Abstract: Embodiments contemplate Small Cell Enhancements such as PDCP Placement and impact on control and data plane procedures. Embodiments contemplate small-cell enhancements such as they relate to dual-connectivity scenarios. Different architecture models and their impact on procedural aspects are contemplated. Different RAN, protocol stack and radio bearer (RB) architectures along with their implications are described. These architectures may be applicable to one or more of control plane that may terminate at the macro. Also, a small-cell that may be capable of supporting RLC modes and/or that may be capable of supporting MAC functionality is contemplated. A small-cell may be capable of supporting bidirectional physical channels. Also, there could be an aggregation point (either at the macro eNB or at a different physical or logical RAN node) for S1-U interface termination. The Small Cell eNB (SCeNB) could be in control of the Macro eNB.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for machine type communications (MTC) is disclosed. The apparatus may include circuitry to determine a frame during which to transmit a paging message for a group of MTC devices. The frame may be determined based on an MTC group ID assigned to the group of MTC devices. The transmitter may be further configured to transmit a paging message to the group of MTC devices during the frame. A transmitter is provided and may be configured to transmit an indication of the MTC group ID within the paging message.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for a WTRU to operate using multiple schedulers. The WTRU may exchange data with the network over more than one data path, such that each data path may use a radio interface connected to a different network node and each node may be associated with an independent scheduler. For example, a WTRU may establish a RRC connection between the WTRU and a network. The RRC connection may establish a first radio interface between the WTRU and a first serving site of the network and a second radio interface between the WTRU and a second serving site of the network. The RRC connection may be established between the WTRU and the MeNB and a control function may be established between the WTRU and the SCeNB. The WTRU may receive data from the network over the first radio interface or the second radio interface.

Abstract: A visible light communication (VLC) device and method for discovery and association with a VLC infrastructure node are disclosed. The VLC device is configured to receive a beacon frame from a VLC infrastructure node. The VLC device is further configured to transmit an association request to the VLC infrastructure node. The association request includes an indication of physical layer (PHY) capabilities and an indication of medium access control (MAC) capabilities of the VLC device. The VLC device is further configured to receive an association response from the VLC infrastructure node. The association response includes information for use in communicating with the VLC infrastructure node.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for triggering at least one machine type communications (MTC) application using at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a triggering message including a device trigger (DT) and a maximum delayed response time value from a core network entity (CN), storing the DT in the WTRU, initiating a timer in the WTRU set to the maximum delayed response time value, and on a condition that the timer expires, the WTRU transitioning to a radio resource control (RRC) connected mode and dispatching the DT to the MTC application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes circuitry that determines transmission power levels associated with physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) transmissions over a plurality of uplink component carriers. On a condition that maximum power scaling is required, the circuitry prioritizes providing power to a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) over providing power to a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) having uplink control information (UCI) and prioritize providing power to the PUCCH and PUSCH having UCI over a PUSCH not having UCI. The circuitry transmits the PUCCH, the PUSCH having UCI or at least one PUSCH not having UCI over the plurality of uplink component carriers.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed to manage interference caused by D2D communications. A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) may include a processor. The processor may be configured to perform one or more of the following. The processor may determine to send information using a device-to-device transmission via a resource pool from a plurality of resource pools. Each resource pool may be associated with a range of reference signal receive power (RSRP) values. The processor may determine a RSRP measurement of a cell associated with the WTRU. The processor may select a resource pool from the plurality of resource pools based on the RSRP measurement of the cell. The RSRP measurement of the cell may be within the range of RSRP values associated with the selected resource pool. The processor may send the information using the selected resource pool.

Abstract: A visible light communication (VLC) device for lighting and data transmission includes a dimming block and a light emitting device. The dimming block is configured to receive a desired brightness level, determine a data duty cycle for the data transmission based on the desired brightness level, determine a filler luminance value based on the desired brightness level, and generate dimming information for use by a second VLC device for decoding the data. The light emitting device is configured to convert the data, the filler luminance value, and the dimming information to visible light for transmission to the second VLC device.

Abstract: A method for acquiring and applying offload area information for offloading a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to a small cell in a different frequency layer is disclosed. The WTRU may enter a region or a macro cell and receive offload area information of the region in which a small cell in the vicinity of the macro cell is located. The offload information may be received in a system information block (SIB), dedicated signaling, or any other radio signal. The WTRU may perform measurements to determine the location of the WTRU and to determine whether it has entered any offload areas. Upon a determination that the offload area information is no longer valid, the WTRU may delete the offload area information.

Abstract: Described herein are methods to enable wireless cellular operation in unlicensed and lightly licensed, (collectively referred to as license exempt spectrum. Cognitive methods are used to enable use of unlicensed bands and/or secondary use of lightly licensed bands. Wireless devices may use licensed exempt spectrum as new bands in addition to the existing bands to transmit to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) in the downlink direction, or to a base station in the uplink direction. The wireless devices may access license exempt spectrum for bandwidth aggregation or relaying using a carrier aggregation framework. In particular, a primary component carrier operating in a licensed spectrum is used for control and connection establishment and a second component carrier operating in a licensed exempt spectrum is used for bandwidth extension.

Abstract: A cellular communications network may be configured to leverage a millimeter wave (mmW) mesh network. Base stations may be configured to operate as mmW base stations (tnBs). Such base stations may be configured to participate in the mmW mesh network and to access the cellular communications network (e.g., via cellular access links). A network device of the cellular communications network (e.g., an eNB) may operate as a control entity with respect to one or more niBs. Such a network device may govern mesh backhaul routing with respect to the cellular communications network and the mmW mesh network. Such a network device may configure the mmW mesh network, for example by performing a process to join a new mB to the mmW mesh network. A WTRU may send and receive control information via a cellular access fink and may send and receive data via the mmW mesh network.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses and systems for performing hierarchical traffic differentiation and/or employing hierarchical traffic differentiation are provided. These methods, apparatuses and systems may be implemented to, for example, handle congestion and/or to manage user quality of experience (QoE). Performing the hierarchical traffic differentiation may include differentiating or otherwise classifying (collectively “differentiating”) traffic mapped to, or within, a bearer formed in accordance with a QoS class into multiple traffic sub-classes. Employing the hierarchical traffic differentiation may include scheduling and/or policing (e.g., filtering) the differentiated traffic for transmission based on a prioritization of, and/or policy for managing, the multiple traffic sub-classes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for triggering at least one machine type communications (MTC) application using at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a triggering message including a device trigger (DT) and a maximum delayed response time value from a core network entity (CN), storing the DT in the WTRU, initiating a timer in the WTRU set to the maximum delayed response time value, and on a condition that the timer expires, the WTRU transitioning to a radio resource control (RRC) connected mode and dispatching the DT to the MTC application.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system for wireless communication are described. The method includes transmitting and receiving data to and from one or more wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) via an underlay system access link. The underlay system is non-standalone, and control information is provided from an overlay system. An underlay base station is linked to other underlay base stations to implement a mesh backhaul. The method also includes transmitting and receiving at least a portion of the data to or from an overlay base station via backhaul links and receiving control data from the overlay base station. The data is split at a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) entity, and the PDCP entity terminates in the overlay base station and a radio link control (RLC) entity terminates in the underlay base station.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining a connection between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) are described. An inter-working function (IWF) entity in a given network access point (NAP) of the BWLAN maintains lists of WTRUs in respective states. Furthermore, the given NAP maintains a list of neighbor NAPs, and operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol. The states may include a “not aware” (NA) state in which the given NAP is actually not aware of a particular WTRU, an “active transmit” (AT) state in which the given NAP is actively transmitting to a particular WTRU, and a “neighbor range” (NR) state for WTRUs indicated in an update report from neighbor (URN) message that the given NAP was not aware of. The WTRU mobility protocol may be a push mobility protocol or a poll mobility protocol.

Abstract: Data traffic may be mapped such that it may be routed via a component carrier. The data traffic may be mapped based on QoS, traffic offload, or the like. This may provide the ability to map certain data to specific component carriers. For example, this may provide a user subscription model with the ability to map one or more services to license exempt (LE) carriers, but not to other carriers. As another example, a user downloading a high definition movie may not want this to be counted towards his or her monthly quota on a licensed carriers or may want to pay flat rate to access supplementary carriers for such services. Allowing data to be mapped such that it may be routed via a component carrier via a component carrier may allow the user to map the data for the high definition movie to a LE carrier.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for changing cell range coverage are disclosed. The coverage may be changed on a per-sub-frame basis. An antenna beam elevation tilting angle may be adjusted to provide different effective downlink (DL) coverage. For example, a subframe may be a small tilt subframe or a large tilt subframe. A network or evolved NodeB (eNB) may determine data channel transmission power to adjust cell range per subframe. Low Power Subframe (LPS) may be used alone or with Almost Blank Subframe (ABS) to transmit data. Timing Advance (TA) handling for uplink (UL) transmissions is described. A common TA (CTA) may be determined for multi-site UL signaling. UL power control may be determined for UL transmission to multiple sites. Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) may be performed for multiple sites on a carrier frequency. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may maintain synchronization in selected subframes for multiple cells.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining a connection between a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and a blanket wireless local area network (BWLAN) are described. An inter-working function (IWF) entity in a given network access point (NAP) of the BWLAN maintains lists of WTRUs in respective states. Furthermore, the given NAP maintains a list of neighbor NAPs, and operates in accordance with a selected WTRU mobility protocol. The states may include a “not aware” (NA) state in which the given NAP is actually not aware of a particular WTRU, an “active transmit” (AT) state in which the given NAP is actively transmitting to a particular WTRU, and a “neighbor range” (NR) state for WTRUs indicated in an update report from neighbor (URN) message that the given NAP was not aware of. The WTRU mobility protocol may be a push mobility protocol or a poll mobility protocol.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for local data caching are disclosed. Data may be stored in a local data storage connected to a base station or network nodes. The data flow may be split. The base station may coordinate with a cooperating base station for split-data transmission of locally cached data. Data may be split at different layers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications between a controller and a group of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), each WTRU within the group having a same international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).