Assignment of communication resources in an unlicensed frequency band to equipment operating in a licensed frequency band
Communication equipment communicating in a licensed frequency band identifies unused unlicensed communication resources within an unlicensed frequency band. The communication equipment uses the identified unlicensed communication resources to communicate within the unlicensed frequency band. In some circumstances, the unused unlicensed communication resources are identified based on resource information received from a base station where the resource information identifies unlicensed communication resources that will be used by the base station. In other circumstances, the unused unlicensed communication resources are identified based on frequency band measurements of the unlicensed frequency band over an observation time duration longer than a sensing time duration used by unlicensed equipment using the unlicensed frequency band.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a base station at a user equipment (UE), first information designating a first monitoring mode as a designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a first signal in an unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receiving the first information, executing the first monitoring mode to perform first monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use,
in response to determining from the first monitoring that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmitting the first signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band,
receiving, from the base station at the UE, second information designating a second monitoring mode as the designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a second signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receiving the second information and before transmitting any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, executing the second monitoring mode to perform second monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use, the second monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band comprising reduced sensing of the unlicensed frequency band as compared to the first monitoring, the second monitoring performed without transmitting any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, the first monitoring and the second monitoring measuring the same characteristics of the unlicensed frequency band, and
in response to determining from the second monitoring that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmitting the second signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first monitoring and the second monitoring measure the characteristic in accordance with the same radio access technology.
3. A user equipment (UE) comprising:
a transceiver configured to:
receive, from a base station, first information designating a first monitoring mode as a designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a first signal in an unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receipt of the first information, execute the first monitoring mode to perform first monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use,
in response to a determination from the first monitoring that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmitting the first signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band,
receive, from the base station, second information designating a second monitoring mode as the designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a second signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receipt of the second information and before transmission by the UE of any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, execute the second monitoring mode to perform second monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use, the second monitoring performed without transmitting any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, the second monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band comprising reduced sensing of the unlicensed frequency band as compared to the first monitoring, the first monitoring and the second monitoring measuring the same characteristics of the unlicensed frequency band; and
in response to a determination from the second monitoring that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmit the second signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band.
4. The UE of claim 3 , wherein the first monitoring and the second monitoring measure the characteristic in accordance with the same radio access technology.
5. A base station comprising:
a transceiver configured to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), first information designating a first monitoring mode as a designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a first signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
receive, from the UE, the first signal within the unlicensed frequency band, the first signal transmitted by the UE by at least executing the first monitoring mode before transmitting the first signal,
transmit, to the UE, second information designating a second mode as the mode of determining whether the UE transmits a second signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
receive, from the UE, the second signal within the unlicensed frequency band, the second signal transmitted by the UE by at least executing the second monitoring mode before transmitting the second signal, wherein:
the first monitoring mode comprises the UE monitoring the unlicensed frequency band to check whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use, and
the second monitoring mode comprises the UE monitoring of the unlicensed frequency band without transmitting any signal in the unlicensed band, with reduced sensing of the unlicensed frequency band as compared to the first monitoring, to check whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use, the first monitoring mode and the second monitoring mode comprising a measurement of the same characteristics of the unlicensed frequency band.
6. The base station of claim 5 , wherein the first monitoring mode and the second monitoring mode measure the characteristic in accordance with the same radio access technology.
7. An apparatus for controlling a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising:
a memory; and
a controller, configured to cause the UE to:
receive, from the base station, first information designating a first monitoring mode as a designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a first signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receipt of the first information, execute the first monitoring mode to perform to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use,
in response to a determination from the first monitoring mode that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmit the first signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band,
receive, from the base station, second information designating a second monitoring mode as the designated monitoring mode of determining whether the UE transmits a second signal in the unlicensed frequency band,
in response to receipt of the second information and before transmission by the UE of any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, execute the second monitoring mode to determine whether the unlicensed frequency band is in use, the second monitoring performed without transmitting any signal in the unlicensed frequency band, the second monitoring mode of the unlicensed frequency band comprising reduced sensing of the unlicensed frequency band as compared to the first monitoring mode, the first monitoring mode and the second monitoring mode measuring the same characteristics of the unlicensed frequency band; and
in response to a determination from the second monitoring that the unlicensed frequency band is not in use, transmit the second signal to the base station in the unlicensed frequency band.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first monitoring mode and the second monitoring mode measure the characteristic in accordance with the same radio access technology.