Long term evolution interference management in unlicensed bands for wi-fi operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9332465-B2
Application number	US-201414275505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2014
Priority date	Oct 15, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for improved interference management by Wi-Fi devices are disclosed. The interference management may be achieved by monitoring, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device, comparing the monitored signal energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation, and identifying a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for interference management by a Wi-Fi device, the method comprising:
monitoring, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device;
comparing the monitored signaling energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation;
identifying a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison;
correlating a periodicity of the monitored signaling energy with a plurality of predefined patterns associated with LTE uplink and downlink (UL/DL) configurations;
classifying the LTE interferer as operating in accordance with an associated one of the UL/DL configurations based on the correlation; and
performing interference mitigation based on the classification and the associated UL/DL configuration, wherein the interference mitigation comprises dual-rate control that maintains, based on the associated UL/DL configuration, separate power tracking loops for (i) packet transmissions during LTE UL subframes and (ii) packet transmissions during LTE DL subframes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the known waveform signature comprises a periodic signaling energy pattern with predefined transmission intervals characteristic of LTE operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing interference avoidance that comprises switching operating channels based on a switching threshold associated with the presence of the LTE interferer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing interference mitigation that comprises interference nulling using multiple antennas at the Wi-Fi device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing interference avoidance that comprises interference-aware, multi-user scheduling of Wi-Fi subscriber stations (STAs) based on the associated UL/DL configuration.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring is performed by a Wi-Fi receiver of the Wi-Fi device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring comprises receiving a report from another Wi-Fi device relating to the monitored signaling energy.

8. An apparatus for interference management by a Wi-Fi device, the apparatus comprising:
a signal energy monitor configured to control monitoring, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device;
a waveform comparator configured to compare the monitored signaling energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation;
an interference identifier configured to identify a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison;
an interference classifier configured to correlate a periodicity of the monitored signaling energy with a plurality of predefined patterns associated with LTE uplink and downlink (UL/DL) configurations, and to classify the LTE interferer as operating in accordance with an associated one of the UL/DL configurations based on the correlation; and
an interference moderator configured to perform interference mitigation based on the classification and the associated UL/DL configuration, wherein the interference moderator is configured to perform the interference mitigation by dual-rate control that maintains, based on the associated UL/DL configuration, separate power tracking loops for (i) packet transmissions during LTE UL subframes and (ii) packet transmissions during LTE DL subframes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the known waveform signature comprises a periodic signaling energy pattern with predefined transmission intervals characteristic of LTE operation.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the interference moderator is further configured to perform interference avoidance that comprises switching operating channels based on a switching threshold associated with the presence of the LTE interferer.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the interference moderator is further configured to perform interference mitigation that comprises interference nulling using multiple antennas at the Wi-Fi device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the interference moderator is further configured to perform interference avoidance that comprises interference-aware, multi-user scheduling of Wi-Fi subscriber stations (STAs) based on the associated UL/DL configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the signal energy monitor comprises a Wi-Fi receiver of the Wi-Fi device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the signal energy monitor comprises a receiver configured to receive a report from another Wi-Fi device relating to the monitored signaling energy.

15. An apparatus for interference management by a Wi-Fi device, the apparatus comprising:
means for monitoring, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device;
means for comparing the monitored signaling energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation;
means for identifying a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison;
means for correlating a periodicity of the monitored signaling energy with a plurality of predefined patterns associated with LTE uplink and downlink (UL/DL) configurations;
means for classifying the LTE interferer as operating in accordance with an associated one of the UL/DL configurations based on the correlation; and
means for performing interference mitigation based on the classification and the associated UL/DL configuration, wherein the interference mitigation comprises dual-rate control that maintains, based on the associated UL/DL configuration, separate power tracking loops for (i) packet transmissions during LTE UL subframes and (ii) packet transmissions during LTE DL subframes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the known waveform signature comprises a periodic signaling energy pattern with predefined transmission intervals characteristic of LTE operation.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising means for performing (i) interference avoidance that comprises switching operating channels based on a switching threshold associated with the presence of the LTE interferer or (ii) interference mitigation that comprises interference nulling using multiple antennas at the Wi-Fi device.

18. An apparatus for interference management by a Wi-Fi device, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
monitor, by the Wi-Fi device, signaling energy on a communication channel in a frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device,
compare the monitored signaling energy with a known waveform signature corresponding to Long Term Evolution (LTE) operation,
identify a presence of an LTE interferer on the communication channel in the frequency band associated with the Wi-Fi device based on the comparison,
correlate a periodicity of the monitored signaling energy with a plurality of predefined patterns associated with LTE uplink and downlink (UL/DL) configurations,
classify the LTE interferer as operating in accordance with an associated one of the UL/DL configurations based on the correlation, and
perform interference mitigation based on the classification and the associated UL/DL configuration, wherein the interference mitigation comprises dual-rate control that maintains, based on the ass

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Valliappan Nachiappan
• Sadek Ahmed Kamel

Classifications

• H04W72/541 Primary

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• H04W36/06 Primary

  Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W36/30

  by measured or perceived connection quality data · CPC title

• H04W74/0808 Primary

  using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] · CPC title