Channel access mechanisms in millimeter wave unlicensed bands

A device configured for operation in a millimeter wave shared spectrum, the device comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• and
• a processor caused, by executing the instructions, to:
• receive higher layer information, the higher layer information indicating the device to operate with shared spectrum access in a serving cell within the millimeter wave shared spectrum, wherein the higher layer information includes an indicator that indicates a channel access mode;
• and
• transmit, subsequent to determining that the channel is idle using channel sensing on the channel, an uplink (UL) transmission burst on a channel in the serving cell to, thereby, initiate channel occupancy on the channel;
• wherein, the processor is caused to
• perform the channel sensing in accordance with a channel sensing type that the processor has determined in accordance with the channel access mode, the channel sensing type comprising a directional channel sensing type.

A method of controlling a user equipment (UE) in a millimeter wave shared spectrum, the method comprising:

• transmitting, by a base station (BS) to the UE, higher layer information, the higher layer information indicating the UE to operate with shared spectrum access in a serving cell within the millimeter wave shared spectrum, wherein the higher layer information includes an indicator that indicates a channel access mode;
• and
• transmitting, by the BS to the UE and subsequent to determining that a channel is idle using channel sensing on the channel, a downlink (DL) transmission burst on the channel in the serving cell to, thereby, initiate channel occupancy on the channel,
• wherein
• the channel sensing is performed, by the BS, in accordance with a channel sensing type associated with the channel access mode, the channel sensing type comprising a directional channel sensing type.

A device configured for operation in a millimeter wave shared spectrum, the device comprising:

• a memory storing instructions;
• and
• a processor caused, by executing the instructions, to:
• transmit, to a user equipment (UE), higher layer information, the higher layer information indicating the UE to operate with shared spectrum access in a serving cell within the millimeter wave shared spectrum, wherein the higher layer information includes an indicator that indicates a channel access mode;
• and
• transmit, to the UE, subsequent to determining that a channel is idle using channel sensing on the channel, a downlink (DL) transmission burst on the channel in the serving cell to, thereby, initiate channel occupancy on the channel,
• wherein, if the higher layer information includes an indicator indicates a channel access mode, the transmitting is subsequent to determining that the channel is idle using channel sensing on the channel;
• and
• wherein
• the channel sensing is caused to be performed, by the processor, in accordance with a channel sensing type associated with the channel access mode, the channel sensing type comprising a directional channel sensing type.