77 results about "LTE in unlicensed spectrum" patented technology

Systems and methods for managing communication in an unlicensed band of frequencies to supplement communication in a licensed band of frequencies in unlicensed spectrum are disclosed. The management may comprise, for example, monitoring utilization of resources currently available to a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) via at least one of a Primary Cell (PCell) operating in the licensed band, a set of one or more Secondary Cells (SCells) operating in the unlicensed band, or a combination thereof. Based on the utilization, a first SCell among the set of SCells may be configured or de-configured with respect to operation in the unlicensed band.

There is provided a mechanism for reporting buffer status information to a communication network control element when transmission via both a licensed and an unlicensed spectrum is conducted and offloading of traffic is executed. After an offloading value indicating the amount of traffic which can be offloaded from a transmission over a licensed spectrum to a transmission over an unlicensed spectrum is estimated, the UE determines a buffer size of at least one transmission buffer used in a transmission over the licensed spectrum and the unlicensed spectrum. Then, buffer status information is sent to the eNB wherein the estimated offloading value is considered. The eNB can then allocate resources for the transmission over the licensed band while benefits by the offloading to the unlicensed band are considered in the resource allocation.

Methods and apparatuses are described in which an unlicensed spectrum is used for Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications. A first method includes broadcasting beacon signals in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an evolved Node B (eNB). A second method includes receiving beacon signals broadcast in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an eNB. The beacon signals may include downlink signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB.

Systems and methods for co-existence in unlicensed spectrum are disclosed. In one aspect, mitigating interference between Radio Access Technologies (RATs) sharing operating spectrum in an unlicensed band of radio frequencies may comprise, for example, determining an inter-RAT interference metric associated with base station narrowband signaling on the unlicensed band and modifying a transmission parameter relating to a transmission power or signaling scheme for narrowband signaling based on the determined inter-RAT interference metric. In accordance with the modified transmission parameter, a narrowband signal may be transmitted on the unlicensed band.

Aspects for reducing interference between networks are provided. A signal transmitted by a first network over a communications medium using an unlicensed frequency spectrum is decoded to determine one or more parameters of a packet in the signal. A level of utilization of the communications medium by the first network can be estimated based at least in part on a signal strength of the signal and the one or more parameters. A time for communicating in a second network over the communications medium using the unlicensed frequency spectrum can be adjusted based at least in part on the level of utilization of the communications medium by the first network.

The disclosure is directed to an unlicensed spectrum sharing method that is applicable to a user equipment and a base station, a user equipment using the same method, and a base station using the same method. In one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to an unlicensed spectrum sharing method applicable to a user equipment. The method would include receiving a configuration message over a first component carrier in a licensed spectrum to operate in an unlicensed spectrum, receiving a user message of the UE over a second component carrier in the unlicensed spectrum in response to receiving the configuration message, wherein the first component carrier and the second component carrier are aggregated carriers, and receiving a re-configuration message over the first component carrier in the licensed spectrum to operate in the unlicensed spectrum.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described for wireless communications. In one method, a sequence number corresponding to a data frame and one or more data subframes of the data frame may be transmitted over an unlicensed spectrum to a user equipment (UE), and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the one or more data subframes may be received over the unlicensed spectrum, from the UE, when the sequence number corresponding to the data frame is received by the UE in a specified order. In another method, a sequence number corresponding to a data frame and HARQ feedback may be transmitted over an unlicensed spectrum to a UE, and one or more data subframes may be received over the unlicensed spectrum, from the UE, in response to the HARQ feedback when the sequence number corresponding to the data frame is received by the UE in a specified order.

Systems and methods for Carrier Sense Adaptive Transmission (CSAT) and related operations in unlicensed spectrum are disclosed to reduce interference between co-existing Radio Access Technologies (RATs). The parameters for a given CSAT communication scheme may be adapted dynamically based on received signals from a transceiver for a native RAT to be protected and an identification of how that RAT is utilizing a shared resource such as an unlicensed band. Other operations such as Discontinuous Reception (DRX) may be aligned with a CSAT Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) communication pattern by way of a DRX broadcast / multicast message. Different TDM communication patterns may be staggered in time across different frequencies. Channel selection for a co-existing RAT may also be configured to afford further protection to native RATs by preferring operation on secondary channels as opposed to primary channels.

The disclosure provides for interference mitigation for wireless signals in unlicensed spectrum. A wireless device may receive a combined signal including a first radio access technology (RAT) signal and a second RAT signal. The wireless device may generate, using a first RAT receiver in a first processing path, a channel estimate for the first RAT signal based on a previously decoded signal of the first RAT. The wireless device may reduce interference to the second RAT signal caused by the first RAT signal, in a second processing path, using the channel estimate. The wireless device may further decode the second RAT signal. The wireless device may remodulate the decoded signal using a transmitter to generate a remodulated second RAT signal. The remodulated second RAT signal may be canceled from the combined signal. The wireless device may decode a remaining portion of the combined signal including the first RAT signal.

The disclosure is directed to a signaling method for sharing an unlicensed spectrum between different radio access technologies used by a base station and a multi-mode wireless device, a multi-mode wireless device using the same method, and a base station using the same method. According to one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a signaling method for sharing an unlicensed spectrum between different radio access technologies used by a base station. The method may include not limited to receiving a first transmission via a receiver of a first radio access technology over an unlicensed spectrum, calculating a channel information of the first transmission in response to receiving the first transmission, configuring a second transmission based on the first channel information of the first transmission, and transmitting the second transmission via a transmitter of a second radio access technology over the unlicensed spectrum.

Systems and methods for Carrier Sense Adaptive Transmission (CSAT) communication in unlicensed spectrum are disclosed. Interference between Radio Access Technologies (RATs) may be reduced utilizing CSAT by, for example: receiving signals via a resource, wherein a first RAT is used to receive the signals; identifying utilization of the resource associated with the first RAT, wherein the identification is based on the received signals; cycling operation of a second RAT between activated and deactivated periods of transmission over the resource in accordance with a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) communication pattern, wherein the cycling is based on the identified utilization of the resource; and transmitting an Activation / Deactivation Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) to a user device associated with the second RAT to activate or deactivate the user device in accordance with the TDM communication pattern.

The invention provides a method and a device for transmission over an unlicensed spectrum. In order to solve the interference problem of a downlink reference signal (RS) used for user equipment (UE) measurement and sent by a base station during the communication process over a long-term evolution (LTE) unlicensed spectrum, the invention provides a method applied to the UE. The method comprises the steps of firstly, receiving a first signaling on a first carrier; secondly, receiving a downlink RS within a first time window of a second carrier. The first signaling is in the form of a physical layer signaling and the first carrier is deployed over a licensed spectrum. The second carrier is deployed over an unlicensed spectrum. The first time window comprises N sub-frames and N is a positive integer. The first signaling indicates a transmission band occupied by the downlink RS and the transmission band is the whole part or one part of the frequency band of the second carrier. According to the technical scheme of the invention, the interference of the periodically sent downlink RS on other communication equipment over the unlicensed spectrum is avoided. Meanwhile, the requirement of the UE on fast DFS can be met at the same time. In addition, the technical scheme of the invention can be compatible with existing LTE protocols in the prior art as much as possible and is better in compatibility.

A wireless provisioning device (WPD) is a computer data traffic management system capable of routing TCP / IP traffic using unlicensed spectrum equipment. This WPR is to be strategically placed in logical segment regions within a wireless network to facilitate data traffic management. This device acts to provide connectivity between wireless backbone access points. The device may also be located within customer local area network (LAN) while providing connectivity to a wide area network (WAN). The wireless device has seven total wireless segments. The wireless device is capable of filtering IP addresses, spam, pornographic content, steganographic decryption, controlling firewall and / or routing and / or bridging. The increases effective throughput of TCP / IP traffic over the WAN or LAN while providing for secure management and greater connectivity.

A wireless communication device (UE) includes a cellular processor configured to conduct wireless communications according to a first radio access technology (RAT) in a first frequency band and in a second frequency band, wherein the first RAT is a cellular RAT, the first frequency band is in an unlicensed spectrum, and the second frequency band is in a licensed spectrum. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a wireless local area network (WLAN) processor configured to conduct wireless communications according to a second RAT in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the cellular processor and the WLAN processor are configured to couple to a common antenna for communications in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the cellular processor may notify the WLAN processor when it is scanning and / or when it is assigned secondary component carriers in the first frequency band. In some embodiments, the WLAN processor may notify the cellular processor when it is transmitting. In some embodiments, the WLAN processor and / or the cellular processor may perform one or more actions in response to such notifications to improve coexistence in the first frequency band.

The disclosure provides for control plane measurements in a wireless device. The wireless device may perform, on signals received over an unlicensed spectrum across multiple sub-frames, radio resource management (RRM) measurements of a cell. The wireless device may identify one or both of a first subset of the RRM measurements associated with a first subset of the sub-frames including opportunistic transmissions (i.e. before the transmission, clear channel assessment, CCA, is carried out) and a second subset of the RRM measurements associated with a second subset of the sub-frames including guaranteed transmissions (i.e. before the transmission, clear channel assessment, CCA, is not carried out). The wireless device may determine one or more RRM measurement values (e.g. RSSI, RSRQ) based on one or both of the first subset of the RRM measurements and the second subset of the RRM measurements. The wireless device may similarly perform radio link management (RLM) measurements and determine RLM measurement values based on the first and second subsets. The wireless device may also use timers (e.g. CCA timer, RLC timer) for uplink transmissions to detect radio link failures, RLFs.

A method of sharing radio resources for licensed assisted access (LAA) in unlicensed spectrum and related devices using the same are provided. In one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a method used by a user equipment for sharing radio resources for LAA in an unlicensed spectrum. The method would include not limited to transmitting or receiving, through a LTE protocol, a first data in a licensed spectrum; transmitting or receiving, through the LTE protocol, a first control signal in the licensed spectrum for receiving a second data in an unlicensed spectrum; transmitting or receiving, through a LTE-unlicensed (LTE-U) protocol, the second data in the unlicensed spectrum within a first time window without transmitting a random access (RA) request; and stopping transmitting, through a Wi-Fi protocol, any RA request as long as the first time window has not expired.

The invention provides a method for channel allocation in D2D (device-to-device) communications with unlicensed spectrum and WiFi coexisting. The method mainly comprises steps as follows: D2D-U (device-to-device communications in the unlicensed spectrum) equipment coexisting with WiFi is clustered on the basis of distances, a cluster head is designated for each cluster, the cluster head of each cluster dynamically selects a current use channel of the corresponding cluster according to monitoring results of members of D2D-U equipment in the cluster for surrounding frequency spectrum environment, each cluster head on behalf of the corresponding cluster acquires access to the current use channel through a competitive mechanism, and resources in the current use channel are allocated to all D2D-U equipment in the corresponding cluster. According to the characteristic of randomness of positions and work channels of WiFi APs, the D2D-U equipment is divided into a plurality of uncrossed clusters, work channels in the clusters are dynamically adjusted according to the frequency spectrum environment, vacant frequency spectrum resources are fully used, meanwhile, channel interference between the D2D-U equipment and between the D2D-U equipment and WiFi users is reduced, and the performance of channel links is improved as much as possible.

Various communication devices may benefit from network sharing. For example, network sharing may be beneficial for long term evolution on unlicensed band (LTE-U) and / or licensed-assisted access (LAA) cells operating on an unlicensed spectrum according to the third generation partnership project. Further, LTE enhancements may be implemented for LAA to unlicensed spectrum, including LTE-U. A method may include preparing information related to a carrier and / or cell operating on a non-licensed spectrum. The method may also include providing, from a network element operating on a licensed spectrum to a user equipment, the information related to the carrier and / or cell operating on the non-licensed spectrum.

Methods and a system are provided for enabling coexistence of WIFI and Long Term Evolution (LTE) in a wireless communication system. A method includes embedding in a data sequence, by a base station capable of transmitting and receiving LTE frames, a channel reservation packet that (i) is detectable by a WIFI receiver and (ii) reserves a particular one of a plurality of available unlicensed communication channels for a transmission duration of the data sequence. The method further includes transmitting, by the base station, the data sequence including the embedded channel reservation packet.

The invention relates to an LTE-U idle channel evaluation method based on a multi-slot fusion mechanism, and belongs to the technical field of LTE-U (LTE in unlicensed spectrum) in mobile communication. An LTE-U system works in an unauthorized frequency range, and before the system access a channel, idle channel evaluation is needed generally. The LTE-U system divides the whole CCA window into multiple slots; sampling data of the multiples slots is used to generate a sampling matrix, a covariance matrix of the sampling data is calculated to obtain characteristic values, the characteristic values in ascending order are used to carry out unequal weighting on the corresponding slots, and the channel state evaluation performance when the CCA window is not completely aligned with a data packet is improved. The idle channel evaluation method can be used to improve the accuracy of channel state determination effectively, reduce the possibility of data packet collision among different systems, and the improves the spectral efficiency that the LTE-U system and a WIFI system coexist in the same channel in the unauthorized frequency range.

Multi-channel channel state information (CSI) design is disclosed for long term evolution (LTE) / LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems with unlicensed spectrum. A “reference” CSI process defined for each channel / carrier. The reference CSI process is defined across each channel in any particular band that the transmitter is configured to support. The transmit power for such reference CSI processes is spread equally over each such channel. In order to report CSI for a subset of channels under an unequal power split assumption, a user equipment (UE) may apply a different power offset in the computation of the CSI process. Alternatively, an auxiliary CSI process may be defined for reporting CSI of a subset of channels with unequal distribution of powers across different channels in a band.

The disclosure is directed to a method of wireless communication in an unlicensed spectrum and related apparatus using the same. In one of the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is directed to a method of wireless communication in an unlicensed spectrum, applicable to a base station, the method would include not limited to: establishing a primary serving cell (Pcell) in a licensed spectrum; establishing a secondary serving cell (Scell) in the unlicensed spectrum to operate as a virtual frequency cell (VFC); configuring a frequency hopping sequence of the VFC; transmitting the frequency hopping sequence to the Scell through the Pcell; and controlling the Scell to operate according to the frequency hopping sequence.

In wireless networks where multiple base stations are deployed, handsets may handoff from one base station to the other while in a voice call. In this disclosure a layer-2 hand-off mechanism for cellular systems designed to operate in unlicensed spectrum is described. More specifically a proposed method that does not use any pre-determined thresholds to initiate the hand-offs is disclosed.

Methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses are described for wireless communications. In one method, a set of one or more data subframes of a data frame may be transmitted over an unlicensed spectrum, to a user equipment (UE), during a transmission period. A group hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback message for a plurality of data subframes including at least one of the data subframes in the set of one or more data subframes may then be received over the unlicensed spectrum, from the UE, during the transmission period. In another method, a set of one or more data subframes of a data frame may be received over an unlicensed spectrum during a transmission period. A group HARQ feedback message for a plurality of data subframes including at least one of the data subframes in the set of one or more data subframes may then be transmitted over the unlicensed spectrum during the transmission period.

There is provided a mechanism for reporting buffer status information to a communication network control element when transmission via both a licensed and an unlicensed spectrum is conducted and offloading of traffic is executed. After an offloading value indicating the amount of traffic which can be offloaded from a transmission over a licensed spectrum to a transmission over an unlicensed spectrum is estimated, the UE determines a buffer size of at least one transmission buffer used in a transmission over the licensed spectrum and the unlicensed spectrum. Then, buffer status information is sent to the eNB wherein the estimated offloading value is considered. The eNB can then allocate resources for the transmission over the licensed band while benefits by the offloading to the unlicensed band are considered in the resource allocation.

A system and method comprise a spectrum selector, an unlicensed transceiver, and a licensed transceiver. The spectrum selector determines whether communications will be transmitted over unlicensed spectrum or licensed spectrum. Based upon the determination, the spectrum selector transmits the communications to the unlicensed transceiver or the licensed transceiver. In addition, the spectrum selector may transmit a first portion of the communications to die unlicensed transceiver and a second portion of the communications to the licensed transceiver. On the receiving side, the spectrum selector monitors the unlicensed transceiver and the licensed transceiver, receives the communications from the licensed transceiver and / or the unlicensed transceiver, and transmits the communications to an access device. The unlicensed transceiver transmits and / or receives communications over unlicensed spectrum. The licensed transceiver transmits and / or receives communications over licensed spectrum.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus of data transmission in a wireless communication system and a method and apparatus of receiving data in a wireless communication system. The method of data reception comprises transmitting a request for the RRC message to the network node based on default transmission parameters; and receiving the RRC message from the network node at a predetermined time unit. With embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to request the RRC message when the terminal device need this message and therefore the RRC message transmission can be reduced and in turn, the inter-node interference can be limited, and the number of LBTs required for these signal transmissions can be reduced if they are transmitted on unlicensed spectrum.

The disclosure provides a method and a device in a User Equipment (UE) and a base station for wireless communication. The UE first receives a first signaling, the first signaling being used for determining a number of bits included in a first bit block; then the UE performs first listening to determine that a first frequency-domain resource set is available for wireless transmission; and finally the UE transmits a first radio signal in a first time-domain resource set of the first frequency-domain resource set; a second bit block is used for generating the first radio signal, and the second bit block is obtained after the first bit block is processed through channel coding; and the first time-domain resource set is related to a number of bits not transmitted in a current second bit block and the first frequency-domain resource set. The disclosure improves opportunities of transmission on unlicensed spectrum.

Methods and a system are provided for enabling coexistence of WIFI and Long Term Evolution (LTE) in a wireless communication system. A method includes embedding in a data sequence, by a base station capable of transmitting and receiving LTE frames, a channel reservation packet that (i) is detectable by a WIFI receiver and (ii) reserves a particular one of a plurality of available unlicensed communication channels for a transmission duration of the data sequence. The method further includes transmitting, by the base station, the data sequence including the embedded channel reservation packet.

Systems and methods for measurement reporting in unlicensed spectrum are disclosed. A user device may perform one or more signaling measurements in an unlicensed frequency band in accordance with a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and send feedback information relating to the signaling measurements to a small cell base station, with the feedback information being sent in accordance with a second RAT. A message may be sent to the user device in accordance with the second RAT that configures the user device to perform the one or more signaling measurements in the unlicensed frequency band.