Systems and methods for a spatial listen-before-talk protocol

An apparatus for wireless communication at a transmitting network device in a listen-before-talk (LBT) session, comprising:

• means for determining multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration information for the transmitting network device;
• means for performing a contention-based access protocol procedure to determine whether a wireless transmission channel is clear for transmitting data to a target network device, based on the determined MIMO configuration information;
• and
• means for transmitting a broadcast message, prior to transmitting data to the target network device, the broadcast message including at least part of the MIMO configuration information, when the contention-based access protocol procedure indicates that the wireless transmission channel is clear.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a transmitting network device, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• to determine multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration information for the transmitting network device;
• to perform a content-based access protocol procedure to determine whether a wireless transmission channel is clear for transmitting data to a target network device, based on the determined MIMO configuration information;
• and
• to transmit a broadcast message, prior to transmitting data to the target network device, the broadcast message including at least part of the MIMO configuration information, when the content-based access protocol procedure indicates that the wireless transmission channel is clear.

A method for wireless communication at a target network device in a listen-before-talk (LBT) session, comprising:

• receiving from a transmitting network device a first broadcast message over a wireless transmission channel;
• determining first multiple input multiple output (MIMO) configuration information of the transmitting network device from the received first broadcast message;
• performing a contention-based access protocol procedure to determine whether the wireless transmission channel is clear for transmitting a signal to the transmitting network device, based on the determined MIMO configuration information;
• and
• transmitting a second broadcast message to the transmitting network device, the second broadcast message including second MIMO configuration information based on the determined first MIMO configuration information, when the first MIMO configuration information is available from the received first broadcast message and when the contention-based access protocol procedure indicates that the wireless transmission channel is clear for transmission.