# US 2017/0289997 A1 · Lte operation in small cells using dynamic shared spectrum

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- Number: US 2017/0289997 A1
- Document ID: US20170289997A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/625,210
- Filed: 2017-06-16
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-02-24
- Assignees: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
- Applicants: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
- Inventors: Athmane Touag; Jean-Louis Gauvreau; Rocco Di Girolamo; Martino M. Freda; Joseph M. Murray; Mihaela C. Beluri; Scott Laughlin; Debashish Purkayastha; Angelo A. Cuffaro
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170289997A1

## CPC

- H04W 72/27: between access points
- H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks}
- H04W 16/32: Hierarchical cell structures
- H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
- H04W 72/51: based on terminal or device properties
- H04W 84/045: {using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B}
- H04W 92/20: between access points
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus may be used to provide assistance for connection procedures in a hierarchical network where macro cells may be operating in licensed spectrum while small cells may be operating in dynamic and shared spectrums, such as TVWS. This may be done, for example, to allow an LTE system performing carrier aggregation (CA) to reconfigure itself to change from a supplementary cell (SuppCell) in one dynamic and shared spectrum channel to a SuppCell in another dynamic and shared spectrum channel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A base station comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to:
determine a cell operating mode for a small cell operating in a dynamic and shared spectrum that indicates whether the small cell is operating in a multi-layer mode or a single-layer mode;
generate a small cell information response that comprises the cell operating mode; and
send the small cell information response to a macro base station to enable the macro base station to determine a layer connectivity mode for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a small cell information request from the macro base station.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to send the small cell information response to the macro base station via an X2 interface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an identification of a cluster of cells that includes the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the identification of the cluster of cells.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a load level for the small cell that indicates an amount of data traffic at the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the load level for the small cell.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a multi-layer/Single layer capability of the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the multi-layer/single layer capability of the small cell.

### Claim 6

A base station comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to:
receive a small cell information response from a small cell operating in a dynamic and shared spectrum that indicates a layer connectivity mode of the small cell; and
determine a layer connectivity mode for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) using the small cell information response.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The base station of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location for the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the location for the small cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The base station of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of an edge of the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the location of the edge of the small cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a frequency allocation for the small cell, and wherein the small cell information response further comprises the frequency allocation for the small cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The base station of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a coexistence mode indicating an operating mode that is compatible with another base station.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The base station of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine the frequency allocation for the small cell and the coexistence mode by receiving the frequency allocation and the coexistence mode from a shared spectrum manager.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a neighbor small cell; and
retrieve neighbor small cell information from the neighbor small cell.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The base station of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to send the neighbor small cell information to the WTRU.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive neighbor small cell information from a neighbor small cell.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The base station of claim 14, wherein the processors is further configured to send the neighbor small cell information to the WTRU.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, wherein the layer connectivity mode for the WTRU is one of a single layer with a macro cell mode, a single layer with the small cell mode, or a multi-layer mode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to send the layer connectivity mode to the WTRU to enable the WTRU to operate in a single layer mode with a macro base station.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to send the layer connectivity mode for the WTRU to the WTRU to enable the WTRU to operate in a single layer mode with a small base station.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, where the processor is further configured to send the layer connectivity mode for the WTRU to the WTRU to enable WTRU to operate in a multi-layer mode.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to send the layer connectivity mode for the WTRU to the WTRU to enable the WTRU to connect to a macro cell and to connect to the small cell.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The base station of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to send a small information request to a small base station.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The base station of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a multi-layer/single layer capability of the small cell.

### Claim 24

A base station comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to:
determine a discovery frame to be used for sending a proximity signal;
determine a subframe of the discovery frame and a symbol of the subframe to be used to identify a small cell;
generate the proximity signal for the small cell using the subframe and the symbol; and
send the proximity signal in the discovery frame to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to enable the WTRU to identify and locate the small cell.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The base station of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to send the discovery frame, the subframe, and the symbol to a macro base station to enable the macro base station to identify the proximity signal as belonging to the small cell.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The base station of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to determine the discovery frame by determining the discovery frame that is to be used for an operator or a public land mobile network.

### Claim 27

A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:
a processor, the processor being configured to:
determine a discovery frame to be used for receiving a proximity signal;
receive the proximity signal using the discovery frame from a small cell;
determine a subframe of the discovery frame and a symbol of the subframe from the proximity signal; and
send the subframe and the symbol of the subframe to a Macro base station.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The WTRU of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an identity of the small cell that sent the proximity signal using the subframe and the symbol.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The WTRU of claim 27, wherein the processor is father configured to receive an identity of the small cell from the macro base station.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The WTRU of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a signal strength of the proximity signal.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The WTRU of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a location of the small cell using the signal strength of the proximity signal.

### Claim 32 (depends on 30)

The WTRU of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to send the signal strength of the proximity signal to the macro base station.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The WTRU of claim 32, wherein the processor is further configured to receive an identity and a location of the small cell from the macro base station.

### Claim 34 (depends on 27)

The WTRU of claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to receive operating mode information for the small cell.

### Claim 35 (depends on 27)

The WTRU of claim 27, wherein the processor is father configured to receive a layer connectivity mode.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The WTRU of claim 35, wherein the layer connectivity mode is one of a single layer with a macro cell mode, a single layer with the small cell mode, or a multi-layer mode.