Shared spectrum access for broadcast and bi-directional, packet-switched communications
Techniques are disclosed relating to spectrum sharing between different radio access technologies. In some embodiments, a broadcast base station is configured to wirelessly broadcast audio and video data to a plurality of broadcast receiver devices using a particular frequency band. In these embodiments, the broadcast base station is configured to discontinue broadcasting in the particular frequency band during a scheduled time interval, to enable one or more cellular base stations to perform cellular packet-switched wireless data communications using the particular frequency band.
1. A method, comprising:
wirelessly broadcasting, by a broadcast base station, a common set of audio and video data to a plurality of broadcast receiver devices using a particular frequency band, wherein the broadcast base station is not configured to receive content data from any of the broadcast receiver devices;
aligning, by the broadcast base station, a broadcast frame boundary with a boundary for frames transmitted by one or more cellular base stations, wherein the alignment of the frames enables the one or more cellular base stations to transmit cellular control signaling using resources of a preamble interval of the broadcast frame;
discontinuing broadcasting, by the broadcast base station, in the particular frequency band during a scheduled time interval, to enable at least one cellular base station to perform bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communications using the particular frequency band; and
resuming broadcasting, by the broadcast base station, in the particular frequency band after the scheduled time interval.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the broadcast base station, control signaling during a pre-determined portion of the scheduled time interval, wherein the control signaling includes synchronization information to enable one or more broadcast receiver devices to remain connected to the broadcast base station during the scheduled time interval such that the receiver devices remain synchronized with the broadcast base station at the end of the scheduled time interval.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discontinuing is based on receiving information indicating that one or more cellular base stations will utilize the particular frequency band during the scheduled time interval.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduled time interval corresponds to a portion of a frame of bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communications data transmitted by the at least one cellular base station.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the broadcast base station is configured to wirelessly broadcast audio and video data during a second portion of the frame of bi-directional packet-switched wireless data.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second portion of the frame corresponds to a multicast/broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the broadcast base station, blanking information indicating the scheduled time interval to receiving devices of the broadcast audio and video data.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the packet-switched wireless data communications are Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications.
9. A method, comprising:
performing, by a cellular base station, bi-directional packet-switched communication with one or more mobile devices using a first frequency band;
aligning, by the cellular base station, a cellular frame boundary with a broadcast frame boundary for a frame transmitted by a broadcast base station;
transmitting, by the cellular base station, control signaling using resources of a preamble interval of the broadcast frame based on the aligning; and
performing, by the cellular base station, bi-directional packet-switched communication with one or more mobile devices using a second frequency band during a scheduled time interval, wherein the second frequency band is used for wirelessly broadcasting a common set of audio and video data to a plurality of devices, by the broadcast base station, during a first time interval prior to the scheduled time interval and a second time interval subsequent to the scheduled time interval.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
wherein the control signaling includes synchronization information for the second frequency band outside of the scheduled time interval to enable one or more cellular devices to remain synchronized with and connected to the cellular base station outside of the scheduled time interval.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the scheduled time interval corresponds to a subframe of bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communication.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the scheduled time interval is based on information received from a broadcast system.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the broadcast base station transmits using the second frequency band during a multicast/broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe of a cellular frame.
14. An apparatus for a broadcast base station, comprising, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
wirelessly broadcast a common set of audio and video data to a plurality of broadcast receiver devices using a particular frequency band, wherein the broadcast base station is not configured to receive content data from any of the broadcast receiver devices;
align a broadcast frame boundary with a boundary for frames transmitted by one or more cellular base stations, wherein the alignment enables the one or more cellular base stations to transmit cellular control signaling using resources of a preamble interval of the broadcast frame;
discontinue broadcasting in the particular frequency band during a scheduled time interval, to enable at least one cellular base station to perform bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communications using the particular frequency band; and
resume broadcasting in the particular frequency band after the scheduled time interval.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit control signaling during a pre-determined portion of the scheduled time interval, wherein the control signaling includes synchronization information to enable one or more broadcast receiver devices to remain connected to the broadcast base station during the scheduled time interval such that the receiver devices remain synchronized with the broadcast base station at the end of the scheduled time interval.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the discontinuation is based on receiving information indicating that one or more cellular base stations will utilize the particular frequency band during the scheduled time interval.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the scheduled time interval corresponds to a portion of a frame of bi-directional packet-switched wireless data communications data transmitted by the at least one cellular base station.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the broadcast base station is configured to wirelessly broadcast audio and video data during a second portion of the frame of bi-directional packet-switched wireless data.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second portion of the frame corresponds to a multicast/broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
transmit blanking information indicating the scheduled time interval to receiving devices of the broadcast audio and video data.