# US 2020/0404706 A1 · Communication node and methods performed thereby > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0404706 A1 - Document ID: US20200404706A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/968,964 - Filed: 2019-02-14 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-16 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Reem KARAKI; Jung-Fu CHENG; Havish KOORAPATY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200404706A1 ## CPC - H04W 74/0808: using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] - H04L 1/1822: involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes - H04L 1/188: {Time-out mechanisms} - H04L 1/1883: {using multiple timers} - H04W 16/14: Spectrum sharing arrangements {between different networks} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first communication node operating in a wireless communications network. The first communication node adjusts a value of a Contention Window, CW, from a first value to a second value, the second value being a higher value than the first value, wherein adjusting the value is based on: one or more feedback timers having expired at a time of performing a sensing procedure in the absence of: a) a received uplink, UL, grant from a second communication node, or b) a downlink feedback from the second communication node for an Autonomous Uplink, AUL, transmission from the first communication node. Following adjusting the value, the first communication node initiates a sensing procedure performed prior to a transmission of an UL burst to the second communication node, wherein the sensing procedure uses the adjusted value of the CW. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, performed by a first communication node operating in a wireless communications network, the method comprising: adjusting a value of a Contention Window, CW, from a first value to a second value, the second value being a higher value than the first value, adjusting the value being based on: at least one feedback timer having expired at a time of performing a sensing procedure in the absence of one of: a) a received uplink, UL, grant from a second communication node, and b) a downlink feedback from the second communication node for an Autonomous Uplink, AUL, transmission from the first communication node; and following adjusting the value: initiating a sensing procedure performed prior to a transmission of an UL burst to the second communication node, the sensing procedure using the adjusted value of the CW. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the CW is adjusted for all priority classes at the first communication node. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of performing the sensing procedure, the at least one feedback timer has expired in the absence of any downlink transmission from the second communication node, and wherein the higher value is increased once to a next higher value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at the time of performing the sensing procedure, the at least one feedback timer has expired, and at least one downlink, DL, transmission has been received from the second communication node, the DL transmission being devoid of feedback information, and wherein the higher value is increased to a next higher value, wherein the next higher value is dependent on number of expired feedback timers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein after the time of performing the sensing procedure and the at least one feedback timer has expired, the method further comprises: receiving at least one downlink, DL, transmission from the second communication node comprising feedback information, the feedback information being negative for a latest expired timer, and with the proviso that the feedback information is negative, using a CW of the second value in a following sensing procedure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein after the time of performing the sensing procedure and the at least one feedback timer has expired, the method further comprises: receiving at least one downlink, DL, transmission from the second communication node comprising feedback information, the feedback information being positive for a latest expired timer, and with the proviso that the feedback information is positive, resetting the value of the CW, from the second value to one of the first and a third value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the feedback information is positive when at least one of the following is fulfilled: a. all reference subframes are Acknowledged, Acked; b. a latest reference subframe is Acked; c. more than a set number of reference subframes are Acked; d. less than a set number of the reference subframes are Negatively Acknowledged, Nacked; wherein the reference subframes correspond to subframes wherein the at least one feedback timer was initiated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the received at least one DL transmission is associated with a HARQ Identifier, ID, linked to the latest expired timer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the feedback timers corresponds to a respective Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest, HARQ, process corresponding to a respective UL burst previously transmitted by the first communication node to the second communication node. ### Claim 10 A first communication node configured to operate in a wireless communications network, the first communication node being configured to: adjust a value of a Contention Window, CW, from a first value to a second value, the second value being a higher value than the first value, adjustment of the value being based on: at least one feedback timer having expired at a time of performing a sensing procedure in the absence of one of: a) a received uplink, UL, grant from a second communication node, and b) a downlink feedback from the second communication node for an Autonomous Uplink, AUL, transmission from the first communication node; and following adjusting the value, configured to: initiate the sensing procedure performed prior to a transmission of an UL burst to the second communication node, the sensing procedure using the adjusted value of the CW. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein the value of the CW is adjusted for all priority classes at the first communication node. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein at the time of performing the sensing procedure, the at least one feedback timer has expired in the absence of any downlink transmission from the second communication node, and wherein the higher value is increased once to a next higher value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein at the time of performing the sensing procedure, the at least one feedback timer has expired, and at least one downlink, DL, transmission has been received from the second communication node, the DL transmission being devoid of feedback information, and wherein the higher value is increased to a next higher value, wherein the next higher value is dependent on number of expired feedback timers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein after the time of performing the sensing procedure and the at least one feedback timer has expired, the first communication node is further configured to: receive at least one downlink, DL, transmission from the second communication node comprising feedback information, the feedback information being negative for a latest expired timer, and with the proviso that the feedback information is negative, use the CW of the second value in a following sensing procedure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein after the time of performing the sensing procedure and the at least one feedback timer has expired, the first communication node is further configured to: receive at least one downlink, DL, transmission from the second communication node comprising feedback information, the feedback information being positive for a latest expired timer, and with the proviso that the feedback information is positive, reset the value of the CW, from the second value to one of the first and a third value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The first communication node according to claim 15, wherein the feedback information is positive when at least one of the following is fulfilled: a. all reference subframes are Acknowledged, Acked; b. a latest reference subframe is Acked; c. more than a set number of reference subframes are Acked; d. less than a set number of the reference subframes are Negatively Acknowledged, Nacked; wherein the reference subframes correspond to subframes wherein the one or more feedback timers were initiated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The first communication node according to claim 14, wherein the received at least one DL transmission is associated with a HARQ Identifier, ID, linked to the latest expired timer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The first communication node according to claim 10, wherein each of the feedback timers corresponds to a respective Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest, HARQ, process corresponding to a respective UL burst previously transmitted by the first communication node to the second communication node. ### Claim 19 (canceled) ### Claim 20 A computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method performed by a first communication node operating in a wireless communications network, the method comprising: adjusting a value of a Contention Window, CW, from a first value to a second value, the second value being a higher value than the first value, adjusting the value being based on: at least one feedback timer having expired at a time of performing a sensing procedure in the absence of one of: a) a received uplink, UL, grant from a second communication node, and b) a downlink feedback from the second communication node for an Autonomous Uplink, AUL, transmission from the first communication node; and following adjusting the value: initiating a sensing procedure performed prior to a transmission of an UL burst to the second communication node, the sensing procedure using the adjusted value of the CW. ### Claim 21 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein at the time of performing the sensing procedure, the at least one feedback timer has expired in the absence of any downlink transmission from the second communication node, and wherein the higher value is increased once to a next higher value.