RESERVATION OF UNLICENSED SPECTRUM IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

Spectrum reservation circuitry for use in a source electronic device (e.g. eNB or UE) of a wireless communication system is provided. The availability of an unlicensed carrier for use is checked by control circuitry of the source device and a License Assisted Access (LAA) Request to Send signal is transmitted on an unlicensed carrier if it is determined to be available for use. Receive circuitry is configured to receive on an unlicensed carrier, from a destination electronic device an LAA Clear to Send signal in response, depending upon availability of the unlicensed channel at the destination. Corresponding spectrum reservation circuitry is provided for use in a destination device, comprising transmit circuitry to transmit the LAA Clear to Send signal. A corresponding computer program product is provided on a non-transitory medium.

主权项

1. Spectrum reservation circuitry for use in a source eNodeB or UE of a wireless communication system for establishing a downlink or uplink LTE-Licensed Assisted Access, LAA, connection for exchange of data with at least one destination UE or eNodeB respectively, the circuitry comprising:
control circuitry for performing a carrier status check to determine whether spectrum of an unlicensed carrier is occupied or available for use; transmit circuitry configured to transmit, on the unlicensed carrier, an LAA Request to Send signal to the at least one destination eNodeB or UE dependent upon the carrier status check determining that the spectrum of the unlicensed carrier is available for use; receive circuitry configured to receive, on the unlicensed carrier, an LAA Clear to Send signal from at least a subset of the at least one destination eNodeB or UE in response to the Request to Send signal and depending upon availability of the spectrum of the unlicensed carrier as determined by a respective one of the at least one destination eNodeB or UE.