Techniques for managing sounding reference signal (SRS) transmissions in shared radio frequency spectrum

A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• identifying a sounding reference signal configuration for sounding reference signal transmissions that indicates periodic intervals for the sounding reference signal transmissions, a first cyclic prefix length for the sounding reference signal transmissions that are within a channel occupancy time of an access network entity, and a second cyclic prefix length for the sounding reference signal transmissions that are outside of the channel occupancy time of the access network entity, wherein the first cyclic prefix length provides a longer cyclic prefix time duration than the second cyclic prefix length;
• determining a first transmission time for a first sounding reference signal based at least in part on the sounding reference signal configuration;
• determining, based at least in part on the sounding reference signal configuration, to use the first cyclic prefix length for the first sounding reference signal based at least in part on the first transmission time being within the channel occupancy time of the access network entity, or to use the second cyclic prefix length for the first sounding reference signal based at least in part on the first transmission time being outside of the channel occupancy time of the access network entity;
• and
• transmitting the first sounding reference signal using the determined first cyclic prefix length or second cyclic prefix length responsive to a successful listen-before-talk procedure associated with the first transmission time.

A method for wireless communication at an access network entity, comprising:

• identifying a sounding reference signal configuration for one or more sounding reference signals from a user equipment (UE), wherein the sounding reference signal configuration indicates periodic intervals for the one or more sounding reference signals, and at least two time offset values associated with each periodic interval, the at least two time offset values including a first offset value from a starting time of each periodic interval that indicates a first transmission time that is available for the one or more sounding reference signal transmissions, and a second offset value from the starting time of each periodic interval or from the first transmission time that indicates a second transmission time within each periodic interval, wherein the second transmission time, within a first periodic interval, is available for transmission of the one or more sounding reference signals if a first listen-before-talk procedure for the first transmission time of the first periodic interval is unsuccessful, and wherein one or more of the first offset value or second offset value is determined based at least in part on a random selection from a set of available offset values;
• monitoring the first transmission time for a first sounding reference signal from the UE;
• and
• monitoring, responsive to the first sounding reference signal being undetected during the first transmission time of the first periodic interval, at least the second transmission time within the first periodic interval for the first sounding reference signal from the UE.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a processor,
• memory in electronic communication with the processor;
• and
• instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• identify a sounding reference signal configuration for transmission of one or more sounding reference signals that indicates periodic intervals for transmission of the one or more sounding reference signals, and at least two time offset values associated with each periodic interval, the at least two time offset values including a first offset value from a starting time of each periodic interval that indicates a first transmission time that is available for the one or more sounding reference signal transmissions, and a second offset value from the starting time of each periodic interval or from the first transmission time that indicates a second transmission time within each periodic interval, wherein the second transmission time, within a first periodic interval, is available for transmission of the one or more sounding reference signals if a first listen-before-talk procedure for the first transmission time of the first periodic interval is unsuccessful, and wherein one or more of the first offset value or the second offset value is determined based at least in part on a random selection from a set of available offset values;
• determine, based at least in part on the first listen-before-talk procedure for the first transmission time, that a wireless channel in a shared radio frequency spectrum band is unavailable for transmission of a first sounding reference signal at the first transmission time;
• and
• perform at least a second listen-before-talk procedure for at least the second transmission time of the first periodic interval to determine whether the wireless channel in the shared radio frequency spectrum band is available for transmission of the first sounding reference signal.