Dual band LTE small cell

摘要

A dual band LTE small cell base station communicates on both licensed bands and unlicensed bands. The small cell base station modifies the communication protocol utilized by the licensed band to enable communication over an unlicensed band. This modification involves replacing the physical (PHY) layer of the licensed band communication protocol with the PHY layer of a to-be-used protocol in an unlicensed band.

主权项

1. A wireless communication method, the method comprising:
identifying one or more channels in an unlicensed band and one or more channels in a licensed band available for communication between a small cell base station and a user equipment; measuring channel information for at least one of the one or more channels in the unlicensed band and the one or more channels in the licensed band; based on the measured channel information, transmitting, from the small cell base station to the user equipment, information on the one or more channels in the unlicensed band and the one or more channels in the licensed band, wherein the transmitting comprises:
transmitting data channel information to the user equipment on the one or more channels in the unlicensed band according to LTE protocol;transmitting control channel information to the user equipment on the one or more channels in the licensed band according to LTE protocol; re-measuring channel information for at least one of the one or more channels in the unlicensed band and the one or more channels in the licensed band; comparing the re-measured channel information for the one or more channels in the licensed band to a threshold; and if the re-measured channel information for the one of the one or more channels in the licensed band exceeds the threshold, transmitting control channel information and data channel information on the one or more channels in the licensed band.