Apparatus and method for a communication system
View Patent ↗Apparatus and method for communication are provided. The solution includes controlling the communication of a transceiver on shared data channels using a data channel slot including a sensing period and a data period and controlling a transceiver to communicate on common and dedicated control channels on a shared spectrum using control channel slots, each control channel slot including a downlink part and an uplink part, wherein the uplink part occurs at the same time as the sensing period of a data channel slot.
1. An apparatus for a communication system, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
cause communication on shared data channels of a shared spectrum using a data channel slot comprising a sensing period and a data part period, the sensing period configured to allow one or more devices sharing the shared data channels to detect usage of the shared data channels; and
cause communication on the shared data channels of an indicator comprising information on the transmission and format of at least one control part, the at least one control part indicating resource allocation for transmissions in at least one of a current downlink data part or a next uplink data part in the data channel slot on the shared data channels.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus being configured to:
control transmission on the shared data channels using a downlink data channel slot by sensing traffic on the shared spectrum to obtain a sensing result during the sensing period of the data channel slot and make a decision whether to transmit or not during a data part period of the data channel slot on the basis of the sensing result.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the apparatus being configured to determine the control part format on the basis of the sensing result.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , the apparatus being configured to select the control part format from a set of predetermined formats on the basis of the sensing result.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator of the control part format comprises an indication of a number of control parts to be transmitted.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the indicator comprises an indication of whether the control part includes an extended control part, the indication of whether the control part includes an extended control part used to determine whether data or control information is transmitted within a time period on the shared data channels.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate in at least one of a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Long-Term Evolution network or a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Long-Term Evolution Advanced network.
8. An apparatus for a communication system, the apparatus compring:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
control the reception of an indicator on shared data channels, the indicator comprising information on the transmission and format of at least one control part, the at least one control part indicating resource allocation for transmissions in at least one of a current downlink data part or a next uplink data part in a data channel slot on the shared data channels, and
utilize the information when receiving and processing the at least one control part.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to determine from the indicator whether there is data transmission on shared spectrum.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the control part format is one from a set of predetermined formats.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate in at least one of a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Long-Term Evolution network or a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Long-Term Evolution Advanced network.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether data or control information is transmitted within a time period on the shared data channels using the indicator.
13. A method in a communication system, the method comprising:
causing communication on shared data channels of a shared spectrum using a data channel slot comprising a sensing period and a data part period, the sensing period configured to allow one or more devices sharing the shared data channels to detect usage of the shared data channels; and
causing communication on the shared data channels of an indicator comprising information on the transmission and format of at least one control part, the at least one control part indicating resource allocation for transmissions in at least one of a current downlink data part or a next uplink data part in the data channel slot on the shared data channels.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling transmission on the shared data channels using a downlink data channel slot by sensing traffic on the shared spectrum for obtaining a sensing result during the sensing period of the data channel slot and making a decision whether to transmit or not during a data part period of the data channel slot on the basis of the sensing result.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining the control part format on the basis of the sensing result.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising selecting the control part format from a set of predetermined formats on the basis of the sensing result.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the indicator of the control part format comprises an indication of a number of control parts to be transmitted.
18. A method in a communication system, the method comprising:
controlling the reception of an indicator on shared data channels, the indicator comprising information on the transmission and format of at least one control part, the at least one control part indicating resource allocation for transmissions in at least one of a current downlink data part or a next uplink data part in a data channel slot on the shared data channels, and
utilizing the information when receiving and processing the at least one control part.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining from the indicator whether there is data transmission on shared spectrum.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the control part format is one from a set of predetermined formats.