Alcatel Lucent

Nokia Technologies Oy

David Lopez Perez

Lorenzo Galati Giordano

Giovanni Geraci

Adrian Garcia Rodriguez

Andrea Bonfante

A method of scheduling user equipment, a multiple antenna network node and computer program are disclosed. The method comprises: estimating at least one access network node channel within the unlicensed band between at least one access node operable to transmit in the unlicensed band, such as a WiFi Access Point, and the multiple antenna network node. Estimating a plurality of user equipment channels within the unlicensed band between a plurality of user equipment and the multiple antenna network node. Determining a degree of channel correlation of each of the plurality of user equipment channels and the at least one access node channel. Selecting at least one of the multiple user equipment to be scheduled, using the degree of channel correlation as a selection parameter, a lower degree of channel correlation increasing a user equipment's chance of being selected. In this manner the interference that LTE transmissions from and to scheduled UEs create on the at least one access node is reduced.

Scheduling user equipment in the unlicensed band

A node is configured for connection to a massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) array to provide spatially multiplexed channels in an unlicensed frequency band. The node includes a memory configured to store samples of non-spatially filtered signals received by the node during a first listen-before-talk (LBT) operation used to acquire the unlicensed frequency band. The node also includes a processor configured to determine, based on a number of previously stored samples, a duration of a silent time interval during which the node collects samples of non-spatially filtered signals and stores the samples in the memory. The node further includes a transceiver configured to perform a second LBT operation to acquire the unlicensed frequency band using a spatial filter determined based on the samples stored in the memory.

Adaptive allocation of temporal resources for massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) in unlicensed frequency bands

A node is configured to be connected to a massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) array to provide spatially multiplexed channels to a plurality of user equipment in an unlicensed frequency band. The node includes a processor configured to allocate a number of degrees of freedom of the massive MIMO array to interference suppression based on an outcome of a first listen-before-talk (LBT) operation performed by the node to acquire the unlicensed frequency band. The processor is also configured to generate a spatial filter based on the number of degrees of freedom allocated to interference suppression. The node also includes a transceiver configured to perform a second LBT operation using the spatial filter.

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Blanchardstown, Ireland

David Lopez Perez