Channel sensing indication when COT sharing in NR systems operating in unlicensed spectrum

A method for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing by a device of a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

• decoding, by the device, a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication received from a second device of the wireless communication network during a first transmission period;
• determining, by the device, whether the CCA indication asserts a channel sensing procedure;
• performing, by the device, the channel sensing procedure to detect an energy level in a channel during an interval between the first transmission period and a scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted;
• determining, by the device, whether the energy level satisfies an energy detect threshold;
• refraining from transmitting, by the device, to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level satisfies the energy detect threshold;
• and
• transmitting, by the device, to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level fails to satisfy the energy detect threshold.

A device of a wireless communication network, comprising:

• at least one antenna;
• at least one radio, wherein the at least one radio is configured to communicate with a second device of the wireless communication network using the at least one antenna;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing comprising:
• generating a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication, the CCA indication indicating whether the second device is to perform a channel sensing procedure to detect an energy level in a channel during an interval between a first transmission period and a scheduled second transmission period, the first transmission period is used by the device to transmit to the second device, and the scheduled second transmission period is used by the device to receive a transmission from the second device;
• and
• transmitting the CCA indication to the second device during the first transmission period.

A device of a wireless communication network, comprising:

• at least one antenna;
• at least one radio, wherein the at least one radio is configured to communicate with a second device of the wireless communication network using the at least one antenna;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing comprising:
• decoding a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication received from the second device during a first transmission period;
• determining whether the CCA indication asserts a channel sensing procedure;
• performing the channel sensing procedure to detect an energy level in a channel during an interval between the first transmission period and a scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted;
• determining whether the energy level satisfies an energy detect threshold;
• refraining from transmitting to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level satisfies the energy detect threshold;
• and
• transmitting to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level fails to satisfy is less than the energy detect threshold.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for channel occupancy time (COT) sharing by a device of a wireless communication network, the operations comprising:

• decoding a clear channel assessment (CCA) indication received from a second device during a first transmission period;
• determining whether the CCA indication asserts a channel sensing procedure;
• performing the channel sensing procedure to detect an energy level in a channel during an interval between the first transmission period and a scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the CCA indication is asserted;
• determining whether the energy level satisfies an energy detect threshold;
• refraining from transmitting to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level satisfies the energy detect threshold;
• and
• transmitting to the second device during the scheduled second transmission period in response to determining that the energy level fails to satisfy the energy detect threshold.