Systems and methods for wireless coexistence in an unlicensed spectrum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10938442-B2
Application number	US-201916653884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2019
Priority date	Jul 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A base station for a wireless communications system operating in an unlicensed target band of a wireless medium includes a receiver configured to wirelessly (i) receive non-cooperative carrier data within the target band from a user equipment, and (ii) detect an operation of at least one spread spectrum channel within the target band. The station further includes a transmitter configured to wirelessly send non-cooperative carrier data within the target band to the user equipment, a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions, and a processor configured to (i) execute the computer-executable instructions, (ii) determine, based on the detection operation of the receiver, at least one sequence of the at least one spread spectrum channel, and (iii) perform at least one corrective action to mitigate interference between the transmitter and an operation of the at least one spread spectrum channel based on the determination of the at least one sequence.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transceiver for a wireless communications system operating in an unlicensed target band of a wireless medium, comprising:
a receiver configured to wirelessly (i) receive first non-cooperative carrier data within the unlicensed target band from at least one user equipment device (UE) different from the transceiver, and (ii) detect an operation of at least one spread spectrum channel within the unlicensed target band;
a transmitter configured to wirelessly send second non-cooperative carrier data within the unlicensed target band to the at least one UE;
a memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and
a processor configured to (i) execute the computer-executable instructions, (ii) determine, based on the detection operation of the receiver, at least one sequence of the at least one spread spectrum channel, and (iii) perform at least one corrective action to mitigate interference between the transmitter and an operation of the at least one spread spectrum channel based on the determination of the at least one sequence.

2. The transceiver of claim 1 , comprising at least one of an evolved node B (eNB) and a next generation node G (gNB).

3. The transceiver of claim 2 , wherein the first and second non-cooperative carrier data conform to a protocol of one or more of long term evolution (LTE), unlicensed LTE (LTE-U), MuLTEfire, license-assisted access, and narrowband Internet of Things (NB IoT).

4. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the unlicensed target band comprises the lower half of Channel 14 of the ISM band.

5. The transceiver of claim 1 , wherein the at least one spread spectrum channel comprises a Bluetooth network using a frequency hopping pattern of a frequency hopping spread spectrum protocol.

6. The transceiver of claim 5 , wherein the transceiver is configured to implement an LTE-based small cell backhaul operation, and wherein the processor comprises at least one physical (PHY) layer and at least one media access control (MAC) layer.

7. The transceiver of claim 5 , further comprising at least one Bluetooth-enabled chip in operable communication with the processor.

8. The transceiver of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the frequency hopping pattern of the Bluetooth network.

9. The transceiver of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to blank at least one of a resource block and a subframe based on the identified frequency hopping pattern.

10. The transceiver of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to (i) calculate underutilization of a separate wireless channel near to the target band, and (ii) steer operation of the Bluetooth network to the separate wireless channel by creating collisions with the second non-cooperative carrier data.

11. The transceiver of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the frequency hopping pattern by actively querying an inquiry physical channel of the Bluetooth network by the transmitter.

12. The transceiver of claim 11 , wherein the Bluetooth-enabled chip is configured to instruct the transmitter to page a paging physical channel of the Bluetooth network.

13. The transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the Bluetooth-enabled chip is further configured to join at least one master discovered as a result of paging the paging physical channel of the Bluetooth network.

14. The transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured obtain an address and clock of at least one master discovered as a result of paging the paging physical channel of the Bluetooth network.

15. The transceiver of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the frequency hopping pattern by instructing the receiver to listen for beacon messages from a master to one or more parked slaves within range of the transceiver.

16. The transceiver of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the frequency hopping pattern by querying the at least one user equipment to report at least one pattern of a Bluetooth network to which the at least UE is a member.

17. The transceiver of claim 16 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive frequency hopping pattern report messages from the at least one UE using a dedicated message protocol.

18. A method for coexistence of a non-cooperative technology operation with a Bluetooth network in a target band of a wireless medium, the method implemented by at least one central transceiver including a receiver, a transmitter, and a processor, the method comprising the steps of:
scanning the target band of the wireless medium for energy signatures above the noise floor and having a predetermined bandwidth corresponding to the Bluetooth network;
detecting at least one energy signature having the predetermined bandwidth within the target band;
identifying a frequency hopping pattern of the Bluetooth network by executing one or more of a listening subprocess, and inquiry messaging subprocess, and a querying subprocess;
obtaining the hop sequence and phase of the identified frequency hopping pattern; and
mitigating interference between the non-cooperative technology operation in the Bluetooth network by one or more of blanking at least one resource block slot of the non-cooperative technology and avoiding operation within the target band at the bandwidth of the detected energy signature.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the non-cooperative technology operation conforms to a protocol of one or more of long term evolution (LTE), unlicensed LTE (LTE-U), MuLTEfire, license-assisted access, and narrowband Internet of Things (NB IoT).

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the non-cooperative technology operation comprises LTE-based small cell backhaul.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the unlicensed target band comprises the lower half of Channel 14 of the ISM band.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the predetermined bandwidth is 1 MHz.

Assignees

• Cable Television Laboratories Inc

Inventors

• Poletti Mark J
• Padden Joseph

Classifications

• H04W16/14

  Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} · CPC title

• H04B17/345

  Interference values ({signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]} H04B17/336) · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04B2001/7154

  with means for preventing interference · CPC title

• H04B1/715 Primary

  Interference-related aspects · CPC title