Method, mobile communications device, system and circuitry for estimating an occupancy level of a shared channel

Circuitry for a mobile communications device for use in a mobile communications system arranged to communicate with mobile communications devices via a wireless interface provided by a first frequency channel allocated to mobile networks communications for the mobile communications system and by a shared frequency channel which can be shared by the mobile communications system and by other wireless communications systems, the circuitry comprising:

• transceiver circuitry configured to transmit signals via the wireless interface;
• and
• control circuitry configured to
• measure, for each of a plurality of first time periods within a second time period, a channel utilisation on the shared channel based on signals received by the transceiver;
• determine channel occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods based on the measured channel utilisation;
• and
• determine an indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel for the second time period, wherein the indication of an occupancy level is determined based on the occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods.

A method performed by a mobile communications device for use in a mobile communications system arranged to communicate with mobile communications devices via a wireless interface provided by a first frequency channel allocated to mobile networks communications for the mobile communications system and by a shared frequency channel which can be shared by the mobile communications system and by other wireless communications systems, the method comprising:

• measuring, for each of a plurality of first time periods within a second time period, a channel utilisation on the shared channel based on signals received by the mobile communications device;
• determining channel occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods based on the measured channel utilisation;
• and
• determining an indication of an occupancy level for the shared channel for the second time period, wherein the indication of an occupancy level is determined based on the occupancy states for the shared channel for each of the first time periods.