LTE EMBMS service enhancement

1. A method of communications, comprising:

receiving, by a multicast coordination entity (MCE), a plurality of channel status reports from respective eNodeBs (eNBs), wherein each channel status report includes channel information associated with a respective eNB for one of a plurality of channels in a contention based radio frequency band and information indicating whether a channel of the respective eNB is free from a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission, wherein the channel of the respective eNB is free from the WLAN transmission if a WLAN signal strength of the channel is less than or equal to a first threshold;

selecting the channel for an eNB among the plurality of channels based on the plurality of channel status reports, wherein the selected channel is available to be used for an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (eMBMS); and

prompting the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the selected channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting the channel comprises:

selecting a free channel that is free from the WLAN transmission based on the plurality of channel status reports; and

selecting a low load channel having a WLAN signal strength that is less than a second threshold if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel according to the plurality of channel status reports.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

prompting a user equipment (UE) to receive the eMBMS via at least one of a macro eMBMS channel or a unicast channel if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel or the low load channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

prompting a user equipment (UE) via a primary component carrier (PCC) to reselect an eMBMS channel of the UE to correspond with the selected channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel for the eNB is selected to maximize a single frequency network (SFN) gain for the eMBMS.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the SFN gain is maximized for the eMBMS by at least one of minimizing a number of channels used for eMBMS or maximizing a number of consecutive eMBMS sites using the channel.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

selecting two or more of the plurality of channels to receive the eMBMS via the two or more of the plurality of channels,

wherein a user equipment (UE) is configured to receive the eMBMS by combining data from two or more eMBMS channels of the UE corresponding with the two or more of the plurality of channels.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

periodically reselecting a channel for each eNB among the plurality of channels to receive the eMBMS according to at least one of a random pattern or a predefined pattern; and

prompting the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the reselected channel,

wherein the reselected channel is a free channel or a low load channel.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication including a multicast coordination entity (MCE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive a plurality of channel status reports from respective eNodeBs (eNBs), wherein each channel status report includes channel information associated with a respective eNB for one of a plurality of channels in a contention based radio frequency band and information indicating whether a channel of the respective eNB is free from a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission, wherein the channel of the respective eNB is free from the WLAN transmission if a WLAN signal strength of the channel is less than or equal to a first threshold;

select the channel for an eNB among the plurality of channels based on the plurality of channel status reports, wherein the selected channel is available to be used for an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (eMBMS); and

prompt the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the selected channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor configured to select the channel is configured to:

select a free channel that is free from the WLAN transmission based on the plurality of channel status reports; and

select a low load channel having a WLAN signal strength that is less than a second threshold if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel according to the plurality of channel status reports.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

prompt a user equipment (UE) to receive the eMBMS via at least one of a macro eMBMS channel or a unicast channel if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel or the low load channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

prompt a user equipment (UE) via a primary component carrier (PCC) to reselect an eMBMS channel of the UE to correspond with the selected channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the channel for the eNB is selected to maximize a single frequency network (SFN) gain for the eMBMS.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the SFN gain is maximized for the eMBMS by at least one of minimizing a number of channels used for eMBMS or maximizing a number of consecutive eMBMS sites using the channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select two or more of the plurality of channels to receive the eMBMS via the two or more of the plurality of channels,

wherein a user equipment (UE) is configured to receive the eMBMS by combining data from two or more eMBMS channels of the UE corresponding with the two or more of the plurality of channels.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

periodically reselect a channel for each eNB among the plurality of channels to receive the eMBMS according to at least one of a random pattern or a predefined pattern; and

prompt the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the reselected channel,

wherein the reselected channel is a free channel or a low load channel.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, by a multicast coordination entity (MCE), a plurality of channel status reports from respective eNodeBs (eNBs), wherein each channel status report includes channel information associated with a respective eNB for one of a plurality of channels in a contention based radio frequency band and information indicating whether a channel of the respective eNB is free from a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission, wherein the channel of the respective eNB is free from the WLAN transmission if a WLAN signal strength of the channel is less than or equal to a first threshold;

means for selecting the channel for an eNB among the plurality of channels based on the plurality of channel status reports, wherein the selected channel is available to be used for an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (eMBMS); and

means for prompting the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the selected channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the means for selecting the channel comprises:

means for selecting a free channel that is free from the WLAN transmission based on the plurality of channel status reports; and

means for selecting a low load channel having a WLAN signal strength that is less than a second threshold if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel according to the plurality of channel status reports.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising code for:

receiving, by a multicast coordination entity (MCE), a plurality of channel status reports from respective eNodeBs (eNBs), wherein each channel status report includes channel information associated with a respective eNB for one of a plurality of channels in a contention based radio frequency band and information indicating whether a channel of the respective eNB is free from a wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission, wherein the channel of the respective eNB is free from the WLAN transmission if a WLAN signal strength of the channel is less than or equal to a first threshold;

selecting the channel for an eNB among the plurality of channels based on the plurality of channel status reports, wherein the selected channel is available to be used for an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (eMBMS); and

prompting the eNB to provide the eMBMS using the selected channel.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the code for selecting the channel comprises code for:

selecting a free channel that is free from the WLAN transmission based on the plurality of channel status reports; and

selecting a low load channel having a WLAN signal strength that is less than a second threshold if none of the respective eNBs have the free channel according to the plurality of channel status reports.