channel access may be the use of a contention window in the channel access procedure for Type 1 UL and for DL transmissions including PDSCH, PDCCH, and / or EPDCCH. In certain embodiments, a transmission may employ a channel access scheme that allows channel access if the transmitter has sensed that the channel will be idle for at least 25 μs of a sensing interval immediately prior to transmission. In various embodiments, CR may be defined in Section 5.1.31 of TS 36.214 v15.3.0, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0053] It is understood that because channel access rules differ depending on the content of the transmission (e.g., contention window-based channel access vs. 25μs-based channel access) and contention window sizes are typically different for different channel access priority categories, simple or single LBT failure statistics may give an incomplete or inaccurate picture of the channel situation. For example, LBT may be more likely to fail if the contention window size is large (e.g., there may not be a sufficient number of idle time slots before a transmission occurs based on resource grants), while LBT may be successful if the contention window is small or only 25μs of idle channel is observed, even for the same transmission resources.

[0054] As used herein, the term "statistics" or "channel statistics" may refer to any metric (e.g., measured, derived, reported, etc.) suitable for assessing channel occupancy or LBT failure.

[0055] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system 400 for determining channel statistics 402 for clear channel assessment. In one embodiment, a remote unit 102 (e.g., a UE) obtains and / or reports individual statistics for different channel access types. As illustrated, the channel statistics 402 include a first channel access type 404 (e.g., a type 1 UL channel access procedure), a second channel access type 406 (e.g., a type 2 UL channel access procedure), and / or an nth channel access type 408. As can be appreciated, the channel statistics 402 can include statistics for two or more different channel access types, up to the nth channel access type.

[0056] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of a system 500 for determining channel statistics 502 for clear channel assessment. In some embodiments, a remote unit 102 (e.g., a UE) obtains and / or reports individual statistics for different channel access priorities (e.g., priority categories). As illustrated, the channel statistics 502 include statistics for a first channel access priority 504 (e.g., channel access priority category 1), a second channel access priority 506 (e.g., channel access priority category 2), and / or an nth channel access priority 508 (e.g., channel access priority category 3, channel access priority category 4, etc.). It will be appreciated that the channel statistics 502 may include statistics for two or more different channel access priorities, up to the nth channel access priority.

[0057] Figure 6is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of a system 600 for determining channel statistics 602 for clear channel assessment. In some embodiments, a remote unit 102 (e.g., a UE) obtains and / or reports individual statistics for different frequency ranges (e.g., different LBT bandwidth units). As illustrated, the channel statistics 602 include statistics for a first frequency range 604 (e.g., a first 20 MHz frequency range), a second frequency range 606 (e.g., a second 20 MHz frequency range), and / or an nth frequency range 608 (e.g., a third 20 MHz frequency range, a fourth 20 MHz frequency range, etc.). It will be appreciated that the channel statistics 602 may include statistics for two or more different frequency ranges, up to the nth frequency range.

[0058] For example, for compatibility reasons with LTE-LAA or Wi-Fi systems, LBT can be performed in each 20 MHz bandwidth unit, even though the width of the NR-U cell may be 100 MHz. In addition, on one 20 MHz bandwidth unit of a 100 MHz cell, a UE sending to an LTE-LAA node may occupy the channel, while the remaining 80 MHz may be idle and available for use by NR UEs. Therefore, statistics can be obtained and / or reported separately for each of the 20 MHz bandwidth units of the 100 MHz cell (e.g., the first 20 MHz bandwidth, the second 20 MHz bandwidth, the third 20 MHz bandwidth, the fourth 20 MHz bandwidth, and the fifth 20 MHz bandwidth). It will be understood that a bandwidth unit (e.g., a frequency range) can consist of an LBT subband with a predefined bandwidth, one or more NR BWPs, or a cell BW. In some embodiments, separate statistics for each beam can be obtained and / or reported.

[0059] In some embodiments, channel statistics may exclude channel occupancy if a node is not attempting to access the channel. In such embodiments, the channel statistics may include a ratio of an idle sensing period to (e.g., divided by) the total time of the sensing period. Thus, time slots that are not sensed as part of the channel access process are not used for statistics. As used herein, a sensing period may be a time slot as defined for transmission in NR (e.g., which depends on the subcarrier spacing) and / or may include a sensing slot duration T sl , delay duration T d Duration T f 16μs, and / or duration T short_ul = 25 μs. Therefore, in some embodiments, channel statistics may be obtained only when the UE senses the channel for channel access purposes.

[0060] In various embodiments, channel statistics may include a ratio of an idle sensing period to (e.g., divided by) a predetermined (e.g., predefined) time period. The predetermined time period may be configured by the gNB via RRC in a broadcast, multicast, or unicast manner. It will be appreciated that such embodiments may require sensing the channel to obtain statistics during periods when the channel would not otherwise be sensed (e.g., for channel access purposes). By using a predetermined time period rather than the total time of the sensing period, channel statistics between different measuring and / or reporting nodes can be compared to each other because they use the same time period as part of the ratio.

[0061] In some embodiments, the channel statistics may include the average time until channel access is obtained. For example, the average time until channel access is obtained may be determined based on a number of sensing periods (including idle as well as busy sensing periods) prior to the transmission. It will be appreciated that because NR supports different offsets between UL grant transmissions and corresponding UL transmissions, such a metric may help the scheduler determine an offset that makes channel access more likely to succeed for the granted resources, thereby allowing the transmission to be performed.

[0062] In some embodiments, the channel statistics may include the number of failed transmission attempts (or channel access attempts) divided by (e.g., the total number of transmission attempts (or channel access attempts) during a predetermined time period. Thus, only the transmission attempts are counted, and the sensing periods involved during channel access are not counted.

[0063] In various embodiments, a UE determining channel statistics may ignore (or not measure) sensing periods during which it is aware of transmissions from the serving gNB. Because the serving gNB is assigning scheduling resources, if the serving gNB intends to transmit itself, it can assume that the serving gNB is not assigning transmission resources to any UE. Therefore, it may be beneficial to exclude the channel occupancy of the serving gNB from the channel statistics. In some embodiments, the UE may obtain information about the channel occupancy of the serving gNB from channels that convey information about the channel occupancy structure (e.g., PDCCH, DCI, etc.) or by detecting the presence of gNB-specific signals such as DM-RS. In various embodiments, a UE determining channel statistics may ignore (or not measure) sensing periods during which it is aware of transmissions from another UE. In such embodiments, the UE may learn about the other UE's transmissions from information sent by the gNB or other UEs. In certain embodiments, the gNB may explicitly indicate the periods that the UE may ignore (or not ignore). Such embodiments may resemble a blacklist (e.g., time periods during which channel statistics are ignored) or a whitelist (e.g., time periods during which channel statistics are captured), which may be conveyed via RRC messages.

[0064] Figure 77 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a format 700 for information corresponding to channel statistics. Format 700 (e.g., a short reporting format) includes only one statistic 702 (e.g., a channel statistic). To report multiple statistics using format 700, the UE needs to send multiple reports based on format 700 at different time instances.

[0065] Figure 8 800 is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of a format 800 for information corresponding to channel statistics. Format 800 (e.g., long reporting format) includes first statistics 802 (e.g., channel statistics) and second statistics 804 (e.g., channel statistics). For example, in various embodiments, format 800 may include first statistics 802 for Type 1 channel access and second statistics 804 for Type 2 channel access. In some embodiments, format 800 may include any number of statistics greater than two. In certain embodiments, a UE may use format 700 or format 800 to report channel statistics to a gNB.

[0066] In certain embodiments, the gNB may configure which of multiple channel statistics the UE is to report in a short reporting format (e.g., format 700) or a long reporting format (e.g., format 800). For example, the gNB may configure channel statistics including channel access type, priority class, frequency range, and / or cell. The configuration from the gNB may indicate which channel statistics are to be reported.

[0067] In various embodiments, the UE may indicate which channel statistics are being reported as part of the report. For example, the UE may indicate channel statistics including channel access type, priority class, frequency range, and / or cell. The indication may indicate which channel statistics are being reported.

[0068] Figure 9 is a schematic flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method 900 for determining channel statistics for clear channel assessment. In some embodiments, the method 900 is performed by an apparatus, such as the remote unit 102. In certain embodiments, the method 900 may be performed by a processor executing program code, such as a microcontroller, microprocessor, CPU, GPU, auxiliary processing unit, FPGA, etc.

[0069] Method 900 may include determining 902, by an apparatus, channel statistics corresponding to a plurality of listen-before-talk channel access types, a plurality of channel access priorities, a plurality of frequency ranges, or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmission on a shared resource was successful. In some embodiments, method 900 may include sending 904 information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device.

[0070] In some embodiments, determining the channel statistics includes sensing whether the shared resource is idle or busy. In some embodiments, sensing whether the shared resource is idle or busy includes sensing whether the device is about to perform a transmission on the shared resource, sensing whether the device is performing a clear channel assessment, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first time period comprising the idle sensing period divided by a total time period used for sensing; a second ratio comprising the first time period divided by a predetermined time period; or some combination thereof.

[0071] In one embodiment, the channel statistics include the time from when a clear channel assessment began until the clear channel assessment was successful. In some embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first number of successful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a second ratio comprising a second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a third ratio comprising the first number of successful channel access attempts within a predetermined time period; a fourth ratio comprising the second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts within the predetermined time period; or some combination thereof. In some embodiments, the channel statistics disregard sensing periods during which the network device is performing transmissions.

[0072] In various embodiments, the information corresponds to a first format or a second format, the first format being different from the second format and the first format including a greater amount of information than the second format. In one embodiment, the information includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges. In some embodiments, method 900 further includes receiving an indication that information is to be sent.

[0073] In some embodiments, the indication includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges.

[0074] In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by an apparatus, channel statistics corresponding to a plurality of listen-before-talk channel access types, a plurality of channel access priorities, a plurality of frequency ranges, or some combination thereof, wherein the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmission on a shared resource was successful; and sending information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device.

[0075] In some embodiments, determining the channel statistics includes sensing whether the shared resource is idle or busy.

[0076] In some embodiments, sensing whether the shared resource is idle or busy includes sensing whether the device is about to perform a transmission on the shared resource, sensing whether the device is performing a clear channel assessment, or a combination thereof.

[0077] In various embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first time period comprising an idle sensing period divided by a total time period used for sensing; a second ratio comprising the first time period divided by a predetermined time period; or some combination thereof.

[0078] In one embodiment, the channel statistics include the time from the start of the clear channel assessment until the clear channel assessment is successful.

[0079] In some embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first number of successful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a second ratio comprising a second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a third ratio comprising the first number of successful channel access attempts within a predetermined time period; a fourth ratio comprising the second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts within the predetermined time period; or some combination thereof.

[0080] In some embodiments, the channel statistics disregard sensing periods during which network devices are performing transmissions.

[0081] In various embodiments, the information corresponds to a first format or a second format, the first format being different from the second format, and the first format including a greater amount of information than the second format.

[0082] In one embodiment, the information includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges.

[0083] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving an indication that information is to be sent.

[0084] In some embodiments, the indication includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges.

[0085] In one embodiment, an apparatus includes: a processor that determines channel statistics corresponding to a plurality of listen-before-talk channel access types, a plurality of channel access priorities, a plurality of frequency ranges, or some combination thereof, wherein the channel statistics indicate whether a clear channel assessment for transmission on a shared resource is successful; and a transmitter that sends information corresponding to the channel statistics to a network device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the processor determines channel statistics by sensing whether a shared resource is idle or busy.

[0087] In some embodiments, the processor senses whether the shared resource is idle or busy by sensing whether the device is about to perform a transmission on the shared resource, sensing whether the device is performing a clear channel assessment, or a combination thereof.

[0088] In various embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first time period comprising an idle sensing period divided by a total time period used for sensing; a second ratio comprising the first time period divided by a predetermined time period; or some combination thereof.

[0089] In one embodiment, the channel statistics include the time from the start of the clear channel assessment until the clear channel assessment is successful.

[0090] In some embodiments, the channel statistics include a first ratio comprising a first number of successful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a second ratio comprising a second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts divided by the number of channel access attempts; a third ratio comprising the first number of successful channel access attempts within a predetermined time period; a fourth ratio comprising the second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts within the predetermined time period; or some combination thereof.

[0091] In some embodiments, the channel statistics disregard sensing periods during which network devices are performing transmissions.

[0092] In various embodiments, the information corresponds to a first format or a second format, the first format being different from the second format, and the first format including a greater amount of information than the second format.

[0093] In one embodiment, the information includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a receiver that receives an indication that information is to be sent.

[0095] In some embodiments, the indication includes an identifier for each information type of the information, and the identifier indicates whether the information type corresponds to multiple listen-before-talk channel access types, multiple channel access priorities, or multiple frequency ranges.

[0096] The embodiments may be practiced in other specific forms. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is therefore indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and equivalency range of the claims are intended to be embraced within their scope.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a configuration from a base station, the configuration indicating one or more channel statistics for reporting, wherein the one or more channel statistics correspond to one or more listen-before-talk (LBT) failures, and wherein the one or more channel statistics indicate a number of failed channel access attempts by the UE; determining a number of failed channel access attempts of the UE based on the number of LBT failures; as well as An indication of the one or more channel statistics is reported to the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The one or more channel statistics are determined based on sensing whether the shared channel is idle or busy.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Further including: sensing whether the UE is to perform transmission on the shared channel.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The one or more channel statistics include a ratio between a number of idle sensing periods and a total period used for sensing.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The one or more channel statistics indicate a time between a clear channel assessment (CCA) start and a CCA end, wherein the CCA end corresponds to a successful CCA, and wherein the CCA includes an LBT.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The one or more channel statistics include a first ratio between a first number of successful channel access attempts and a total number of channel access attempts; a second ratio between a second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts and the total number of channel access attempts; or both.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein The indication includes a first format or a second format different from the first format, and wherein the first format includes a greater amount of information than the second format.

8. A user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor, the at least one processor being coupled to the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: receiving a configuration from a base station, the configuration indicating one or more channel statistics for reporting, wherein the one or more channel statistics correspond to one or more listen-before-talk (LBT) failures, and the one or more channel statistics indicate a number of failed channel access attempts for the UE; determining a number of failed channel access attempts of the UE based on the number of LBT failures; as well as An indication of the one or more channel statistics is reported to the base station.

9. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine the channel statistics by sensing whether a shared channel is idle or busy.

10. The UE according to claim 9, wherein: The at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to sense whether the UE is to perform transmission on the shared channel.

11. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more channel statistics include a ratio between idle sensing periods and a total period used for sensing.

12. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more channel statistics indicate a time between a start of a clear channel assessment (CCA) and a successful end of the CCA, wherein the CCA end corresponds to a successful CCA, and wherein the CCA includes an LBT.

13. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The one or more channel statistics include a first ratio between a first number of successful channel access attempts and a total number of channel access attempts; a second ratio between a second number of unsuccessful channel access attempts and the total number of channel access attempts; or both.

14. The UE according to claim 8, wherein: The indication includes a first format or a second format different from the first format, and wherein the first format includes a greater amount of information than the second format.

15. A method performed by a base station, the method comprising: sending a configuration to a user equipment (UE), the configuration indicating one or more channel statistics for reporting, wherein the one or more channel statistics correspond to one or more listen-before-talk (LBT) failures, and wherein the one or more channel statistics indicate a number of failed channel access attempts; as well as An indication of the one or more channel statistics is received from the UE.

16. A base station, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to: sending a configuration to a user equipment (UE), the configuration indicating one or more channel statistics for reporting, wherein the one or more channel statistics correspond to one or more listen-before-talk (LBT) failures, and wherein the one or more channel statistics indicate a number of failed channel access attempts; as well as An indication of the one or more channel statistics is received from the UE.

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