Multi-operator NR-SS Structure for Frame-Based Equipment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current New Radio shared spectrum (NR-SS) structure is not compatible with load-based equipment (LBE) designs and lacks compatibility with frame-based equipment (FBE), leading to issues with synchronization, fairness, and processing delays in multi-operator scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A new multi-operator NR-SS structure is proposed, which moves contention slots to the fixed frame period of a previous frame, placing them immediately before idle periods, allowing for faster response times and reducing interruptions to channel occupancy time (CoT) traffic, and enabling operators to transmit channel reservation signals without clear channel assessment, thus optimizing resource allocation and reducing processing delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the current NR-SS structure is used, then operators can share spectrum resources, but compatibility with frame-based equipment (FBE) is lost, causing synchronization issues and processing delays
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure is segmented into distinct components: fixed frame periods containing contention slots, idle periods, and channel occupancy time (CoT) periods. This segmentation allows FBE to operate with fixed periodicity while LBE can utilize the CoT periods for flexible access, resolving the compatibility issue between FBE and shared spectrum operations
Solution Approach 2:
Contention slots are positioned at the beginning of fixed frame periods, before the CoT periods. This preliminary action allows operators to resolve channel contention and transmit channel reservation signals in advance, enabling FBE to synchronize its fixed frame periods without experiencing processing delays during active transmission periods
2Productivity
If contention slots are placed within the current frame structure, then resource allocation can occur, but interruptions to channel occupancy time (CoT) traffic increase and response times slow down
Solution Approach 1:
Contention slots are moved to occur before the CoT periods within the fixed frame structure. This preliminary positioning allows all channel contention resolution and resource allocation to be completed in advance, eliminating interruptions to ongoing CoT traffic and enabling faster response times since the channel status is determined before transmission begins
3Reliability
If clear channel assessment is required for channel reservation signals, then channel access can be controlled, but processing delays increase and resource allocation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The clear channel assessment (CCA) requirement is extracted and removed from the channel reservation signal transmission process. Operators are allowed to transmit channel reservation signals in contention slots without performing CCA, as the fixed frame structure and priority-based access mechanisms provide sufficient channel access control. This extraction eliminates the processing delay associated with CCA while maintaining reliable channel access control through the structured frame design
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects directed towards a frame-based equipment (FBE) design for a multi-operator New Radio shared spectrum (NR-SS) are disclosed. In one example, at least one contention slot is monitored within a fixed frame period of an unlicensed spectrum, and a determination is performed of whether a channel reservation signal associated with a higher priority node has been detected within the at least one contention slot. For this example, the at least one contention slot is associated with a resource of a subsequent fixed frame period of the unlicensed spectrum. A determination is then made of whether to transmit communication via the resource. Here, the communication is transmitted via the resource, if the channel reservation signal is not detected, and the communication is not transmitted via the resource, if the channel reservation signal is detected.