Access Node Timing Indication for LBT Procedure

The patent applies preliminary action by having access nodes exchange timing indication information about their planned radio transmissions before actually performing the transmissions. This allows other access nodes to proactively schedule their LBT procedures at optimal times based on known future transmission patterns, rather than reactively waiting and retrying after unsuccessful attempts. The timing indication enables access nodes to perform the LBT procedure just before the indicated transmission time, minimizing waiting delays while avoiding unnecessary multiple attempts.

The patent reduces power consumption by using timing indication information to perform a single well-timed LBT attempt rather than multiple unsuccessful attempts followed by retries. Access nodes receive timing indications from other nodes about their planned transmissions, then schedule their own LBT procedures optimally based on this advance knowledge. This preliminary scheduling eliminates the need for repeated listening and waiting, maintaining high access success probability while significantly reducing the energy expended on futile LBT attempts.

The patent improves radio transmission efficiency by implementing preliminary exchange of timing indication information between access nodes. Each node shares its planned transmission timing with others in advance, enabling them to schedule their LBT procedures optimally. This preliminary coordination ensures that nodes perform LBT at times when carrier access is most likely to succeed, minimizing accumulated delays and failed attempts. The additional inter-node communication complexity is minimal compared to the significant gains in transmission productivity and resource efficiency.