Management of spectrum sharing for prioritized and non-prioritized users in wireless communication system

A method for wireless communication by an access terminal in a wireless communication network that serves prioritized user access terminals and non-prioritized user access terminals, the method comprising:

• sensing, in response to a determination that the access terminal is a non-prioritized user access terminal, an amount of signal energy within a frequency band of the wireless communication network during one or more sensing intervals;
• transmitting wireless signals following the one or more sensing intervals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy does not exceed a sensed energy threshold during the one or more sensing intervals;
• and
• modifying transmission of the wireless signals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy exceeds the sensed energy threshold, while an amount of additional signal energy sensed during one or more subsequent sensing intervals exceeds the sensed energy threshold.

An apparatus for use in an access terminal of a wireless communication network that serves prioritized user access terminals and non-prioritized user access terminals, the apparatus comprising:

• means, operative in response to a determination that the access terminal is a non-prioritized user access terminal, for sensing an amount of signal energy within a frequency band of the wireless communication network during one or more sensing intervals;
• means for transmitting wireless signals following the one or more sensing intervals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy does not exceed a sensed energy threshold during the one or more sensing intervals;
• and
• means for modifying transmission of the wireless signals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy exceeds the sensed energy threshold, while an amount of additional signal energy sensed during one or more subsequent sensing intervals exceeds the sensed energy threshold.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of an access terminal in a wireless communication network that serves prioritized user access terminals and non-prioritized user access terminals, causes the processing circuit to:

• sense, in response to a determination that the access terminal is a non-prioritized user access terminal, an amount of signal energy within a frequency band of the wireless communication network during one or more sensing intervals;
• transmit wireless signals following the one or more sensing intervals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy does not exceed a sensed energy threshold during the one or more sensing intervals;
• and
• modify transmission of the wireless signals, in response to a determination that the amount of signal energy exceeds the sensed energy threshold, while an amount of additional signal energy sensed during one or more subsequent sensing intervals exceeds the sensed energy threshold.