Systems, methods and devices for opportunistic networking

Abstract

Opportunistic networking systems can utilize one or multiple bands/channels that are shared with other radio access technologies (RATs) (such as wireless local area networks (WLAN, such as Wi-Fi) and mmWave). An unconventional carrier type (UCT) can be defined to support opportunistic networking in licensed and/or unlicensed spectrum. For example, a primary base station can determine a secondary base station activated for use with user equipment (UE). The primary base station can schedule data to be sent to the UE via the secondary base station. The secondary base station can provide discovery information, reserve a wireless channel, transmit the data and/or release the channel (implicitly, explicitly, or by reservation).

1 . An apparatus of a user equipment (UE), comprising:
 memory for storing a licensed assisted access (LAA) subframe;   a processor configured to:
 decode, from a radio access network (RAN) node, the LAA subframe to generate decoded LAA subframe data; 
 identify a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and cell-specific reference signal (CRS) within the decoded LAA subframe data; and 
 determine that a discovery signal exists within the LAA subframe based at least in part on identifying the PSS, SSS and CRS within the decoded LAA subframe data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the UE is configured to add the RAN node as a secondary cell. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first wireless interface coupled to a transceiver configured to communicate using LAA using a secondary cell operation. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a second wireless interface configured to communicate using long term evolution (LTE) using a primary cell operation. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform secondary cell operations using LAA. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first wireless interface coupled to a first transmitter using an unlicensed band with LAA in a secondary cell operation. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising a second wireless interface coupled to a second transmitter using an licensed band with using long term evolution (LTE) in a primary cell operation. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is a baseband processor. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus of a radio access network (RAN) node, comprising:
 a first wireless interface coupled to a transmitter using a licensed assisted access (LAA) band;   a processor configured to:
 select a first subframe for discovery measurement timing for a LAA discovery signal, wherein the first subframe contains a primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and cell-specific reference signals (CRS); 
 generate a periodic LAA discovery signal based at least in part on the discovery measurement timing and the first subframe; and 
 provide the periodic LAA discovery signal for transmission using the first wireless interface. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein to provide the periodic LAA discovery signal for transmission using the first wireless interface further comprises to provide the periodic LAA discovery signal for transmission using the first wireless interface when a transmission subframe is active. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a second wireless interface configured as a primary cell interface. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the LAA band is an unlicensed band. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the second wireless interface is a long term evolution (LTE) interface. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first wireless interface is configured to transmit on a band that includes WLAN. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first wireless interface is configured as an LAA secondary cell interface. 
     
     
         16 . The system apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is a baseband processor. 
     
     
         17 . A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by a processor to perform operations of a radio access network (RAN) node, the operations, when executed by the processor, to perform a method, the method comprising:
 selecting a first occurring subframe of a discovery signal period for a licensed assisted access (LAA) discovery signal;   generating a non-empty subframe including the LAA discovery signal, a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal; and   encoding the non-empty subframe for transmission at a time of the first occurring subframe of the discovery signal period.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the LAA discovery signal is periodic based on the discovery signal period. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the non-empty subframe further comprises a cell specific reference signal (CRS). 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises providing a secondary cell to a user equipment (UE) using LAA.