Charter Communications Operating, LLC

Frank Azcuy

Amitav Mukherjee

Maulik Vijay Vaidya

Ahmad Reza Hedayat

Marcus Maranhao

A master node (MN) communicating with a UE using resources of a first band of unlicensed spectrum sends an addition request to a selected secondary node, to request resources for supporting the UE in a second band of unlicensed spectrum. The addition request includes timing information including one or more of: i) information indicating a start time for the MN time division duplexing (TDD) timing structure with respect to the UE, or ii) information indicating a reference clock being used by the MN. The secondary node uses the received timing information from the MN to perform timing alignment at the secondary node. The adjusted timing alignment of the secondary node allows the UE to achieve slot-boundary and/or symbol boundary alignment with regard to MN communications using the first unlicensed spectrum and SN communications using the second unlicensed spectrum. Due to the achieved synchronization, an in-device coexistence (IDC) problem is avoided.

Methods and apparatus relating to communicating and/or using timing information to facilitate carrier aggregation and/or dual connectivity

A network control device, e.g., a gNB, receives a message from a communications device, e.g. a UE, indicating that the communications device is experiencing an in-device coexistence (IDC) problem, e.g. in the 52.6 GHz-71 GHz frequency range with respect to NR-U and WiGig. The message is one of: i) an IDC assistance message indicating that the victim system is Wi-Gig or ii) an antenna panel switch message requesting that the network control device instruct the communications device to change the antenna panel that it uses for uplink NR signaling. The network control device generates and sends a response message to the communications device including: a selected new frequency to be used by the communications device for uplink NR signaling or a selected different antenna panel to be used by the communications device for uplink NR signaling. The communications device implements the change reducing or avoiding the IDC problem.

In-device coexistence for new radio

A master node (MN) communicating with a UE using resource of a first band of unlicensed spectrum sends an addition request to a selected secondary node, to request resources for supporting the UE in a second band of unlicensed spectrum. The addition request includes minimum frequency separation information and optionally a baseline reference frequency. The minimum frequency separation information communicated in the addition request, indicates a minimum amount of frequency separation to be maintained between the communication resources in the first band of unlicensed spectrum used for communications with the UE and communication resource in the second band of unlicensed spectrum to be used for communications with the UE. The secondary node selects a channel within the second band of unlicensed spectrum to use for communications with the UE, which will satisfy the minimum frequency separation requirement communicated in the addition request and avoid IDC problems for the UE.

Methods and apparatus relating to communicating and/or using minimum frequency separation information to facilitate carrier aggregation and/or dual connectivity

Growing community of inventors

Miami, FL, United States of America

Frank Azcuy