Channel reservation for operation in an unlicensed spectrum

An evolved Node B (“eNB”) circuitry comprising:

• processing circuitry to generate a message that includes scheduling information for reservation of a wireless transmission medium associated with an unlicensed frequency band and to determine downlink data to be transmitted to a user equipment (“UE”) in the unlicensed frequency band;
• and
• transmitter circuitry, coupled with the processing circuitry, to transmit the message to the UE in a physical downlink control channel (“PDCCH”) or an enhanced PDCCH (“EPDCCH”) of a licensed frequency band and to transmit the downlink data to the UE in the unlicensed frequency band after the transmission of the scheduling information,
• wherein the transmitter circuitry is to transmit the scheduling information to a plurality of UEs, and the processing circuitry is to include an indication that the plurality of UEs are to transmit respective clear-to-send (“CTS”) messages to reserve the wireless transmission medium simultaneously after performing clear channel assessment (“CCA”) to determine if the wireless transmission medium associated with the unlicensed frequency band is clear.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computing device-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by a user equipment (“UE”), cause the UE to:

• process scheduling and control information received from an evolved Node B (“eNB”) in a physical downlink control channel (“PDCCH”) or an enhanced PDCCH (“EPDCCH”) of a licensed frequency band, the control information to specify an amount of time that the UE is to reserve a wireless transmission medium associated with an unlicensed frequency band;
• perform clear channel assessment (“CCA”) to determine if the wireless transmission medium associated with the unlicensed frequency band is clear;
• and
• generate a clear-to-send (“CTS”) message based on the performed CCA and the received scheduling information to reserve the wireless transmission medium based on the scheduling and control information;
• and
• transmit the CTS message in the unlicensed frequency band to reserve the wireless transmission medium based on performance of medium sensing.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computing device-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, in response to execution by an evolved Node B (“eNB”), cause the eNB to:

• determine scheduling information associated with transmission of downlink data in a wireless transmission medium associated with an unlicensed frequency band;
• transmit the scheduling information and control information to a first user equipment (“UE”) in a physical downlink control channel (“PDCCH”) or an enhanced PDCCH (“EPDCCH”) of a licensed frequency band, the control information to specify an amount of time that the first UE is to reserve the wireless transmission medium;
• and
• transmit downlink data to a second UE in the unlicensed frequency band after the transmission of the scheduling information,
• wherein the scheduling information is transmitted to a plurality of UEs, and the scheduling information includes an indication that the plurality of UEs are to transmit respective clear-to-send (“CTS”) messages to reserve the wireless transmission medium simultaneously after performing clear channel assessment (“CCA”) to determine if the wireless transmission medium associated with the unlicensed frequency band is clear.