# US 10,484,979 B2 · Fast enhanced component carrier activation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,979 B2 - Document ID: US10484979B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/045,423 - Filed: 2016-02-17 - Published: 2016-09-01 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-02-27 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Jelena Damnjanovic; Wanshi Chen; Aleksandar Damnjanovic; Tao Luo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484979B2 ## CPC - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04L 5/001: {the frequencies being arranged in component carriers} - H04L 5/0087: {when data requirements change} - H04L 5/0098: {Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands} - H04L 27/0006: {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)} - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04L 5/0032: {Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation} - H04L 5/0064: {Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority} - H04L 5/1469: {using time-sharing} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) may be configured for carrier aggregation (CA) operation. The CA configuration may include multiple component carriers (CCs), including an enhanced component carrier (eCC). One CC of the CA configuration may be employed to signal channel availability of another CC of the CA configuration. For instance, a primary CC that utilizes licensed frequency bandwidth may signal channel availability of an eCC that utilizes unlicensed frequency bandwidth. This indication of channel availability may be sent before or after a clear channel assessment (CCA). Additionally, the indication of channel availability may be employed in both self- and cross-carrier scheduling configurations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of wireless communication, comprising: receiving signaling indicative of a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration comprising a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, wherein the first CC comprises a primary carrier utilizing a licensed frequency bandwidth and the second CC comprises a secondary carrier utilizing an unlicensed frequency bandwidth; receiving a control signal on the licensed frequency bandwidth of the first CC that indicates a channel availability on the unlicensed frequency bandwidth of the second CC; receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on the first CC, wherein the PDCCH message schedules resources of the second CC, wherein a duration of transmission time intervals (TTIs) in the second CC is shorter than a duration of TTIs in the first CC of the first CC, and wherein the PDCCH message is transmitted in a first TTI of the first CC and assigns a TTI of the second CC that at least partially overlaps in time with a subsequent TTI of the first CC, the subsequent TTI of the first CC being subsequent to the first TTI of the first CC; and monitoring the second CC in response to the received control signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: initiating a monitoring timer based at least in part on the monitoring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving a preamble transmission on the second CC; and restarting the monitoring timer in response to the received preamble transmission. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining that the monitoring timer has expired before a preamble transmission is received on the second CC; and ceasing the monitoring of the second CC. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a PDCCH or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) message on the second CC, wherein the PDCCH or PDSCH message schedules resources of the second CC. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the first CC for the PDCCH message beginning at a first determinative time after receiving the control signal; wherein monitoring the second CC comprises monitoring the second CC beginning at a second determinative time after receiving the control signal; and wherein the first determinative time comprises a number of TTIs of the first CC and the second determinative time comprises a number of TTIs of the second CC. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the first CC for the PDCCH message beginning at a first determinative time after receiving the control signal; and wherein monitoring the second CC comprises monitoring the second CC for a data channel in response to receiving the PDCCH message. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a physical channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the control signal comprises a subband of the licensed frequency bandwidth of the first CC. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the physical channel comprises a PDCCH format for user equipment (UEs) configured to monitor the second CC upon receipt of the control signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the primary carrier comprises a primary component carrier (PCC) and the secondary carrier comprises an enhanced component carrier (eCC). ### Claim 12 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: means for receiving signaling indicative of a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration comprising a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, wherein the first CC comprises a primary carrier utilizing a licensed frequency bandwidth and the second CC comprises a secondary carrier utilizing an unlicensed frequency bandwidth; means for receiving a control signal on the licensed frequency bandwidth of the first CC that indicates a channel availability on the unlicensed frequency bandwidth of the second CC; means for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on the first CC, wherein the PDCCH message schedules resources of the second CC, wherein a duration of transmission time intervals (TTIs) in the second CC is shorter than a duration of TTIs in the first CC of the first CC, and wherein the PDCCH message is transmitted in a first TTI of the first CC and assigns a TTI of the second CC that at least partially overlaps in time with a subsequent TTI of the first CC, the subsequent TTI of the first CC being subsequent to the first TTI of the first CC; and means for monitoring the second CC in response to the received control signal. ### Claim 13 An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a processor; memory in electronic communication with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the processor, to cause the apparatus to: receive signaling indicative of a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration comprising a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, wherein the first CC comprises a primary carrier utilizing a licensed frequency bandwidth and the second CC comprises a secondary carrier utilizing an unlicensed frequency bandwidth; receive a control signal on the licensed frequency bandwidth of the first CC that indicates a channel availability on the unlicensed frequency bandwidth of the second CC; receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on the first CC, wherein the PDCCH message schedules resources of the second CC, wherein a duration of transmission time intervals (TTIs) in the second CC is shorter than a duration of TTIs in the first CC of the first CC, and wherein the PDCCH message is transmitted in a first TTI of the first CC and assigns a TTI of the second CC that at least partially overlaps in time with a subsequent TTI of the first CC, the subsequent TTI of the first CC being subsequent to the first TTI of the first CC; and monitor the second CC in response to the received control signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the apparatus to: initiate a monitoring timer based at least in part on the monitoring. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the apparatus to: receive a preamble transmission on the second CC; and restart the monitoring timer in response to the received preamble transmission. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the apparatus to: determine that the monitoring timer has expired before a preamble transmission is received on the second CC; and cease the monitoring of the second CC. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the instructions are operable to cause the apparatus to: receive a PDCCH or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) message on the second CC, wherein the PDCCH or PDSCH message schedules resources of the second CC. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable by a processor to: receive signaling indicative of a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration comprising a first component carrier (CC) and a second CC, wherein the first CC comprises a primary carrier utilizing a licensed frequency bandwidth and the second CC comprises a secondary carrier utilizing an unlicensed frequency bandwidth; receive a control signal on the licensed frequency bandwidth of the first CC that indicates a channel availability on the unlicensed frequency bandwidth of the second CC; receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) message on the first CC, wherein the PDCCH message schedules resources of the second CC, wherein a duration of transmission time intervals (TTIs) in the second CC is shorter than a duration of TTIs in the first CC of the first CC, and wherein the PDCCH message is transmitted in a first TTI of the first CC and assigns a TTI of the second CC that at least partially overlaps in time with a subsequent TTI of the first CC, the subsequent TTI of the first CC being subsequent to the first TTI of the first CC; and monitor the second CC in response to the received control signal.