Method, mobile communications device, system and circuitry for estimating an occupancy level of a shared channel

A mobile communications device for use in a mobile communications system arranged to communicate with mobile communications devices via a wireless interface provided by a first frequency channel allocated to mobile networks communications for the mobile communications system and by a shared frequency channel which is shareable by the mobile communications system and by other wireless communications systems, the mobile communications device comprising:

• circuitry configured to:
• measure, for each of a plurality of first time periods within a second time period, a channel utilization on the shared channel based on signals received by the transceiver, wherein
• the circuitry is configured to measure a channel utilization by
• determining, for each of the plurality of first time periods, whether the mobile communications system is transmitting signals on the shared channel;
• measuring, when it is determined that the mobile communications system is transmitting signals on the shared channel, the channel utilization based on an interference measurement indicating an interference level identified for the signals transmitted on the shared channel by the mobile communications system;
• and
• measuring, when it is determined that the mobile communications system is not transmitting signals on the shared channel, the channel utilization based on a measurement indicating a power received via the shared channel;
• determine channel occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods based on the measured channel utilization;
• determine an indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel for the second time period, wherein the indication of the occupancy level is a percentage calculated based on a ratio of a number of the first time periods when the occupancy state for the shared channel is above a congestion threshold to a number of the first time periods when the occupancy state for the shared channel is below the congestion threshold;
• and
• generate a measurement report based on the indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel and transmit the measurement report to the base station.

Circuitry for a mobile communications device for use in a mobile communications system arranged to communicate with mobile communications devices via a wireless interface provided by a first frequency channel allocated to mobile networks communications for the mobile communications system and by a shared frequency channel which is shareable by the mobile communications system and by other wireless communications systems, the circuitry comprising:

• a controller and a transceiver configured to operate together to:
• measure, for each of a plurality of first time periods within a second time period, a channel utilization on the shared channel based on signals received by the transceiver, wherein
• the measuring comprises
• determining, for each of the plurality of first time periods, whether the mobile communications system is transmitting signals on the shared channel;
• when it is determined that the mobile communications system is transmitting signals on the shared channel, measuring the channel utilization based on an interference measurement indicating an interference level identified for the signals transmitted on the shared channel by the mobile communications system;
• and
• when it is determined that the mobile communications system is not transmitting signals on the shared channel, measuring the channel utilization based on a measurement indicating a power received via the shared channel;
• determine channel occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods based on the measured channel utilization;
• determine an indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel for the second time period, wherein the indication of the occupancy level is a percentage calculated based on a ratio of a number of the first time periods when the occupancy state for the shared channel is above a congestion threshold to a number of the first time periods when the occupancy state for the shared channel is below the congestion threshold;
• and
• generate a measurement report based on the indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel and transmit the measurement report to the base station.