Systems and methods for compliance with indoor / outdoor unlicensed band regulations

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for compliance with indoor / outdoor unlicensed band regulations. Techniques are provided for controlling the maximum transmit power utilized by a transmitter of user equipment. More specifically, a base station may control the transmit power of a transmitter of user equipment communicatively coupled to the base station such that the transmit power of the transmitter complies with regulations for the geographical location where the user equipment is located. In addition to the base station, the user equipment may also control the transmit power of the transmitter. In either case, the transmit power may be based on whether the user equipment is located indoors or outdoors, whether the base station is deployed indoors or outdoors, or both.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 185,488, filed May 7, 2021, entitled "SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONFORMING TO INDOOR / OUTDOOR REGULATIONS IN UNLICENSED BANDS", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication between user equipment (e.g., cellular phones, tablets) and a communication network (e.g., a cellular network). More specifically, the radio frequency spectrum may include licensed spectrum (e.g., frequency ranges) that is specifically allocated for exclusive use by network operators, and unlicensed spectrum that is allocated for non-exclusive use by users and is subject to certain regulations. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) allows radio frequency communication on unlicensed spectrum in the 5 gigahertz (GHz) band (e.g., the n46 band from 5150 megahertz (MHz) to 5925 MHz) and the 6 GHz band (e.g., the n96 band from 5925 MHz to 7125 MHz), and is conducting public studies on the ways in which the unlicensed 60 GHz band can be used for wireless cellular communication. However, operating in unlicensed spectrum may require user equipment to comply with different transmit power constraints depending on whether the communication network is deployed indoors or outdoors. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0004] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide a concise summary of these particular embodiments to the reader and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the present disclosure may cover aspects not set forth below.

[0005] In one embodiment, a base station includes a transceiver that is disposed inside a structure and transmits and receives data. The base station further includes a processing circuit communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processing circuit uses the transceiver to send a first instruction to transmit data using a first transmit power to user equipment communicatively coupled to the base station. The processing circuit also receives an indication as to whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the structure. Additionally, based on the indication that the user equipment is located outside the structure, the processing circuit uses the transceiver to send a second instruction to transmit data using a second transmit power that is less than the first transmit power to the user equipment.

[0006] In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes receiving, at a receiver of a user equipment, from a base station, an instruction to configure a transmitter of the user equipment to transmit data at a first transmit power. The computer-implemented method further includes receiving, at the receiver, from the base station, an indication that the base station is located indoors. Additionally, the computer-implemented method includes using at least one processor to configure the transmitter of the user equipment to transmit data at a second transmit power that is less than the first transmit power.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to: determine whether the base station is deployed indoors or outdoors and, based on the determination that the base station is deployed indoors or outdoors, cause the transmitter of the user equipment to be configured to transmit data using a transmit power.

[0008] Various improvements to the above features may exist with respect to various aspects of the present invention. Other features may also be added to these various aspects. These improvements and additional features may exist alone or in any combination. For example, the various features discussed below in connection with one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any one of the above aspects of the present invention alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is only intended to familiarize the reader with specific aspects and contexts of the embodiments of the present disclosure and does not limit the subject matter claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood when reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings described below, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 functional diagram of the electronic device;

[0012] Figure 3 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 block diagram of the transmitter of the electronic device;

[0013] Figure 4 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 block diagram of the receiver of the electronic device;

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram of a wireless communication network supported by a base station and communicatively coupled to a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user equipment may include Figure 1 the electronic device;

[0015] Figure 6 is a frequency map of a number of frequency bands including the n96 band and frequency sub-bands associated with a number of different locations, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 is a diagram of an electronic device such as a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 that is located outdoors and is communicatively coupled to a base station deployed outdoors;

[0017] Figure 8 is a diagram including indoor and outdoor user equipment communicatively coupled to a base station deployed indoors, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 9 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 7 and Figure 8 of a base station executable to control the transmit power utilized by Figure 7 and Figure 8 of user equipment, where the transmit power is initially defaulted to assume that the user equipment is indoors when the base station is indoors;

[0019] Figure 10 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 7 and Figure 8 of a base station executable to control another process of the transmit power utilized by Figure 7 and Figure 8 of user equipment, where the transmit power depends on whether the base station and the user equipment are indoors or outdoors, and the transmit power depends on whether the base station and the user equipment are indoors or outdoors; and

[0020] Figure 11 is according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 7 and Figure 8 of a process that a user equipment can utilize to control the transmit power utilized by the user equipment. Detailed Description

[0021] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. To provide a brief description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, specific decisions specific to many implementations must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as meeting system-related and business-related constraints that can vary from one implementation to another. In addition, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure, it will still be routine work in design, fabrication, and manufacturing.

[0022] When introducing elements of the various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a" and "the" are intended to mean that there is one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may exist in addition to the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. The use of the terms "substantially," "nearly," "about," "close to," and / or "essentially" should be understood to mean including being close to a target (e.g., a design, value, quantity), such as within any suitable or conceivable bounds of error (e.g., within 0.1% of the target, within 1% of the target, within 5% of the target, within 10% of the target, within 25% of the target, etc.).

[0023] The present disclosure relates to controlling the transmit power (e.g., maximum transmit power) utilized by a transmitter or transceiver that may be included in a circuit such as an electronic device to transmit data. More specifically, the transmit power may be controlled by a base station or an electronic device including a transmitter to comply with transmit power constraints that may vary between different geographical locations. For example, the power constraints may be defined by regulations established by a country or group of countries (e.g., the European Union, or member states of the Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT)), and these regulations may determine a number of permitted transmit power values (e.g., maximum transmit power values) depending on whether the communication network, the electronic device, or both are deployed indoors or outdoors.

[0024] Embodiments herein provide various apparatuses and techniques for controlling the transmit power utilized by a transmitter or an electronic device. In fact, as described below, in some embodiments, a base station may control the transmit power (e.g., maximum transmit power) of a transmitter of an electronic device communicatively coupled to the base station. To this end, when the base station is deployed outdoors, when the electronic device is not configured to determine whether the electronic device is located indoors or outdoors, when the electronic device is located outdoors, or when a combination thereof occurs, the base station may cause the transmitter to use a relatively low transmit power (e.g., suitable for outdoor transmission). In contrast, when the base station is deployed indoors and the electronic device is also located indoors, the base station may enable the transmitter or transceiver of the electronic device to be configured to utilize a relatively high transmit power (e.g., suitable for indoor transmission). As another example, as discussed below, an electronic device may control the transmit power of a transmitter of the electronic device. More specifically, when the electronic device determines that the electronic device or the base station communicatively coupled to the electronic device is deployed outdoors, a relatively low transmit power may be utilized. However, when the electronic device determines that both the electronic device and the base station are indoors, the transmitter of the electronic device may utilize a relatively high transmit power.

[0025] In view of the foregoing,Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Among other things, the electronic device 10 may include one or more processors 12 (for convenience, collectively referred to herein as a single processor, which may be implemented in any suitable form of processing circuitry), a memory 14, a non-volatile storage device 16, a display 18, an input structure 22, an input / output (I / O) interface 24, a network interface 26, and a power supply 29. Figure 1 The various functional blocks shown therein may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium), or a combination of both hardware elements and software elements. The processor 12, the memory 14, the non-volatile storage device 16, the display 18, the input structure 22, the input / output (I / O) interface 24, the network interface 26, and / or the power supply 29 may each be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to one another (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus, a network) to transmit and / or receive data between each other. It should be noted that Figure 1 is only an example of a particular specific implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in the electronic device 10.

[0026] By way of example, the electronic device 10 may include any suitable computing device, including a desktop computer or a laptop computer (e.g., in the form of a Pro, MacBook mini or Mac available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California), a portable electronic device or a handheld electronic device such as a wireless electronic device or a smartphone (e.g., in the form of a model available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California), a tablet computer (e.g., in the form of a model available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California), a wearable electronic device (e.g., in the form of an Apple available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California) and other similar devices. It should be noted that Figure 1 the processor 12 and other related items herein may be generally referred to as "data processing circuitry". Such data processing circuitry may be embodied, in whole or in part, as software, hardware, or both. In addition, the processor 12 and Figure 1Other related items therein may be a single independent processing module or may be incorporated, in whole or in part, into any one of the other components within the electronic device 10. The processor 12 may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, gated logic, discrete hardware components, a dedicated hardware finite state machine, or any other suitable entity capable of performing computations or other manipulations of information. The processor 12 may perform the various functions described herein and below.

[0027] In Figure 1 the electronic device 10, the processor 12 may be operatively coupled to the memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 to execute various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor 12 may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture including one or more tangible computer-readable media. The tangible computer-readable media may include the memory 14 and / or the non-volatile storage device 16, either alone or in combination, to store instructions or routines. The memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 may include any suitable article of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard disk drives, and optical disks. Additionally, programs encoded on such computer program products (e.g., an operating system) may also include instructions executable by the processor 12 to enable the electronic device 10 to provide various functions.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the display 18 may facilitate a user's viewing of images generated on the electronic device 10. In some embodiments, the display 18 may include a touch screen that may facilitate a user's interaction with the user interface of the electronic device 10. Additionally, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the display 18 may include one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diode (LED) displays, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, or some combination of these and / or other display technologies.

[0029] The input structure 22 of the electronic device 10 can enable a user to interact with the electronic device 10 (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease the volume level). Just like the network interface 26, the I / O interface 24 can enable the electronic device 10 to interact with various other electronic devices. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 24 can include I / O ports for hardwired connections for charging and / or content manipulation using standard connectors and protocols such as the Lightning connector, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or other similar connectors and protocols provided by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. The network interface 26 can include, for example, one or more interfaces for the following: personal area network (PAN) such as a network; local area network (LAN) or wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a network using one of the IEEE 802.11x series of protocols (e.g., ); and / or wide area network (WAN) such as any standard related to the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including, for example, third generation (3G) cellular networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), fourth generation (4G) cellular networks, Long Term Evolution cellular networks, Long Term Evolution Licensed-Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) cellular networks, fifth generation (5G) cellular networks, and / or New Radio (NR) cellular networks, satellite networks, etc. Specifically, the network interface 26 can include, for example, one or more interfaces for using the Release-15 cellular communication standard of the 5G specification including the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 24.25 - 300 gigahertz (GHz)). The network interface 26 of the electronic device 10 can allow communication through the aforementioned networks (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, LTE-LAA, etc.).

[0030] The network interface 26 can also include, for example, one or more interfaces for the following: broadband fixed wireless access networks (e.g., ), mobile broadband wireless networks (mobile ), asynchronous digital subscriber line (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video terrestrial broadcast networks and its extension DVB Handheld networks, ultra-wideband (UWB) networks, alternating current (AC) power lines, etc.

[0031] As shown, the network interface 26 can include a transceiver 30. In some embodiments, all or part of the transceiver 30 can be disposed within the processor 12. The transceiver 30 can support communication via one or more antennas ( Figure 1(not shown) transmits and receives various wireless signals. The power supply 29 of the electronic device 10 may include any suitable power supply, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and / or an alternating current (AC) power converter. In certain embodiments, the electronic device 10 may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other types of electronic devices.

[0032] Figure 2 is an electronic device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 functional diagram. As shown, the processor 12, the memory 14, the transceiver 30, the transmitter 52, the receiver 54, and / or the antenna 55 (shown as 55A - 55N) may be communicatively coupled to each other directly or indirectly (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus, a network) to transmit and / or receive data between each other.

[0033] The electronic device 10 may include a transmitter 52 and / or a receiver 54, which enable the transmission and reception of data between the electronic device 10 and an external device via, for example, a network (e.g., including a base station) or a direct connection, respectively. As shown, the transmitter 52 and the receiver 54 may be combined into a transceiver 30. The electronic device 10 may also have one or more antennas 55A to 55N, which are electrically coupled to the transceiver 30. The antennas 55A - 55N may be configured in an omnidirectional or directional configuration, a single-beam, dual-beam, or multi-beam arrangement, etc. Each antenna 55 may be associated with one or more beams and various configurations. In some embodiments, multiple antennas among the antennas 55A - 55N of an antenna group or module may be communicatively coupled to the corresponding transceiver 30 and each transmit radio frequency signals that may be advantageously and / or destructively combined to form a beam. Suitable for various communication standards, the electronic device 10 may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, multiple transceivers, and / or multiple antennas.

[0034] The transmitter 52 may wirelessly transmit packets having different packet types or functions. For example, the transmitter 52 may transmit different types of packets generated by the processor 12. The receiver 54 may wirelessly receive packets having different packet types. In some examples, the receiver 54 may detect the type of the packet used and process the packet accordingly. In some embodiments, the transmitter 52 and the receiver 54 may transmit and receive information via other wired or wired systems or devices.

[0035] As shown, various components of the electronic device 10 may be coupled together by a bus system 56. The bus system 56 may include, for example, a data bus, as well as a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus in addition to the data bus. The components of the electronic device 10 may be coupled together or use some other mechanism to accept or provide input to each other.

[0036] Continuing with the drawings, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a transmitter 52 (e.g., a transmit circuit) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the transmitter 52 may receive outgoing data 60 to be transmitted via one or more antennas 55 in the form of a digital signal. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 62 of the transmitter 52 may convert the digital signal to an analog signal, and a modulator 64 may combine the converted analog signal with a carrier signal to generate a radio wave. A power amplifier (PA) 66 receives the signal from the modulator 64, i.e., the modulated signal. The power amplifier 66 may amplify the modulated signal to a suitable level to drive the transmission of the signal via one or more antennas 55. A filter 68 (e.g., a filter circuit and / or software) of the transmitter 52 may then remove unwanted noise from the amplified signal to generate transmission data 70 to be transmitted via one or more antennas 55. The filter 68 may include any one or more suitable filters for removing unwanted noise from the amplified signal, such as a bandpass filter, a bandstop filter, a lowpass filter, a highpass filter, and / or a decimation filter. Additionally, the transmitter 52 may include any suitable additional components not shown, or may not include some of the components shown, such that the transmitter 52 may transmit the outgoing data 60 via one or more antennas 55. For example, the transmitter 52 may include a mixer and / or a digital upconverter. As another example, if the power amplifier 66 outputs the amplified signal within or substantially within the desired frequency range (such that filtering of the amplified signal may not be necessary), then the transmitter 52 may not include the filter 68.

[0037] Figure 4FIG. 0 is a schematic diagram of a receiver 54 (e.g., a receiving circuit) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the receiver 54 may receive received data 80 in the form of an analog signal from one or more antennas 55. A low-noise amplifier (LNA) 82 may amplify the received analog signal to a suitable level for processing by the receiver 54. A filter 84 (e.g., a filter circuit and / or software) may remove unwanted noise such as cross-channel interference from the received signal. The filter 84 may also remove additional signals received by one or more antennas 55 that have frequencies different from the desired signal. The filter 84 may include any one or more suitable filters for removing unwanted noise or signals from the received signal, such as a bandpass filter, a bandstop filter, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, and / or a decimation filter. A demodulator 86 may remove the radio frequency envelope from the filtered signal and / or extract a demodulated signal from the filtered signal for processing. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 88 may receive the demodulated analog signal and convert the signal to a digital signal of incoming data 90 for further processing by the electronic device 10. Additionally, the receiver 54 may include any suitable additional components not shown, or may not include some of the components shown, such that the receiver 54 may receive the received data 80 via one or more antennas 55. For example, the receiver 54 may include a mixer and / or a digital downconverter.

[0038] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a wireless communication network 95 supported by a base station 97 and communicatively coupled to a user equipment 96 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, the base station 97 may provide 5G / new radio (NR) coverage (e.g., a next-generation node B (gNodeB or gNB) base station) via the wireless communication network 95. The user equipment 96 and the base station 97 may include Figure 1 and Figure 2 at least some of the components of the electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 8, including one or more processors 12, a memory 14, a storage device 16, a transmitter 52, a receiver 54, and Figure 3 and Figure 4 the associated circuits shown in FIG. 12. The base station 97 may assign communication channels to the user equipment 96, and these communication channels may be in an unlicensed frequency band such as the n96 band (e.g., 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz (including the end values)) as discussed in further detail below.

[0039] As noted above, the present disclosure relates to controlling the transmit power (e.g., maximum transmit power) utilized by a circuit to transmit data, such as a transmitter 52 or transceiver 30 that may be included in an electronic device 10. More specifically, the transmit power may be controlled by a base station 97 or a user equipment 96 including the transmitter 52 or transceiver 30 to comply with transmit power constraints that may vary between different geographical locations. For example, the power constraints may be defined by regulations established by a country or group of countries (e.g., the European Union and CEPT member states), and these regulations may determine a number of transmit power values (e.g., maximum transmit power values) that are permitted depending on whether the base station 97, the user equipment 96, or both are deployed indoors or outdoors.

[0040] Embodiments herein provide various apparatuses and techniques for controlling the transmit power utilized by a transmitter 52 of a user equipment 96. In fact, as described below, in some embodiments, the base station 97 may control the transmit power (e.g., maximum transmit power) of a transmitter 52 of a user equipment 96 communicatively coupled to the base station 97. To this end, when the base station 97 is deployed outdoors, when the user equipment 96 is not configured to determine whether the user equipment 96 is located indoors or outdoors, when the user equipment 96 is located outdoors, or when a combination thereof occurs, the base station 97 may cause the transmitter 52 to use a relatively low transmit power (e.g., suitable for outdoor transmission). Conversely, when the base station 97 is deployed indoors and the user equipment 96 is also located indoors, the base station 97 may enable the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 96 to be configured to utilize a relatively high transmit power (e.g., suitable for indoor transmission). As another example, as discussed below, the user equipment 96 may control the transmit power of the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 96. More specifically, when the user equipment 96 determines that the user equipment 96 or the base station 97 communicatively coupled to the user equipment 96 is deployed outdoors, a relatively low transmit power may be utilized. However, when the user equipment 96 determines that both the user equipment 96 and the base station 97 are indoors, the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 96 may utilize a relatively high transmit power.

[0041] In view of the foregoing, Figure 6Frequency diagram 100 of n96 band 102 and sub-bands (e.g., 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112) associated with a number of different locations, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, the n96 band may be described and defined in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 3GPP Technical Standard (TS) 38.101 as a band within frequency range 1 (FR1) having a frequency range from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz (including the end values). Band 102 may be a licensed or unlicensed band, meaning that an operator of a user equipment 96 (e.g., electronic device 10) transmitting a signal having a frequency within an unlicensed band may utilize the user equipment 96, for example, without directly registering the user equipment 96 with an entity (e.g., government agency) associated with a specific geographical area where the user equipment 96 is used.

[0042] This means that different geographical locations may have different regulations regarding sub-bands of band 102 that are available for user equipment 96 (such as the transmit power levels (e.g., Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and EIRP density values) that user equipment 96 may utilize to transmit data). More specifically, different geopolitical regions (e.g., countries, unions, continents) may have regulations governing the maximum power levels depending on whether the user equipment 96 is located indoors or outdoors. As used herein, the terms “outdoor” and “indoor” may have different meanings according to the regulations associated with a particular jurisdiction. For example, a location that is considered “indoor” in some jurisdictions may be considered “outdoor” in another jurisdiction. For example, a location covered by a temporary structure that opens to the outside (e.g., a covering that does not include walls, such as a canopy extending from a building) may be considered indoor in one jurisdiction and outdoor in another jurisdiction. This means that “outdoor” generally includes an uncovered environment located outside a building (such as a house, other residential building, commercial building, industrial building, or any other type of building). In contrast, “indoor” generally includes an environment located inside a permanent structure. For environments that fall outside these descriptions, they may be characterized according to the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction that includes such environments (e.g., country, union, continent). Table 1 below provides information on the power levels permitted in the United States, EU / CEPT, South Korea, and Brazil. It should be noted that the values included in Table 1 may change in the future.

[0043] Table 1

[0044]

[0045]

[0046]

[0047] As indicated generally in Table 1, different countries and regions may permit user equipment 96 to transmit data (e.g., by transmitting electromagnetic radiation having a frequency within an unlicensed frequency band such as band 102) using different power levels (e.g., maximum EIRP value and maximum EIRP density value). As implied by the names of the power levels used in the EU / CEPT and Korea (e.g., low power indoor (LPI) and very low power indoor / outdoor (VLP)) and the associated maximum EIRP values and maximum EIRP density values of the power levels, user equipment 96 located indoors generally permits a higher transmit power relative to user equipment 96 located outdoors. For example, in the EU and CEPT member states, LPI—having a maximum EIRP of 23 dBm and a maximum EIRP density of 10 dBm / MHz—can be utilized by user equipment 96 indoors, while VLP—having a maximum EIRP of 14 dBm and a maximum EIRP density of 1 dBm / MHz—can be utilized by user equipment 96 located indoors as well as user equipment 96 located outdoors.

[0048] Taking into account the discussion in Table 1, the portion of band 102 that can be utilized by user equipment 96 at various locations (e.g., countries, unions, continents) can also be adjusted and in some cases subdivided. For example, band 104 indicates the frequency range permitted to be utilized in the United States. More specifically, band 104 includes the unlicensed national information infrastructure (U-NII) 5, 6, 7, and 8 (i.e., U-NII-5, U-NII-6, U-NII-7, and U-NII-8). Thus, the entire band 102 can be utilized in the United States.

[0049] As an example of another jurisdiction, band 106 corresponds to Brazil. As shown, band 106 occupies the entire band 102. That is, band 106 also includes the entire n96 band. In addition, as indicated by band 106, Brazil stipulates that the defined LPI and VLP can be utilized within the entire n96 band.

[0050] Band 108 corresponds to Korea. Similar to the United States (as indicated by band 104) and Brazil (as indicated by band 106), band 108 includes the entire band 102. Thus, in Korea, user equipment 96 can utilize the entire n96 band. Additionally, band 108 includes an LPI portion and an LPI / VLP portion, which respectively indicate 1) the frequencies in the n96 band that can be utilized outdoors and 2) the frequencies in the n96 band that can be utilized outdoors and indoors. The transmit power values associated with the LPI and VLP power levels are the values associated with Korea indicated in Table 1.

[0051] Bands 110, 111, and 112 correspond to the bands applicable in the European Union and CEPT member states. Specifically, bands 110 and 112 are bands that include frequencies that are permitted to be utilized, while band 111 includes frequencies that are not permitted (e.g., 6.425 GHz to 7.125 GHz). Band 110 includes the LPI and VLP power levels associated with the European Union and CEPT member states as indicated in Table 1. Band 112 corresponds to the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) band as described in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report ITU-R M.2445-0 entitled “Intelligent transport systems (ITS) usage”. As Figure 6 shown, a portion of band 112 falls within the n96 band (i.e., band 102).

[0052] As described below, the maximum transmit power available to user equipment 96 can be controlled based on a number of factors such as whether the user equipment 96 is located indoors or outdoors and / or whether the base station 97 to which the user equipment 96 is communicatively coupled is deployed indoors or outdoors. The discussion below is generic in terms of geographical or geopolitical location. In other words, the examples and techniques described below can be used in any suitable region (e.g., country, union, continent), and the manner in which the techniques are implemented can be done in a location-specific manner. For example, for user equipment 96 located in the United States, maximum transmit power values (e.g., maximum EIRP values and maximum EIRP density values) such as those provided in Table 1 can be utilized, while in another location (e.g., European Union / CEPT member states, Brazil, South Korea, or any other location outside the United States), maximum transmit power values associated with the other location can be used to implement the techniques in a similar manner.

[0053] To help provide more context for situations in which the maximum transmit power of user equipment 96 can be controlled, Figure 7 and Figure 8 . Figure 7 User equipment 140A communicatively coupled to a wireless communication network via base station 142A is shown, and the user equipment can include electronic device 10. Figure 7 Buildings 144, 146 are also included, and these buildings can be structures such as houses, apartment buildings, offices, other forms of residential or commercial buildings, or industrial buildings. In other words, each of buildings 144, 146 can be a permanent structure.

[0054] More specifically, Figure 7A scenario is shown where user equipment 140A is located outdoors and communicatively coupled to a base station (i.e., base station 142A) that is also located outdoors. As used herein, the terms "outdoor" and "indoor" may have different meanings depending on the regulations associated with a particular jurisdiction. For example, a location that is considered "indoor" in some jurisdictions may be considered "outdoor" in another jurisdiction. For example, a location covered by a temporary structure that opens to the outside (e.g., a covering that does not include walls, such as an awning extending from a building) may be considered indoor in one jurisdiction and outdoor in another jurisdiction. This means that "outdoor" generally includes an uncovered environment located outside a building (such as buildings 144, 146, houses, other residential buildings, commercial buildings, industrial buildings, or any other type of building). In contrast, "indoor" generally includes an environment located inside a permanent structure (such as buildings 144, 146). For environments that fall outside these descriptions, they may be characterized according to the rules and regulations of the jurisdiction that includes such environments (e.g., country, union, continent). Additionally, the terms "indoor" and "outdoor" may refer to characteristics (including physical characteristics) of a base station (e.g., 142A, 142B, collectively 142). For example, in certain jurisdictions, the way in which certain parts or circuits within a base station are packaged, protected (e.g., protected by a lock), or powered (e.g., battery-powered, as compared to being powered by a power outlet or other grid-based power source) may determine whether a particular base station is "indoor" or "outdoor", regardless of the physical location where the particular base station is positioned. For example, in some jurisdictions, if base station 142 is not battery-powered or not weatherproof, then base station 142 may be considered indoor. All of the foregoing means that base station 142 may be configured to be indoor or outdoor based on parameters (e.g., configuration data) set by an installer or manufacturer for base station 142. Thus, there may be cases where the value to which the parameters are set (e.g., indoor or outdoor) is what determines whether base station 142 is indoor or outdoor. Therefore, as used herein, a base station (e.g., 142A) "deployed outdoors" may refer to base station 142A having parameters set to indicate that it is outdoors, and a base station (e.g., 142B) "deployed indoors" may refer to base station 142B having parameters set to indicate that it is indoors.

[0055] As discussed above, in the case of operating on unlicensed spectrum, when the user equipment 140A is located outdoors, the user equipment 140A is generally permitted to use a lower maximum transmit power compared to the case where the user equipment 140A is located indoors. A specific reason for this situation is that when the user equipment 140A is indoors, the signal transmitted by the user equipment 140A can pass through walls or other interfering materials that the signal could not originally pass through when the user equipment 140A is indoors. That is, when operating on unlicensed spectrum, in order for the signal transmitted by the user equipment 140A to reach a base station located indoors (e.g., Figure 8 the base station 142B in

[0056] For example, in Figure 8 the user equipment 140B and the user equipment 140C are communicatively coupled to a base station 142B deployed indoors (e.g., inside a building 144). The user equipment 140B and the user equipment 140C may include electronic devices 10. Like the base station 142B, the user equipment 140C is located indoors (e.g., inside a building 144). As pointed out above, in the case of operating on unlicensed spectrum, regulations generally permit the user equipment 140 (e.g., user equipment 140A, 140B, 140C) to utilize a relatively higher transmit power when it is indoors compared to when it is located outdoors. Therefore, when operating on unlicensed spectrum, in order to communicate with the base station 142B, the user equipment 140C can use a relatively higher transmit power and still operate in accordance with rules or regulations specific to the geographical location of the user equipment 140C.

[0057] However, in some cases, the user equipment 140B located outdoors may also use the same (indoor) maximum transmit power as the user equipment 140C (e.g., instead of using a lower outdoor maximum transmit power) to communicate with the base station 142B. A more specific example of this situation can be when the user equipment 140 located outdoors (e.g., although coupled to an indoor base station) should use VLP to transmit data, but the user equipment 140 uses LPI to transmit data. Thus, there are situations where the user equipment (e.g., 140B) can operate at a transmit power higher than the maximum transmit power permitted to be used in the area where the user equipment is geographically located (e.g., outdoors). As described below with respect to Figures 9 to 11 it is possible to employ several techniques (e.g., processes) to cause the user equipment (e.g., 140B) to comply with regulations when operating on an unlicensed band, even when the user equipment 140B is located outdoors and the base station (e.g., 142B) to which the user equipment 140B is coupled is deployed indoors.

[0058] Figure 9 is a flowchart of process 170 that can be employed by a base station (e.g., 142A, 142B, collectively 142) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to control the transmit power utilized by user equipment (e.g., 140A, 140B, 140C, collectively 140), where the transmit power is initially defaulted to assume that the user equipment is indoors when the base station is indoors. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that can control components of base station 142 (such as processor 12) can execute process 170. In some embodiments, process 170 can be implemented by using processor 12 to execute instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium such as memory 14 or storage device 16. For example, process 170 can be executed at least in part by one or more software components (such as the operating system of one or more base stations in base station 142, one or more software applications of base station 142, etc.). Additionally, although process 170 is described using steps in a particular order, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the steps can be executed in an order different from the shown order, and certain of the described steps can be skipped or not fully executed.

[0059] At decision block 172, processor 12 determines whether base station 142 (e.g., including processor 12) is deployed indoors or outdoors. To make this determination, processor 12 can examine one or more values stored in memory 14 or storage device 16 that indicate whether base station 142 is an outdoor base station or an indoor base station. For example, at setup (e.g., when a technician or engineer initializes or resets base station 142), one or more bit values (e.g., stored in memory 14 or storage device 16) can be stored that indicate whether base station 142 has been set as an indoor space base station or an outdoor base station. Thus, processor 12 can determine whether base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors based on this value. Additionally, it should be noted that the operations described above with respect to decision block 172 can be initiated in response to user equipment 140 attempting to establish or successfully establishing a wireless connection to base station 142 that includes processor 12.

[0060] If at decision block 172, the processor determines that base station 142 is deployed outdoors, then at process block 174, processor 12 causes user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power. Specifically, processor 12 can cause base station 142 to send an instruction (e.g., a radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message, a media access control (MAC) control element (MAC-CE), etc.) to user equipment 140 to reconfigure the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to transmit at a low transmit power. More specifically, the instruction can indicate one or more maximum transmit power values (e.g., maximum EIRP, maximum EIRP density, or both) that can be utilized by the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to transmit data.

[0061] As noted above, different geographical locations may have different regulations including different maximum transmit power values. When performing process block 174, the maximum transmit power value that the user equipment 140 may be configured to use may include one or more of the values discussed above with respect to Table 1 (e.g., maximum EIRP, maximum EIRP density, or both), may correspond to Figure 6 the subbands shown in, or both. For example, in the case where the base station 142 performing process block 174 is located within the United States, the instructions transmitted by the base station 142 may indicate one or more subbands of the frequency band 104 (e.g., one or more of U-NII-5, U-NII-6, U-NII-7, U-NII-8) that the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 should use to transmit signals and one or more maximum transmit power values (e.g., according to Table 1). The maximum transmit power value may include an EIRP value that can be achieved using automatic frequency control (AFC), such as 21 dBm, which may be lower than another EIRP value that may be used in other cases (e.g., when both the user equipment 140 and the base station 142 are indoors, as discussed below). The maximum transmit power value may also include a maximum EIRP density value, which may be less than a different EIRP density value utilized when both the user equipment 140 and the base station 142 are indoors.

[0062] As an example involving other jurisdictions, in Brazil, South Korea, and the European Union (and CEPT member states), the instructions transmitted by the base station 142 may respectively indicate which subbands of the frequency bands 104, 106, 108 to use. Additionally, these instructions may indicate that VLP settings should be used. Accordingly, the maximum EIRP value associated with a geographical location (e.g., a country, union, or continent), the maximum EIRP density value associated with that geographical location, or both may also be indicated by the instructions transmitted by the base station 142 to the user equipment 140.

[0063] However, if at decision block 172 the processor determines that base station 142 is deployed indoors, then at decision block 176, processor 12 determines whether user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection. In other words, processor 12 determines whether user equipment 140 is configured or otherwise capable of determining whether user equipment 140 is located outdoors. When user equipment 140 attempts to establish communication with base station 142, processor 12 may determine whether user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection based on data received by processor 12 from user equipment 140. In other words, processor 12 may receive an indication (or data indicating) whether user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection. For example, user equipment 140 may transmit data indicating what type of device user equipment 140 is (e.g., a particular model of phone or tablet or other electronic device). In some embodiments, storage device 16 may include data indicating whether such a device supports outdoor detection (or one or more capabilities such as global positioning system (GPS), light detection and ranging (LiDAR), ambient light detection, temperature sensors, etc.), and processor 12 may utilize this data to determine whether user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection. In response to determining that user equipment 140 does not support outdoor detection, at process block 174, processor 12 causes user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power.

[0064] Conversely, if at decision block 176 processor 12 determines that user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection, then at process block 178, processor 12 initially defaults to causing user equipment 140 to be configured to transmit data using one or more maximum power values greater than the maximum power values discussed above with respect to process block 174. For example, in Brazil, South Korea, and the European Union (and CEPT member states), base station 142 may transmit an instruction indicating that transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 should be configured to utilize a maximum EIRP value, a maximum EIRP density value, or both, as defined by LPI in these jurisdictions. As another example, if the case is in the United States, the instruction may indicate an EIRP value greater than 21 dBm, an EIRP density value greater than -1 dBm / MHz, or both. In any case, it should also be noted that the instruction may indicate the frequency or the frequency range having frequency band 102 (e.g., sub-band or channel) that user equipment 140 should utilize when transmitting data.

[0065] At process block 180, processor 12 receives an indication of the location of user equipment 140. More specifically, processor 12 receives (e.g., from user equipment 140) data indicating whether user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. For example, user equipment 140 may determine (as discussed below with respect to Figure 11 decision block 246) whether user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors and provide an indication of such determination to processor 12 of base station 142.

[0066] Based on the received indication, at decision block 182, the processor 12 determines whether the user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. When determining that the user equipment 140 is outdoors, at process block 174, the processor 12 causes the user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power.

[0067] However, if at decision block 182, the processor 12 determines that the user equipment 140 is located indoors, then at process block 184, the processor 12 may cause the user equipment 140 to maintain the ability to transmit data at a high power. In one embodiment, to perform process block 184, the processor 12 may take no action in response to determining that the user equipment is indoors. Thus, process 170 enables the base station 142 to control one or more maximum transmit power levels (e.g., EIRP value, EIRP density value, or both), frequency range, or both, utilized by the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 such that the user equipment 140 can comply with local rules and regulations. For example, in the case where the base station 142 is outdoors, the user equipment 140 is outdoors, the user equipment 140 does not support outdoor detection, or any combination thereof, the base station 142 may cause the user equipment 140 to utilize a relatively low maximum transmit power value. In contrast, in the case where both the base station 142 and the user equipment 140 are indoors, the base station 142 may enable the user equipment 140 to be configured to utilize a relatively large maximum transmit power value.

[0068] Continuing with the drawings, Figure 10 is a flowchart of another process, process 200, that may be performed by the base station 142 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to control the transmit power of the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that can control components of the base station 142 such as the processor 12 may perform process 200. In some embodiments, process 200 may be implemented by using the processor 12 to execute instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium such as the memory 14 or the storage device 16. For example, process 200 may be performed at least in part by one or more software components (such as the operating system of one or more base stations in the base station 142, one or more software applications of the base station 142, etc.). Additionally, although process 200 is described using steps in a particular order, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the steps may be performed in an order different from the order shown and that some of the described steps may be skipped or not fully executed.

[0069] At decision block 202, the processor 12 determines whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors. The processor 12 may be the same as described above with respect to Figure 9This determination is made in the same manner as discussed in decision block 172 of process 170. If, at decision block 202, processor 12 determines that base station 142 is deployed outdoors, then at process block 204, processor 12 causes user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power, as discussed above with respect to Figure 9 process block 174 of process 170.

[0070] However, if, at decision block 202, processor 12 determines that base station 142 is deployed indoors, then at decision block 206, processor 12 determines whether user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection. Processor 12 can make this determination in the same manner as discussed in decision block 176 of process 170 above. In response to determining that user equipment 140 does not support outdoor detection, at process block 204, processor 12 causes the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power. Figure 9 process block 174 of process 170.

[0071] Conversely, if, at decision block 206, processor 12 determines that user equipment 140 supports outdoor detection, then at process block 208, processor 12 receives an indication of the location of user equipment 140. For example, as discussed in process block 180 of process 170 above, processor 12 can receive data from user equipment 140 indicating whether user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. Figure 9 process block 174 of process 170.

[0072] Based on the received indication, at decision block 210, processor 12 determines whether user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. Upon determining that user equipment 140 is outdoors, at process block 204, processor 12 causes the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to be configured with a low transmit power. Specifically, processor 12 can cause the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to be configured to transmit data using one or more maximum power values that are less than the maximum power value discussed in process block 174 of process 170 above. Thus, base station 142 can execute process 200 to control one or more maximum transmit power levels (e.g., EIRP value, EIRP density value, or both), frequency range, or both, utilized by the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 such that user equipment 140 can comply with local rules and regulations. Figure 9 process block 174 of process 170.

[0073] However, in response to determining that user equipment 140 is indoors, at process block 212, processor 12 causes the transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to be configured to use one or more Figure 9The maximum power value discussed in process block 178 of process 170 transmits data at a greater maximum power value. Accordingly, base station 142 may execute process 200 to control one or more maximum transmit power levels (e.g., EIRP value, EIRP density value, or both), frequency range, or both, utilized by transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 such that user equipment 140 can comply with local rules and regulations.

[0074] In some embodiments, user equipment 140 may control the transmit power of transmitter 52. In fact, Figure 11 FIG. 240 is a flow diagram of process 240 that may be executed by user equipment 140 (e.g., electronic device 10) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure to control the transmit power utilized by transmitter 52 of user equipment 140. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that may control components of user equipment 140 such as processor 12 may execute process 240. In some embodiments, process 240 may be implemented by using processor 12 to execute instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium such as memory 14 or storage device 16. For example, process 240 may be executed at least in part by one or more software components (such as an operating system of user equipment 140, one or more software applications of user equipment 140, etc.). Additionally, although process 240 is described using steps in a particular order, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the steps may be executed in an order different from the order shown and that certain of the described steps may be skipped or not fully executed. Further, prior to continuing the discussion of the operations included in process 240, it should be noted that process 240 may be executed in response to user equipment 140 attempting to establish or being in the process of establishing wireless communication with base station 142.

[0075] At decision block 242, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 determines or receives an indication of whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors. Based on an instruction received from the base station 142 indicating one or more maximum transmit power values (e.g., maximum EIRP, maximum EIRP density, or both) that the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 can utilize when transmitting data using an unlicensed frequency band, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 can determine whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors. These maximum transmit power values can be considered "raw", "initial", or "default" transmit power (e.g., the first maximum transmit power that the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 can use after being communicatively coupled to the base station 142). The instruction itself can indicate whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors because the maximum transmit power indicated by the instruction can indicate whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors. In other words, specific maximum transmit power values based on the location of the base station 142 (e.g., indoor or outdoor deployment, geographical location, or both) can be used. For example, when the base station 142 is deployed indoors, the "default" maximum transmit power can be a relatively higher value or range or value compared to a different maximum transmit power that a different base station 142 deployed outdoors would instruct the user equipment 140 to use. Additionally, the memory 14 or storage device 16 of the user equipment 140 can include data (e.g., one or more lookup tables) that indicate the values of the "default" maximum transmit power values, while also indicating for each of the "default" maximum transmit power values whether the value is associated with an indoor or outdoor deployment of the base station 142. The lookup table can also indicate one or more geographical regions (e.g., countries or groups of countries) associated with a particular value. Thus, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 can utilize one or more lookup tables to determine whether the maximum transmit power indicated by the instruction received from the base station 142 is associated with an indoor or outdoor deployment of the base station 142 in order to determine whether the base station 142 is deployed indoors or outdoors.

[0076] In response to determining or receiving an indication that the base station 142 is deployed outdoors, at process block 244, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 can configure the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to operate at low power. Specifically, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 can limit or reduce the maximum transmit power of the transmitter 52. For example, the processor 12 can reduce or limit the maximum transmit power of the transmitter 52 by causing the transmitter 52 to switch from using the "default" maximum transmit power to using a different maximum transmit power that is less than the "default" maximum transmit power. In some embodiments, the processor 12 can cause the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to be configured to use one or more Figure 9The maximum power value discussed in process block 174 of process 170 transmits data with a smaller maximum power value. Thus, user equipment 140 may execute process 200 to control one or more maximum transmit power levels (e.g., EIRP value, EIRP density value, or both), frequency range, or both, utilized by transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 such that user equipment 140 can comply with local rules and regulations.

[0077] In an additional or alternative embodiment, processor 12 of user equipment 140 may follow the power management maximum power reduction (P-MPR) framework described in European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Technical Specification (TS) 136 101 V10.24.1 (also known as 3GPP TS 36.101 version 10.24.1) to limit the maximum transmit power of transmitter 52 of user equipment 140. As another example, user processor 12 may limit the maximum transmit power of transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 to use P-Max according to the maximum power (P-Max) framework described in 3GPP TS 36.101 and 3GPP TS 36.331 (entitled "Requirements for support of radio resource management"). As yet another example, processor 12 changes the power levels defined in executable instructions (e.g., of an algorithm) executable by processor 12 stored in memory 14 or storage device 16. For example, the instructions of the algorithm may define several different maximum transmit power values (e.g., several power levels) that transmitter 52 may use. Processor 12 may limit the maximum transmit power of transmitter 52 of user equipment 140 by executing instructions to cause the maximum transmit power to change from one value to a lower value. In other words, processor 12 may cause transmitter 52 to switch from using a higher power level to using a lower power level. Additionally, it should be noted that when executing process block 244, processor 12 may also cause user equipment 140 to indicate (e.g., by transmitting data) to base station 142 that the maximum transmit power of user transmitter 52 has been limited or reduced. More specifically, processor 12 may cause user equipment 140 to use the following to indicate to base station 142 that the maximum transmit power of transmitter 52 has been limited or reduced: RRC signaling (described in 3GPP TS 38.331 entitled "Radio Resource Control (RRC); Protocol Specification"), MAC-CE (e.g., using MAC header bits or an extension of the power headroom framework), or the physical layer (PHY) of the transmitted data (e.g., using bits in the physical layer as feedback bits to indicate that user equipment 140 has modified the maximum transmit power).

[0078] However, if at decision block 242, the processor 12 of the user equipment 140 determines that the base station is deployed indoors, then at decision block 246, the processor 12 may determine whether the user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. To make this determination, by way of non-limiting example, the user equipment 140 may utilize GPS, LiDAR, indoor positioning beacons, or a combination thereof. For example, the processor 12 may compare the reception level of the GPS signal with a threshold to determine whether the user equipment 140 is indoors. In this example, when the reception level of the GPS signal is below the threshold, the processor 12 may determine that the user equipment 140 is located indoors. In another example, the user equipment 140 may determine that the GPS location of the user equipment 140 corresponds to a structure (e.g., a building) and assume that the user equipment 140 is located indoors. As another example, the processor 12 may utilize LiDAR data collected by sensors of the user equipment 140 to determine whether the user equipment 140 is located indoors or outdoors. For example, the LiDAR data may indicate the presence of walls or other structural elements included in a building. When the LiDAR data indicates the presence of walls or other structural elements included in a building, the processor 12 may determine that the user equipment 140 is located indoors. When the LiDAR data indicates the absence of walls or other structural elements included in a building, the processor 12 may determine that the user equipment 140 is outdoors. As yet another example, when the processor 12 detects the presence of an indoor positioning beacon, the processor 12 may determine that the user equipment 140 is indoors. Conversely, when the processor 12 determines that there is no indoor positioning beacon, the processor 12 may determine that the user equipment 140 is outdoors.

[0079] In response to determining that the user equipment 140 is outdoors, the processor 12 may cause the maximum transmit power available to the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to be limited or reduced, as discussed above with respect to process block 244. Conversely, if at decision block 246 the processor 12 determines that the user equipment 140 is indoors, then at process block 248 the processor 12 may configure or maintain the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to operate at a high power. Specifically, the processor 12 may cause the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to utilize the available transmit power. For example, as noted above, the instructions transmitted by the base station 142 indicate one or more maximum transmit power values (e.g., maximum EIRP, maximum EIRP density, or both) that the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 may utilize to transmit data. In some cases, the base station 142 may transmit a selected maximum transmit power value based on the location of the base station 142 (e.g., indoor or outdoor deployment, geographical location, or both), which may cause the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 to be configured to utilize a "default" maximum transmit power (the "default" maximum transmit power may correspond to one or more "default" transmit power values included or indicated in the instructions transmitted by the base station 142). In other words, the transmitter 52 of the user equipment 140 may initially be configured to utilize the "default" transmit power value indicated by the instructions received from the base station 142. However, when the processor 12 executes process block 248, the processor 12 may refrain from taking action and allow the transmitter 52 to continue to be configured to transmit data according to the "default" transmit power. Thus, by utilizing process 240, the user equipment 140 may control the transmit power of the transmitter 52 to remain compliant with rules and regulations associated with different geographical locations (e.g., countries or groups of countries).

[0080] Accordingly, the techniques described herein enable an electronic device to transmit data in an unlicensed frequency band in accordance with regulations associated with the geographical location where the electronic device is located. More specifically, as discussed above, the base station and the user equipment may perform techniques that enable control of the power of the transmitter of the user equipment to operate in accordance with local rules or regulations, such as those related to the permitted transmit power levels based on whether the base station and / or the user equipment is indoors or outdoors.

[0081] The above specific embodiments have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may admit of various modifications and alternative forms. It should also be understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0082] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are 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 users.

[0083] The technologies described herein and claimed are recited and applied to specific examples of a physical and tangible nature, which demonstrably improve the relevant art and are thus not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Additionally, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing][function]..." or "step for [performing][function]...", those elements will be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim that contains elements designated in any other manner, those elements will not be construed under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. An indoor-deployed base station, comprising: a transceiver, which is disposed inside a building and configured to transmit and receive data; and a processing circuit, which is communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to: receive, using the transceiver, a first indication from a user equipment communicatively coupled to the base station, the first indication indicating whether the user equipment is configured to detect whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building, and based on the first indication: send, using the transceiver, a first instruction to the user equipment, the first instruction indicating that the user equipment transmit data using a first transmit power, after sending the first instruction, receive, using the transceiver, a second indication from the user equipment, the second indication indicating whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building, and based on the second indication indicating that the user equipment is located outside the building, send, using the transceiver, a second instruction to the user equipment, the second instruction indicating that the user equipment transmit data using a second transmit power less than the first transmit power.

2. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to maintain the data transmission of the user equipment using the first transmit power based on the second indication indicating that the user equipment is located inside the building.

3. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is configured to: send, using the transceiver, a third instruction to the user equipment to transmit data using the second transmit power based on the first indication indicating that the user equipment is not configured to detect whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building.

4. The base station according to claim 3, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building based on the first indication indicating that the user equipment is configured to detect whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building.

5. The base station according to claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building based on the second indication.

6. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment is configured to transmit data using a frequency in the range of 5.925 gigahertz to 7.125 gigahertz.

7. The base station according to claim 1, wherein the first transmit power corresponds to a first maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) value greater than 24 decibel-milliwatts (dBm) and less than or equal to 30 dBm, a first maximum EIRP density value equal to 17 dBm / megahertz (MHz), or both, and the second transmit power corresponds to a second maximum EIRP value greater than or equal to 21 dBm and less than or equal to 24 dBm, a second maximum EIRP density value equal to -1 dBm / MHz, or both.

8. The base station according to claim 7, wherein The first transmission power corresponds to the first maximum EIRP density value, and the second transmission power corresponds to the second maximum EIRP density value.

9. The base station according to claim 7, wherein the first transmission power corresponds to both the first maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) value and the first maximum EIRP density value, and the second transmission power corresponds to the second maximum EIRP value and the second maximum EIRP density value.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising: sending a first indication from a transmitter of a user equipment to a base station deployed indoors, the first indication indicating that the user equipment is configured to detect whether the user equipment is located indoors or outdoors; and based on the first indication: after sending the first indication, receiving, at a receiver of the user equipment, a first instruction from the base station, the first instruction instructing the user equipment to configure the transmitter of the user equipment to transmit data at a first transmission power; after receiving the first instruction, sending a second indication from the transmitter to the base station, the second indication indicating whether the user equipment is located indoors or outdoors; after sending the second indication, receiving, at the receiver, a second instruction from the base station, the second instruction indicating that the user equipment is located outdoors based on the second indication, the second instruction instructing the user equipment to transmit data using a second transmission power less than the first transmission power; and configuring, based on the second indication, at least one processor of the user equipment to configure the transmitter of the user equipment to transmit data at the second transmission power.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the first instruction includes a maximum value of the first transmission power.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, comprising: receiving, at the receiver, a third indication from the base station that the base station is located indoors; and based on the third indication that the base station is located indoors, sending the first indication that the user equipment is located outdoors from the transmitter of the user equipment to the base station.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the first transmission power, the second transmission power, or both are based on a geographical location of the user equipment.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, comprising: After sending the first indication, based on the first indication indicating that the user equipment is not configured to detect whether the user equipment is located indoors or outdoors, receiving the second instruction from the base station.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising: An instruction that, when executed by a processing circuit, causes the processing circuit to: send to or receive from a user equipment a first indication to a base station deployed inside a building, the first indication indicating whether the user equipment is configured to detect whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building; and based on the first indication: cause, based on the first indication sent to or received from the base station, the transmitter of the user equipment to be configured to transmit data using a first transmission power; After causing the transmitter to be configured to transmit data using the first transmit power, transmit a second indication to the base station or receive the second indication from the user equipment, the second indication indicating whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building; And Based on the second indication indicating that the user equipment is located outside the building, cause the transmitter of the user equipment to be configured to transmit data using a second transmit power that is less than the first transmit power.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuit to cause the transmitter of the user equipment to transmit the first indication based on the base station being deployed inside the building.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the user equipment includes the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processing circuit, or both.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the base station includes the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the processing circuit, or both.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuit to cause the transmitter of the user equipment to transmit data using the first transmit power based on the base station being deployed inside the building and the first indication indicating that the user equipment is not configured to determine whether the user equipment is located inside or outside the building.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the user equipment to be configured to transmit data using a frequency in the range of 5.925 gigahertz to 7.125 gigahertz, the first transmit power corresponding to a first maximum effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) value greater than 24 decibel-milliwatts (dBm) and less than or equal to 30 dBm, a first maximum EIRP density value equal to 17 dBm / megahertz (MHz), or both, and the second transmit power corresponding to a second maximum EIRP value greater than or equal to 21 dBm and less than or equal to 24 dBm, a second maximum EIRP density value equal to -1 dBm / MHz, or both.

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