Method and apparatus for time division coexistence in unlicensed radio frequency bands for mobile devices

#The described embodiments generally relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for time division coexistence for mobile wireless devices operating in combinations of licensed and unlicensed radio frequency bands.

#Fourth generation (4G) cellular networks employing newer radio access technology systems that implement the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) standards are rapidly being developed and deployed within the United States and abroad. The LTE-A standard includes modes for aggregation of multiple component carriers (CCs) to provide for meeting the bandwidth requirements of multi-carrier systems that cumulatively achieve data rates not possible by predecessor LTE versions. Wireless communication devices can include configurable radio frequency (RF) circuitry that can transmit and/or receive radio frequency communications using multiple component carriers in a single radio frequency band and/or in multiple radio frequency bands. With wireless networks encountering exponential growth of Internet traffic, such as video traffic, web browsing traffic, and other data traffic that can be carried over the Internet, development of new wireless communication protocols that can support wider bandwidths, a greater range of radio frequencies, and higher throughput data rates arises. Given the costs and/or data traffic limits to communicate over cellular wireless networks, users can prefer to communicate over “free” wireless local area networks (WLANs), subscription based WLANs, and/or operator provided WLANs when possible. In unlicensed radio frequency bands, in which WLANs typically operate, cellular wireless communication devices do not presently operate, but standardization efforts and exploration have begun that seek to add bandwidth for cellular transmissions by using radio frequency channels within the unlicensed radio frequency bands presently occupied by WLANs. In particular, the 5 GHz radio frequency band is targeted to provide for secondary carrier LTE transmission in a carrier aggregation mode.

#In addition, there exists a need for solutions that provide methods and apparatuses for time based sharing of radio frequency channels for mobile wireless devices operating in licensed radio frequency bands, unlicensed radio frequency bands, and in combinations of both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency bands. In this regard, it would be beneficial to manage the use of secondary component carriers by a wireless communication device employing carrier aggregation to include capabilities for communication in unlicensed radio frequency bands in addition to licensed radio frequency bands.

#The described embodiments and the advantages thereof may best be understood with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and they are in no way intended to limit or exclude foreseeable modifications thereto in form and detail that may be made by one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of this disclosure.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication network including Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) network cells supporting multiple user equipment devices (UEs), in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.

#FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a wireless communication network diagram depicting LTE and LTE-A user equipment (UE) in communication with a primary carrier cell and with one or more secondary carrier cells, in accordance with various implementations of the disclosure.

#Representative applications of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products according to the present disclosure are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting.

#In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting; such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments.

#In accordance with various embodiments described herein, the terms “wireless communication device,” “wireless device,” “mobile device,” “mobile station,” and “user equipment” (UE) may be used interchangeably herein to describe one or more common consumer electronic devices that may be capable of performing procedures associated with various embodiments of the disclosure. In accordance with various implementations, any one of these consumer electronic devices may relate to: a cellular phone or a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer, a netbook computer, a media player device, an electronic book device, a MiFi® device, a wearable computing device, as well as any other type of electronic computing device having wireless communication capability that can include communication via one or more wireless communication protocols such as used for communication on: a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a wireless metro area network (WMAN) a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN), a near field communication (NFC), a cellular wireless network, a fourth generation (4G) LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), and/or 5G or other present or future developed advanced cellular wireless networks.