Wireless device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium with enhanced channel access scheme

Abstract

Apparatus, system, and method for enhanced channel access scheme for a system operating in an unlicensed higher frequency band. A wireless device is capable of performing channel access detection (CAD) measurements on a channel at a first periodicity, determining a CAD metric at a second periodicity based on the CAD measurements, and selecting a first channel access scheme from a plurality of channel access schemes for the channel based on a comparison result of the CAD metric with a threshold. The first channel access scheme can include a first set of channel access procedures, and the first set of channel access procedures can define a physical channel and signals to utilize corresponding channel procedures. In the case where the CAD metric is below the threshold, the first channel access scheme can include using a first listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to access the channel, and the first LBT procedure is less restrictive than a second LTB procedure used when the CAD metric is above the threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly to apparatus, systems and methods for channel access scheme enhancement for systems operating in higher frequency unlicensed bands (e.g., such as systems operating in frequency bands above 52.6 GHz). Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smart phones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functions.

[0003] Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for most wireless network operators around the world to provide mobile broadband data and high-speed Internet access to their user base. LTE defines a number of downlink (DL) physical channels classified as transport or control channels to carry information blocks received from the medium access control (MAC) and higher layers. LTE also defines the number of physical layer channels for the uplink (UL).

[0004] For example, LTE defines a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) as a DL transport channel. PDSCH is the primary data bearing channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. PDSCH carries data in a transport block (TB) corresponding to a MAC protocol data unit (PDU), which is passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once per transmission time interval (TTI). PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as system information blocks (SIBs) and paging messages.

[0005] As another example, LTE defines the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) as a DL control channel that carries the resource allocation of the UE contained in the downlink control information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using control channel elements (CCEs), each of which is nine groups of four resource elements called resource element groups (REGs). PDCCH uses quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, where four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. In addition, depending on the channel conditions, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used for the UE to ensure sufficient robustness.

[0006] In addition, LTE defines the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) as a UL channel shared by all devices (User Equipments, UEs) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. Scheduling of all UEs is under the control of the LTE base station (evolved Node B or eNB). The eNB uses an uplink scheduling grant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE of the resource block (RB) allocation and the modulation and coding scheme to be used. The PUSCH typically supports QPSK and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control information required for decoding, such as transmission format indicators and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) parameters. The control data is multiplexed with the information data before the Digital Fourier Transform (DFT) spread.

[0007] The next telecommunications standard proposed to exceed the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is referred to as the 5th generation mobile network or 5th generation wireless system, or simply 5G (for 5G New Radio, also known as 5G-NR, also simply referred to as NR). 5G-NR provides higher capacity for a higher density of mobile broadband users, while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communication from device to device, as well as lower latency and / or lower battery consumption. In addition, compared to current LTE, 5G-NR can allow for more flexible UE scheduling. Therefore, efforts are being made to utilize the potentially higher throughput at higher frequencies in the continued development of 5G-NR. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Embodiments relate to wireless communication and, more particularly, to apparatus, systems, and methods for enhanced channel access schemes for systems operating in unlicensed frequency bands at higher frequencies (e.g., systems operating in bands above 52.6 GHz).

[0009] For example, in some embodiments, a wireless device (e.g., such as UE 106, base station / picocell 102, and / or access point 112) may be configured to perform one or more channel access detection (CAD) measurements on a first channel at a first periodicity. In some embodiments, the first periodicity can be at least partially based on the communication traffic characteristics of the wireless device and / or can be specified by network configuration and / or by a standard or regulation. In some embodiments, the CAD measurement can be at least one of the following: an energy-based measurement, a reference signal-based measurement, or a combination of an energy-based measurement and a reference signal-based measurement. Additionally, the wireless device can be configured to determine a CAD metric at a second periodicity based on the one or more CAD measurements. In some embodiments, the second periodicity can be a multiple of the first periodicity. In some embodiments, the second periodicity can be at least partially based on the communication traffic characteristics of the wireless device and / or specified by network configuration and / or by a standard or regulation. Further, the wireless device can be configured to select a first channel access scheme from a plurality of channel access schemes for the first channel based on a comparison result of the CAD metric with a threshold. In some embodiments, the first channel access scheme can include a first set of channel access procedures. In such embodiments, the first set of channel access procedures can define the physical channels and signals to utilize the respective channel procedures within the first channel access scheme. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is below the threshold, the first channel access scheme can include using a first listen-before-talk procedure to access the channel, and the first listen-before-talk procedure is less restrictive than a second listen-before-talk procedure used when the CAD metric is above the threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold can be specified by network configuration and / or by a standard or regulation.

[0010] The techniques described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any of a drone (UAV), a drone controller (UAC), a UTM server, a base station, an access point, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a wearable computing device, a portable media player, and various other computing devices.

[0011] This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it should be understood that the above features are merely examples and should not be construed in any way as narrowing the scope or essence of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A Shows an exemplary wireless communication system according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 1B Shows examples of a base station (BS) and an access point communicating with a user equipment (UE) device according to some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 2 Shows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a WLAN access point (AP) according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 3 Shows an exemplary block diagram of a BS according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 4 Shows an exemplary block diagram of a server according to some embodiments.

[0018] Figure 5A Shows an exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some embodiments.

[0019] Figure 5B Shows an exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments.

[0020] Figure 6A Shows an example of the connection between an EPC network, an LTE base station (eNB), and a 5G NR base station (gNB).

[0021] Figure 6B Shows an example of a protocol stack for an eNB and a gNB.

[0022] Figure 7A Shows an example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to a 5GCN.

[0023] Figure 7B Shows an example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments, which combines dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access and non-3GPP access to a 5GCN.

[0024] Figure 8 Shows an example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE according to some embodiments.

[0025] Figure 9 Shows an example of a simulation comparing LBT with non-LTB channel access.

[0026] Figure 10Shows an example of a process for determining a channel access scheme based on CAD metrics according to some embodiments.

[0027] Figure 11 Shows another example of a process for determining a channel access scheme based on CAD metrics according to some embodiments.

[0028] Figure 12 Shows an example of determining a channel access scheme based on multiple thresholds according to some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 13 Shows an example of performing CAD measurements during a long cyclic prefix according to some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 14 Shows an example of using a beam-related channel access scheme according to some embodiments.

[0031] Figure 15 Shows a block diagram of an example of a method for channel access detection (CAD) measurements to determine a channel access scheme according to some embodiments.

[0032] Although the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and the detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims. Detailed Description

[0033] Acronyms

[0034] Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows:

[0035] ● 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0036] ● UE: User Equipment

[0037] ● RF: Radio Frequency

[0038] ● BS: Base Station

[0039] ● DL: Downlink

[0040] ● UL: Uplink

[0041] ● LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0042] ● NR: New Radio

[0043] ● 5GS: 5G System

[0044] ● 5GMM: 5GS Mobility Management

[0045] ● 5GC / 5GCN: 5G Core Network

[0046] ● IE: Information Element

[0047] ● CE: Control Element

[0048] ● MAC: Medium Access Control

[0049] ● SSB: Synchronization Signal Block

[0050] ● CSI-RS: Channel State Information Reference Signal

[0051] ● PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0052] ● PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0053] ● RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0054] ● RRM: Radio Resource Management

[0055] ● CORESET: Control Resource Set

[0056] ● TCI: Transmission Configuration Indicator

[0057] ● DCI: Downlink Control Indicator

[0058] Terms

[0059] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0060] Memory medium - Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include installation media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system that executes a program, or may be located in a different second computer system that is connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that may reside at different locations in different computer systems connected, for example, via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as a computer program) executable by one or more processors.

[0061] Carrier medium - The memory medium as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that convey signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals.

[0062] Programmable hardware element - Includes various hardware devices that include a plurality of programmable function blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). The programmable function blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinational logic components or look-up tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic components".

[0063] Computer system (or computer) - Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network appliances, Internet appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations of devices. Generally, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0064] User equipment (UE) (or "UE device") - Any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone TM 、based on AndroidTM telephone), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM , Gameboy Advance TM , iPhone TM ), laptop computers, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (UACs), etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to cover any electronic, computing, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily transportable by a user and capable of wireless communication.

[0065] Base station - The term "base station" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0066] Processing element (or processor) - refers to various elements or combinations of elements that can perform functions in a device such as a user equipment or a cellular network device. The processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, parts or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuits such as ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), programmable hardware elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and any combination of the above.

[0067] Channel - The medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that since the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary according to different wireless protocols, the term "channel" used in the present invention can be considered to be used in a manner that conforms to the standards of the type of device to which the term is referred. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, frequency band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. In addition, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0068] Frequency band - The term "frequency band" has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a segment of the spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0069] Wi-Fi - The term "Wi-Fi" (or WiFi) has the full scope of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication network or RAT that is served by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provides connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Most modern Wi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi". Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are different from cellular networks.

[0070] 3GPP access - refers to the access (e.g., radio access technology) specified by 3GPP standards. These accesses include but are not limited to GSM / GPRS, LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G NR. Generally speaking, 3GPP access refers to various types of cellular access technologies.

[0071] Non-3GPP access - refers to any access (e.g., radio access technology) not specified by 3GPP standards. These accesses include but are not limited to WiMAX, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, WLAN, and / or fixed networks. Non-3GPP access can be divided into two categories, "trusted" and "untrusted": Trusted non-3GPP access can directly interact with the evolved packet core (EPC) and / or 5G core (5GC), while untrusted non-3GPP communicates with the EPC / 5GC via network entities such as the evolved packet data gateway and / or 5G NR gateway. Generally speaking, non-3GPP access refers to various types of non-cellular access technologies.

[0072] Automatically - means that an action or operation is performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or a device (e.g., a circuit, a programmable hardware element, an ASIC, etc.) without the action or operation being directly specified or performed through user input. Thus, the term "automatically" is contrary to an operation being performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that are "automatically" performed are not specified by the user, i.e., they are not performed "manually", where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a spreadsheet by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be filled out automatically by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executing on a computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, the user can initiate the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but they are completed automatically). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0073] About - means close to the correct or exact value. For example, about can mean a value within 1% to 10% of the exact (or desired) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can depend on the application. For example, in some embodiments, "about" can mean within 0.1% of some specified or desired value, while in various other embodiments, depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application, the threshold can be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc.

[0074] Concurrent - means parallel execution or implementation, where tasks, processes, or programs are executed in at least a partially overlapping manner. For example, concurrency can be achieved using "strong" or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed (at least partially) in parallel on corresponding computing elements; or using "weak parallelism" to achieve concurrency, where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., through time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0075] Various components may be described as “configured to” perform one or more tasks. In such an environment, “configured to” is a broad statement that generally means “having” the “structure” to perform one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when a component is not currently performing a task, the component can be configured to perform the task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” can be a broad statement that generally means “having” the “circuitry” to perform one or more tasks during operation. Thus, even when a component is not currently powered on, the component can be configured to perform a task. Generally, the circuitry that forms the structure corresponding to “configured to” can include hardware circuitry.

[0076] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such a description should be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to”. A component described as configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke an interpretation under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) for that component.

[0077] Figure 1A and 1B : Communication System

[0078] Figure 1A illustrates a simplified exemplary wireless communication system in accordance with some embodiments. Note that Figure 1A the system is merely an example of a possible system, and features of the present disclosure can be implemented in any one of a variety of systems as needed.

[0079] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A that communicates with one or more user devices 106A, user devices 106B through user device 106N, etc. via a transmission medium. Each of the user devices may be referred to herein as a “user equipment” (UE). Thus, user device 106 is referred to as a UE or a UE device.

[0080] 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 UEs 106A through 106N.

[0081] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station can be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and 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, 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), and so on. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR environment, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0082] As shown, base station 102A can also be equipped to communicate with network 100 (e.g., among 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, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and network 100. In particular, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0083] Base station 102A and other similar base stations operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards (such as base stations 102B... 102N) can thus be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0084] Thus, although base station 102A can act as the "serving cell" for UE 106A-N as shown in FIG. 1, each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and potentially 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 "neighboring cells". Such cells may also be able to facilitate communication between user devices and / or between user devices and 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, base stations 102A to 102B shown in FIG. 1 can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0085] 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 NR 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] Figure 1B Shown is a user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 and access point 112 according to some embodiments. UE 106 may be a device having cellular communication capabilities and non-cellular communication capabilities (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a computer or tablet computer, or almost any type of wireless device.

[0088] 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.

[0089] 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), LTE / Advanced LTE, or 5G NR and / or GSM, LTE, Advanced 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 foregoing 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] Figure 2 : Access Point Block Diagram

[0092] Figure 2 An exemplary block diagram of an access point (AP) 112 is shown. Note that Figure 2 the block diagram of the AP is only one example of a possible system. As shown, AP 112 may include a processor 204 that can execute program instructions for AP 112. The processor 204 may also be (directly or indirectly) coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 240 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 204 and translate those addresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 260 and read-only memory (ROM) 250).

[0093] AP 112 may include at least one network port 270. The network port 270 may be configured to couple to a wired network and provide access to the Internet to multiple devices such as UE 106. For example, the network port 270 (or an additional network port) may be configured to couple to a local network, such as a home network or an enterprise network. For example, port 270 may be an Ethernet port. The local network may provide a connection to an additional network such as the Internet.

[0094] AP 112 may include at least one antenna 234, which may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE 106 via wireless communication circuitry 230. Antenna 234 communicates with wireless communication circuitry 230 via communication link 232. Communication link 232 may include one or more receive chains, one or more transmit chains, or both. Wireless communication circuitry 230 may be configured to communicate via Wi-Fi or WLAN (e.g., 802.11). For example, in the case where the AP co-locates with a base station in a small cell, or in other cases where it may be desirable for AP 112 to communicate via various different wireless communication technologies, wireless communication circuitry 230 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate via various other wireless communication technologies, including but not limited to 5G NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), CDMA2000, etc.

[0095] In some embodiments, as further described below, AP 112 may be configured to perform methods for enhancing channel access schemes of systems operating in unlicensed frequency bands at higher frequencies, as further described herein.

[0096] Figure 3 : Block diagram of a base station

[0097] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 3 the base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As shown, base station 102 may include a processor 404 that may execute program instructions for base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuits or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in a memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0098] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to multiple devices such as UE devices 106 to, as described above in FIGS. 1 and Figure 2Access to the telephone network as described in

[0099] The network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured or alternatively configured to be coupled 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 device 106. In some cases, the network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0100] In some embodiments, the 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, the base station 102 may be connected to a traditional Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network and / or connected to a NR Core (NRC) network. Additionally, the base station 102 may be regarded as 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.

[0101] The base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to act as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with the UE device 106 via the radio component 430. The antenna 434 communicates with the radio component 430 via the communication link 432. The communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. The 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.

[0102] The base station 102 may be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, the base station 102 may include multiple radio components that enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the 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, the base station 102 may be capable of operating as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station 102 may include multi-mode radio components capable of performing communication according to any one of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0103] As further described hereinbelow, BS102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support the specific implementation of part or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., 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 the other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, 470, the processor 404 of BS102 may be configured to implement or support the specific implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0104] In addition, as described herein, processor 404 may consist of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Thus, 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 (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 404.

[0105] Furthermore, as described herein, radio component 430 may consist of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in radio component 430. Thus, 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 (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of radio component 430.

[0106] Figure 4 : Block diagram of a server

[0107] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of server 104 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 4 the base station shown is merely an example of a possible server. As shown, server 104 may include a processor 444 that can execute program instructions for server 104. Processor 444 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 474 or other circuits or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 444 and translate these addresses into locations in a memory (e.g., memory 464 and read-only memory (ROM) 454).

[0108] Server 104 may be configured to provide access to network functions (e.g., as further described herein) to multiple devices such as base station 102, UE device 106, and / or UTM 108.

[0109] In some embodiments, server 104 may be part of a radio access network, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) access network. In some embodiments, server 104 may be connected to a traditional evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or connected to an NR core (NRC) network.

[0110] As further described subsequently herein, server 104 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described herein. The processor 444 of server 104 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 (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 444 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 the other components 454, 464, and / or 474, the processor 444 of server 104 may be configured to implement or support the implementation of part or all of the features described herein.

[0111] Furthermore, as described herein, processor 444 may consist of one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 444. Thus, processor 444 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 444. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 444.

[0112] Figure 5A : Block diagram of a UE

[0113] Figure 5A An exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some embodiments is shown. Note that Figure 5AThe block diagram of the communication device is merely an example of a possible communication device. According to an embodiment, 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, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a UAV controller (UAC), and / or a combination of devices, and other 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.

[0114] For example, the communication device 106 can include various types of memories (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connecting to a computer system; a docking station; a charging station; input devices such as a microphone, a camera, a 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 circuits 330 such as for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc., and short-range to mid-range wireless communication circuits 329 (e.g., Bluetooth TM and WLAN circuits). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 can include a wired communication circuit (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0115] The cellular communication circuits 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 circuits 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 circuits 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 circuits 329 and / or the cellular communication circuits 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.

[0116] In some embodiments, as further described below, the cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). 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 a transmit chain shared with an additional radio component, 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.

[0117] 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 a touchscreen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other elements capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0118] 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 (Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345. Note that the term "SIM" or "SIM entity" is intended to include any of various types of SIM implementations or SIM functionality, such as one or more UICC cards 345, one or more eUICC, one or more eSIM, removable or embedded, etc. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include at least two SIMs. Each SIM may execute one or more SIM applications and / or otherwise implement SIM functionality. Thus, each SIM may be a single smart card that may be embedded, e.g., soldered onto a circuit board within the UE 106, or each SIM 310 may be implemented as a removable smart card. Thus, the SIM may be one or more removable smart cards (such as UICC cards sometimes referred to as "SIM cards"), and / or the SIM 310 may be one or more embedded cards (such as embedded UICC (eUICC) sometimes referred to as "eSIM" or "eSIM card"). In some embodiments (such as when the SIM includes an eUICC), one or more of the SIMs in the SIM may implement embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality; in such embodiments, a single SIM in the SIM may execute multiple SIM applications. Each SIM in the SIM may include components such as a processor and / or memory; instructions for performing SIM / eSIM functionality may be stored in the memory and executed by the processor. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may include a combination of removable smart cards and fixed / non-removable smart cards (such as one or more eUICC cards implementing eSIM functionality) as needed. For example, the UE 106 may include a combination of two embedded SIMs, two removable SIMs, or one embedded SIM and one removable SIM. Various other SIM configurations are also contemplated.

[0119] As described above, in some embodiments, the UE 106 may include two or more SIMs. The inclusion of two or more SIMs in the UE 106 may allow the UE 106 to support two different telephone numbers and may allow the UE 106 to communicate on two corresponding respective networks. For example, the first SIM may support a first RAT such as LTE, and the second SIM 310 may support a second RAT such as 5G NR. Of course, other implementations and RATs are possible. In some embodiments, when the UE 106 includes two SIMs, the UE 106 may support the Dual SIM Dual Active (DSDA) function. The DSDA function may allow the UE 106 to be connected to two networks simultaneously (and use two different RATs), or may allow two connections supported by two different SIMs using the same or different RATs to be maintained simultaneously on the same or different networks. The DSDA function may also allow the UE 106 to receive voice calls or data traffic simultaneously on either telephone number. In certain embodiments, the voice call may be a packet-switched communication. In other words, the voice call may be received using Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology and / or Voice over NR (VoNR) technology. In some embodiments, the UE 106 may support the Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) function. The DSDS function may allow either of the two SIMs in the UE 106 to standby waiting for a voice call and / or a data connection. In DSDS, when a call / data is established on one SIM, the other SIM is no longer active. In some embodiments, the DSDx function (DSDA or DSDS function) may be implemented using a single SIM (e.g., eUICC) that executes multiple SIM applications for different carriers and / or RATs.

[0120] 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 (which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in a memory (e.g., memory 306, Read Only Memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or coupled to other circuits or devices (such as, the display circuit 304, short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuit 329, cellular communication circuit 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.

[0121] As described above, the communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. The communication device 106 may be configured to perform a method for enhancing a channel access scheme of a system operating in an unlicensed band at a higher frequency as further described herein.

[0122] As described herein, the communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the above-described features of the communication device 106 to send a scheduling profile for power savings to a network. 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 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), the processor 302 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 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, the processor 302 of the communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0123] Furthermore, as described herein, the processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor 302. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor 302.

[0124] Further, as described herein, the cellular communication circuitry 330 and the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may each 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 to medium-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 330. Similarly, the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329. 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 to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329.

[0125] Figure 5B : Block diagram of cellular communication circuitry

[0126] Figure 5BShows an exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some embodiments. Note that Figure 5B The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely an example of a possible cellular communication circuit. According to an embodiment, 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.

[0127] The cellular communication circuit 330 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to one or more antennas, such as the antennas 335a to 335b 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 coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) 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 shown in FIG. 5, 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 (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0128] As shown, the modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicatively coupled to 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.

[0129] Similarly, the modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicatively coupled to 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.

[0130] In some embodiments, switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 534 to the uplink (UL) front end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple the transmit circuit 544 to the UL front end 572. The UL front end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Thus, when the 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 the 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).

[0131] In some embodiments, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be configured to perform methods for enhancing channel access schemes of a system for operating in a higher frequency unlicensed band as further described herein.

[0132] 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.

[0133] 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.

[0134] As described herein, modem 520 may include hardware and software components designed to implement the above-described features for transmitting a scheduling profile for power savings to the network, as well as 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 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), 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, processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0135] In addition, as described herein, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. In addition, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0136] Figure 6A and Figure 6B : 5G NR Architecture with LTE

[0137] In some embodiments, fifth generation (5G) wireless communications will initially be deployed concurrently with current wireless communication standards (e.g., LTE). For example, dual connectivity between LTE and 5G New Radio (5G NR or NR) has been specified as part of the initial deployment of NR. Thus, as Figures 6A to 6B shown, the evolved packet core (EPC) network 600 may continue to communicate with a current LTE base station (e.g., eNB 602). In addition, eNB 602 may communicate with a 5G NR base station (e.g., gNB 604) and may transfer data between the EPC network 600 and gNB 604. Thus, the EPC network 600 may be used (or reused), and gNB 604 may act as additional capacity for user equipment, e.g., for providing increased downlink throughput to a UE. In other words, LTE may be used for control plane signaling, and NR may be used for user plane signaling. Thus, LTE may be used to establish a connection to the network, and NR may be used for data services.

[0138] Figure 6BThe proposed protocol stack for the eNB 602 and the gNB 604 is shown. As shown, the eNB 602 may include a medium access control (MAC) layer 632 that interfaces with radio link control (RLC) layers 622a to 622b. The RLC layer 622a may also interface with a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer 612a, and the RLC layer 622b may interface with the PDCP layer 612b. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in LTE-Advanced Release 12, the PDCP layer 612a may interface with the EPC network 600 via a master cell group (MCG) bearer, and the PDCP layer 612b may interface with the EPC network 600 via a separate bearer.

[0139] In addition, as shown, the gNB 604 may include a MAC layer 634 that interfaces with the RLC layers 624a to 624b. The RLC layer 624a may interface with the PDCP layer 612b of the eNB 602 via an X2 interface for information exchange and / or coordination (e.g., scheduling UEs) between the eNB 602 and the gNB 604. In addition, the RLC layer 624b may interface with the PDCP layer 614. Similar to the dual connectivity specified in Advanced LTE Release 12, the PDCP layer 614 may interface with the EPC network 600 via a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer. Therefore, the eNB 602 may be considered a master node (MeNB), and the gNB 604 may be considered a secondary node (SgNB). In some cases, the UE may be required to maintain a connection with both the MeNB and the SgNB. In such a scenario, the MeNB may be used to maintain a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the EPC, while the SgNB may be used for capacity (e.g., additional downlink and / or uplink throughput).

[0140] Figure 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 : 5G core network architecture—interworking with Wi-Fi

[0141] In some embodiments, the 5G core network (CN) can be accessed via (or through) a cellular connection / interface (e.g., via a 3GPP communication architecture / protocol) and a non-cellular connection / interface (e.g., a non-3GPP access architecture / protocol such as a Wi-Fi connection). Figure 7AAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which combines 3GPP (e.g., cellular) and non-3GPP (e.g., non-cellular) access to a 5G CN. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., such as UE 106) can access the 5G CN through both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 can include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) 702 network entity. N3IWF can include a connection to the core access and mobility management function (AMF) 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 can include an instance of a 5G mobility management (5G MM) function associated with UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) can also have a connection to AMF 704. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 to register for access simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., network slice selection function (NSSF) 720, short message service function (SMSF) 722, application function (AF) 724, unified data management (UDM) 726, policy control function (PCF) 728, and / or authentication server function (AUSF) 730). Note that these functional entities can also be supported by the session management function (SMF) 706a and SMF 706b of the 5G CN. AMF 706 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 706a. Additionally, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) a user plane function (UPF) 708a, which can also communicate with SMF 706a. Similarly, N3IWF 702 can communicate with a UPF 708b, which can also communicate with SMF 706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem / IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem (IMS) core network 710.

[0142] Figure 7BAn example of a 5G network architecture according to some embodiments is shown, which incorporates dual 3GPP (e.g., LTE and 5G NR) access to the 5G CN as well as non-3GPP access. As shown, a user equipment device (e.g., UE 106) can access the 5G CN via both a radio access network (RAN, e.g., gNB or base station 604 or eNB or base station 602) and an access point such as AP 112. AP 112 can include a connection to the Internet 700 and a connection to the N3IWF 702 network entity. N3IWF can include a connection to the AMF 704 of the 5G CN. AMF 704 can include an instance of the 5G MM function associated with UE 106. Additionally, the RAN (e.g., gNB 604) can also have a connection to AMF 704. Thus, the 5G CN can support unified authentication on both connections and allow UE 106 to register for access simultaneously via gNB 604 and AP 112. Additionally, the 5G CN can support dual registration of the UE on both a traditional network (e.g., LTE via base station 602) and a 5G network (e.g., via base station 604). As shown, base station 602 can have connections to a mobility management entity (MME) 742 and a serving gateway (SGW) 744. MME742 can have connections to both SGW 744 and AMF 704. Additionally, SGW 744 can have connections to both SMF 706a and UPF708a. As shown, AMF 704 can include one or more functional entities associated with the 5G CN (e.g., NSSF 720, SMSF 722, AF 724, UDM 726, PCF 728, and / or AUSF 730). Note that UDM 726 can also include a home subscriber server (HSS) function, and PCF can also include a policy and charging rules function (PCRF). Also note that these functional entities can also be supported by SMF 706a and SMF 706b of the 5G CN. AMF 706 can be connected to (or communicate with) SMF 706a. Additionally, gNB 604 can communicate with (or be connected to) UPF 708a, which can also communicate with SMF706a. Similarly, N3IWF 702 can communicate with UPF 708b, which can also communicate with SMF 706b. Both UPFs can communicate with data networks (e.g., DN 710a and 710b) and / or the Internet 700 and the IMS core network 710.

[0143] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above network entities may be configured to perform methods for improving security checks in a 5G NR network, including, for example, mechanisms for enhancing channel access schemes for systems operating in unlicensed bands at higher frequencies as further described herein.

[0144] Figure 8 An example of a baseband processor architecture for a UE (e.g., such as UE 106) according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 8 The baseband processor architecture 800 described in can be implemented on one or more radio components (e.g., the above radio components 329 and / or 330) or modems (e.g., modems 510 and / or 520) as described above. As shown, the non-access stratum (NAS) 810 can include a 5G NAS 820 and a legacy NAS 850. The legacy NAS 850 can include a communication connection with a legacy access stratum (AS) 870. The 5G NAS 820 can include communication connections with a 5G AS 840, a non-3GPP AS 830, and a Wi-Fi AS 832. The 5G NAS 820 can include functional entities associated with both access strata. Thus, the 5G NAS 820 can include multiple 5G MM entities 826 and 828 and 5G session management (SM) entities 822 and 824. The legacy NAS 850 can include functional entities such as a short message service (SMS) entity 852, an evolved packet system (EPS) session management (ESM) entity 854, a session management (SM) entity 856, an EPS mobility management (EMM) entity 858, and a mobility management (MM) / GPRS mobility management (GMM) entity 860. In addition, the legacy AS 870 can include functional entities such as an LTE AS 872, a UMTS AS 874, and / or a GSM / GPRS 876.

[0145] Thus, the baseband processor architecture 800 allows for a common 5G-NAS for both 5G cellular and non-cellular (e.g., non-3GPP access). Note that, as shown, 5G MM can maintain separate connection management and registration management state machines for each connection. Additionally, a device (e.g., UE 106) can register to a single PLMN (e.g., 5G CN) using both 5G cellular access and non-cellular access. Furthermore, a device can be in a connected state in one access and in an idle state in another access, and vice versa. Finally, there can be common 5G-MM procedures (e.g., registration, deregistration, identification, authentication, etc.) for both accesses.

[0146] Note that in various embodiments, one or more of the above functional entities of 5G NAS and / or 5G AS may be configured to perform methods for enhancing channel access schemes for systems operating in unlicensed bands at higher frequencies, as further described herein.

[0147] Enhanced channel access scheme

[0148] In the current specific implementation, various listen-before-talk (LBT) techniques / architectures have been specified in Wi-Fi, licensed-assisted access (LAA), enhanced LAA (eLAA), and 5G NR in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U). Most of these schemes have been deployed in lower frequency bands (e.g., less than 6 GHz). However, for higher frequency bands / systems, such as systems operating above 52.6 GHz, highly directional transmissions are required to mitigate the significant path loss inherent at these higher frequencies. Additionally, in the case of highly directional transmissions, such as from a base station to a wireless device, both inter-cell interference and inter-RAT interference tend to be reduced. Therefore, LBT techniques / architectures may not be necessary for those cases, as channel access may not be an issue, at least in the initial deployment. However, as the number of neighboring devices increases (e.g., from different operators), depending on the traffic pattern and the number of wireless devices, channel access may become an issue even in the case of highly directional transmissions.

[0149] For example, simulations (such as those Figure 9 illustrated) have shown that as the offered load per link increases, the LBT process can become beneficial at higher frequency bands. As shown, when the system load is light (e.g., less than 300 megabytes per second (Mbps)), LBT can be harmful to the user-perceived throughput (UPT). In other words, at light system loads, LBT results in a lose-lose situation, where the LTB coordination overhead consumes too many resources, and thus LTB coordination is not beneficial to either the network or the user. However, when the system load increases (or is heavy) (e.g., greater than 300 Mbps), it appears that LBT coordination brings some benefits, as shown. Note that the simulations appear to be radio access technology (RAT)-agnostic; for example, the conclusions hold across multiple RATs.

[0150] The embodiments described herein provide systems, methods, and mechanisms for a transmitting device (e.g., a base station (such as base station 102), a UE (such as UE 106), and / or an access point (such as AP 112)) to perform channel access detection measurements and determine a channel access scheme based on the channel access detection measurements. In some embodiments, the channel access scheme can include a set of channel access procedures. In some embodiments, a set of channel access procedures can define physical channels and signals to utilize the corresponding channel procedures within the channel access scheme. In some embodiments, channel access detection can include energy detection and / or preamble detection. In some embodiments, a channel access detection (CAD) metric can be defined at least in part based on one or more CAD measurements. For example, the transmitting device can perform energy detection at a first periodicity (e.g., every 5 milliseconds, every 10 milliseconds, every 20 milliseconds, every 30 milliseconds, every 40 milliseconds, every 50 milliseconds, etc.) and / or frequency (e.g., 200 Hertz (Hz), 100 Hz, 50 Hz, 33 Hz, 25 Hz, 20 Hz, etc.). Additionally, the transmitting device can perform averaging of the energy detection at a second periodicity (e.g., every 25 milliseconds, every 50 milliseconds, every 100 milliseconds, every 150 milliseconds, every 200 milliseconds, every 250 milliseconds, etc.) and / or a second frequency (e.g., 40 Hz, 20 Hz, 6.7 Hz, 5 Hz, 4 Hz, etc.).

[0151] In some embodiments, the interval between CAD measurements (e.g., the first periodicity) can be configured by an operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function of the base station and / or the network. In some embodiments, the interval between CAD measurements can be defined by regulations (e.g., by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or a similar regulatory authority) and / or one or more standards (e.g., standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards organizations). In some embodiments, the interval can be related to the communication traffic characteristics of the transmitting device and / or at least in part based on the communication traffic characteristics of the transmitting device. For example, compared to a transmitting device that downloads and / or uploads at a lower data rate (e.g., such as less than 100 megabytes per second (Mbps)) within a specified time period, a transmitting device that downloads and / or uploads at a higher data rate (e.g., greater than 500 Mbps) within the specified time period can perform CAD measurements more frequently (e.g., at a lower periodicity and / or at a higher frequency). In some embodiments, the specified time period can be 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, etc., and can depend on the current data rate. For example, the specified time period at a higher data rate can be smaller (or shorter) compared to the specified time period at a lower data rate.

[0152] In some embodiments, the interval between CAD measurements and / or CAD metrics can have a forgetting factor and / or a cutoff factor. In other words, the CAD measurement / metric can be considered valid for a period of time (e.g., the cutoff factor), after which the CAD measurement / metric is no longer considered valid. In some embodiments, the forgetting factor can use digital signal processing to accumulate CAD measurements to continuously update the CAD metric. In other words, the forgetting factor can be used to "discard" one or more "old" measurements when determining the CAD metric. In some embodiments, the forgetting factor and / or the cutoff factor can be configured by the operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function of the base station and / or the network. In some embodiments, the forgetting factor and / or the cutoff factor can be defined by regulations (e.g., by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or a similar regulatory authority) and / or one or more standards (e.g., standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards bodies). In some embodiments, the forgetting factor and / or the cutoff factor can be related to the traffic characteristics of the transmitting device and / or at least partially based on the traffic characteristics of the transmitting device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the CAD metric can be compared with a threshold. In some embodiments, the threshold can be configured by the operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) function of the base station and / or the network. In some embodiments, the threshold can be defined by regulations (e.g., by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or a similar regulatory authority) and / or one or more standards (e.g., standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards bodies). In some embodiments, the threshold can be related to the traffic characteristics of the transmitting device and / or at least partially based on the traffic characteristics of the transmitting device. In some embodiments, the CAD metric and / or the threshold can be at least partially based on local regulatory requirements associated with channel access. In some embodiments, if and / or when the CAD metric is below the threshold, the transmitting device can access the channel without using the LBT scheme, e.g., at least until another CAD metric becomes available (e.g., is calculated). In some embodiments, if and / or when the CAD metric is above the threshold, the transmitting device can use the LBT scheme to access the channel, e.g., at least until another CAD metric becomes available (e.g., is calculated).

[0154] For example, Figure 10Shows an example of a process for determining a channel access scheme based on CAD metrics. As shown, a wireless device (e.g., a transmitting device such as UE 106, base station 102, and / or access point 112) can perform multiple CAD measurements 1010a to 1010d at a CAD measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, the CAD measurement opportunity can occur at, for example, the first periodicity and / or frequency as described above. After performing CAD measurements 1010a to 1010d, the wireless device can perform CAD averaging 1012 based on CAD measurements 1010a to 1010d to determine and / or calculate a CAD metric. Then, the wireless device can compare the CAD metric with a CAD threshold. As shown, in some embodiments, the CAD threshold can indicate a CAD metric power boundary, where if the CAD metric power is higher, an LBT process 1014 may be required when accessing the channel, and if the CAD metric power is lower, an LTB process 1016 may not be required when accessing the channel. In some embodiments, the channel can be in the unlicensed spectrum of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the channel can be in a higher frequency band of the spectrum, e.g., a band operating at greater than 52.6 GHz. In some embodiments, the higher frequency band can be in the unlicensed spectrum.

[0155] For another example, Figure 11Shows another example of a process for determining a channel access scheme based on CAD metrics according to some embodiments. As shown, a wireless device (e.g., a transmitting device such as UE 106, base station 102, and / or access point 112) can perform multiple CAD measurements 1110a to 1110d at a CAD measurement opportunity. In some embodiments, the CAD measurement opportunity can occur at, for example, the first periodicity and / or frequency as described above. After performing CAD measurements 1110a to 1110d, the wireless device can perform CAD averaging 1112 based on CAD measurements 1110a to 1110d to determine and / or calculate a CAD metric. Then, the wireless device can compare the CAD metric with a CAD threshold. As shown, in some embodiments, the CAD threshold can indicate a CAD metric power boundary, and if the CAD metric power is higher than this, a channel access scheme 1114 can be used when accessing the channel, and if the CAD metric power is lower than this, a channel access scheme 1116 can be used when accessing the channel. In some embodiments, channel access schemes 1114 and 1116 can be associated with a specific LBT process (e.g., category 2, 3, and / or 4) and / or with a channel access scheme that does not require an LBT process. In some embodiments, the channel can be in the unlicensed spectrum of the spectrum. In some embodiments, the channel can be in a higher frequency band of the spectrum, e.g., a band operating at greater than 52.6 GHz. In some embodiments, the higher frequency band can be in the unlicensed spectrum.

[0156] In some embodiments, more than one threshold can be used. For example, when using multiple thresholds, each threshold can define a range of CAD metrics associated with a specific access scheme (e.g., such as no LBT channel access, category 2 LBT channel access, category 3 LBT channel access, category 4 LBT channel access, etc.). In some embodiments, additional thresholds can be defined within a specific access scheme (e.g., within category 4 LBT channel access) to further define the LBT parameters for channel access.

[0157] For example, Figure 12Shows an example of determining a channel access scheme based on multiple thresholds. As shown, one or more thresholds 1202a through 1202n can mark one or more CAD metric power range boundaries corresponding to one or more channel access schemes 1204a through 1204n. Note that each channel access scheme 1204a through 1204n can include a set of channel access procedures. In some embodiments, a set of channel access procedures can define physical channels and signals to utilize the corresponding channel procedures within the channel access scheme. For example, channel access scheme 1204n can correspond to the lowest CAD metric power range and thus can include a set of channel access procedures that include accessing the channel without a listen-before-talk procedure. Alternatively, in some embodiments, channel access scheme 1204n can correspond to the lowest CAD metric power range and thus can include a set of channel access procedures that include accessing the channel using the least restrictive listen-before-talk procedure. As another example, channel access scheme 1204a can correspond to the highest CAD metric power range and thus can include a set of channel access procedures that include accessing the channel using the most restrictive listen-before-talk procedure. In some embodiments, an increasing CAD metric power range can correspond to an increasingly restrictive channel access scheme, while a decreasing CAD metric power range can correspond to an increasingly less restrictive channel access scheme. For example, in some embodiments, a listen-before-talk channel access procedure can be considered more restrictive than a non-listen-before-talk channel access procedure. As another example, among non-listen-before-talk channel access procedures, the energy detection threshold for determining whether the channel is clear can be related to restrictiveness. For example, a higher energy detection threshold can be considered less restrictive than a lower energy detection threshold. In other words, as the energy detection threshold for determining whether the channel is clear increases, the level of restrictiveness for accessing the channel decreases. As an additional example, a Category 4 listen-before-talk procedure can be considered more restrictive than a Category 2 listen-before-talk procedure. Additionally, in a Category 4 listen-before-talk procedure, the contention window size can be related to restrictiveness. For example, a contention window of longer duration can be considered more restrictive than a contention window of shorter duration. In other words, as the size of the contention window increases (e.g., as the duration of the contention window increases), the level of restrictiveness for accessing the channel increases. Note that the least restrictive channel access scheme can or can not include a listen-before-talk procedure.

[0158] In some embodiments, the CAD measurement can be an energy-based measurement, such as a measurement based on the reference signal received power (RSRP). In some embodiments, the CAD measurement can be a combination of an energy-based measurement and a reference signal-based measurement. In some embodiments, the CAD measurement can mix an energy-based measurement and a reference signal-based measurement. In some embodiments, a portion of the symbols in a frame can be measured. In some embodiments, the measurement window size can be configurable (e.g., configured by the base station and / or OAM), and can depend on the communication traffic type, device capabilities, etc.

[0159] In some embodiments, the CAD metric measurement can be performed when the base station is not transmitting. In other words, to ensure that the CAD metric is meaningful, detection can be performed during a period when the base station is not transmitting. For example, the CAD measurement can be performed during a periodic / semi-persistent channel state information (CSI) resource for interference measurement (CSI-IM) (e.g., a zero-power interference measurement resource (zero-power IMR)). In some embodiments, the measurement resource for CAD measurement can be defined as "non-skippable". For example, even if the measurement resource is indicated as "flexible" by the dynamic slot format indicator (SFI), a UE (such as UE 106) can perform the CAD measurement during this measurement resource. Therefore, if the configured periodic / semi-persistent CSI-IM happens to be during a flexible symbol according to semi-static signaling, and the UE is configured to receive the dynamic SFI, and if the symbol where the CSI-IM resides is not indicated as downlink (DL) by the dynamic SFI, the UE cannot skip this measurement resource. Such a scheme can also avoid having to indicate the measurement resource as "DL" via the dynamic SFI. In this case, the UE performing the CAD metric measurement can work correctly. However, other UEs may perform DL reception on resources where the base station is not actually transmitting.

[0160] In some embodiments, four symbol types can be supported in the radio resource control (RRC) signaling (e.g., cell-specific and / or UE-specific) for semi-static and dynamic SFI. In such embodiments, the four symbol types can include "DL", "UL", "flexible", and / or "CAD". Additionally, in some embodiments, the UE can perform the CAD measurement during a symbol indicated as a "CAD" symbol in the semi-static or dynamic SFI.

[0161] For channel access, energy detection may be required on the nominal bandwidth. In this case, to accumulate a more reliable estimate, sparse resources can be configured in the time domain, such as one OFDM symbol configured every 10 milliseconds.

[0162] In some embodiments, CAD measurements can be performed during the cyclic prefix of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. For example, the cyclic prefix of some OFDM symbols can be much larger than that of other OFDM symbols. In such a case, if the base station and / or UE do not transmit during a portion of the longer cyclic prefix, CAD measurements can be performed during that portion of the longer cyclic prefix. In some embodiments, the use of an extended cyclic prefix can be supplementary to the normal or standard cyclic prefix that uses 960 kilohertz (KHz) and / or 480 KHz.

[0163] For example, Figure 13 An example of performing CAD measurements during a long cyclic prefix according to some embodiments is shown. As shown, at least in some embodiments, the long cyclic prefix 1310 can be before the regular cyclic prefix 1312, and after the regular cyclic prefix can be a symbol 1314, which can be an OFDM symbol. After the symbol 1314 can be another regular cyclic prefix 1312 and another symbol 1316. In some embodiments, a wireless device (e.g., such as UE 106, base station 102, pico cell 102, access point 112, etc.) can perform CAD measurements during the long cyclic prefix.

[0164] In some embodiments, when a device (e.g., such as a UE, base station, pico cell, access point, etc.) is powered on (e.g., transitioning from a no-power mode to a power mode, from an inactive mode to an active mode, from a sleep / DRX off to a DRX on, etc.), the device can perform CAD measurements more frequently than normal operation, e.g., perform X times during Y microseconds. In some embodiments, normal operation can include averaging CAD measurements over a period of 50 milliseconds or 100 milliseconds (e.g., to generate a CAD metric), so the more frequent CAD measurements can offset the latency in transmission / channel activity caused by such power-on operations. In some embodiments, the more frequent CAD measurements can meet the regulatory requirements for CAD metric generation.

[0165] In some embodiments, for beam-based systems, a wireless device (e.g., such as UE 106 and / or base station 102) can use one or more CAD metrics based on one or more beams, and a transmitting device can use the one or more beams for transmission and / or reception. In some embodiments, a wireless device can use a single representative CAD metric to determine and / or identify a channel access scheme for a transmission and / or a set of transmissions. In some embodiments, a wireless device can use and / or permit different channel access schemes for each beam based on the CAD metric for each beam. In some embodiments, a wireless device can use one channel access scheme for a set of simultaneous beams used, at least in part, based on a representative CAD metric of all CAD metrics from the simultaneous beams. In some embodiments, the representative CAD metric can be the most restrictive CAD metric, the CAD metric for a configured beam, the CAD metric for a signaled beam, and / or the CAD metric from a randomly selected beam from a set of simultaneous beams.

[0166] In some embodiments, for highly directional systems in which the transmitting wireless device and the receiving wireless device are experiencing different interference curves, a CAD metric can be defined for each of the transmitter / receiver. For example, a wireless device can use one channel access scheme for any set of simultaneous beams used at two wireless devices (e.g., a transmitting wireless device and a receiving wireless device), at least in part, based on a representative CAD metric of all CAD metrics from the simultaneous beams. In some embodiments, the representative CAD metric can be the most restrictive CAD metric, a configured CAD metric, a signaled CAD metric, and / or the CAD metric from a randomly selected beam from a set of simultaneous beams. In some embodiments, the CAD metric of the receiving wireless device can be fed back to the transmitting wireless device during a receiver-assisted procedure (e.g., via a clear to send (CTS)-type signal).

[0167] In some embodiments, different channel access schemes and / or sets of channel access schemes can be utilized for different beams and / or different antenna panels. For example, Figure 14 An example of using a beam-related channel access scheme is shown in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, UE 106 can use channel access scheme 1410 for a first beam and channel access scheme 1412 for a second beam. In this way, UE 106 can select the least restrictive channel access scheme based on beam-specific CAD measurements. Note that although UE 106 is shown, any wireless device can implement such beam-specific channel access schemes.

[0168] Figure 15A block diagram illustrating an example of a method for channel access detection (CAD) measurements to determine a channel access scheme is shown. Among other devices, Figure 15 the method shown in FIG. may also be used in conjunction with any of the systems, methods, or devices shown in the figures. In various embodiments, some of the method elements shown may be executed concurrently in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be executed as needed. As shown, the method may operate as follows.

[0169] At 1502, a wireless device (e.g., such as UE 106, base station / pico cell 102, and / or access point 112) is capable of performing one or more CAD measurements on a first channel. In some embodiments, the first channel can be in a frequency range greater than 60 gigahertz. In some embodiments, the first channel can be in an unlicensed portion of the spectrum. In some embodiments, one or more CAD measurements can be performed with a first periodicity. In some embodiments, the first periodicity can be at least partially based on the communication traffic characteristics of the wireless device. In some embodiments, the first periodicity can be specified by network configuration and / or by a standard or regulation (e.g., regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or a similar regulatory authority or standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards bodies). In some embodiments, the CAD measurement can be at least one of: an energy-based measurement, a reference signal-based measurement, or a combination of an energy-based measurement and a reference signal-based measurement.

[0170] In some embodiments, the CAD measurement duration can be specified by a measurement window size. In such embodiments, the measurement window size can be configured by the network. In some embodiments, the measurement window size can be at least partially based on one or more of the communication traffic type or the wireless device capabilities. In some embodiments, the measurement window size can include a portion of the symbols in a frame.

[0171] In some embodiments, one or more CAD measurements can be performed during a base station non-transmission interval. In such embodiments, the base station non-transmission interval can be indicated by a slot format indicator (SFI). In some embodiments, the SFI can indicate CAD measurement resources via the value "flexible", where the symbols indicated as "flexible" by the SFI cannot be skipped. In some embodiments, the SFI can indicate CAD measurement resources via the value "CAD". In some embodiments, one or more CAD measurements can be performed during the long cyclic prefix of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

[0172] At 1504, a wireless device can determine a CAD metric based on one or more CAD measurements. In some embodiments, the CAD metric can be at least partially based on local regulatory requirements associated with channel access. In some embodiments, the CAD metric can be determined with a second periodicity. In some embodiments, the second periodicity can be a multiple of the first periodicity. In some embodiments, the second periodicity can be at least partially based on the communication traffic characteristics of the wireless device. In some embodiments, the second periodicity can be specified by network configuration and / or by standards or regulations (e.g., regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or similar regulatory authorities or standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards bodies). In some embodiments, the CAD metric can have an associated deadline. In some embodiments, the deadline can be specified by network configuration and / or by standards or regulations (e.g., regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or similar regulatory authorities or standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards bodies).

[0173] At 1506, the wireless device can select a first channel access scheme from multiple channel access schemes for a first channel based on the CAD metric. In some embodiments, the wireless device can compare the CAD metric with a threshold to select a first channel access scheme from multiple channel access schemes for the first channel. In some embodiments, the first channel access scheme can be at least partially based on local regulatory requirements associated with channel access. In some embodiments, the first channel access scheme can include a first set of channel access procedures. In such embodiments, the first set of channel access procedures can define physical channels and signals to utilize the corresponding channel procedures within the first channel access scheme. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is below the threshold, the first channel access scheme can include accessing the channel without using a listen-before-talk procedure. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is above the threshold, the first channel access scheme can include using a listen-before-talk procedure to access the channel. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is below the threshold, the first channel access scheme can include using a first listen-before-talk procedure to access the channel, and the first listen-before-talk procedure is less restrictive than a second listen-before-talk procedure used when the CAD metric is above the threshold. For example, in some embodiments, a listen-before-talk channel access procedure can be considered more restrictive than a non-listen-before-talk channel access procedure. As another example, among non-listen-before-talk channel access procedures, the energy detection threshold for determining whether a channel is clear can be related to restrictiveness. For example, a higher energy detection threshold can be considered less restrictive than a lower energy detection threshold. In other words, as the energy detection threshold for determining whether a channel is clear increases, the level of restrictiveness for accessing the channel decreases. As an additional example, a Category 4 listen-before-talk procedure can be considered more restrictive than a Category 2 listen-before-talk procedure. Additionally, in a Category 4 listen-before-talk procedure, the contention window size can be related to restrictiveness. For example, a contention window with a longer duration can be considered more restrictive than a contention window with a shorter duration. In other words, as the size of the contention window increases (e.g., as the duration of the contention window increases), the level of restrictiveness for accessing the channel increases.

[0174] In some embodiments, the threshold can be specified by network configuration and / or by standards or regulations (e.g., regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or similar regulatory authorities or standards promulgated by 3GPP and / or IEEE and other standards organizations). In some embodiments, the threshold can be at least partially based on local regulatory requirements associated with channel access.

[0175] In some embodiments, a threshold can include multiple thresholds. In such embodiments, the multiple thresholds can define one or more ranges. In some embodiments, at least one of the one or more ranges can include one or more sub-ranges. In such embodiments, each of the one or more sub-ranges can be associated with a set of channel access parameters of a channel access scheme associated with at least one range. In some embodiments, each of the one or more ranges can be associated with a channel access scheme and / or a set of channel access procedures. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is in a first one of the one or more ranges, a first channel access scheme and / or a first set of channel access procedures can be used to access the channel. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is in a second one of the one or more ranges, a second channel access scheme and / or a second set of channel access procedures can be used to access the channel, where the second channel access scheme can be more restrictive than the first channel access scheme. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is in a third one of the one or more ranges, a third channel access scheme and / or a third set of channel access procedures can be used to access the channel, where the third channel access scheme can be more restrictive than the second channel access scheme. In some embodiments, when the CAD metric is in a fourth one of the one or more ranges, a fourth channel access scheme and / or a fourth set of channel access procedures can be used to access the channel, where the fourth channel access scheme can be more restrictive than the third channel access scheme.

[0176] In some embodiments, a wireless device can determine activation of a radio component of the wireless device. In such embodiments, in response to activation of the radio component, the wireless device can reduce a first periodicity and / or a second periodicity to increase a frequency of one or more CAD measurements or CAD metric determinations.

[0177] In some embodiments, a wireless device can be configured to communicate using multiple beams. In such embodiments, the CAD metric can be a representative CAD metric based on CAD measurements across multiple beams. In some embodiments, the multiple beams can be a set of simultaneous beams. In some embodiments, the representative CAD metric can include at least one of the following: the most restrictive CAD metric, a CAD metric from a configured beam, a CAD metric from a signaling beam, and / or a CAD metric from a randomly selected beam among the multiple beams.

[0178] In some embodiments, a wireless device can be configured to communicate using multiple beams. In such embodiments, one or more CAD measurements can include one or more CAD measurements for each of the multiple beams. In some embodiments, a CAD metric can include a CAD metric for each of the multiple beams. In some embodiments, a first channel access scheme for a first beam of the multiple beams can be based on a first CAD metric determined for the first beam. In some embodiments, a second channel access scheme for a second beam of the multiple beams can be based on a second CAD metric determined for the second beam.

[0179] 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 authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0180] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments can be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or a computer system. Other embodiments can be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as an ASIC. Other embodiments can be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as an FPGA.

[0181] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium can be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to execute a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0182] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., UE 106) can be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device can be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0183] Any method among the methods for operating a user equipment (UE) described herein can form the basis for a corresponding method for operating a base station by interpreting each message / signal X received by the UE in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station.

[0184] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. The present disclosure is intended that the following claims be interpreted to cover all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising: At least one antenna; At least one radio component, wherein the at least one radio component is configured to perform cellular communication using at least one radio access technology RAT; And One or more processors, the one or more processors being coupled to the at least one radio component, wherein the one or more processors and the at least one radio component are configured to perform voice and / or data communication; Wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the wireless device to: Perform one or more channel access detection CAD measurements at a first periodicity on a first channel; Determine a CAD metric at a second periodicity based on the one or more CAD measurements; And Based on a comparison result of the CAD metric with a threshold, select a first channel access scheme from a plurality of channel access schemes for the first channel, wherein the threshold includes a plurality of thresholds, wherein the plurality of thresholds define one or more ranges, and wherein each of the one or more ranges is associated with a set of channel access procedures, wherein: When the CAD metric is within a first range of the one or more ranges, use a first set of channel access procedures to access the channel; When the CAD metric is within a second range of the one or more ranges, use a second set of channel access procedures to access the channel, wherein the second set of channel access procedures is more restrictive than the set of channel access procedures; When the CAD metric is within a third range of the one or more ranges, use a third set of channel access procedures to access the channel, wherein the third set of channel access procedures is more restrictive than the second set of channel access procedures; and When the CAD metric is within a fourth range of the one or more ranges, use a fourth set of channel access procedures to access the channel, wherein the fourth set of channel access procedures is more restrictive than the third set of channel access procedures.

2. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the first periodicity is at least partially based on communication traffic characteristics of the wireless device.

3. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the second periodicity is a multiple of the first periodicity.

4. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the first periodicity is configured by a network.

5. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the CAD metric has an associated deadline.

6. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the first channel access scheme includes a first set of channel access procedures.

7. The wireless device according to claim 6, Wherein the first set of channel access procedures defines a physical channel and a signal to utilize corresponding channel procedures within the first channel access scheme.

8. The wireless device according to claim 1, Wherein the first periodicity is configured by an operation, administration, and maintenance OAM function of the network.

9. A device for communication, comprising: A memory; And A processor, the processor communicating with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: Perform one or more channel access detection CAD measurements on a first channel with a first periodicity; Determine a CAD metric with a second periodicity based on the one or more CAD measurements; And Based on a comparison result between the CAD metric and a threshold, select a first set of channel access procedures among a plurality of channel access procedures for the first channel, where the threshold includes a plurality of thresholds, where the plurality of thresholds define one or more ranges, and where each range in the one or more ranges is associated with a set of channel access procedures, where at least one range in the one or more ranges includes one or more sub-ranges, and where each sub-range in the one or more sub-ranges is associated with a subset of channel access parameters of a set of channel parameters associated with the at least one range.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the CAD measurement is at least one of the following: an energy-based measurement, a reference signal-based measurement, or a combination of an energy-based measurement and a reference signal-based measurement.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the CAD measurement duration is specified by a measurement window size, where the measurement window size can be configured by a network, where the measurement window size is at least partially based on one or more of a communication traffic type or a wireless device capability, and where the measurement window size includes a portion of symbols in a frame.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the one or more CAD measurements are performed during a base station non-transmission interval, where the base station non-transmission interval is indicated by a slot format indicator SFI.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, where the SFI indicates CAD measurement resources via the value "flexible", and where the symbols indicated as "flexible" by the SFI cannot be skipped.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, where the SFI indicates CAD measurement resources via the value "CAD".

15. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium storing program instructions, the program instructions being executable by a processing circuit to cause a wireless device to: Perform one or more channel access detection CAD measurements on a first channel with a first periodicity, where the one or more CAD measurements are performed during a base station non-transmission interval, where the base station non-transmission interval is indicated by a slot format indicator SFI, where the SFI indicates CAD measurement resources via the value "flexible", and where the symbols indicated as "flexible" by the SFI cannot be skipped, and where the SFI indicates CAD measurement resources via the value "CAD"; Determine a CAD metric with a second periodicity based on the one or more CAD measurements; and Based on the comparison result of the CAD metric and the threshold, select a first channel access scheme from multiple channel access schemes for the first channel, wherein when the CAD metric is below the threshold, the first channel access scheme includes using a first listen-before-talk process to access the channel, and the first listen-before-talk process is less restrictive than a second listen-before-talk process used when the CAD metric is above the threshold.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the one or more CAD measurements are performed during a long cyclic prefix of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the wireless device to: determine an activation of a radio component of the wireless device; and in response to the activation of the radio component, reduce the first periodicity or the second periodicity to increase the frequency of the one or more CAD measurements or the determination of the CAD metric.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the wireless device is configured to communicate using multiple beams, and wherein the CAD metric is a representative CAD metric based on CAD measurements across the multiple beams.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 18, wherein the multiple beams are a set of simultaneous beams.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 18, wherein the representative CAD metric includes at least one of the following: the most restrictive CAD metric, the CAD metric from a configured beam, the CAD metric from a signaling beam, or the CAD metric from a randomly selected beam from the multiple beams.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the wireless device is configured to communicate using multiple beams, wherein the one or more CAD measurements include one or more CAD measurements for each of the multiple beams, and wherein the CAD metric includes the CAD metric for each of the multiple beams.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 21, wherein the first channel access scheme for a first beam of the multiple beams is based on a first CAD metric determined for the first beam, and wherein a second channel access scheme for a second beam of the multiple beams is based on a second CAD metric determined for the second beam.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the wireless device includes at least one of the following: a user equipment device, a base station, an access point, or a pico cell.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, wherein the first channel is in a frequency range greater than 60 gigahertz.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable memory medium according to claim 15, Wherein the first channel is in an unlicensed portion of the spectrum range.

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