IP Library Granted Patent US 10,912,012
Granted Patent B2
US 10,912,012 · App. 16/446,120 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

Initial network access for downlink unlicensed deployment

Inventors: Kaushik Chakraborty (San Diego, CA); Xiaoxia Zhang (San Diego, CA); Jing Sun (San Diego, CA); Tamer Kadous (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W48/10H04W16/14H04W16/28H04W24/08H04W72/046H04W72/0453H04W74/0808H04W74/0833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,912,012
App. No.
16/446,120
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Wireless communications systems and methods related to initial network access in a network deployed over a downlink unlicensed band paired with one or more UL bands are provided. A first wireless communication device communicates, with a second wireless communication device in a downlink unlicensed band, a first broadcast communication signal during a discovery time period configured based on a network discovery configuration. The first broadcast communication signal includes a configuration for requesting a second broadcast communication signal when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period. The first wireless communication device communicates, with the second wireless communication device, a request for the second broadcast communication signal based on the configuration. The first wireless communication device communicates, with the second wireless communication device in the downlink unlicensed band, the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period in response to the request.

Claims (61)

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

communicating, by a first wireless communication device with a second wireless communication device in a downlink unlicensed band, a first broadcast communication signal during a discovery time period configured based on a network discovery configuration, the first broadcast communication signal indicating a second broadcast communication signal is scheduled to be transmitted within the discovery time period and including a configuration for requesting the second broadcast communication signal when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period;

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device, a request for the second broadcast communication signal based on the configuration; and

communicating, by the first wireless communication device with the second wireless communication device in the downlink unlicensed band, the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration indicates one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more random access resources are outside of the discovery time period.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal further indicates a beam direction for each of the one or more random access resources, wherein the first broadcast communication signal is communicated in a first beam direction, and wherein the request is communicated using a first resource of the one or more random access resources corresponding to the first beam direction.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

allocating, by the first wireless communication device, the one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communicating the request includes:

transmitting, by the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal includes an expiration period for monitoring for the second broadcast communication signal in the discovery time period, and wherein the communicating the request includes:

transmitting, by the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the expiration period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the communicating the request includes:

transmitting, by the first wireless communication device to the second wireless communication device, the request for the second broadcast communication signal, and the communicating the second broadcast communication signal includes:

monitoring, by the first wireless communication device, for the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period after transmitting the request.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing, by the first wireless communication device, a listen-before-talk (LBT) in the downlink unlicensed band during the discovery time period; and

refraining, by the first wireless communication device, from transmitting the second broadcast communication signal in the downlink unlicensed band during the discovery time period based on the LBT.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is communicated in at least one of an uplink licensed band or an uplink unlicensed band.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal includes a synchronization signal block (SSB), and wherein the second broadcast communication signal includes remaining system information (RMSI).

12. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to:

communicate, with a wireless communication device in a downlink unlicensed band, a first broadcast communication signal during a discovery time period configured based on a network discovery configuration, the first broadcast communication signal indicating a second broadcast communication signal is scheduled to be transmitted within the discovery time period and including a configuration for requesting the second broadcast communication signal when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period;

communicate, with the wireless communication device, a request for the second broadcast communication signal based on the configuration; and

communicate, with the wireless communication device in the downlink unlicensed band, the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period in response to the request.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the configuration indicates one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more random access resources are outside of the discovery time period.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal further indicates a beam direction for each of the one or more random access resources, wherein the first broadcast communication signal is communicated in a first beam direction, and wherein the request is communicated using a first resource of the one or more random access resources corresponding to the first beam direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

a processor configured to allocate the one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver configured to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal includes an expiration period for monitoring for the second broadcast communication signal in the discovery time period, and wherein the transceiver configured to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the expiration period.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver configured to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the wireless communication device, the request for the second broadcast communication signal, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a processor configured to monitor for the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period after transmitting the request.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a processor configured to:

perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) in the downlink unlicensed band during the discovery time period; and

refrain from transmitting the second broadcast communication signal in the downlink unlicensed band during the discovery time period based on the LBT.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the request is communicated in at least one of an uplink licensed band or an uplink unlicensed band.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal includes a synchronization signal block (SSB), and wherein the second broadcast communication signal includes remaining system information (RMSI).

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:

code for causing a wireless communication device to communicate, with a second wireless communication device in a downlink unlicensed band, a first broadcast communication signal during a discovery time period configured based on a network discovery configuration, the first broadcast communication signal indicating that a second broadcast communication signal is scheduled to be transmitted within the discovery time period and including a configuration for requesting the second broadcast communication signal when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period;

code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate, with the second wireless communication device, a request for the second broadcast communication signal based on the configuration; and

code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate, with the second wireless communication device in the downlink unlicensed band, the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period in response to the request.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the configuration indicates one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the one or more random access resources are outside of the discovery time period.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal further indicates a beam direction for each of the one or more random access resources, wherein the first broadcast communication signal is communicated in a first beam direction, and wherein the request is communicated using a first resource of the one or more random access resources corresponding to the first beam direction.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising:

code for causing the wireless communication device to allocate the one or more random access resources for communicating the request for the second broadcast communication signal.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the second wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the discovery time period.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the first broadcast communication signal includes an expiration period for monitoring for the second broadcast communication signal in the discovery time period, and wherein the code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the second wireless communication device, the request when there is no second broadcast communication signal detected within the expiration period.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate the request is further configured to:

transmit, to the second wireless communication device, the request for the second broadcast communication signal, and

wherein the code for causing the wireless communication device to communicate the second broadcast communication signal is further configured to:

monitor for the second broadcast communication signal outside of the discovery time period after transmitting the request.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2019
From: CHAKRABORTY, KAUSHIK; ZHANG, XIAOXIA; SUN, JING; KADOUS, TAMER
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 050346/0227 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62691972 · Jun 29, 2018
Related Publication 20200008131A1 · Jan 2, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,588,043