A sub-network frequency band selection procedure

Abstract

An apparatus configured to: determine a sub-network configuration; transmit, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receive, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network. An apparatus configured to: receive, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; compare the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub- network; store the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmit, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

Description

A SUB-NETWORK FREQUENCY BAND SELECTION PROCEDURETECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The example and non-limiting embodiments relate generally to resource allocation and, more particularly, to frequency band resources used for sub-network operation.BACKGROUND

[0002] It is known, for the Uu interface, to use frequency resources of FR1 and FR2.SUMMARY

[0003] The following summary is merely intended to be illustrative. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims .

[0004] In accordance with one aspect, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine a sub-network configuration; transmit, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receive, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0005] In accordance with one aspect, a method comprising: determining, with a user equipment, a sub-network configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the userequipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0006] In accordance with one aspect, an apparatus comprising means for: determining a sub-network configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined subnetwork configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0007] In accordance with one aspect, a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a subnetwork operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the subnetwork; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0008] In accordance with one aspect, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; compare the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value;generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; store the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and transmit, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0009] In accordance with one aspect, a method comprising: receiving, with a base station from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0010] In accordance with one aspect, an apparatus comprising means for: receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect, a non-transitory computer- readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: causing receiving, from a userequipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the subnetwork; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the subnetwork comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0012] According to some aspects, there is provided the subject matter of the independent claims. Some further aspects are defined in the dependent claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The foregoing aspects and other features are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one possible and nonlimiting example system in which the example embodiments may be practiced;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating features as described herein;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating features as described herein;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating features as described herein;

[0018] FIG. 5a flowchart illustrating steps as described herein;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating steps as described herein;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating steps as described herein;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating steps as described herein; and

[0022] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating steps as described herein .DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The following abbreviations that may be found in the specification and / or the drawing figures are defined as follows:3 GPP third generation partnership project5G fifth generation5GC 5G core network6G 6thgenerationA-IoT ambient Internet of ThingsAMF access and mobility management functionAP access pointBWP bandwidth partCP control planeCRAN cloud radio access networkCU central unitD2D device-to-deviceDL downlinkDU distributed unit eNB (or eNodeB) evolved Node B (e.g., an LTE base station)EN-DC E-UTRA-NR dual connectivity en-gNB or En-gNB node providing NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, and acting as secondary node in EN- DCE-UTRA evolved universal terrestrial radio access, i.e., the LTE radio access technologyFDD frequency division duplex gNB (or gNodeB) base station for 5G / NR, i.e., a node providing NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, and connected via the NG interface to the 5GCHW hardwareI / F interface loT Internet of ThingsLI layer 1LTE long term evolutionMAC medium access controlMME mobility management entityNB NodeB (i.e. base station) ng or NG new generation ng-eNB or NG-eNB new generation eNBNR new radioN / W or NW networkO-RAN open radio access networkPDCP packet data convergence protocolPHY physical layerProSe proximity serviceQoS quality of serviceRAN radio access networkRAT radio access technologyRB resource blockRedCap reduced capabilityRF radio frequencyRFC radio link controlRRC radio resource controlRRH remote radio headRS reference signalRSSI received signal strength indicatorRSRP reference signal received powerRU radio unitRx receiverSDAP service data adaptation protocolSGW serving gatewaySIB system information blockSINR signal to interference plus noise ratioSL sidelinkSMF session management functionTA tracking areaTDD time division duplexTx transmitterUE user equipment (e.g., a wireless, typically mobile device)UL uplinkUP user planeUPF user plane functionUu user plane air interfaceV2I vehicle to infrastructureV2N vehicle to networkV2P vehicle to pedestrianV2V vehicle to vehicleV2X vehicle to everythingVNR virtualized network functionWAN wide area network

[0024] Turning to FIG. 1, this figure shows a block diagram of one possible and non-limiting example in which the examples may be practiced. A user equipment (UE) 110, radio access network (RAN) node 170, and network element (s) 190 are illustrated. In the example of FIG. 1, the user equipment (UE) 110 is in wireless communication with a wireless network 100. A UE is a wireless device that can access the wireless network 100. The UE 110 includes one or more processors 120, one or more memories 125, and one or more transceivers 130 interconnected through one or more buses 127. Each of the one or more transceivers 130 includes a receiver, Rx, 132 and a transmitter, Tx, 133. The one or more buses 127 may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics or other optical communication equipment, and the like. A "circuit" may include dedicated hardware or hardware in association with software executable thereon. The one or more transceivers 130 are connected to one or more antennas 128. The one or more memories 125 include computer program code 123. The UE 110 includes a module 140, comprising one of or both parts 140-1 and / or 140-2, which may be implemented in a number of ways. The module 140 may be implemented in hardware as module 140-1, such as being implemented as part of the one or more processors 120. The module 140-1 may be implemented also as an integrated circuit or through other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the module140 may be implemented as module 140-2, which is implemented as computer program code 123 and is executed by the one or more processors 120. For instance, the one or more memories 125 and the computer program code 123 may be configured to, with the one or more processors 120, cause the user equipment 110 to perform one or more of the operations as described herein. The UE 110 may communicate with one or more other UE via link(s) 145. The other UE may be short range devices, sub-network devices, etc. The other UE may be similar to UE 110, and / or may comprise a subset of the modules / functions of UE 110. In such a scenario, the UE 110 may act as an access point for a sub-network. Link 145 may be, for example, a 3GPP specified short range connection, a 3GPP sidelink connection, IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) , a BLUETOOTH (R) connection, an online connection, or other short range link / connection . The UE 110 communicates with RAN node 170 via a wireless link 111.

[0025] The RAN node 170 in this example is a base station that provides access by wireless devices such as the UE 110 to the wireless network 100. The RAN node 170 may be, for example, a base station for 5G, also called New Radio (NR) . In 5G, the RAN node 170 may be a NG-RAN node, which is defined as either a gNB or a ng-eNB. A gNB is a node providing NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, and connected via the NG interface to a 5GC (such as, for example, the network element (s) 190) . The ng-eNB is a node providing E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, and connected via the NG interface to the 5GC. The NG-RAN node may include multiple gNBs, which may also include a central unit (CU) (gNB-CU) 196 and distributed unit(s) (DUs) (gNB-DUs) , of which DU 195 is shown. Note that the DU may include or be coupled to and control a radio unit (RU) . The gNB-CU is a logical node hosting RRC, SDAP andPDCP protocols of the gNB or RRC and PDCP protocols of the en-gNB that controls the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU terminates the Fl interface connected with the gNB-DU. The Fl interface is illustrated as reference 198, although reference 198 also illustrates a link between remote elements of the RAN node 170 and centralized elements of the RAN node 170, such as between the gNB-CU 196 and the gNB-DU 195. The gNB-DU is a logical node hosting RLC, MAC and PHY layers of the gNB or en-gNB, and its operation is partly controlled by gNB-CU. One gNB-CU supports one or multiple cells. One cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. The gNB-DU terminates the Fl interface 198 connected with the gNB-CU. Note that the DU 195 is considered to include the transceiver 160, e.g. , as part of a RU, but some examples of this may have the transceiver 160 as part of a separate RU, e.g. , under control of and connected to the DU 195. The RAN node 170 may also be an eNB (evolved NodeB) base station, for LTE (long term evolution) , or any other suitable base station, access point, access node, or node .

[0026] The RAN node 170 includes one or more processors 152, one or more memories 155, one or more network interfaces (N / W I / F(s) ) 161, and one or more transceivers 160 interconnected through one or more buses 157. Each of the one or more transceivers 160 includes a receiver, Rx, 162 and a transmitter, Tx, 163. The one or more transceivers 160 are connected to one or more antennas 158. The one or more memories 155 include computer program code 153. The CU 196 may include the processor (s) 152, memories 155, and network interfaces 161. Note that the DU 195 may also contain its own memory / memories and processor ( s ) , and / or other hardware, but these are not shown.

[0027] The RAN node 170 includes a module 150, comprising one of or both parts 150-1 and / or 150-2, which may be implemented in a number of ways. The module 150 may be implemented in hardware as module 150-1, such as being implemented as part of the one or more processors 152. The module 150-1 may be implemented also as an integrated circuit or through other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the module 150 may be implemented as module 150-2, which is implemented as computer program code 153 and is executed by the one or more processors 152. For instance, the one or more memories 155 and the computer program code 153 are configured to, with the one or more processors 152, cause the RAN node 170 to perform one or more of the operations as described herein. Note that the functionality of the module 150 may be distributed, such as being distributed between the DU 195 and the CU 196, or be implemented solely in the DU 195.

[0028] The one or more network interfaces 161 communicate over a network such as via the links 176 and 131. Two or more gNBs 170 may communicate using, e.g. , link 176. The link 176 may be wired or wireless or both and may implement, for example, an Xn interface for 5G, an X2 interface for LTE, or other suitable interface for other standards.

[0029] The one or more buses 157 may be address, data, or control buses, and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optics or other optical communication equipment, wireless channels, and the like. For example, the one or more transceivers 160 may be implemented as a remote radio head (RRH) 195 for LTE or a distributed unit (DU) 195 for gNB implementation for 5G, with the other elements of the RAN node 170 possibly being physicallyin a different location from the RRH / DU, and the one or more buses 157 could be implemented in part as, for example, fiber optic cable or other suitable network connection to connect the other elements (e.g. , a central unit (CU) , gNB-CU) of the RAN node 170 to the RRH / DU 195. Reference 198 also indicates those suitable network link (s) .

[0030] It is noted that description herein indicates that "cells" perform functions, but it should be clear that equipment which forms the cell will perform the functions. The cell makes up part of a base station. That is, there can be multiple cells per base station. For example, there could be three cells for a single carrier frequency and associated bandwidth, each cell covering one-third of a 360 degree area so that the single base station's coverage area covers an approximate oval or circle. Furthermore, each cell can correspond to a single carrier and a base station may use multiple carriers. So if there are three 120 degree cells per carrier and two carriers, then the base station has a total of 6 cells .

[0031] The wireless network 100 may include a network element or elements 190 that may include core network functionality, and which provides connectivity via a link or links 181 with a further network, such as a telephone network and / or a data communications network (e.g. , the Internet) . Such core network functionality for 5G may include access and mobility management function (s) (AMF(s) ) and / or user plane functions (UPF(s) ) and / or session management function(s) (SMF(s) ) . Such core network functionality for LTE may include MME (Mobility Management Entity) / SGW (Serving Gateway) functionality. These are merely illustrative functions that may be supported by the network element (s) 190, and note that both 5Gand LTE functions might be supported. The RAN node 170 is coupled via a link 131 to a network element 190. The link 131 may be implemented as, e.g. , an NG interface for 5G, or an SI interface for LTE, or other suitable interface for other standards. The network element 190 includes one or more processors 175, one or more memories 171, and one or more network interfaces (N / W I / F(s) ) 180, interconnected through one or more buses 185. The one or more memories 171 include computer program code 173. The one or more memories 171 and the computer program code 173 are configured to, with the one or more processors 175, cause the network element 190 to perform one or more operations.

[0032] The wireless network 100 may implement network virtualization, which is the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functionality into a single, software-based administrative entity, a virtual network. Network virtualization involves platform virtualization, often combined with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is categorized as either external, combining many networks, or parts of networks, into a virtual unit, or internal, providing networklike functionality to software containers on a single system. For example, a network may be deployed in a tele cloud, with virtualized network functions (VNF) running on, for example, data center servers. For example, network core functions and / or radio access network(s) (e.g. CloudRAN, O-RAN, edge cloud) may be virtualized. Note that the virtualized entities that result from the network virtualization are still implemented, at some level, using hardware such as processors 152 or 175 and memories 155 and 171, and also such virtualized entities create technical effects.

[0033] It may also be noted that operations of example embodiments of the present disclosure may be carried out by a plurality of cooperating devices (e.g. cRAN) .

[0034] The computer readable memories 125, 155, and 171 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. The computer readable memories 125, 155, and 171 may be means for performing storage functions. The processors 120, 152, and 175 may be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and may include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs) and processors based on a multicore processor architecture, as non-limiting examples. The processors 120, 152, and 175 may be means for performing functions, such as controlling the UE 110, RAN node 170, and other functions as described herein.

[0035] In general, the various example embodiments of the user equipment 110 can include, but are not limited to, cellular telephones such as smart phones, tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs) having wireless communication capabilities, portable computers having wireless communication capabilities, image capture devices such as digital cameras having wireless communication capabilities, gaming devices having wireless communication capabilities, music storage and playback appliances having wireless communication capabilities, Internet appliances permitting wireless Internet access and browsing, tablets withwireless communication capabilities, as well as portable units or terminals that incorporate combinations of such functions.

[0036] Having thus introduced one suitable but non-limiting technical context for the practice of the example embodiments of the present disclosure, example embodiments will now be described with greater specificity.

[0037] Features as described herein may generally relate to subnetworks that enable short range devices to communicate within each other and / or with a direct or indirect online connection. Short range sub-network is a promising component to meet the extreme performance requirements in terms of latency, reliability, and / or throughput envisioned for certain 6G short-range scenarios. Short range sub-networks are generally installed in / on / around specific entities, for example in-vehicle, in-body, in-house, etc. , to provide life-critical data service (s) with extreme performances over the local capillary coverage. The sub-network may be managed by a UE, which may be referred to as an access point or gateway or management entity. The sub-networks may have the following pivotal properties and / or technical features:

[0038] - Support of extreme performance requirements in terms of latency, reliability and / or throughputs;

[0039] - Low transmit power, which may imply limited coverage range (e.g. in the order of few meters) ;

[0040] - Star or tree topology with one sub-network access point(AP) and one or more sub-network UEs under AP's control;

[0041] - Overall mobility of AP and associated UEs, but limited mobility across different sub-networks; and / or

[0042] - Pa rt of 6G network, and must continue to work also when out of network coverage.

[0043] The system design for sub-network may take the above technical features into account. Sub-networks may be seen as a potential evolution of 5G sidelink (SL) . SL devices may be used to provide communication between a vehicle and a network, inf restructure ( s ) , other vehicle (s) , or other road user (s) in the surrounding / immediate area. Such communication may enable proximity service (ProSe) , or transmission of information about the surrounding environment, between devices in close proximity, for example device-to-device (D2D) communication technology. Such direct communication may be available even when network coverage is unavailable.

[0044] SL use cases may relate to traffic users, public safety scenarios, commercial scenarios, etc. SL use cases may relate to Internet of Things (loT) and automotive industries (e.g. , for reduction of accident risk and safer driving experiences) . These use cases may include a message exchange among vehicles (V2V) , vehicles and pedestrians (V2P) , vehicles and infrastructure (V2I) and vehicles and networks (V2N) , and may be referred to as vehicle- to-everything (V2X) . The allocation of V2V resources in cellular, i.e. , time and frequency resources, can be either controlled by the cellular network structure or performed autonomously by the individual vehicles (e.g. UE devices thereof) . Sidelink may use same or different carrier frequencies or frequency bands than cellular communication.

[0045] Enhancements may be needed for SL, for example:

[0046] - from the air interface, for example to allow an out-of- coverage subnetwork AP to sense the channel, get resources, and schedule those resources to the sub-network devices (somehow beyond what 5G Sidelink Mode 2 allows) ; and / or

[0047] - to architectural enablers, for example for improved authentication or policy enforcement policies in such scenarios.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 2, illustrated are several examples of typical sub-network use cases. Use case (a) depicts an in- robot / in-production module sub-network, including for example an AP, sensors, various machines, devices, modules, etc. Use case (b) depicts an in-vehicle sub-network, including for example an AP, sensors related to the trunk, ignition, safety, engine, suspension, etc. Use case (c) depicts an in-body sub-network, including for example an AP, a pacemaker, a head-mounted display, haptic sensors / actuator s , etc. The AP may be, for example, a smartphone belonging to the person on / within which the sub-network is performing. Use case (d) depicts an in-house sub-network, including for example an AP, head-mounted displays, etc.

[0049] In particular, the use cases of in-robot / in-production module subnetworks (a) and in-vehicle subnetworks (b) may have extreme performance requirements in both reliability (up to 6 nines or more) and latency (down to the level of lOOus or even below) , for example for the high demanding periodic deterministic communication services which may be the most challenging scenarios in 6G system.

[0050] An AP may be a user equipment acting as an AP, a smartphone, an loT device, an a-IoT device, a module or device that is part of a larger device, etc.

[0051] In the example of FIG. 2, the example sub-networks may include SL devices, loT devices, a-IoT devices, RedCap devices, etc. Such devices may not be directly served by the network, but rather may be served by a device acting as an access point.

[0052] In the present disclosure, the terms "sub-network", "subnetwork", and "cluster of localized devices" may be used interchangeably; any use of one of these terms may be substituted with the other terms.

[0053] Referring now to FIG. 3, illustrated is an example of architectural aspects for sub-networks where the sub-network AP (310) , on the one hand, may serve and manage the sub-network devices (320) in the capillary sub-network coverage (330) , while on the other hand it may be connected to the base station (BS) of the 6G wide area network (WAN) (340) , which may to a certain extent control and coordinate different sub-networks.

[0054] In the present disclosure, the term in-X sub-network ( s ) is used to describe a sub-network ( s ) which is operated within a specific entity "X".

[0055] Features as described herein may generally relate to Internet of Things (loT) devices, procedures, and / or use cases. Regarding loT applications, 3GPP has specified NB-IoT / eMTC and NR RedCap before R18 to satisfy the requirements on low cost and low power devices for wide area loT communication. These loT devices usually consume tens or hundreds of milliwatts power during transceiving (i.e. transmitting and / or receiving) , while the cost is a few dollars. However, to achieve the internet of everything, loT devices with ten or even a hundred times lower cost and powerconsumption are needed, especially for a large number of applications requiring battery-less devices.

[0056] Ambient loT devices may be described as low power devices, low cost devices, and / or as devices with limited functionality / processing capability. An example of an ambient loT (A-IoT) device is a passive radio, which may harness energy from wireless signals sent on specific carriers and / or bandwidths and charge a simple circuitry that, once activated, may emit / reflect a signal, which may encode at least the ID of the passive radio. Other examples of A-IoT devices include semi-passive devices, battery-less devices, and low cost simplified mobile devices. A- loT devices may be used, for example, for indoor / outdoor positioning .

[0057] It may be noted that the segment of short range loT devices is the segment that is expected to grow fastest in the next decade or so. For example, mobile phones and short range loT devices (defined as devices connected by ZigBee, Wi-Fi etc. ) number around the level of 8 billion and 10 billion in 2022, respectively, and in 2028 that number is expected to increase to around 9 billion and 28 billion for mobile phones and short range loT devices, respectively .

[0058] Use of at least a subset of such devices to implement 6G sub-networks requires standardization of the technology; standardization should be performed by 3GPP to comply with the licensing business, at least for the following reasons:

[0059] 6G sub-network devices must be private, trusted and authenticated, which requires an authorization body, such that only devices which are authorized to be a part of a 6G sub-networkcan operate in the smartphone. This requires an authorization body and globally reachable authorization entity.

[0060] - 6G sub-networks must be able to always work, no matter location and density of other sub-networks. This can only be achieved if: a global standard and globally available spectrum is available; a sophisticated control interface is available that allows sub-networks to coordinate access to the wireless spectrum; and / or licensed spectrum is available (either used by 3GPP or licensed-exempt spectrum which are reserved for use by specific services, e.g. , personal networks) .

[0061] - 6G sub-networks need wide-area access to the internet, which means that a 6G UE will likely be involved in a 6G subnetwork. Here lies an opportunity to integrate a 6G UE and a 6G sub-network access point to share common hardware to keep costs down, device efficiency up, and increase penetration of subnetworks .

[0062] While standardization of sub-networks may be done with IEEE technologies, this may be insufficient.

[0063] It may be noted that to avoid competing technologies in the same 6G smartphone, 3GPP standardization may be required. In other words, the 6G smartphone may be designed to be able to seamlessly operate its Uu interface (e.g. between the smartphone and the base station or gNB) while also operating the 6G subnetwork (e.g. between the smartphone and devices included in the sub-network, such as short range devices) . The smartphone, by design, may avoid in-device coexistence issues that naturally arise between two separate radio access technologies (RATs) being supported by the same device. Two separate RATs being supportedby the same device may result in unpredictable and unbounded performance bounds; it may not be possible to give performance guarantees for both the 3GPP network and the sub-network.

[0064] It may be noted that there may be no single entity that can validate the integrity of the sub-network devices and APs capabilities if 3GPP standardization is not required. Instead, validation may be done within company-specific ecosystems or subnetworks. This may mean that security of devices may be left for the particular ecosystems, and in turn this may mean that the options for the consumer may be drastically limited. Apart from security, one may also imagine that this integrity validation entity may keep track of authenticated devices, and hence the subnetwork user may avoid concerns about device integrity and (re-) pairing devices.

[0065] It may be noted that a lack of an inter sub-network coordination interface (and centralized management entity) may occur if 3GPP standardization is not required. A centralized entity has been proven to be the most efficient solution to achieve high performance in a densely deployed scenario, whereas the performance of sub-networks in a distributed deployment may be significantly harmed without an inter sub-network interface where it is fully standardized how each sub-network AP behaves. Existing Wi-Fi solutions, where coexistence between Wi-Fi networks is left for the listen-before- talk procedure, and inter Wi-Fi APs coordinate using proprietary solutions (non-standardized) (e.g. in mesh networks) , may be considered.

[0066] Referring now to FIG. 4, it is assumed that sub-networks will become a 3GPP technology. Currently it is completely openwhich spectrum the sub-networks may be used. Sub-networks may use both licensed and unlicensed spectrum, and may use FR1, FR2 and the new midband (sometimes also called FR3 or FR1.2 ) . FIG. 4 illustrates an example of candidate spectrum for 6G as a function of distance. Assuming that a Uu interface (i.e. the radio interface between serving network base station and UE) requires typically ranges above 30m, and sub-networks typically require a range below 30m, there may still be the entire FR1 and FR3, and partly FR2, where the Uu (410) and sub-networks (420) may have the same potential spectrum.

[0067] It remains a challenge to identify which frequency bands may be suitable for 6G sub-networks. One option is for subnetworks to take (e.g. be allocated / assigned) a part of the frequency bands for dedicated use, but that might not be a viable solution for global deployment, as it also means that the frequency bands cannot be used by operators. An alternative is to deploy 6G sub-networks on the same frequency bands as used for the Uu interface, but then it remains an open question how to allow the two RATs to coexist without disturbing each other.

[0068] Features as described herein may generally relate to the availability of spectrum for sub-networks. Dedicated spectrum paves the way for high performance (as all RATs can behave identically) , but it is also the hardest spectrum allocation method to achieve in practice, as it is expensive and involves ever- increasing complexity at the devices and networks to support (e.g. when the new band is to be supported, along with all other existing bands and combinations thereof) .

[0069] One option for spectrum allocation to 6G sub-networks is provision of dedicated licensed spectrum (or licensed exempt spectrum) . Another option is a licensed spectrum that is not designated for sub-networks, but possibly also useable for a 3GPP Uu interface. Here, a challenge arises on how an operator with a license for spectrum benefits from allowing a UE to utilize spectrum that the network may have otherwise used to serve more UEs, or higher data rates for served UEs. It is noted that unlicensed band operation is an option, but given that one of the key selling points of sub-networks is that it will have to always work in terms of quality of service (QoS) under all deployment scenarios, this is not a viable single solution.

[0070] There are, however, licensed spectrum and frequency bands that is not being occupied in all areas and deployments where it may not cause a problem (e.g. interference to the sub-network or to the Uu interface) if a sub-network operated in the band as well. Such selection of a frequency band, however, may need to take into account what options the UE has in terms of available hardware (e.g. transceiver paths) .

[0071] Another aspect to be considered is the option where the user / consumer has emergency or mission-critical needs that must be supported. In such a case, a shared carrier with Uu may be the most reliable option, but it may then be open how such procedure would work, and how the sub-network would operate while remaining in compliance with the operator requirements.

[0072] In an example embodiment, a frequency band selection solution may include both the UE and the network such that they, together , may find a frequency band that is supported by the UE(and the sub-network devices) and that does not disturb (if not accounted for) the wide-area network operation.

[0073] In an example embodiment, a UE may negotiate, with the network, a frequency band to be used for sub-network operation. In an example embodiment, a 6G smartphone (or UE ) may register itself as a 6G sub-network AP, and may request radio resources to be used for 6G sub-network operation. A technical effect of example embodiments of the present disclosure may be to support both the case of a high priority sub-network operation (for example when the UE is associated to a subscription for high priority subnetwork operation) , where the network must ensure radio resources for sub-network operation, and to support a lower priority subnetwork operation, where the network may assist, but may not necessarily make sure, that radio resources are available for 6G sub-network operation for the 6G UE requesting to operate as a 6G sub-network AP . In an example embodiment, both licensed and unlicensed frequency bands may be considered for use by 6G subnetworks .

[0074] Ref erring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a flowchart of an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] At 505, the UE (here, AP) may register and establish a connection with the network (here, NB) . This may include a subnetwork configuration if the UE is configured as a sub-network AP, and / or if the UE intends to become a sub-network AP . The configuration may consist of information about the services, requirements, and / or supported frequency bands for the AP, and / or the sub-network devices registered into the sub-network. Examples of requirements for the sub-network may include ultra reliable lowlatency (URLLC) requirement ( s ) , data service (e.g. throughput) requirement ( s ) , security (e.g. implicit in the 3GPP security protocols) requirement ( s ) , signal quality requirement ( s ) , maximum interference signal power requirement ( s ) , etc. The configuration may consist of a list of sub-network devices to be supported in the 6G sub-network and their supported frequency bands. The configuration may also consist of a 6G sub-network priority associated to a 6G sub-network subscription. The network may be configured to control and / or coordinate multiple different subnetworks .

[0076] At 510, the UE may transmit a request, to the network, to operate a 6G sub-network. This request may optionally include a priority of the sub-network. This request may optionally include a set of frequency bands that the UE has determined may be used for the 6G sub-network, and may be supported by all sub-network devices. This may be particularly useful if the set of bands for each sub-network device is not known by the network already (i.e. it is not provided as a part of the sub-network configuration, or new devices have been added to the sub-network) .

[0077] The request for a frequency band to operate a sub-network may be associated with a high priority, or a low / lower priority. A high priority may be a priority above or equal to a threshold value, while a low priority may be a priority below the threshold value. While in the examples discussed in the present disclosure two priority categories are considered, any number of priority categories may be used, for example three or four. The priority may be associated with the sub-network, a service performed with the sub-network, the UE / AP, etc.

[0078] At 515, the case of a high priority request is discussed. If the sub-network is of high priority (case 1) , at 520 the network may be required to immediately identify radio resources for the sub-network such that it may start operating. The network may use the information available from the sub-network configuration and / or the sub-network request when deciding which radio resources to assign to the sub-network. For example, the network may consider what resources are available, a load on frequency resources, a pattern over time of use of frequency bands, what other services are available, what frequency bands may be used without causing interference with the Uu interface, etc. The network may then transmit, to the UE, a sub-network operation grant including a sub-network resource grant. This grant may include the frequency band(s) that the AP is allowed to use, the transmission parameters (e.g. max Tx power, channel bandwidth, resource block (RB) allocation, etc. ) , and possibly also time and frequency radio resource usage restrictions. In an example embodiment, this may be a bandwidth part (BWP) configuration for 6G sub-networks within a licensed frequency band (e.g. a frequency (FDD) division duplex arrangement) .

[0079] In an example embodiment, in response to the UE request, the network may only consider licensed frequency bands. Alternatively, the network may also consider unlicensed frequency bands .

[0080] While not illustrated in FIG. 5, it is possible for a frequency band selection procedure to be performed in the case of a high priority request (see, e.g. , 540) . However, such a frequency band selection procedure may be performed only for the licensed spectrum, and not the unlicensed spectrum.

[0081] It may be noted that high priority may be a priority associated to the services and / or the sub-network, and may, for example, be used by a sub-network that supports life-critical pacemaker operation that needs to be served. This may be captured in the user's subscription with an operator.

[0082] The case of a high priority request may be referred to as case 1, as the AP may lead sub-network frequency band assignment, as the network decision may rely on the information provided by the AP .

[0083] At 525, the case of a lower priority request (i.e. not a high priority request) is discussed. If the priority of the subnetwork is not sufficiently high to be treated as high priority, at 530 a procedure (case 2) may be initiated to select a frequency band for the sub-network operation.

[0084] It may be noted that, while the example of FIG. 5 describes a high priority request and a low / lower priority request, this is not limiting; any number of priority levels and / or thresholds may be used, and different behavior may be associated with each different priority level.

[0085] At 535, the network may generate (or may be configured with) an initial list of candidate frequency band options for 6G sub-networks. In an example embodiment, this may be one or more frequency bands associated with a time division duplex (TDD) pattern / arrangement and / or a frequency division duplex (FDD) pattern / arrangement . In another example embodiment, this may include considering the frequency band options provided to other 6G sub-networks, which may have a technical effect of enablingmanagement of interference, and / or reuse of frequency band options .

[0086] In an example embodiment, the network may not be able to provide an initial list of candidate frequency bands, for example if there are no frequency bands available for the UE, none of the available frequency bands meet one or more requirements for user in a sub-network, etc. In such a case, the network may provide the UE with no list (e.g. an indication that no list is to be provided) , or may provide the UE with an empty list. However, as noted below, the UE may add unlicensed frequency bands to the list; accordingly, it is possible for further negotiation to occur between the UE and the network even if the initial list of candidate frequency bands includes no frequency bands.

[0087] In an example embodiment, the initial list of candidate frequency bands may only include a single frequency band. However, as noted below, the UE may add unlicensed frequency bands to the list; accordingly, it is possible for further negotiation to occur between the UE and the network even if the initial list of candidate frequency bands includes only one frequency band.

[0088] It may be noted that the case of a lower priority request involves both the network and the AP, and therefore it may be referred to as network assisted.

[0089] At 540, an example of sub-network frequency band selection is illustrated. At 545, the UE may initiate a procedure to identify the best suited (e.g. optimal) frequency band for its 6G sub-network operation. For example, the UE may rank or sort the frequency bands according to one or more metrics, and select apredetermined number or ratio of the most highly ranked frequency bands in the ranked list.

[0090] In an example embodiment, the UE may choose / select / identif y / determine frequency bands that meet a metric, are better than a threshold value, cause interference below a threshold value, etc.

[0091] In an example embodiment, frequency bands may be identi fied / de termined based on power measurements on the frequency band options .

[0092] In an example embodiment, a frequency band for sub-network operation may additionally be determined based on the UE hardware (HW) capabilities.

[0093] In an example embodiment, a frequency band for sub-network operation may additionally be determined based on evaluation of the possibility to serve the sub-network services on the frequency band option, for example considering expected signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) and / or latency, etc.

[0094] In an example embodiment, the UE may identify frequency bands for use in the sub-network based on one or more tradeoffs. For example, the UE may be able to tolerate a frequency band that offers high latency, but not a frequency band that offers low throughput, or vice versa.

[0095] In an alternative example embodiment, steps 635, 645, and 650 may be omitted. In other words, the network may be in charge of identifying the best frequency band options.

[0096] At 550, the UE may report back, to the network, a list of the best suited frequency band(s) for its 6G sub-network operation.

[0097] At 555, the network may select frequency band options from the list provided by the UE . For example, the network may rank or sort the frequency band options approved by the UE (e.g. based on one or more ranking metrics) , and select the most highly ranked frequency band for allocation to the sub-network supported by the UE .

[0098] At 560, the network may create a sub-network resource grant .

[0099] At 565, the network may store the selected frequency band for 6G sub-network operation associated with the UE serving the sub-network as AP .

[0100] At 570, the network may signal, to the UE, the sub-network resource grant that it may use for 6G sub-network operation.

[0101] At 575, the UE may start operating its sub-network in the determined frequency band options.

[0102] While not illustrated in FIG. 5, it is possible for negotiation of a frequency band resource for a sub-network to fail, for example if there is not a resource that meets the requirements of the network, of the UE, or both. For example, there may not be frequency bands available for sub-network usage (e.g. in the case of a lower priority request) .

[0103] Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrated is a flowchart of an example embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5, but with some variations; overlapping steps are numbered as in FIG. 5, and duplicative description has been omitted. FIG.6 describes with more detail, according to an example embodiment, how the UE may select the best suited frequency band for its 6G sub-network (545) , and how the network may select frequency band options from the list provided by the UE (555) .

[0104] At 610, the UE may perform initial scanning for active carriers. The UE and the network may then proceed with connection and configuration establishment (505) , and the UE may transmit, to the network, a request for spectrum allocation for a sub-network (510) . In an example embodiment, the network may configure the UE to measure reference signal received power (RSRP) or received signal strength indicator (RSSI) on a list of licensed candidate frequency bands for 6G sub-networks.

[0105] In the case of a lower priority request (525) , at 620 the UE may measure RSRP or RSSI of candidate sub-network carriers. The UE may then execute a frequency band selection procedure (540) . In an example embodiment, the frequency band selection procedure may comprise excluding candidate frequency bands with an RSRP value higher than a threshold XI; and / or excluding candidate frequency bands which would otherwise cause interference distortion. If there are insufficient frequency bands in the remaining list of candidate frequency bands, the UE may add the unlicensed band options and repeat this procedure. For example, the UE may add unlicensed band options that are not determined by the UE to cause interference distortion (e.g. are not configured to interfere with Uu frequency bands) , for example based on one or more measurements of the unlicensed band options.

[0106] At 630, the UE may exclude the frequency bands with an RSRP higher than a threshold XI (priority) , if any. At 640, theUE may exclude candidate bands for sub-network usage which may cause interference distortion, if any. At 650, the UE may, in response to a determination that there are insufficient bands left from the list of candidate sub-network frequency bands provided by the network, add unlicensed bands to the feasible set. Whether there are insufficient bands in the list may be determined based on the requested sub-network bandwidth. The UE may repeat 620, 630, and / or 640. The feasible set determined via this procedure (e.g. list of refined candidate frequency bands) may be provided by the UE to the network (550) . This feasible set may include one or more unlicensed bands that have been determined to have an RSRP lower than a threshold, and / or one or more unlicensed bands for which measurements indicate that use in the sub-network will not, or is unlikely to, cause interference for the network, for example interference with the Uu interface.

[0107] At 660, the network may rank or sort the list of candidate frequency bands for sub-network operation. For example, the network may prioritize the bands that it knows are not used by other 3GPP technologies in a nearby area (i.e. the already used tracking area (TA) region) . Additionally or alternatively, the network may rank or sort the list of candidate frequency bands based on sub-network utilization.

[0108] The network may then generate (560) , store (565) , and provide a sub-network operation and resource grant to the UE (570) , which the UE may then use for sub-network operation (575) .

[0109] In an example embodiment, a network driven variant of the UE candidate frequency band selection procedure and / or the network generation of a sub-network resource grant may be enabled. Forexample, the network (e.g. node B or core) may execute the procedure of selecting a frequency band for 6G sub-network operation in the case of a non-high-priority sub-network. Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrated is a flowchart of an example of such a network driven variant.

[0110] At 710, an example of NB variant of sub-network frequency band selection is illustrated. At 720, the network may configure the UE to provide measurement report (s) for all candidate subnetwork candidates. At 730, the UE may transmit, to the network a measurement report for all candidate sub-network candidates. At 740, the network may exclude the frequency bands used for 3GPP networks nearby (e.g. TA region) , for example, the frequency bands with an RSRP higher than threshold XI. At 740, the network may exclude candidate bands for sub-network usage which would cause interference distortion. At 750, if there are insufficient bands left, the network may add unlicensed bands to the feasible set, and may repeat the frequency band selection procedure. This feasible set may include one or more unlicensed bands that have been determined to have an RSRP lower than a threshold, and / or one or more unlicensed bands for which measurements indicate that use in the sub-network will not, or is unlikely to, cause interference for the network, for example interference with the Uu interface and / or interference for another sub-network. In an example embodiment, measurements may be performed for the unlicensed bands that have been added by the UE . At 760, the network may create a sub-network resource grant for sub-network operation.

[0111] In an alternative example embodiment, additional priority levels may be introduced. In other words, there may be a high priority request case, a medium priority request case, and a lowpriority request case. The different priority levels may be based, for example, on a subscription associated with the sub-network or the UE . Some subscriptions may require latency, but not necessarily high throughput, or vice versa; accordingly, the metrics used to select frequency bands may vary among priority levels, and so negotiation of the frequency band for a sub-network may differ based on the priority level. In an example embodiment, the network and the UE may apply variants of case 2 to identify the frequency band options for sub-network operation for different priority levels besides the high priority level.

[0112] In an alternative example embodiment, the procedure for frequency band selection may be executed, or the high priority sub-network operation may be executed, without the inclusion of unlicensed bands. In other words, in an example embodiment, only licensed bands may be considered by the UE and / or the network.

[0113] In an alternative example embodiment, the list of candidate frequency band options for 6G sub-networks may be provided to the AP via system information blocks (SIBs) .

[0114] In an alternative example embodiment, the network may sort the list of frequency band options by sub-network utilization, and then by RSRP or RSSI . In this way, the network may minimize the number of frequency bands utilized by 6G sub-networks. The network may also enforce a limitation of how many candidate frequency band options to consider, e.g. 2.

[0115] In an alternative example embodiment, the RSRP or RSSI measurement may be considered a part of the mobility framework. In this case, the measurement may already be known at the UE, andthe UE may not need to perform a measurement step as illustrated in FIGs. 6-7.

[0116] Example embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in future 3GPP releases in a coming 6G framework, specifically for subnetworks .

[0117] FIG. 8 illustrates the potential steps of an example method 800. The example method 800 may include: determining a sub-network configuration, 810; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the subnetwork, 820; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network, 830. The example method 900 may be performed, for example, with a UE, an AP for a sub-network, an loT device, an a-IoT device, etc.

[0118] FIG. 9 illustrates the potential steps of an example method 900. The example method 900 may include: receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the subnetwork, 910; comparing the priority associated with the subnetwork with a threshold value, 920; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network, 930; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network, 940; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant, 950. The example method 900 may be performed, for example, with a network entity, a base station, an eNB, a gNB, etc.

[0119] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine a sub-network configuration; transmit, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and receive, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0120] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the apparatus.

[0121] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the apparatus supports for the sub-network.

[0122] The determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: information of at least one service provided with the sub-network, at least one latency requirement for the subnetwork, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the apparatus supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0123] The resource grant may comprise at least one of: at least one frequency band the apparatus is allowed to use for the subnetwork, at least one licensed frequency band, at least one unlicensed frequency band, one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0124] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority at or above a threshold level.

[0125] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority below a threshold level.

[0126] The example apparatus may be further configured to: receive, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network operated according to the determined subnetwork configuration.

[0127] The list of candidate frequency bands may be received via one or more system information blocks.

[0128] The example apparatus may be further configured to: determine a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of : the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more measurements of respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more hardware capabilities of the apparatus, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with therespective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and transmit, to the base station, the subset of candidate frequency bands .

[0129] The example apparatus may be further configured to: rank the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and determine the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0130] The example apparatus may be further configured to: receive, from the base station, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands; and measure the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0131] The example apparatus may be further configured to: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, exclude the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, exclude the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands;and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, add, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of : an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference .

[0132] The threshold number of candidate frequency bands may be based, at least partially, on a requested sub-network bandwidth.

[0133] The example apparatus may be further configured to: transmit, to the base station, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0134] In accordance with one aspect, an example method may be provided comprising: determining, with a user equipment, a subnetwork configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the subnetwork .

[0135] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

[0136] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the user equipment supports for the subnetwork .

[0137] The determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: information of at least one service provided with the sub-network, at least one latency requirement for the subnetwork, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the user equipment supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0138] The resource grant may comprise at least one of: at least one frequency band the user equipment is allowed to use for the sub-network, at least one licensed frequency band, at least one unlicensed frequency band, one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0139] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority at or above a threshold level.

[0140] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority below a threshold level.

[0141] The example method may further comprise: receiving, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration .

[0142] The list of candidate frequency bands may be received via one or more system information blocks.

[0143] The example method may further comprise: determining a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of : the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more measurements of respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more hardware capabilities of the user equipment, one or more services provided with the subnetwork, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and transmit, to the base station, the subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0144] The example method may further comprise: ranking the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and determining the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0145] The example method may further comprise: receiving, from the base station, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands; and measuring the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0146] The example method may further comprise: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, excluding the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, excluding the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, adding, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of : an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference .

[0147] The threshold number of candidate frequency bands may be based, at least partially, on a requested sub-network bandwidth.

[0148] The example method may further comprise: transmitting, to the base station, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signalstrength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0149] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: circuitry configured to perform: determining, with a user equipment, a sub-network configuration; circuitry configured to perform: transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and circuitry configured to perform: receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0150] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: processing circuitry; memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the apparatus to: determine a sub-network configuration; transmit, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined subnetwork configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and receive, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0151] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" or "means" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable) : (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit (s) with sof tware / f irmware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor (s)with software (including digital signal processor ( s ) ) , software, and memory (ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit (s) and or processor ( s ) , such as a microprocessor ( s ) or a portion of a microprocessor ( s ) , that requires software (e.g. , firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation." This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0152] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise means for: determining a sub-network configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0153] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associatedwith a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the apparatus.

[0154] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the apparatus supports for the sub-network.

[0155] The determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: information of at least one service provided with the sub-network, at least one latency requirement for the subnetwork, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the apparatus supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0156] The resource grant may comprise at least one of: at least one frequency band the apparatus is allowed to use for the subnetwork, at least one licensed frequency band, at least one unlicensed frequency band, one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0157] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority at or above a threshold level.

[0158] The priority associated with the sub-network may comprise a priority below a threshold level.

[0159] The means may be further configured for: receiving, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the subnetwork operated according to the determined sub-network configuration .

[0160] The list of candidate frequency bands may be received via one or more system information blocks.

[0161] The means may be further configured for: determining a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of : the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more measurements of respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more hardware capabilities of the apparatus, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and transmitting, to the base station, the subset of candidate frequency bands .

[0162] The means may be further configured for: ranking the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequencybands; and determining the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0163] The means may be further configured for: receiving, from the base station, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands; and measuring the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0164] The means may be further configured for: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, excluding the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, excluding the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, adding, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of : an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference .

[0165] The threshold number of candidate frequency bands may be based, at least partially, on a requested sub-network bandwidth.

[0166] The means may be further configured for: transmitting, to the base station, one or more measurements of the at least one ofthe reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0167] A processor, memory, and / or example algorithms (which may be encoded as instructions, program, or code) may be provided as example means for providing or causing performance of operation.

[0168] In accordance with one example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed with at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: determine a sub-network configuration; cause transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and cause receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0169] In accordance with one example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0170] In accordance with another example embodiment, a non- transitory program storage device readable by a machine may be provided, tangibly embodying instructions executable by themachine for performing operations, the operations comprising: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0171] In accordance with another example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the subnetwork .

[0172] A computer implemented system comprising: at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system at least to perform: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a subnetwork operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the subnetwork; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

[0173] A computer implemented system comprising: means for determining a sub-network configuration; means for causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; and means for causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the subnetwork .

[0174] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the subnetwork; compare the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; store the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmit, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0175] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

[0176] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or oneor more frequency bands the user equipment supports for the subnetwork .

[0177] The sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of : information of at least one service provided with the subnetwork, at least one latency requirement for the sub-network, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the user equipment supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0178] The resource grant may further comprise at least one of : one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0179] The at least one frequency band may comprise at least one of : at least one licensed frequency band, or at least one unlicensed frequency band.

[0180] The example apparatus may be further configured to: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determine the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of: the received request, one or more available frequency bands, a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network.

[0181] The example apparatus may be further configured to: in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determine a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network; and transmit, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands .

[0182] The list of candidate frequency bands may be transmitted via one or more system information blocks.

[0183] The list of candidate frequency bands may be determined based, at least partially, on at least one of: a time division duplex pattern, a frequency division duplex pattern, one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other user equipment, or one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other subnetwork .

[0184] The example apparatus may be further configured to: transmit, to the user equipment, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0185] The example apparatus may be further configured to: receive, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; and determine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0186] The example apparatus may be further configured to: rank respective frequency bands of the subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of: whether a frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands isalready used in a tracking area, or whether the frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used by another sub-network; and determine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the ranked subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0187] The subset of candidate frequency bands may comprise at least one frequency band that is at least partially different from respective ones of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0188] The example apparatus may be further configured to: receive, from the user equipment, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; determine a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands, and the one or more measurements; and determine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0189] The subset of candidate frequency bands may be further determined based, at least partially, on at least one of : one or more hardware capabilities of the user equipment, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocolsassociated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0190] The example apparatus may be further configured to: rank the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the one or more measurements; and determine the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0191] The example apparatus may be further configured to: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, exclude the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, exclude the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, add, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of : an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference .

[0192] In accordance with one aspect, an example method may be provided comprising: receiving, with a base station from a userequipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the subnetwork; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the subnetwork comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0193] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

[0194] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the user equipment supports for the subnetwork .

[0195] The sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of : information of at least one service provided with the subnetwork, at least one latency requirement for the sub-network, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the user equipment supports, at least onefrequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0196] The resource grant may further comprise at least one of : one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0197] The at least one frequency band may comprise at least one of : at least one licensed frequency band, or at least one unlicensed frequency band.

[0198] The example method may further comprise: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determining the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of : the received request, one or more available frequency bands, a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network .

[0199] The example method may further comprise: in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determining a list of candidate frequency bands for the subnetwork; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands .

[0200] The list of candidate frequency bands may be transmitted via one or more system information blocks.

[0201] The list of candidate frequency bands may be determined based, at least partially, on at least one of: a time division duplex pattern, a frequency division duplex pattern, one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other user equipment, orone or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other subnetwork .

[0202] The example method may further comprise: transmitting, to the user equipment, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0203] The example method may further comprise: receiving, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0204] The example method may further comprise: ranking respective frequency bands of the subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of: whether a frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used in a tracking area, or whether the frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used by another sub-network; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the ranked subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0205] The subset of candidate frequency bands may comprise at least one frequency band that is at least partially different from respective ones of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0206] The example method may further comprise: receiving, from the user equipment, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signalstrength indicator, for respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; determining a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands, and the one or more measurements; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands .

[0207] The subset of candidate frequency bands may be further determined based, at least partially, on at least one of : one or more hardware capabilities of the user equipment, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0208] The example method may further comprise: ranking the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the one or more measurements; and determining the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0209] The example method may further comprise: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, excluding the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands;

[0210] in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, excluding the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, adding, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of: an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference.

[0211] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: circuitry configured to perform: receiving, with a base station from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; circuitry configured to perform: comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; circuitry configured to perform: generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the subnetwork; circuitry configured to perform: storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and circuitry configured to perform: transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0212] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise: processing circuitry; memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the apparatus to: receive, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; compare the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; store the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and transmit, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0213] In accordance with one example embodiment, an apparatus may comprise means for: receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

[0214] The priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

[0215] The request may comprise at least one of : the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the user equipment supports for the subnetwork .

[0216] The sub-network configuration may comprise at least one of : information of at least one service provided with the subnetwork, at least one latency requirement for the sub-network, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the sub-network, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the sub-network, at least one frequency band the user equipment supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the sub-network.

[0217] The resource grant may further comprise at least one of : one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

[0218] The at least one frequency band may comprise at least one of : at least one licensed frequency band, or at least one unlicensed frequency band.

[0219] The means may be further configured for: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determining the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of : the received request, one or more available frequency bands, a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network .

[0220] The means may be further configured for: in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determining a list of candidate frequency bands for the subnetwork; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands .

[0221] The list of candidate frequency bands may be transmitted via one or more system information blocks.

[0222] The list of candidate frequency bands may be determined based, at least partially, on at least one of: a time division duplex pattern, a frequency division duplex pattern, one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other user equipment, or one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other subnetwork .

[0223] The means may be further configured for: transmitting, to the user equipment, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0224] The means may be further configured for: receiving, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0225] The means may be further configured for: ranking respective frequency bands of the subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of: whether a frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands isalready used in a tracking area, or whether the frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used by another sub-network; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the ranked subset of candidate frequency bands.

[0226] The subset of candidate frequency bands may comprise at least one frequency band that is at least partially different from respective ones of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0227] The means may be further configured for: receiving, from the user equipment, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; determining a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands, and the one or more measurements; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands .

[0228] The subset of candidate frequency bands may be further determined based, at least partially, on at least one of : one or more hardware capabilities of the user equipment, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more security protocolsassociated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

[0229] The means may be further configured for: ranking the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the one or more measurements; and determining the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

[0230] The means may be further configured for: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, excluding the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, excluding the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, adding, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of : an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference .

[0231] In accordance with one example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions storedthereon which, when executed with at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: cause receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the subnetwork; compare the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; store the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and cause transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0232] In accordance with one example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the subnetwork; storing the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0233] In accordance with another example embodiment, a non- transitory program storage device readable by a machine may be provided, tangibly embodying instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising: causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to registerthe user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the subnetwork; storing the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0234] In accordance with another example embodiment, a non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0235] A computer implemented system comprising: at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system at least to perform: causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the subnetwork comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0236] A computer implemented system comprising: means for causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority may be associated with the sub-network; means for comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; means for generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; means for storing the at least one frequency band for the sub-network; and means for causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

[0237] The term "non-transi tory, " as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e. tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency (e.g. , RAM vs. ROM) .

[0238] It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art. For example, features recited in the various dependent claims could be combined with each other in any suitable combination ( s ) . In addition, features from different embodiments described above could be selectively combined into a new embodiment. Accordingly, the description isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modification and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: determine a sub-network configuration; transmit, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receive, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration comprises at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the subnetwork, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the apparatus .

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the request comprises at least one of: the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the apparatus supports for the sub-network.

4. The apparatus of any of claims 1 through 3, wherein the determined sub-network configuration comprises at least one of : information of at least one service provided with the sub-network, at least one latency requirement for the sub-network, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the subnetwork, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the subnetwork, at least one frequency band the apparatus supports, at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, ora priority associated with a subscription for the subnetwork .

5. The apparatus of any of claims 1 through 4, wherein the resource grant comprises at least one of: at least one frequency band the apparatus is allowed to use for the sub-network, at least one licensed frequency band, at least one unlicensed frequency band, one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

6. The apparatus of any of claims 1 through 5, wherein the priority associated with the sub-network comprises a priority at or above a threshold level.

7. The apparatus of any of claims 1 through 5, wherein the priority associated with the sub-network comprises a priority below a threshold level.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the list of candidate frequency bands is received via one or more system information blocks .

10. The apparatus of claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: determine a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of: the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more measurements of respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more hardware capabilities of the apparatus, one or more services provided with the sub-network, one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands,one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and transmit, to the base station, the subset of candidate frequency bands.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: rank the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; and determine the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

12. The apparatus of any of claims 8 through 11, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive, from the base station, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal receivedpower, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands; and measure the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, exclude the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, exclude the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, add, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of: an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, oran unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the threshold number of candidate frequency bands is based, at least partially, on a requested sub-network bandwidth.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: transmit, to the base station, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

16. A method comprising: determining, with a user equipment, a sub-network configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration comprises at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the subnetwork, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the priority associated with the sub-network comprises a priority below a threshold level, wherein method further comprises: receiving, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration.

19. An apparatus comprising means for: determining a sub-network configuration; transmitting, to a base station, a request to register the apparatus as an access point for a sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and receiving, from the base station, a resource grant for the sub-network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration comprises at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the subnetwork, a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the priority associated with the sub-network comprises a priority below a threshold level, wherein the means are further configured for: receiving, from the base station, a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network operated according to the determined sub-network configuration.

22. A non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: determining a sub-network configuration; causing transmitting, to a base station, of a request to register a user equipment as an access point for a subnetwork operated according to the determined sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; and causing receiving, from the base station, of a resource grant for the sub-network.

23. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; compare the priority associated with the subnetwork with a threshold value; generate a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; store the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and transmit, to the user equipment, the resource grant .

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration comprises at least one of: a priority associated with a subscription for the sub- network,a priority associated with a service provided with the sub-network, or a priority associated with the user equipment.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 or 24, wherein the request comprises at least one of: the priority associated with the determined sub-network configuration, or one or more frequency bands the user equipment supports for the sub-network.

26. The apparatus of any of claims 23 through 25, wherein the sub-network configuration comprises at least one of: information of at least one service provided with the sub-network, at least one latency requirement for the sub-network, at least one throughput requirement for the sub-network, at least one security requirement for the sub-network, at least one signal quality requirement for the subnetwork, at least one maximum interference signal power requirement for the sub-network, one or more sub-network devices associated with the subnetwork, at least one frequency band the user equipment supports,at least one frequency band the one or more sub-network devices support, or a priority associated with a subscription for the subnetwork .

27. The apparatus of any of claims 23 through 26, wherein the resource grant further comprises at least one of: one or more transmission parameters for the sub-network, or at least one restriction for use of the at least one frequency band.

28. The apparatus of any of claims 23 through 27, wherein the at least one frequency band comprises at least one of: at least one licensed frequency band, or at least one unlicensed frequency band.

29. The apparatus of any of claims 23 through 28, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determine the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of: the received request, one or more available frequency bands,a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network.

30. The apparatus of any of claims 23 through 28, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determine a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network; and transmit, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the list of candidate frequency bands is transmitted via one or more system information blocks .

32. The apparatus of claim 30 or 31, wherein the list of candidate frequency bands is determined based, at least partially, on at least one of: a time division duplex pattern, a frequency division duplex pattern, one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other user equipment, or one or more frequency bands assigned to at least one other sub-network.

33. The apparatus of any of claims 30 through 32, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: transmit, to the user equipment, a configuration for measuring at least one of reference signal received power, or received signal strength indicator, for the list of candidate frequency bands.

34. The apparatus of any of claims 30 through 33, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; and determine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: rank respective frequency bands of the subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on at least one of: whether a frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used in a tracking area, or whether the frequency band of the subset of candidate frequency bands is already used by another sub-network; anddetermine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the ranked subset of candidate frequency bands .

36. The apparatus of claim 34 or 35, wherein the subset of candidate frequency bands comprises at least one frequency band that is at least partially different from respective ones of the list of candidate frequency bands.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive, from the user equipment, one or more measurements of the at least one of the reference signal received power, or the received signal strength indicator, for respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands; determine a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands, and the one or more measurements; and determine the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the subset of candidate frequency bands is further determined based, at least partially, on at least one of: one or more hardware capabilities of the user equipment,one or more services provided with the sub-network one or more signal to interference plus noise ratios associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more latencies associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands , one or more throughputs associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands , one or more security protocols associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, one or more signal qualities associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands, or one or more maximum interference signal power measurements associated with the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 or 38, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: rank the respective frequency bands of the list of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the one or more measurements; anddetermine the subset of candidate frequency bands based on the ranked list of candidate frequency bands.

40. The apparatus of any of claims 37 through 39, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: in response to at least one first frequency band of the list of candidate frequency bands having a reference signal received power higher than or equal to a threshold value, exclude the at least one first frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; in response to a determination that at least one second frequency band would cause interference, exclude the at least one second frequency band from the subset of candidate frequency bands; and in response to a determination that the subset of candidate frequency bands includes less than a threshold number of candidate frequency bands, add, to the subset of candidate frequency bands, at least one of: an unlicensed frequency band with a reference signal received power less than the threshold value, or an unlicensed frequency band that is not determined to cause interference.

41. A method comprising:receiving, with a base station from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determining the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of: the received request, one or more available frequency bands, a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determining a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands .

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising: receiving, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; and determining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

45. An apparatus comprising means for: receiving, from a user equipment, a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; andtransmitting, to the user equipment, the resource grant.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the means are further configured for: in response to a determination that the priority is at or above a threshold level, determining the at least one frequency band based, at least partially, on at least one of: the received request, one or more available frequency bands, a load for respective ones of the one or more available frequency bands, or a service provided with the sub-network.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the means are further configured for: in response to a determination that the priority is below the threshold level, determining a list of candidate frequency bands for the sub-network; and transmitting, to the user equipment, the list of candidate frequency bands .

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the means are further configured for: receiving, from the user equipment, a subset of candidate frequency bands based, at least partially, on the list of candidate frequency bands; anddetermining the at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network based, at least partially, on the subset of candidate frequency bands.

49. A non- transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following: causing receiving, from a user equipment, of a request to register the user equipment as an access point for a sub-network operated according to a sub-network configuration, wherein a priority is associated with the sub-network; comparing the priority associated with the sub-network with a threshold value; generating a resource grant for the sub-network comprising, at least, at least one frequency band for the user equipment to operate the sub-network; storing the at least one frequency band for the subnetwork; and causing transmitting, to the user equipment, of the resource grant.

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