Channel Sensing Indication for COT Sharing in an NR System Operating in Unlicensed Spectrum

Abstract

The present invention discloses methods and apparatuses for a UE and its serving base station in a 5G NR system to signal channel scanning or channel sensing, thereby allowing for Channel Occupancy Time (COT) sharing prior to transmission. The COT sharing can be initiated either by the base station or by the UE through assertion of the CCA indication to enable channel sensing by the UE or the base station. When the UE receives and decodes the asserted CCA indication during a downlink transmission, the UE can perform channel sensing during the Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS) between the downlink transmission and the scheduled uplink transmission. When the UE detects that the sensed RF energy on the expected transmission band is greater than the energy detection threshold, the UE can refrain from transmitting during the scheduled uplink transmission. Otherwise or when the CCA indication is de-asserted, the UE can transmit during the scheduled uplink transmission without performing channel sensing.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 842,370, filed May 2, 2019, and U.S. Non - Provisional Application No. 16 / 865,197, filed May 1, 2020, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Field of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications and, more particularly, to methods that enable wireless communication devices operating in licensed spectrum to operate in unlicensed spectrum. Other aspects are also described. Background Art

[0004] As the number of mobile devices connected to wireless networks and the demand for mobile data traffic continue to increase, changes are made to system requirements and architectures to meet these demands. Three key areas that can be enhanced to achieve increased data traffic are greater bandwidth, lower latency, and higher data rates. A limiting factor in attempting to increase system bandwidth and generally with respect to wireless innovation is the availability of the wireless spectrum. To mitigate the limited availability of licensed spectrum, the use of unlicensed or shared spectrum has become an area of focus for extending the bandwidth of wireless communication networks such as 5G New Radio (NR) or 4G Long - Term Evolution (LTE) systems. For example, a major enhancement to LTE is the ability to operate over unlicensed spectrum via Licensed - Assisted Access (LAA), which extends the system bandwidth by leveraging the flexible Carrier Aggregation (CA) framework introduced by advanced LTE systems.

[0005] Since the main building blocks of the 5G NR system are being established, a natural enhancement is to allow the 5G NR system to also operate in unlicensed spectrum. System considerations for enabling the NR system to operate in unlicensed spectrum may include the design of physical channels to avoid unnecessary interference from the operation of licensed spectrum users, initial channel access, radio link monitoring, coexistence within the NR system, and between NR systems operating in unlicensed spectrum, as well as other existing radio access technologies (RATs). For example, when operating in the unlicensed 5 GHz band, in some parts of the world, it may be necessary to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to acquire the medium before transmission can occur. To allow for more efficient use of the medium, other techniques such as channel occupancy time (COT) sharing may allow two devices to share the medium without performing LBT every time they access the medium. Conventionally, COT sharing may be performed by access points (APs) and user stations (STAs) of a WiFi system by sending data packets without performing LBT and determining whether an acknowledgment (ACK) frame is received after the short inter-frame space (SIFS) duration. Since the duration of transmissions in 5G NR is typically much longer than that of Wi-Fi, an improved channel sensing mechanism is needed to allow devices in 5G NR to use COT sharing techniques to acquire, access, and share unlicensed spectrum. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] To maintain coexistence with other existing technologies while operating in an unlicensed spectrum band, devices of a 5G NR system may implement a mechanism for verifying that a channel in the unlicensed spectrum band is interference-free before the device acquires and accesses the channel. For example, the device may perform an LBT procedure to scan the channel to determine that no other device is transmitting on the channel before the device begins its own transmission. When channel activity is detected, the channel scan in the LBT procedure may be performed with or without random backoff. To allow for more efficient use of the channel, channel occupancy time (COT) sharing may enable two devices to share the channel without performing LBT with random backoff every time they access the channel. In a 5G NR system, the duration of transmissions may be longer compared to those in other wireless systems such as WiFi. The present invention discloses systems and methods regarding how channel scans or channel sensing may be signaled between 5G NR devices to allow for COT sharing before long transmissions can occur.

[0007] The present invention discloses a method for enabling a first device of a wireless communication network to perform channel sensing to allow co-time sharing of unlicensed spectrum. The method includes the first device generating a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) indication. The CCA indication indicates whether to instruct a second device of the wireless communication network to perform channel sensing during an interval between a first transmission period and a second transmission period to detect an energy level in a transmission channel. The first transmission period is used by the first device for transmitting to the second device. The second transmission period is used by the second device for transmitting to the first device. The method further includes the first device transmitting the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period. In one embodiment, the CCA indication may instruct the second device to perform channel sensing during a Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS) between a downlink transmission and a scheduled uplink transmission, or vice versa.

[0008] The present invention discloses a method for enabling a first device of a wireless communication network to perform channel sensing to allow co-time sharing of unlicensed spectrum. The method includes the first device decoding a CCA indication received from a second device of the wireless communication network during a first transmission period, and determining whether the CCA indication indicates channel sensing. If the CCA indication is asserted, the first device performs channel sensing during an interval between the first transmission period and the second transmission period to detect an energy level in the transmission channel. The first device determines whether the detected energy level exceeds an energy detection threshold. If the detected energy level is equal to or greater than the energy detection threshold, the first device inhibits transmitting to the second device during the second transmission period. Otherwise, if the detected energy level is less than the energy detection threshold, the first device is allowed to transmit to the second device during the second transmission period. In one embodiment, the first device performs channel sensing during a Short Inter-Frame Space (SIFS) between a downlink transmission and a scheduled uplink transmission, or vice versa.

[0009] The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present invention. It is contemplated that the present invention includes all systems and methods that can be practiced with all suitable combinations of the various aspects outlined above and those disclosed in the detailed description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with this patent application. Such combinations have specific advantages not specifically recited in the above summary. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Aspects of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements. It should be noted that reference to "an" or "one" aspect in the present disclosure is not necessarily to the same aspect and means at least one. Additionally, for the sake of brevity and to reduce the total number of figures, a given figure may illustrate features of more than one aspect of the present disclosure, and for a given aspect, not all elements in the figure may be required.

[0011] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 2 A base station (BS) communicating with a user equipment (UE) device is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a BS is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 6 A timeline of a BS-initiated COT is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, where the BS asserts or de-asserts a CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing of the UE, respectively, during a SIFS interval prior to transmission by the UE.

[0017] Figure 7 A timeline of a UE-initiated COT is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, where the UE asserts or de-asserts a CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing of the BS, respectively, during a SIFS interval prior to transmission by the BS.

[0018] Figure 8 A flowchart example of a method for causing a device to generate and transmit a CCA indication in a first transmission period to enable a second device to perform channel sensing is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 9 A flowchart example of a method for causing a device to decode a CCA indication received during a first transmission period to determine whether to perform channel sensing during a SIFS period between the first and second transmission periods and to determine whether to transmit during the second transmission period is shown in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0020] The present invention discloses technologies for operating a 5G NR system in unlicensed spectrum. The unlicensed spectrum may include frequency bands from below 6 GHz up to 52.6 GHz, such as in the 5 GHz, 37 GHz, or 60 GHz bands. System design considerations for enabling a 5G NR system to operate in unlicensed spectrum may include physical channels that inherit the operating channel characteristics (such as duplex mode, waveform, carrier bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, frame structure, physical layer design, etc.) of licensed spectrum to avoid unnecessary divergence. Other system design considerations may include initial access, channel access, and coexistence methods. Specifically, according to regulatory requirements, a 5G NR system operating in unlicensed spectrum may need to coexist with 5G NR operations in licensed spectrum, LTE operations in unlicensed spectrum using licensed-assisted access (LAA), and with other existing RATs. In one embodiment, the coexistence method for the unlicensed 5 GHz band in LTE-based LAA is assumed to be the baseline for 5G NR operating in the 5 GHz band, such that the operation in unlicensed spectrum has no greater impact on the deployed WiFi services (such as data, video, and voice services) compared to additional WiFi networks on the same carrier.

[0021] In one embodiment, to operate in unlicensed spectrum, a UE or a base station may perform a medium sensing operation and / or a carrier sensing operation to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum. The medium / carrier sensing operation may be performed according to the listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol. The medium may refer to spectrum, frequency, wavelength, channel, and / or other media for wireless communication. The UE or the base station may sense the medium and transmit when the medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in the medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include a clear channel assessment (CCA) that utilizes at least energy detection (ED) to determine whether there are other signals on the channel to determine whether the channel is occupied or idle. The LBT protocol allows wireless networks to coexist with existing systems in unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. The ED may include sensing the RF energy on the expected transmission frequency band for a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy with a predefined or configured threshold.

[0022] The LBT protocol may include CAT2 LBT (which is LBT without random backoff) or CAT4 LBT (which is equivalent to CAT2 LBT plus random backoff with a contention window of variable size). In one embodiment, channel occupancy time (COT) sharing in 5G NR allows two devices to share the medium without having to perform CAT4 LBT every time they access the medium. This can allow for more efficient use of the medium. For example, a base station (e.g., gNB) may share the COT with a UE and vice versa. Since the duration of a transmission in 5G NR may be long, the gNB or UE may sense the channel before allowing such a long transmission to occur. The present invention discloses a mechanism regarding how channel sensing can be signaled between two devices to allow for COT sharing for long transmissions. Embodiments of the present disclosure include UE-initiated and gNB-initiated COT sharing. Although embodiments of the present disclosure are shown using a gNB of 5G NR as the serving base station, the features of the present disclosure may be implemented by an eNodeB or base station of a 4G LTE system or an access point of other types of wireless networks.

[0023] In one embodiment of gNB-initiated COT sharing, the gNB asserts or de-asserts a CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing by the UE, respectively. The gNB may transmit the CCA indication within downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling the UE's uplink transmission. When the CCA indication is asserted, the UE may perform channel sensing during an interval (such as a short inter-frame space (SIFS)) between the downlink transmission and the scheduled uplink transmission. When the UE detects that the sensed RF energy on the expected transmission band is greater than an energy detection threshold, the UE may refrain from transmitting during the scheduled uplink transmission. Otherwise, the UE may transmit during the scheduled uplink transmission. If the CCA indication is de-asserted, the UE may transmit during the scheduled uplink transmission without performing channel sensing.

[0024] In one embodiment, the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication by the gNB may be determined based on the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission. For example, if the scheduled uplink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted and the UE does not perform channel sensing before transmission. Otherwise, if the scheduled uplink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, the CCA indication is asserted and the UE performs channel sensing before transmission. In one embodiment, when the CCA indication is asserted, the UE may determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the uplink transmission frame.

[0025] In one implementation of UE-initiated COT sharing, the UE asserts or de-asserts a CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing at the gNB, respectively. In one implementation, when the gNB configures DCI for scheduling downlink transmissions, the gNB may determine the CCA indication. In one implementation, the UE may determine the CCA indication based on the duration of the downlink transmission, or the CCA indication may be fixed. For example, if the scheduled downlink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted. Otherwise, if the scheduled downlink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, the CCA indication is de-asserted.

[0026] The UE may transmit the CCA indication during an uplink transmission. In one implementation, the uplink transmission may be a scheduled uplink transmission. When the CCA indication is asserted, the gNB may perform channel sensing during an interval (such as SIFS) between the uplink transmission and the downlink transmission. When the gNB detects that the sensed RF energy on the expected transmission band is greater than an energy detection threshold, the gNB may refrain from transmitting during the downlink transmission. Otherwise, the gNB may transmit during the downlink transmission. If the CCA indication is de-asserted, the gNB may transmit during the downlink transmission without performing channel sensing. In one implementation, when the CCA indication is asserted, the gNB may determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the downlink transmission frame.

[0027] In one implementation, since the transmission power of the gNB is generally greater than that of the UE, the UE may transmit to the gNB during uplink transmission of the UE transmission power. The gNB may adjust its transmission power such that the interference caused by the UE and the gNB to the unlicensed spectrum is at the same order of magnitude.

[0028] The following description shows many specific details. However, it should be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced here without these specific details. In other cases, well-known circuits, structures, and technologies are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0029] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and are not intended to limit the present invention. Spatially relative terms, such as "beneath", "below", "under", "above", "on" and the like, may be used herein for convenience in describing one element or feature's relationship to another or other elements or features, as illustrated in the figures. It should be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "beneath" or "under" other elements or features may then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "beneath" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are to be interpreted accordingly.

[0030] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising" specify the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

[0031] The term "or" and "and / or" as used herein shall be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Thus, "A, B or C" or "A, B and / or C" means "any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C." This definition has exceptions only when the combination of elements, functions, steps or acts is inherently mutually exclusive in some way.

[0032] Figure 1 A simplified exemplary wireless communication system is shown in accordance with some embodiments. Note that Figure 1 the system is only one example of possible systems, and the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0033] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, user equipment 106B, up to user equipment 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Thus, the user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or a UE device.

[0034] The base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site ("cellular base station"), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with the UEs 106A to 106N.

[0035] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can be referred to as a "cell". The base station 102A and the UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any one of various radio access technologies (RATs), which are also referred to as wireless communication technologies or telecommunication standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, the WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, advanced LTE (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an 'eNodeB' or 'eNB'. Note that if the base station 102A is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a 'gNodeB' or 'gNB'.

[0036] As shown in the figure, the base station 102A can also be equipped to communicate with the network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunication network such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and / or the Internet). Thus, the base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. In particular, the cellular base station 102A can provide the UE 106 with various telecommunication capabilities such as voice, short message service (SMS), and / or data services.

[0037] Base stations 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can thus provide a network as a cell, and this cell network can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to the UEs 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0038] Thus, although the base station 102A can act as the "serving cell" of the UEs 106A-N as shown in Figure 1 , each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and may be within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which can be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), and these one or more other cells can be referred to as "adjacent cells". Such cells may also be able to facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and the network 100. Such cells can include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pico" cells, and / or any various other granularities of cells providing service area sizes. For example, the base stations 102A-B shown in Figure 1 can be macro cells, while the base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0039] In some embodiments, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G-NR) base station or a "gNB". In some embodiments, the gNB may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or connected to a New Radio Communication Core (NRC) network. Additionally, a gNB cell may include one or more Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs). Further, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0040] Note that UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, e.g., WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G-NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.), UE 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0041] Figure 2 FIG. shows a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 according to some embodiments. UE 106 may be a device with cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer, or a tablet computer or indeed any type of wireless device.

[0042] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) configured to perform any of the method embodiments described herein or any part of any of the method embodiments described herein.

[0043] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE or 5G NR using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE or 5G NR using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Generally, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive chain and / or a transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0044] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include separate transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol it is configured to communicate with. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols and one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio component for communicating using either LTE or 5G-NR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM) and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are possible.

[0045] Figure 3 An exemplary simplified block diagram of communication device 106 is shown in accordance with some embodiments. Note that Figure 3The block diagram of the communication device is only an example of a possible communication device. According to an embodiment, in addition to other devices, the communication device 106 can be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 can include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, the set of components can be implemented as a system on a chip (SOC), which can include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 can be implemented as separate components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuits of the communication device 106.

[0046] For example, the communication device 106 can include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as a microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as a speaker; etc.), a display 360 that can be integrated with or external to the communication device 106, and cellular communication circuitry 330 such as for 5G-NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to mid-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth TM and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 can include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0047] The cellular communication circuitry 330 can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 335 and 336 shown. The short-range to mid-range wireless communication circuitry 329 can also be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 337 and 338 shown. Alternatively, the short-range to mid-range wireless communication circuitry 329, in addition to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) being coupled to the antennas 337 and 338 or as an alternative, can be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to the antennas 335 and 336. The short-range to mid-range wireless communication circuitry 329 and / or the cellular communication circuitry 330 can include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0048] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR), which include and / or are (e.g., communicatively, directly or indirectly) coupled to dedicated processors and / or radio components. Additionally, in some embodiments, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include a single transmit chain that may switch between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain as well as the transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with the dedicated receive chain as well as the shared transmit chain.

[0049] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to work with one or more user interface elements. The user interface elements may include various elements such as a display 360 (which may be a touchscreen display), a keyboard (which may be a discrete keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of various other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0050] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 having SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345.

[0051] As shown, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor may execute program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuit may perform graphics processing and provide a display signal to the display 360. The processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (the MMU 340 may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or be coupled to other circuits or devices (such as the display circuit 304, short-range wireless communication circuitry 229, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or the display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0052] As described above, the communication device 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device 106 can be configured to transmit a request attached to a first network node operating according to a first RAT, and transmit an indication that the wireless device is capable of maintaining substantially concurrent connections with the first network node and a second network node operating according to a second RAT. The wireless device can also be configured to transmit a request attached to the second network node. The request can include an indication that the wireless device is capable of maintaining substantially concurrent connections with the first and second network nodes. In addition, the wireless device can be configured to receive an indication that a dual connection with the first network node and the second network node has been established.

[0053] As described herein, the communication device 106 can include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features for time division multiplexing UL data for NSA (non-standalone) NR operation. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured to implement some or all of the features described in the present invention. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 can be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 can be configured to implement some or all of the features described in the present invention.

[0054] In addition, as described in the present invention, the processor 302 can include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor 302 can include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 302. In addition, each integrated circuit can include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform one or more of the functions of the processor 302.

[0055] In addition, as described herein, both the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuitry 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329. Thus, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 330. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuitry 230. Similarly, the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuitry 32. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuitry 329.

[0056] Figure 4 Exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 4 the base station shown is only one example of a possible base station. As shown, the base station 102 may include a processor 404 that can execute program instructions for the base station 102. The processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuits or devices, and the MMU may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in a memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0057] The base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. The network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to a plurality of devices such as UE devices 106 to the telephone network as described above in Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0058] The network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured or alternatively configured to couple to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to a plurality of devices such as UE devices 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may be coupled to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0059] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G-NR) base station, or a "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or connected to a NR Core (NRC) network. Additionally, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs). Further, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0060] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G-NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0061] Base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radio components that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G-NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G-NR. In this case, base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G-NR base station simultaneously. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio component capable of performing communication according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (such as 5G-NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.). As further described hereinbelow, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of other components 430, component 432, component 434, component 440, component 450, component 460, component 470, the processor 404 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0062] In addition, as described herein, processor 404 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (such as a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 404.

[0063] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 430 may be composed of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio component 430. Therefore, radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (such as a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430.

[0064] Figure 5Shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely an example of a possible cellular communication circuit; according to embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As described above, in addition to other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., laptop, notebook or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices.

[0065] The cellular communication circuit 330 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 335a-b and 336 shown in ( Figure 3 )). In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as Figure 5 shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A for example, and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR for example.

[0066] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicative with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front end 530. The RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 530 may include a receive circuit (RX) 532 and a transmit circuit (TX) 534. In some embodiments, the receive circuit 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335a.

[0067] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicative with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front end 540. The RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front end 540 may include a receive circuit 542 and a transmit circuit 544. In some embodiments, the receive circuit 542 may communicate with a DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via the antenna 335b.

[0068] In some embodiments, switch 570 may couple transmit circuit 534 to an uplink (UL) front end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmit circuit 544 to UL front end 572. UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Thus, when cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported via modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state that allows modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including transmit circuit 534 and UL front end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuit 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported via modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state that allows modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmit chain including transmit circuit 544 and UL front end 572).

[0069] As described herein, modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features or for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operation and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0070] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0071] As described herein, the modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features for time-division multiplexing UL data for NSA NR operation and various other techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), the processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array), or as an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in combination with one or more of the other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336, the processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0072] Furthermore, as described herein, the processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Accordingly, the processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor 522.

[0073] Figure 6 A timeline of a BS-initiated COT according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, where the BS asserts or de-asserts a CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing at the UE, respectively, during the SIFS interval prior to transmission by the UE. The BS may be the base station 102A (such as a gNB for 5G NR), and the UE may be Figure 1 the UE 106.

[0074] The gNB may obtain access to a channel in the unlicensed spectrum. At 601, the gNB may set the CCA indication to 1 during a downlink transmission (DL TX) to indicate to the UE to perform channel sensing prior to the UE's uplink transmission (UL TX). In one embodiment, the gNB may transmit the CCA indication within downlink channel information (DCI) such as DCI 0_0 or DCI 0_1 for scheduling a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0075] In one embodiment, the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication by the gNB may be determined based on the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission, which may be indicated by the DCI. For example, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted to indicate to the UE that channel sensing is not performed before the transmission. Otherwise, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, the CCA indication is asserted to indicate to the UE that channel sensing is performed before the uplink transmission. In one embodiment, the threshold duration may be fixed (e.g., 584 us) or configurable by the gNB or the UE.

[0076] In one embodiment, even without explicit configuration of the CCA indication by the gNB, channel sensing may be implied by the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is less than the threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly not required before the transmission. Otherwise, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly required. In one embodiment, the UE may determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the uplink transmission frame when the CCA indication is asserted or regardless of whether the CCA indication is asserted.

[0077] In one embodiment, the gNB may de-assert the CCA indication if the CCA indication has been asserted in a previous interval (such as in the previous several milliseconds (ms)). This may be done if the gNB receives one or more UL transmissions during such a previous interval (thus indicating that there is no interference source in the previous interval), and it is assumed that there cannot be an interference source for the scheduled uplink transmission.

[0078] The UE may decode the CCA indication received during the downlink transmission or may alternatively determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission. Since the CCA indication is asserted, at 603, the UE may perform channel sensing during the interval between the downlink transmission and the scheduled uplink transmission (such as during the SIFS interval). In one embodiment, the SIFS interval may be 16 us. The UE may perform channel sensing by listening to the channel intended for the uplink transmission for a period of time, such as a single observation time slot having a typical duration of 9 microseconds (us) within the SIFS interval. The UE may evaluate whether the detected RF energy level is above or below the energy detection (ED) threshold. The detected RF energy level indicates the presence or absence of other signals on the channel, thus indicating whether the channel is occupied or idle. In one embodiment, the ED threshold may be predefined or configured by the gNB or the UE. In one embodiment, the ED threshold may be set to -72 dBm.

[0079] When the UE detects that the sensed RF energy on the expected transmission band is greater than the ED threshold, the UE may suppress transmission during the scheduled uplink transmission. Otherwise, at 605, the UE may transmit during the scheduled uplink transmission.

[0080] At 607, the gNB may obtain access to the channel for a subsequent downlink transmission and may set the CCA indication to 0 to indicate to the UE that channel sensing is not performed before the UE performs an uplink transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted to indicate to the UE that channel sensing is not performed before transmission. As discussed, in one embodiment, even without explicit configuration of the CCA indication by the gNB, channel sensing may be implied by the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is less than a threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly not required before transmission.

[0081] The UE may decode the CCA indication received during the downlink transmission or may alternatively determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission. Since the CCA indication is de-asserted, at 609, the UE does not perform channel sensing during the interval between the downlink transmission and the scheduled uplink transmission (such as during the SIFS interval). Then, at 611, the UE may transmit during the scheduled uplink transmission without performing channel sensing. Thus, the UE does not perform the LBT protocol (CAT-1 LBT) before the uplink transmission.

[0082] Figure 7 A timeline of a UE-initiated COT according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, where the UE asserts or de-asserts the CCA indication to enable or disable channel sensing of the BS during the SIFS interval before the BS performs a transmission. The BS may be base station 102A (such as a gNB of 5G NR), and the UE may be Figure 1 UE 106.

[0083] The UE may obtain access to a channel in the unlicensed spectrum. At 701, the UE may set the CCA indication to 1 during an uplink transmission (UL TX) to indicate to the gNB that channel sensing is performed before the gNB performs a downlink transmission (DL TX). In one embodiment, the uplink transmission may be a scheduled uplink transmission. In one embodiment, when the gNB configures DCI (such as DCI 1_1) for scheduling a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), the gNB may determine the CCA indication.

[0084] In one embodiment, the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication by the UE may be determined based on the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission indicated by the DCI. For example, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted to indicate to the gNB that channel sensing is not performed before the scheduled downlink transmission. Otherwise, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, the CCA indication is asserted to indicate to the gNB that channel sensing is performed before the scheduled downlink transmission. In one embodiment, the threshold duration may be fixed or configurable by the gNB or the UE.

[0085] In one embodiment, even without explicit configuration of the CCA indication by the UE, channel sensing may be implied by the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is less than a threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly not required before the downlink transmission. Otherwise, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly required. In one embodiment, when the CCA indication is asserted or regardless of whether the CCA indication is asserted by the UE, the gNB may determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the downlink transmission.

[0086] The gNB may decode the CCA indication received during the uplink transmission or may alternatively determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission. Since the CCA indication is asserted, at 703, the gNB may perform channel sensing during the interval between the uplink transmission and the scheduled downlink transmission (such as during the SIFS interval). In one embodiment, the SIFS interval may be 16 us. The gNB may perform channel sensing by listening to the channel intended for the downlink transmission for a period of time, such as a single observation time slot with a typical duration of 9 us within the SIFS interval. The gNB may evaluate whether the detected RF energy level is above or below the energy detection (ED) threshold.

[0087] When the gNB detects that the sensed RF energy on the expected transmission band is greater than the ED threshold, the gNB may suppress transmission during the scheduled downlink transmission. Otherwise, at 705, the gNB may perform transmission during the scheduled downlink transmission.

[0088] At 707, the UE may obtain access to the channel for subsequent uplink transmissions and may set the CCA indication to 0 to indicate to the gNB that channel sensing is not performed before the next downlink transmission by the gNB. For example, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted to indicate to the gNB that channel sensing is not performed before the scheduled downlink transmission. As discussed, in one embodiment, even without explicit configuration of the CCA indication by the UE, channel sensing may be implied by the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission is less than a threshold duration, channel sensing is implicitly not required before the downlink transmission.

[0089] The gNB may decode the CCA indication received during the uplink transmission or may alternatively determine whether to perform channel sensing based on the duration of the scheduled downlink transmission. Since the CCA indication is de-asserted, at 709, the UE does not perform channel sensing during the interval between the uplink transmission and the scheduled downlink transmission (such as during the SIFS interval). Then, at 611, the gNB may transmit during the scheduled downlink transmission without performing channel sensing. Therefore, the gNB does not perform the LBT protocol (CAT-1 LBT) before the downlink transmission.

[0090] In one embodiment, since the transmission power of the gNB is generally greater than that of the UE, at 701 or 707, the UE may transmit information about its transmission power to the gNB during the uplink transmission. At 705 or 711, the gNB may adjust its transmission power during the downlink transmission such that the interference caused by the UE and the gNB to the unlicensed spectrum is of the same order of magnitude.

[0091] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of method 800 for enabling a device to generate and transmit a CCA indication in a first transmission cycle such that a second device can perform channel sensing according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 800 may be executed by processing logic that may include software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, method 800 may be executed by the processor 302 or the cellular communication circuit 330 of the UE 106, or by the processor 404 of the base station 102 (e.g., gNB), such as in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5 described.

[0092] At operation 801, the device generates a CCA indication in a first transmission period to indicate channel sensing prior to a second transmission period. In one embodiment, the device may be a gNB, the first transmission period may be a downlink transmission from the gNB to the UE during COT sharing initiated by the gNB, and the second transmission period may be an uplink transmission from the UE to the gNB. In one embodiment, the device may be a UE, the first transmission period may be an uplink transmission from the UE to the gNB during COT sharing initiated by the UE, and the second transmission period may be a downlink transmission from the gNB to the UE. In one embodiment, the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication by the device may be determined based on the duration of the scheduled transmission in the second transmission period. For example, if the duration of the scheduled transmission in the second transmission period is less than a threshold duration, the CCA indication may be de-asserted to indicate to a second device that channel sensing is not performed prior to the scheduled transmission. Otherwise, if the duration of the scheduled uplink transmission is greater than the threshold duration, the CCA indication is asserted to indicate to the second device that channel sensing is performed prior to the scheduled transmission.

[0093] At operation 803, the device transmits the CCA indication to a second device during the first transmission period. In one embodiment, during COT sharing initiated by the gNB, the gNB may transmit the CCA indication within the DCI for scheduling the PUSCH. In one embodiment, during COT sharing initiated by the UE, the UE may transmit the CCA indication during the scheduled uplink transmission.

[0094] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of method 900 for causing a device to decode a CCA indication received during a first transmission period to determine whether to perform channel sensing during the SIFS period between the first transmission period and the second transmission period, and to determine whether to perform a transmission during the second transmission period. Method 900 may be executed by processing logic that may include software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, method 800 may be executed by processor 302 or cellular communication circuit 330 of UE 106, or by processor 404 of base station 102 (e.g., gNB), such as in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5 described.

[0095] At operation 901, the device decodes the CCA indication based on the reception of the first transmission period. In one embodiment, the device can be a UE, and the first transmission period can be a downlink transmission from the gNB to the UE during gNB-initiated COT sharing. The UE can receive the CCA indication within the DCI for scheduling the PUSCH. In one embodiment, the device can be a gNB, and the first transmission period can be an uplink transmission from the UE to the gNB during UE-initiated COT sharing. The CCA indication indicates whether the device will perform channel sensing before the device transmits.

[0096] At operation 903, the device determines whether to perform channel sensing based on the decoded CCA indication. In one embodiment, the device can determine whether to perform channel sensing according to the scheduled transmission. For example, if the duration of the scheduled transmission is equal to or greater than a threshold duration, the device can perform channel sensing. On the other hand, if the duration of the scheduled transmission is less than the threshold duration, the device may not perform channel sensing.

[0097] At operation 909, if the device does not perform channel sensing, the device transmits in the second transmission period. In one embodiment, the device can be a UE, and the second transmission period can be an uplink transmission from the UE to the gNB during gNB-initiated COT sharing. In one embodiment, the device can be a gNB, and the second transmission period can be a downlink transmission from the gNB to the UE during UE-initiated COT sharing.

[0098] If the CCA indication indicates that the device will perform channel sensing, then at operation 905, the device can perform channel sensing during the interval between the first transmission period and the second transmission period (such as during the SIFS interval between a downlink transmission and an uplink transmission), or vice versa. In one embodiment, the SIFS interval can be 16 us. The device can perform channel sensing by listening to the channel intended to be used by the second transmission period for a period of time, such as a single observation slot having a typical duration of 9 us within the SIFS interval. In one embodiment, the device can measure the detected RF energy level during the observation slot.

[0099] At operation 907, the device determines whether the detected energy level is greater than the ED threshold. The detected energy level indicates the presence or absence of other signals on the channel, thus indicating whether the channel is occupied or idle. In one embodiment, the ED threshold can be predefined and configured by the device or a second device.

[0100] If the detected energy level is greater than the ED threshold, then at 911, the channel is occupied and the device may refrain from transmitting in the second transmission period. Otherwise, the channel is idle, and at operation 909, the device may transmit in the second transmission period. Thus, by performing channel sensing triggered by the CCA indication, the device may execute the LBT protocol to allow the device to coexist with existing systems operating in the unlicensed spectrum and with other networks.

[0101] Embodiments of the methods and apparatuses for supporting devices with reduced capabilities in a wireless network may be implemented in a data processing system, for example, by a network computer, a network server, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, other consumer electronic devices, or other data processing systems. Specifically, the operations described are digital signal processing operations performed by a processor executing instructions stored in one or more memories. The processor may read the stored instructions from the memory and execute the instructions to perform the operations. These memories represent examples of machine-readable non-transitory storage media that may store or contain computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the data processing system to perform one or more of the methods described herein. The processor may be a processor in a local device such as a smart phone, a processor in a remote server, or a distributed processing system of multiple processors in a local device and a remote server, where their respective memories contain respective portions of the instructions required to perform the operations.

[0102] Although certain exemplary instances are described and illustrated in the figures, it should be understood that these instances are merely exemplary and not restrictive of the broad invention, and the invention is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, as various other modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the description is to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0103] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to the user.

Claims

1. A method for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing of a device in a wireless communication network, the method comprises: generating, by the device, a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication that indicates whether a second device of the wireless communication network is to perform a channel sensing process during an interval between a first transmission period and a second transmission period to detect an energy level in the channel, the device using the first transmission period to transmit to the second device, and the device using the second transmission period to receive a transmission from the second device, wherein generating the CCA indication includes asserting or de-asserting the CCA indication based on a duration of a scheduled transmission in the second transmission period; and transmitting, by the device, the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period, wherein the asserted or de-asserted state of the CCA indication indicates whether the second device is to perform the channel sensing process before the second device transmits during the second transmission period.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein transmitting the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period includes transmitting the CCA indication within downlink channel information for scheduling an uplink transmission of the second device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a user station of the wireless communication network, the second device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein the CCA indication is determined by the base station when the base station configures downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the CCA indication comprises: asserting the CCA indication to enable channel sensing by the second device when a duration of the transmission from the second device is greater than or equal to a threshold duration; or de-asserting the CCA indication to disable channel sensing by the second device when the duration of the transmission from the second device is less than the threshold duration.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the CCA indication comprises: de-asserting the CCA indication to disable channel sensing by the second device when the CCA indication has been asserted in an interval with a duration before the first transmission period.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a user station of the wireless communication network, the second device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting, by the user station to the base station, information about a transmission power used in an uplink transmission from the user station to the base station during the first transmission period.

7. A method for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing of a device in a wireless communication network, the method comprises: The device decodes a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) indication received from a second device of the wireless communication network during a first transmission cycle, where the CCA indication is asserted or de-asserted based on the duration of a scheduled transmission in a second transmission cycle, and the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication indicates whether the device is to perform a channel sensing process before the device transmits during the second transmission cycle; The device determines whether the CCA indication indicates the channel sensing process; In response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted, the device performs the channel sensing process during an interval between the first transmission cycle and the second transmission cycle to detect an energy level in the channel; The device determines whether the energy level exceeds an energy detection threshold; In response to determining that the energy level is equal to or exceeds the energy detection threshold, the device inhibits transmission to the second device during the second transmission cycle; and In response to determining that the energy level is less than the energy detection threshold, the device transmits to the second device during the second transmission cycle.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: In response to determining that the CCA indication is de-asserted, the device transmits to the second device during the second transmission cycle.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: When the duration of the transmission from the device to the second device is greater than or equal to a threshold duration, the device performs the channel sensing process during the interval between the first transmission cycle and the second transmission cycle to detect the energy level in the channel; or When the duration of the transmission is less than the threshold duration, the device transmits the transmission to the second device during the second transmission cycle without performing the channel sensing process.

10. A device of a wireless communication network, comprising: At least one antenna; At least one radio component, where the at least one radio component is configured to communicate with a second device of the wireless communication network using the at least one antenna; and At least one processor coupled to the at least one radio component, where the at least one processor is configured to perform operations for Channel Occupancy Time (COT) sharing, including: Generating a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) indication that indicates whether the second device is to perform a channel sensing process during an interval between a first transmission cycle and a second transmission cycle to detect an energy level in the channel, the device uses the first transmission cycle to transmit to the second device, and the device uses the second transmission cycle to receive a transmission from the second device, where generating the CCA indication includes asserting or de-asserting the CCA indication based on the duration of a scheduled transmission in the second transmission cycle; and Transmit the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period, wherein the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication indicates whether the second device is to perform the channel sensing process before transmitting during the second transmission period of the second device.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein the operation of transmitting the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period comprises transmitting the CCA indication within downlink channel information for scheduling an uplink transmission of the second device.

12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device comprises a user station of the wireless communication network, the second device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein the CCA indication is determined by the base station when the base station configures downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

13. The operation for COT sharing according to claim 10 further comprises: asserting the CCA indication to enable channel sensing by the second device when the duration of the transmission from the second device is greater than or equal to a threshold duration; or de-asserting the CCA indication to disable channel sensing by the second device when the duration of the transmission from the second device is less than the threshold duration.

14. The operation for generating the CCA indication according to claim 10 further comprises: de-asserting the CCA indication to disable channel sensing by the second device when the CCA indication has been asserted in an interval having a duration prior to the first transmission period.

15. The device according to claim 10, wherein the device comprises a user station of the wireless communication network, the second device comprises a base station of the wireless communication network, and wherein the operation for COT sharing further comprises transmitting, by the user station to the base station, information on transmission power used in an uplink transmission from the user station to the base station during the first transmission period.

16. A device of a wireless communication network, comprising: at least one antenna; at least one radio component, wherein the at least one radio component is configured to communicate with a second device of the wireless communication network using the at least one antenna; and at least one processor, the at least one processor coupled to the at least one radio component, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing, including: decoding an idle channel assessment (CCA) indication received from the second device during a first transmission period, wherein the CCA indication is asserted or de-asserted based on the duration of a scheduled transmission in a second transmission period, and the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication indicates whether the device is to perform a channel sensing process before transmitting during the second transmission period of the device. Determine whether the CCA indication indicates the channel sensing process; In response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted, perform the channel sensing process during the interval between the first transmission period and the second transmission period to detect the energy level in the channel; Determine whether the energy level exceeds an energy detection threshold; In response to determining that the energy level is equal to or exceeds the energy detection threshold, inhibit transmission to the second device during the second transmission period; and In response to determining that the energy level is less than the energy detection threshold, transmit to the second device during the second transmission period.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the operations for the COT sharing further include: In response to determining that the CCA indication is de-asserted, transmit to the second device during the second transmission period.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the operations for the COT sharing further include: When the duration of the transmission from the apparatus to the second device is greater than or equal to a threshold duration, perform the channel sensing process during the interval between the first transmission period and the second transmission period to detect the energy level in the channel; or When the duration of the transmission is less than the threshold duration, transmit the transmission to the second device during the second transmission period without performing the channel sensing process.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing of an apparatus for a wireless communication network, the operations include: Generate a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication that indicates whether a second device of the wireless communication network is to perform a channel sensing process during an interval between a first transmission period and a second transmission period to detect an energy level in the channel, the apparatus uses the first transmission period to transmit to the second device, and the apparatus uses the second transmission period to receive transmissions from the second device, wherein generating the CCA indication includes asserting or de-asserting the CCA indication based on the duration of a scheduled transmission in the second transmission period; and Transmit the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period, the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication indicating whether the second device is to perform the channel sensing process before the second device transmits during the second transmission period.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing of an apparatus for a wireless communication network, the operations include: Decode a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) indication received from a second device during a first transmission period, where the CCA indication is asserted or de-asserted based on a duration of a scheduled transmission in a second transmission period, and the assertion or de-assertion of the CCA indication indicates whether the device is to perform a channel sensing procedure before the device transmits during the second transmission period; Determine whether the CCA indication indicates the channel sensing procedure; In response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted, perform the channel sensing procedure during an interval between the first transmission period and the second transmission period to detect an energy level in the channel; Determine whether the energy level exceeds an energy detection threshold; In response to determining that the energy level is equal to or exceeds the energy detection threshold, inhibit transmission to the second device during the second transmission period; And In response to determining that the energy level is less than the energy detection threshold, transmit to the second device during the second transmission period.

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