Coexistence techniques for wide area network devices operating in unlicensed bands

1. A method implemented by a communication device that is configured to operate in a first wireless communication network that utilizes a communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed by a government entity for wireless communication applications, the method comprising:

determining, at the communication device, whether one or more communication channels in an unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, wherein the government entity does not require licenses to use the unlicensed frequency band, and wherein determining whether the one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks includes using a clear channel assessment function defined by a communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band;

in response to determining that one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, selecting, at the communication device, a set of one or more communication channels in the one or more communication channels for use by the first wireless communication network;

utilizing, at the communication device, the set of one or more communication channels for communications in the first wireless communication network;

while utilizing the set of one or more communication channels for communications in the first wireless communication network, determining, at the communication device, that a second wireless communication network is utilizing or is attempting to utilize a first channel in the set of one or more communication channels; and

in response to determining that the second wireless communication network is utilizing or is attempting to utilize the first channel, the communication device temporarily quieting use of the first channel by the first communication network to permit use of the first channel by the second communication network,

wherein temporarily quieting use of the first channel by the first communication network includes one of:

transmitting, by the communication device, a multicast-broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe, and

transmitting, by the communication device, an almost blank subframe (ABS).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks comprises scanning, at the communication device, a plurality of communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are being utilized by any second wireless communication networks.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein

scanning the plurality of communication channels comprises scanning the plurality of communication channels for signals that conform to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band is one of i) a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol, or ii) a personal area network (PAN) communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication device is a first communication device;

the method further comprises receiving, at the first communication device, one or more messages from one or more second communication devices operating in the first wireless communication network, the one or more messages including information indicating whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second communication networks; and

determining whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks comprises analyzing, at the first communication device, the information in the one or more messages.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication device is a first communication device; and

the method comprises utilizing, at the first communication device, carrier aggregation to communicate with a second communication device in the first communication network via multiple communication channels in the unlicensed band.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

in response to determining that a first channel in the multiple communication channels is being utilized by a second wireless communication network, deactivating, at the first communication device, the first channel from use in the carrier aggregation; and

in response to determining that a second channel in the unlicensed band is not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, activating, at the first communication device, the second channel for use in the carrier aggregation.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

while it is determined that a first channel in the multiple communication channels is being utilized by a second wireless communication network, not scheduling, at the first communication device, the second communication device to use the first channel; and

while it is determined that a second channel in the multiple communication channels is not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, scheduling, at the first communication device, the second communication device to use the second channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the second wireless communication network utilizes the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein temporarily quieting use of the first channel by the first communication network comprises quieting use of the first channel by the first wireless communication network for a defined amount of time at regular intervals.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication device comprising one or more integrated circuit devices configured to

operate in a first wireless communication network that utilizes a communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed by a government entity for wireless communication applications,

determine whether one or more communication channels in an unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, wherein the government entity does not require licenses to use the unlicensed frequency band, and wherein determining whether the one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks includes using a clear channel assessment function defined by a communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band,

in response to determining that one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, select a set of one or more communication channels in the one or more communication channels for use by the first wireless communication network,

utilize the set of one or more communication channels for communications in the first wireless communication network,

while utilizing the set of one or more communication channels for communications in the first wireless communication network, determine that a second wireless communication network is utilizing or is attempting to utilize a first channel in the set of one or more communication channels; and

in response to determining that the second wireless communication network is utilizing or is attempting to utilize the first channel, temporarily quiet use of the first channel by the first communication network to permit use of the first channel by the second communication network,

wherein the one or more integrated circuit devices are configured to

transmit one of (i) a multicast-broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe and (ii) an almost blank subframe (ABS) to quiet use of the first channel by the first wireless communication network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to scan a plurality of communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are being utilized by any second wireless communication networks.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein

the one or more integrated circuit devices are configured to scan the plurality of communication channels for signals that conform to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency bands.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the communication protocol is one of i) a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol, or ii) a personal area network (PAN) communication protocol.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the communication device is a first communication device; and

the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to

receive one or more messages from one or more second communication devices operating in the first wireless communication network, the one or more messages including information indicating whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second communication networks, and

analyze the information in the one or more messages to determine whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the communication device is a first communication device; and

the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to utilize carrier aggregation to communicate with a second communication device in the first communication network via multiple communication channels in the unlicensed band.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to:

while it is determined that a first channel in the multiple communication channels is being utilized by a second wireless communication network, not schedule the second communication device to use the first channel; and

while it is determined that a second channel in the multiple communication channels is not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, schedule the second communication device to use the second channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to:

in response to determining that a first channel in the multiple communication channels is being utilized by a second wireless communication network, deactivate the first channel from use in the carrier aggregation; and

in response to determining that a second channel in the unlicensed band is not being utilized by any second wireless communication networks, activate the second channel for use in the carrier aggregation.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:

the second wireless communication network utilizes the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more integrated circuit devices are further configured to quiet use of the first channel by the first wireless communication network for a defined amount of time at regular intervals.

21. A method implemented by a first communication device that is configured to operate in a first wireless communication network that utilizes a communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications by a government entity, the method comprising:

scanning, at the first communication device, a plurality of communication channels in an unlicensed frequency band to determine whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are being utilized by any second communication networks, wherein the government entity does not require licenses to use the unlicensed frequency band, and wherein the scanning is performed according to a channel scanning function defined by a communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band;

based on the scanning, generating, at the first communication device, channel availability information indicating whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second communication networks;

generating, at the first communication device, one or more messages that include the channel availability information; and

transmitting, from the first communication device, the one or more messages to a second communication device in the first wireless communication network using the communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein:

scanning the plurality of communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band comprises scanning the plurality of communication channels for signals that conform to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency bands.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein:

transmitting the one or more messages comprises transmitting the one or more messages using a first network interface device configured to communicate according to the communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications; and

scanning the plurality of communication channels comprises scanning the plurality of communication channels using a second network interface device configured to communicate according to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band is one of i) a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol, or ii) a personal area network (PAN) communication protocol.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication device comprising one or more integrated circuit devices configured to

operate in a first wireless communication network that utilizes a communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications by a government entity,

scan a plurality of communication channels in an unlicensed frequency band to determine whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are being utilized by any second communication networks, wherein the government entity does not require licenses to use the unlicensed frequency band, and wherein the scanning is performed according to a channel scanning function defined by a communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band,

based on scanning the plurality of communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band, generate channel availability information indicating whether one or more communication channels in the unlicensed frequency band are not being utilized by any second communication networks,

generate one or more messages that include the channel availability information, and

transmit the one or more messages to a second communication device in the first wireless communication network using the communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein:

the one or more integrated circuit devices are configured to scan the plurality of communication channels for signals that conform to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency bands.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the communication device comprises:

a first network interface device configured to

communicate with one or more other communication devices in the first wireless communication network utilizing the communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications, and

transmit the one or more messages according to the communication protocol developed for use in frequency bands that are licensed for communication applications; and

a second network interface device configured to

communicate according to the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band, and

scan the plurality of communication channels using the scanning procedure defined by the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the communication protocol developed for use in the unlicensed frequency band is one of i) a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication protocol, or ii) a personal area network (PAN) communication protocol.