Beacon transmission over unlicensed spectrum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9713035-B2
Application number	US-201414281641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2014
Priority date	May 20, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described in which an unlicensed spectrum is used for Long Term Evolution (LTE) communications. A first method includes broadcasting beacon signals in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an evolved Node B (eNB). A second method includes receiving beacon signals broadcast in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an eNB. The beacon signals may include downlink signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
broadcasting beacon signals in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an evolved Node B (eNB), the beacon signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB that comprises an eNB deployment configuration for an eNB deployment with which the eNB is associated, wherein downlink signals from eNBs in the eNB deployment are synchronized and concurrently transmitted by the eNBs of the eNB deployment in the unlicensed spectrum.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises at least one attribute of the eNB.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein broadcasting of the beacon signals is independent of a listen before talk (LBT) scheme.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration associated with the eNB, and wherein the beacon signals also comprise a paging message for at least one user equipment (UE).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eNBs in the eNB deployment are each deployed by a same operator.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein broadcasting the beacon signals comprises broadcasting the beacon signals at a duty cycle below 5%, with a maximum broadcasting interval of approximately once every 50 milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beacon signals comprise one or more of:
a Primary Synchronization Signal;
a Secondary Synchronization Signal;
a Cell-Specific Reference Signal;
a Physical Broadcast Channel;
a Global Cell Identifier;
a CSG-ID;
a PLMN ID;
a deployment identifier;
a periodic gating structure configuration;
a Clear Channel Assessment randomization seed (CCA-RS)
a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration;
a System Information Block (SIB);
a lite version of an SIB (SIB-lite); or
any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the beacon signals comprise information that identifies the eNB as being active or dormant.

9. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
means for generating beacon signals at an evolved Node B (eNB), the beacon signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB that comprises an eNB deployment configuration for an eNB deployment with which the eNB is associated, wherein downlink signals from eNBs in the eNB deployment are synchronized and concurrently transmitted by the eNBs of the eNB deployment in an unlicensed spectrum; and
means for broadcasting beacon signals in the unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises at least one attribute of the eNB.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein broadcasting of the beacon signals is independent of a listen before talk (LBT) scheme.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration associated with the eNB, and wherein the beacon signals also comprise a paging message for at least one user equipment (UE).

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the eNBs in the eNB deployment are each deployed by a same operator.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the means for broadcasting the beacon signals comprises means for broadcasting the beacon signals at a duty cycle below 5%, with a maximum broadcasting interval of approximately once every 50 milliseconds.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the beacon signals comprise one or more of:
a Primary Synchronization Signal;
a Secondary Synchronization Signal;
a Cell-Specific Reference Signal;
a Physical Broadcast Channel;
a Global Cell Identifier;
a CSG-ID;
a PLMN ID;
a deployment identifier;
a periodic gating structure configuration;
a Clear Channel Assessment randomization seed (CCA-RS)
a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration;
a System Information Block (SIB);
a lite version of an SIB (SIB-lite); or
any combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the beacon signals comprise information that identifies the eNB as being active or dormant.

17. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
a processor;
memory in electronic communication with the processor; and
instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to:
broadcast beacon signals in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an evolved Node B (eNB), the beacon signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB that comprises an eNB deployment configuration for an eNB deployment with which the eNB is associated, wherein downlink signals from eNBs in the eNB deployment are synchronized and concurrently transmitted by the eNBs of the eNB deployment in the unlicensed spectrum.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises at least one attribute of the eNB.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein broadcasting of the beacon signals is independent of a listen before talk (LBT) scheme.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration associated with the eNB, and wherein the beacon signals also comprise a paging message for at least one user equipment (UE).

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the eNBs in the eNB deployment are each deployed by a same operator.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to broadcast the beacon signals comprise instructions executable by the processor to broadcast the beacon signals at a duty cycle below 5%, with a maximum broadcasting interval of approximately once every 50 milliseconds.

23. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the beacon signals comprise one or more of:
a Primary Synchronization Signal;
a Secondary Synchronization Signal;
a Cell-Specific Reference Signal;
a Physical Broadcast Channel;
a Global Cell Identifier;
a CSG-ID;
a PLMN ID;
a deployment identifier;
a periodic gating structure configuration;
a Clear Channel Assessment randomization seed (CCA-RS)
a Random Access Channel (RACH) configuration;
a System Information Block (SIB);
a lite version of an SIB (SIB-lite); or
any combination thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the beacon signals comprise information that identifies the eNB as being active or dormant.

25. A computer program product for communications by a wireless communications apparatus in a wireless communications system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the wireless communications apparatus to:
broadcast beacon signals in an unlicensed spectrum at predetermined times from an evolved Node B (eNB), the beacon signals identifying the eNB and at least one associated attribute of the eNB that comprises an eNB deployment configuration for an eNB deployment with which the eNB is associated, wherein downlink signals from eNBs in the eNB deployment are synchronized and concurrently transmitted by the eNBs of the eNB deployment in the unlicensed spectrum.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 , wherein the at least one associated attribute of the eNB comprises at least one attribute of the eNB.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Bhushan Naga
• Malladi Durga Prasad
• Wei Yongbin
• Gaal Peter
• Luo Tao
• Ji Tingfang
• Horn Gavin Bernard
• Chen Wanshi
• Damnjanovic Aleksandar

Classifications

• H04L5/001 Primary

  the frequencies being arranged in component carriers · CPC title

• H04W72/21

  in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network · CPC title

• H04W72/541

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• H04L27/0006

  Assessment of spectral gaps suitable for allocating digitally modulated signals, e.g. for carrier allocation in cognitive radio (for spectrum sharing between different networks H04W16/14) · CPC title

• H04L27/2602 Primary

  Signal structure · CPC title