Abstract: A novel way for transmitting physical signals by a transmitter node (20, 40) based on the LBT principle, and informing a receiver node (30, 50) in cases where the transmission of the physical signals has been deferred or does not occur in a certain time resource, is presented. A transmitter node (20, 40) listens to a wireless radio channel during a first time resource. If there is no activity, or if the activity is below a threshold, the transmitter node (20, 40), in a second time resource, transmits an indicator indicating that one or more physical signals are also transmitted in the second time resource. A receiver node (30, 50) detects if an indicator is present in the time resource. If the receiver node (30, 50) detects the indicator, the receiver node (30, 50) may also receive and use one or more reference signals in the current time resource for doing one or more tasks.

Abstract: A network node (300), a wireless device (304) and methods therein, for handling interference in a wireless network where a Listen-Before-Talk, LBT, scheme is employed to control transmissions. The network node (300) determines whether a first wireless device (302) is compatible with a second wireless device (304) at a serving network node (300) so that uplink signals transmitted (3:1A, 3:2A) from the wireless devices (302, 304) are spatially separable at the serving network node (300). An LBT-related message is then transmitted (3:4A) to the first wireless device (302), which message indicates that the wireless devices (302, 304) are compatible or incompatible at the serving network node (300). The second wireless device (304) is then able to detect (3:4A), i.e. overhear, the LBT-related message and use it as a basis for deciding (3:5) whether to perform a transmission or not.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are proposed for managing carrier sensing in a communications system. In order to enable carrier sensing of a beamforming transmission to a served wireless device, a network node transmits a first transmission and a second transmission. The second transmission is the beamforming transmission to the served wireless device and the first transmission is an unhiding signal, which indicates the presence of the second transmission.

Abstract: A novel way for transmitting physical signals by a transmitter node (20, 40) based on the LBT principle, and informing a receiver node (30, 50) in cases where the transmission of the physical signals has been deferred or does not occur in a certain time resource, is presented. A transmitter node (20, 40) listens to a wireless radio channel during a first time resource. If there is no activity, or if the activity is below a threshold, the transmitter node (20, 40), in a second time resource, transmits an indicator indicating that one or more physical signals are also transmitted in the second time resource. A receiver node (30, 50) detects if an indicator is present in the time resource. If the receiver node (30, 50) detects the indicator, the receiver node (30, 50) may also receive and use one or more reference signals in the current time resource for doing one or more tasks.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are proposed for managing carrier sensing in a communications system. In order to enable carrier sensing of a beamforming transmission to a served wireless device, a network node transmits a first transmission and a second transmission. The second transmission is the beamforming transmission to the served wireless device and the first transmission is an unhiding signal, which indicates the presence of the second transmission.

Abstract: A network node (300), a wireless device (304) and methods therein, for handling interference in a wireless network where a Listen-Before-Talk, LBT, scheme is employed to control transmissions. The network node (300) determines whether a first wireless device (302) is compatible with a second wireless device (304) at a serving network node (300) so that uplink signals transmitted (3:1A, 3:2A) from the wireless devices (302, 304) are spatially separable at the serving network node (300). An LBT-related message is then transmitted (3:4A) to the first wireless device (302), which message indicates that the wireless devices (302, 304) are compatible or incompatible at the serving network node (300). The second wireless device (304) is then able to detect (3:4A), i.e. overhear, the LBT-related message and use it as a basis for deciding (3:5) whether to perform a transmission or not.

Abstract: A system, comprising a base station and a wireless device, is provided for managing reference signal interference in a wireless communication system allowing device-to-device, D2D, communication. The base station and the wireless device and methods therein are described. The method in the wireless device comprises receiving an indication, from a base station, of downlink transmission resources that are associated with D2D communication in a cell associated with the BS during at least a time period T. The method further comprises determining based on the received indication, downlink reference signals that may be subjected to interference, caused by D2D communication, when performing reference signal measurements during at least the time period T. The method further comprises excluding or reducing 403 the influence of said downlink reference signals when performing reference signal measurements during at least the time period T.

Abstract: There is provided a method, performed by a communication station, for Listen-Before-Talk, LBT, based medium access. The method comprises the step (S1) of performing an LBT-based medium access procedure including sensing a radio-based medium on a shared radio spectrum during a sensing duration, deferring transmission if an on-going transmission is detected during the sensing, and transmitting on the radio-based medium if no on-going transmission is detected during the sensing. The method further comprises the step (S2) of waiting, when the communication station has transmitted, for a waiting duration that is based on a time duration between consecutive sensing occasions for at least one other communication station, also operating according to an LBT-based medium access procedure on the shared radio spectrum, before performing the LBT-based medium access procedure again.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein that relate to a mechanism at a radio access node(s) and a User Equipment (UE) that enable the UE to decide whether the UE can use a wireless channel for data transmission even when the UE senses the wireless channel as being busy during a listening phase of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure. In some embodiments, the method of operation of the UE comprises performing a LBT procedure for an observed channel where a result of the LBT procedure being that the observed channel is busy and deciding to override the LBT procedure based on knowledge that the observed channel is busy due to transmission by a compatible UE and transmitting on the observed channel even though the result of the LBT procedure is that the observed channel is busy upon deciding to override the LBT procedure.

Abstract: It is provided a method for assisting downlink interference estimation in a cellular network. The method is performed in a network node of the cellular network and comprises the steps of: estimating an average transmit power of the network node in a future time period, resulting in a scaling factor indicating the average transmit power of the network node in relation to a reference transmit power of the network node; transmitting, in a resource element allocated to interference estimation, a reference signal for downlink interference estimation with a transmission power which is based on the scaling factor; and refraining from transmitting in a resource element in at least one instance where another network node transmits a reference signal for downlink interference estimation. A corresponding network node, computer program and computer program product for assisting downlink interference estimation are also presented.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first network node for enabling at least one second network node to perform a transmission in a wireless communications network. The first network node and the at least one second network node performs transmissions using contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency. The first network node determines an indication of a maximum transmit power for the transmission by the at least one second network node to be used by the at least one second network node when the contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency is available for transmissions by the first network node in the wireless communications network. Then, the network node transmits the determined indication of a maximum transmit power to the at least one second network node. Embodiments of the first network node are also described.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for uplink and/or downlink power control in a radio communication network are provided. The method comprises determining (120) a relationship between a load of a serving wireless access point and a load of at least one neighboring wireless access point; and determining (130) an uplink or downlink transmission power based on the determined load relationship.

Abstract: Systems and methods for triggering interference mitigation at a wireless device in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a node associated with a cellular communications network makes a determination to trigger interference mitigation at a wireless device based on a signal load in at least one interfering cell from which transmissions result in interference at the wireless device during reception from a desired cell, a relation between reference signals used in the desired cell and the at least one interfering cell, and a timing relation between at least one of a group consisting of: signals transmitted by the desired cell and the at least one interfering cell and signals received at the wireless device from the desired cell and the at least one interfering cell. In response to making the determination, the node triggers interference mitigation at the wireless device.

Abstract: A method performed by a first User Equipment, UE, for enabling Device-to-Device, D2D, communication with a second UE in a radio communications network is provided. The first UE is configured to perform the D2D communication on downlink cellular resources in the radio communications network. The first UE measures received signal strengths of Reference Signals, RS, on downlink cellular resources from one or more network nodes in the radio communications network. The first UE then determines a first subset of downlink cellular resources for which the measured received signal strength of RS is above or equal to a threshold value. Also, the network node transmits information indicating the determined first subset of downlink cellular resources to a network node serving the first UE in the radio communications network in order to enable the D2D communication.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to a method of operating a wireless device in a wireless communication network, wherein the wireless device is adapted to transmit data based on pre-determined communication schedules, each communication schedule pertaining to a scheduling time interval of predetermined length. The method comprises determining, by the wireless device, a pattern of expected transmission accesses on at least a first transmission frequency spectrum accessed with Listen-Before-Talk (LBT), the pattern covering a plurality of scheduling time intervals. The disclosure also pertains to corresponding devices and further methods.

Abstract: A method, communication apparatus, and computer program product is provided for mitigating interference experienced by a wireless communication device, WCD (102). The interference is caused by signals transmitted by an interfering node (106). The communication apparatus determines information related to the interfering node (106). The communication apparatus selects, based at least in part on the determined information related to the interfering node (106), a WCD receiver configuration from a set of available WCD receiver configurations. The set of available WCD receiver configurations comprises i) a first WCD receiver configuration that mitigates only interference caused by physical signals transmitted by the interfering node (106) and ii) a second WCD receiver configuration that mitigates only interference caused by physical channels transmitted by the interfering node (106).

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein that relate to a mechanism at a radio access node(s) and a User Equipment (UE) that enable the UE to decide whether the UE can use a wireless channel for data transmission even when the UE senses the wireless channel as being busy during a listening phase of a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure. In some embodiments, the method of operation of the UE comprises performing a LBT procedure for an observed channel where a result of the LBT procedure being that the observed channel is busy and deciding to override the LBT procedure based on knowledge that the observed channel is busy due to transmission by a compatible UE and transmitting on the observed channel even though the result of the LBT procedure is that the observed channel is busy upon deciding to override the LBT procedure.

Abstract: Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first network node for enabling at least one second network node to perform a transmission in a wireless communications network. The first network node and the at least one second network node performs transmissions using contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency. The first network node determines an indication of a maximum transmit power for the transmission by the at least one second network node to be used by the at least one second network node when the contention-based transmission resources of the same frequency is available for transmissions by the first network node in the wireless communications network. Then, the network node transmits the determined indication of a maximum transmit power to the at least one second network node. Embodiments of the first network node are also described.

Abstract: It is presented a method for assisting downlink interference estimation in a cellular network. The method is performed in a network node of the cellular network and comprises the steps of: estimating an average transmit power of the network node in a future time period; transmitting a power parameter based on the estimated average transmit power to at least one wireless device being served by the network node; and transmitting a reference signal for downlink interference estimation. A corresponding network node, wireless device, computer programs and computer program products are also presented.

Abstract: A transmitting node and methods therein A transmitting node and a method therein for controlling a transmission rank in a wireless communications system. The wireless communications system comprises the transmitting node and a receiving node. The transmitting node is configured to transmit on multiple antennas according to the transmission rank. The transmitting node allocates one or more first transmission resources between the transmitting node and the receiving node to operate according to a first transmission rank, and one or more second transmission resources between the transmitting node and the receiving node to operate according to a second transmission rank. When a performance of the second transmission rank outperforms a performance of the first transmission rank, the transmitting node configures at least one of the one or more first transmission resources to operate according to the second transmission rank.