PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10743288-B2
Application Number: US-201916540656-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Licensed shared access (LSA) spectrum controller

Abstract:
Embodiments use the principles of self-organizing networks to allocate resources to allow spectrum owners to share spectrum with wireless carriers according to defined license conditions. A spectrum licensee holds the licensing conditions of the spectrum licensed by the spectrum owners. This licensed spectrum is referred to as secondary spectrum. A self-organizing network server requests access to secondary spectrum. The spectrum licensee grants access to the secondary spectrum along with the licensing conditions for access. The self-organizing network server monitors the conditions associated with the license and/or delegates the responsibility for monitoring conditions associated with the license to others. When the license conditions are met, enhanced Node B systems may begin using the secondary spectrum according to the license conditions. When the license conditions are no longer met, enhanced Node B systems discontinue use of the secondary spectrum.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus of a licensed shared access spectrum controller (LC), the LC configured for operating with an licensee domain to enable a licensee to obtain spectrum resource availability information from a licensed spectrum shared access repository (LR), the LR configured to store information describing incumbent usage requirements of shared spectrum, the shared spectrum comprising a spectrum resource that is shared between an incumbent and the licensee, the apparatus comprising:
 processing circuitry; and 
 memory, 
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to: 
 decode a spectrum resource availability information notification message from the LR that indicates shared spectrum resource availability information including operational conditions and/or restrictions for use of shared spectrum for a zone, the operational conditions and/or restrictions including geographic area, frequency and time restrictions for the zone; 
 encode a notification response message for transmission to the LR to acknowledge the notification message, the notification response message acknowledging the operational conditions and/or restrictions; and 
 encode signaling for transmission to one or more Node B&#39;s (NBs) to activate the shared spectrum for the zone for licensee usage, 
 wherein the memory is configured to store the operational conditions and/or restrictions. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode the signaling to activate the shared spectrum for the zone for licensee usage when the operational conditions and/or restrictions are met. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode signaling for transmission the one or more NBs to deactivate the shared spectrum for the zone upon when one or more of the operational conditions and/or restrictions are no longer met. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to decode signaling received from a network manager to trigger deactivation of the shared spectrum based on incumbent usage of the shared spectrum in the zone. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein in response to the signaling received from the network manager, the processing circuitry is configured to encode signaling for transmission the one or more NBs to deactivate the shared spectrum for the zone. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the operational conditions and/or restrictions further include a transmit power restriction for user equipment (LE) in the zone. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode a spectrum resource availability request message for transmission to the LR requesting use of the shared spectrum. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the spectrum resource availability information notification message is from the LR in response to the spectrum resource availability request message. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for execution by the processing circuitry. 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of a licensed shared access spectrum controller (LC), the LC configured for operating with an licensee domain to enable a licensee to obtain spectrum resource availability information from a licensed spectrum shared access repository (LR), the LR configured to store information describing incumbent usage requirements of shared spectrum, the shared spectrum comprising a spectrum resource that is shared between an incumbent and the licensee, the instructions to configure the processing circuitry to:
 decode a spectrum resource availability information notification message from the LR that indicates shared spectrum resource availability information including operational conditions and/or restrictions for use of shared spectrum for a zone, the operational conditions and/or restrictions including geographic area, frequency and time restrictions for the zone; 
 encode a notification response message for transmission to the LR to acknowledge the notification message, the notification response message acknowledging the operational conditions and/or restrictions; and 
 encode signaling for transmission to one or more Node B&#39;s (NBs) to activate the shared spectrum for the zone for licensee usage. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 10  wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode the signaling to activate the shared spectrum for the zone for licensee usage when the operational conditions and/or restrictions are met. 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode signaling for transmission the one or more NBs to deactivate the shared spectrum for the zone upon when one or more of the operational conditions and/or restrictions are no longer met. 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 12  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to decode signaling received from a network manager to trigger deactivation of the shared spectrum based on incumbent usage of the shared spectrum in the zone. 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 13 , wherein in response to the signaling received from the network manager, the processing circuitry is configured to encode signaling for transmission the one or more NBs to deactivate the shared spectrum for the zone. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 10  wherein the operational conditions and/or restrictions further include a transmit power restriction for user equipment (UE) in the zone. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode a spectrum resource availability request message for transmission to the LR requesting use of the shared spectrum. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage of  claim 16 , wherein the spectrum resource availability information notification message is from the LR in response to the spectrum resource availability request message.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/810,832, filed Nov. 13, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/766,873, filed Aug. 10, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,260, which is a U.S. National Stage Filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 from International Application No. PCT/US2013/075100, filed Dec. 13, 2013, now published as WO 2014/133641, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/771,698, filed on Mar. 1, 2013, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments pertain to wireless communications. More particularly, some embodiments relate to spectrum sharing between wireless devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Global mobile traffic is growing at an ever-expanding pace. As the demand for wireless capacity increases, numerous technologies are being explored to increase a carrier&#39;s capacity. In many countries, there are underutilized portions of the wireless spectrum that are devoted to other purposes. Wireless carriers are looking for ways to share spectrum allocated for other uses. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example architecture for spectrum sharing based on self-organizing networks. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an alternate example architecture for spectrum sharing based on self-organizing networks. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a centralized self-organizing network. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a distributed self-organizing network. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a distributed self-organizing network with back off provisions. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a centralized self-organizing network with back off provisions. 
         FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a computer processing system, within which a set of instructions for causing the computer to perform methodologies of this disclosure, including functions performed by the Self-Organizing Network (SON) Server, the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) Server, and/or spectrum licensee. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a system block diagram of a wireless device, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims. 
     Various modifications to the embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Moreover, in the following description, numerous details are set forth for the purpose of explanation. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will realize that embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not shown in block diagram form in order to not obscure the description of the embodiments with extraneous detail. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. 
     Often owners of wireless spectrum do not fully utilize the spectrum which they are allocated. In many countries, measurements have shown that there is a huge amount of underutilized spectrum in the 400 MHz to 6 GHz range. By comparison, commercial mobile broadband carriers typically hold licenses for less than 20% of the spectrum in the 400 MHz to 6 GHz range and utilize their spectrum to its full capacity. One mechanism for wireless carriers to share wireless spectrum with others who underutilize their spectrum is to come to agreements with the other spectrum licensees to utilize their spectrum under certain, defined conditions. The description below uses the concepts of self-organizing networks (SON) to provide dynamic spectrum sharing. 
     SON is a function that enables networks to organize their own network resources in an automatic and effective manner in order to increase overall network performance, operation efficiency, coverage, capacity, reliability and so forth. The embodiments described below apply SON to organize network spectrum in order to improve network performance and user experiences. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example architecture  100  for spectrum sharing based on self-organizing networks. The example architecture comprises enhanced Node B (eNB)  104 ,  106 ,  108  that communicate with User Equipment (UE), such as UE  102 . eNBs  104 - 108  may be coordinated and/or controlled by an entity such as domain manager  110 . Domain manager  110  typically provides element manager (EM) functions for a sub-network. Inter-working domain managers provide multi-vendor and multi-technology network management functions. 
     Administrator/regulator  118  may negotiate with the spectrum holder  122  to make spectrum available under certain conditions or agree on rules for spectrum sharing. The spectrum that is made available and the conditions under which it is made available may be saved in a store, such as spectrum database  120 . A database in the context of this disclosure is any store where the desired information may be stored and later retrieved by the relevant entities. 
     Spectrum licensee  114 , which is typically a mobile broadband carrier, cellular operator, or other such entity may negotiate with the administrator/regulator  118  to acquire licenses for the spectrum that is being shared. Such licenses and the terms of the license may be stored in a data store such as license database  116 . Each license may contain the spectrum and the terms under which the spectrum may be shared. An example license may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following information: 
     (1) The frequency and bandwidth of the spectrum to which the license applies. This may be specified in any desired format as long as the system will be able to determine what frequency band may be used. In this disclosure, the spectrum subject to sharing is referred to as the secondary spectrum. 
     (2) The sharing type, such as exclusive access, non-exclusive access, access when the spectrum owner is not present, and so forth. 
     (3) A geographic location or region where the spectrum is available for use. This may be specified in a variety of ways/formats as long as the licensee is able to determine where the spectrum may be used. This may also include location and/or regions where the spectrum may not be used. 
     (4) The conditions under which the spectrum may be used. Such conditions may include one or more of the following representative conditions:
         (a) a time at which the secondary band may be used;   (b) a time at which the secondary band may not be used;   (c) at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used;   (d) at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used;   (e) a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used;   (f) a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used;   (g) action(s) to be taken upon detecting presence of the spectrum owner or other designated entity;   (h) action(s) to be taken upon detecting absence of the spectrum owner or other designated entity; and   (i) combinations thereof.       

     In the above, while geographic location and sharing type have been called out separately, these can be represented as part of the conditions of the license, and they are generally treated as such in this disclosure. Thus, for simplicity in this disclosure, geographic location and/or sharing type are another of the conditions that are (optionally) made part of the license. 
     The conditions of the license may be put together in any combination of “and”/“or” logic. For example, a license may authorize the use of the secondary band in a particular geographic region when (the time is between X and Y) or (the demand is greater than a threshold and the spectrum owner is not present). This “and”/“or” logic combination of elements is illustrated in the above list by the phrase “combinations thereof”. 
     Conditions of the license may be specified in a variety of ways. For example, the time that a band may be used may be specified as a start time coupled with a stop time, a start time along with a duration, and so forth. All that is needed is for the licensee and the systems under its control to be able to determine the conditions under which the license is granted so they can comply with them. 
     To illustrate how a license may be formulated, the following examples are presented. Note that these are examples only and are not limiting in the way the license may be implemented. In a first example, suppose that daily traffic patterns threaten to overwhelm a carrier&#39;s ability to provide service to its customers. Secondary spectrum may be made available to the carrier during peak traffic times, such as from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm on weekdays. The terms of the secondary spectrum may be further limited to the geographic region surrounding the major commuting corridors in the city. The terms of the secondary spectrum may be further limited by the condition that if the original spectrum licensee  114  is present, the geographic region where the original spectrum licensee  114  is present will implement a collision avoidance or back off procedure. Since the traffic patterns are reasonably predictable, prediction logic may be used to identify the most likely days/times when the secondary spectrum may be needed. 
     In a second example, airport traffic patterns may be somewhat cyclic, with several flights flowing into an airport, followed by flights leaving the airport. Thus the number of people in the airport utilizing spectrum bandwidth may follow such cycles. License terms may be crafted that allow carriers to use the secondary spectrum when the peaks of this ebb and flow exceed a certain capacity (e.g., demand exceeds a certain threshold). As in the first example, other terms may be added as appropriate to limit use by time, day, original spectrum owner presence, and so forth. 
     In a third example, certain events may cause an increased demand for wireless capacity. In many instances, such events are known in advance and may be planned for in terms of license terms. For example, carriers in a city hosting a large sporting event may anticipate increased demand in particular geographic regions on the day of the event. These geographic regions may change over time as fans arrive, watch and then leave the event. Other cities see increased demand based on seasonal, holiday, or other such events. These may usually be anticipated in advance and license crafted appropriately. 
     In a forth example, additional spectrum may be needed due to unanticipated or unplanned occurrences, such as natural disasters, civil unrest, and so forth. License terms may also take into account the nature of the event as well as the occurrence of the event. Thus, a license for an anticipated sporting event may specify demand above a certain threshold as well as the absence of the secondary spectrum owner, while a license for a declared emergency may allow a carrier to utilize the secondary bandwidth independent of all but the most important criteria. 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the SON logic may be implemented in a more centralized fashion, a more distributed fashion, or some combination thereof. The SON server  112  may be part of these implementations. In the more centralized implementations, The SON server  112  may determine when the secondary spectrum is needed, when the conditions of the license are met, and so forth and may perform any actions needed to inform the spectrum licensee  114  that they intend to make use of the secondary spectrum, or to obtain permission from the spectrum licensee  114  to make use of the secondary spectrum. The spectrum licensee  114  may then make the secondary spectrum available based on the conditions of the license, if permission is needed/requested and/or may note the SON server  112  that is making use of the secondary spectrum, if desired. Note that in this exchange the SON Server  112  may be aware of the conditions of the license and use one or more of the conditions to make the determination that the secondary spectrum is needed or may have separate criteria under which it makes the determination and asks for, or makes use of, the licensed spectrum. 
     Once the SON server  112  has performed any needed exchanges with the spectrum licensee  114 , the SON server  112  may initiate use of the secondary spectrum. In some example embodiments, this may occur by the SON server  112  requesting the domain manager  110  to turn on the secondary spectrum. In other embodiments, SON server  112  may communicate directly with eNBs  104 - 108  and request they begin using the secondary spectrum. 
     In the more distributed implementations, the SON server  112  may delegate some or all of these functions to domain manager  110  or eNBs, such as eNB  104 ,  106 , and/or  108 . For example, eNBs  104 - 108  may be able to identify when the conditions of the license are met and communicate with the SON server  112  and/or the spectrum licensee  114  to begin using the secondary spectrum in accordance with the conditions of the license. 
     Once the spectrum is utilized, the SON server  112 , domain manager  110 , and/or eNB  104 ,  106 ,  108 , may watch to determine when the conditions of the license are no longer met. For example, the time during which the secondary spectrum may be used may have expired, the event may no longer be occurring, and so forth. When the conditions of the license are no longer met, the various systems take steps to terminate use of the secondary spectrum. How this is done will depend on whether the embodiment is a more centralized implementation, a more distributed implementation, or a combination thereof. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an alternate example architecture  200  for spectrum sharing based on self-organizing networks. More specifically,  FIG. 2  illustrates variations of how an SON server may be implemented in some embodiments. The architecture  200  of  FIG. 2  illustrates that SON server  206  may be implemented as part of an existing system, such as the network manager  202 . In this variation, network manager  202  may communicate with spectrum licensee  204 . The architecture  200  of  FIG. 2  focuses on how the SON server may be implemented so other entities such as an administrator/regulator, spectrum holder, spectrum database, license database, and so forth are not illustrated, although they may be related and connected as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     Rather than having the SON server implemented as part of the network manager  202  as shown by the SON server  206 , the SON server may be implemented separately (or on a separate system) and be put in communication with the network manager  202 . In such an embodiment, the SON server  206  would be removed and the SON server  208  would be used instead. In either case, an SON server is utilized in the architecture. 
     When the SON server is part of the network manager  202 , the SON server  206  may communicate directly to various entities such as the spectrum licensee  204 , the domain manager  212 , and/or the eNB  218 . When the SON server is separate from the network manager  202  (e.g., SON server  208 ), then the SON server  208  may communicate with the spectrum licensee  204 , the domain manager  212  and/or the eNB  218  via the network manager  202 . 
     The network manager  202  may be connected through a type-2 interface  210  to one or more domain managers  212  and/or one or more eNBs  218 . The domain manager  212  may provide element manager (EM)  214  functions for a sub-network (illustrated in  FIG. 2  by the eNB  216 ). Inter-working domain managers provide multi-vendor and multi-technology network management functions. In situations where the network manager  202  is connected directly to a sub-network of one or more eNB  218 , the eNB  218  may comprise element manager  220  as illustrated. Similarly, when the SON server is part of the network manager  202  (e.g., the SON server  206 ), the SON server/network manager interface does not necessarily exist physically, so operators wishing to know the status (e.g., activation/deactivation, license conditions, and so forth) of the secondary spectrum may query the network manager  202  directly. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a centralized self-organizing network. In this embodiment, no domain controller is illustrated, although one may be utilized and some of the functionality may be implemented thereby. 
     The method begins with the Operations and Management Server (OAM)  306  scheduling access/use of the secondary spectrum as indicated by exchange  310  between the OAM  306  and the SON server  304 . This is to indicate that the OAM  306  gets the schedule from the operator and then forwards the information to the SON server  304 . As discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 2  above, depending on how the SON server  304  is implemented, the interface between OAM  306  and the SON server  304  may not physically exist. This exchange may inform the SON server  304  of the conditions under which the SON server  304  should use/request access to the secondary spectrum. Additionally, or alternatively, this exchange may inform the SON server  304  which spectrum licensee  308  to deal with when using the secondary spectrum, if there are multiple such spectrum licensees  308 . In a representative embodiment, the OAM  306  may use forecasting or other predictive mechanisms to predict when and under what conditions secondary spectrum may be needed. The OAM  306  may then inform or pre-provision the SON server  304  of these planned needs. The SON server  304  may then use those predictions to obtain permission to use the secondary spectrum in a manner that satisfies the planned needs. 
     Exchange  312  and exchange  314  between the SON server  304  and the spectrum licensee  308  may be any exchanges to allow SON server  304  to gain access to the secondary spectrum. For example, the secondary spectrum may not be exclusively owned by one operator. Indeed, the secondary spectrum may be shared by multiple operators. These exchanges may check with the spectrum licensee (or licensees) to ensure that the requested secondary spectrum is not being used at the time of the request. In one embodiment, the SON server  304  may request access to secondary spectrum in a manner that meets forecasted needs as described above. Thus exchange  312  may request access to the secondary spectrum that meets particular criteria such as time, place, event, and/or other criteria as appropriate. The spectrum licensee  308  may consult its licensed spectrum as well as any previously granted use of the secondary spectrum and the conditions under which the spectrum is licensed and return to the SON server  304  a secondary spectrum along with the terms of the license that should be adhered to in order to use the spectrum. 
     For example, in anticipation of a large political rally, the SON server  304  may request access to secondary spectrum having a particular capacity for a particular geographic region during a particular time frame. The spectrum licensee  308  may locate two suitable secondary spectrum, along with the conditions for use of each. Perhaps the first meets the geographic and time specifications but imposes an additional restriction that the spectrum may only be used if demand exceeds a certain threshold. Perhaps the second also meets the geographic and time specifications but imposes the additional restriction that the spectrum may only be used if the original spectrum owner is not present. The spectrum licensee  308  may select one, either based on selection rules (e.g., preference rules that indicate which additional restrictions should be selected for a particular requestor) or using some other criteria and indicate the granted spectrum, along with the full terms of the license in exchange  314 . Alternatively, the spectrum licensee  308  may inform the SON server  304  of the additional restrictions and the SON server  304  may select which spectrum is more suited for its needs. 
     When requesting secondary spectrum, the SON server  204  may be as specific as needed, but too may requirements may cause the spectrum licensee  208  to fail to find a suitable match. Failure to find a match may be communicated to the SON server  204  in exchange  214  if needed. 
     Once SON server  204  has received the requested spectrum, it may notify the OAM  206  of the grant in exchange  216 . Alternatively, if no suitable secondary spectrum is available, that may be conveyed to the OAM  206  in exchange  216 . 
     In some embodiments, the spectrum may be granted on an ongoing basis (e.g., until revoked by the spectrum licensee  308 ) without the need to renegotiate every time an anticipated need arises. For example, if it is forecasted that demand will exceed a certain threshold every weekday that is not a holiday at certain times in certain locations, a single request may be sufficient to receive a grant for such times and locations without having to request secondary spectrum each day. The grant may continue until revoked. In such embodiments, the OAM  306  may simply adjust the requests as needed to account for any changes, such as the secondary spectrum is no longer needed for the requested times and locations due to some set of changes in circumstances such as additional capacity coming online through some other technology. Additionally, or alternatively, the spectrum licensee  308  may take affirmative steps to pull back grants or to confirm needs on a periodic basis or on occurrence of events such as a request for secondary spectrum that has previously been granted to another. 
     In the more centralized implementation of  FIG. 3 , once the conditions under which the secondary spectrum was grated are met, the secondary band may be activated. The secondary band decision block  318  illustrates a “wait state” that prevents the secondary band from being accessed until the conditions of the license are met. As previously discussed, this may be any number of conditions such as time, event occurrence, and so forth. 
     When the conditions allowing use of the secondary band are met, the SON server  304  informs one or more appropriate eNB  302  to begin using the secondary band as indicated by exchange  320 . This may be accomplished by the SON server  304  communicating directly with the eNBs  302  or may be accomplished by the SON server  304  initiating use of the secondary band by the eNBs  302  through one or more intermediary systems. 
     The eNB  302  may initiate exchange  322  to indicate back to the SON server  304  that use of the secondary band has been activated. The SON server  304  may, in turn, inform the OAM  306  that use of the secondary band has been activated as indicated by exchange  324 . 
     Once the secondary band has been activated, eNB  302  may periodically broadcast on the primary band the availability of the secondary band as indicated by exchange  326 . UE  300  may receive the exchange  326  and begin using the secondary band for communication. Note that use of the secondary band will often be in addition to, rather than as an alternative to, the primary band. In such situations, the UE  300  may support carrier aggregation so both bands may be used simultaneously. Additionally, the UE  300  may be connected to the eNB  302  using the primary band and may use the secondary band on an “as needed” basis. In this situation, the eNB  302  may control the UE  300  mainly via the primary band. Thus, UE  300  may support cognitive radio and/or software defined radio technology in order to be able to tune to any band that is granted from the spectrum licensee as appropriate. 
     While the secondary band is being used, the SON server  304  may monitor the conditions of the license to identify when the conditions are no longer met. What needs to be monitored and identification of the appropriate data depends on the license. Using some of the example license conditions above, suppose the carrier is allowed to use the secondary band during a set time period on weekdays when the demand is greater than a certain level. In this situation, the SON server  304  would monitor the time as well as the demand level and cease use of the secondary band if the time has expired or if the demand drops below the agreed upon level. When the time has expired or the demand has dropped, the SON server  304  may initiate the process that discontinues use of the secondary band. 
     In  FIG. 3 , secondary band decision block  328  indicates the SON server  304  monitoring the conditions of the license. When the conditions are no longer met, then the SON server  304  initiates the process that discontinues use of the secondary band as indicated by exchange  330 . 
     The eNB  302  receives notice that use of the secondary band should be discontinued and stops using the band as indicated by operation  332 . Discontinuing use of the secondary band may involve migrating any UE  300  using the secondary band from the secondary back to the primary band. Discontinuing use of the secondary band may also involve ceasing to broadcast the availability of the secondary band. 
     Once the eNB  302  has discontinued use of the secondary band and any steps taken that are needed to stop all use of the band, the eNB  302  may initiate exchange  334  to inform SON server  304  that use of the secondary band has been discontinued. Once all the eNB  302  that had been using the secondary band have stopped, the SON server  304  may initiate exchange  336  to let the OAM  306  know that use of the secondary band has been discontinued. Alternatively, if multiple eNB  302  are using the secondary band, the SON server  304  may let the OAM  306  know as soon as a particular eNB  302  stops using the secondary band. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a more centralized embodiment where the functionality of the self-organizing network is performed primarily by SON server  304 . Functions performed by the SON server  304 , however, may be performed in a more decentralized or distributed manner rather than the centralized manner illustrated in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 4  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a distributed self-organizing network. 
     As described in conjunction with the centralized model of  FIG. 3 , the Operations and Management Server (OAM)  406  may initiate scheduling access/use of the secondary spectrum by informing the SON server  404  of the conditions under which the SON server  404  should use/request access to the secondary spectrum. The OAM  406  may also inform the SON server  404  which spectrum licensee to deal with when using the secondary spectrum, if there are multiple such spectrum licensees. As discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 3  above, depending on how the SON server  404  is implemented, the interface between OAM  406  and the SON server  404  may not physically exist. 
     As in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the OAM  406  may use forecasting or other predictive mechanisms to predict when and under what conditions secondary spectrum may be needed. The OAM  406  may then inform the SON server  404  of these planned needs. The SON server  404  may then use those predictions to obtain permission to use the secondary spectrum in a manner that satisfies the planned needs. Thus, the SON server  404  may request access to the secondary spectrum from the spectrum licensee  408  and any associated requirements (e.g., time, place, event, and/or other criteria as appropriate). The spectrum licensee  408  may consult its licensed spectrum and the conditions under which the spectrum is licensed and return to the SON server  404  a secondary spectrum along with the terms of the license that should be adhered to in order to use the spectrum. Exchanges between the OAM  406 , the SON server  404  and the spectrum licensee  408  to identify the need for the secondary band and to request/receive access to the secondary band, including the provisions under which access is granted, are indicated by secondary band request/grant process  410 . 
     In the distributed architecture of  FIG. 4 , the SON server  404  may delegate to or work with other systems to ensure that access to the secondary band is granted in accordance with the conditions of the license. Thus, the SON server  404  may inform, for example, the eNB  402  that access to the secondary band is granted upon certain conditions. This is indicated in  FIG. 4 , for example, by exchange  418 . In exchange  418 , the SON server  404  may send information (either directly or indirectly) to the eNB  402  that may include information specifying the secondary band (such as frequency, bandwidth, channel number, or so forth), and one or more conditions of the license (geographic location, type of access, time, and so forth) so that the eNB  402  may determine when conditions of the license have been met and begin using the secondary band. 
     The secondary band test operation  420  represents the eNB  402  waiting until the conditions of the license are met before beginning to utilize the secondary band. Upon the conditions being met, the eNB  402  may inform the SON server  404  that the secondary band has been activated (illustrated by exchange  422 ) and begin utilizing the secondary band (illustrated by exchange  426 ). The SON server  404  may, in turn, inform the OAM  406  that the secondary band has been activated for the eNB  402  (illustrated by exchange  424 ). The UE  400  that utilize the secondary band may also utilize the primary band as described in conjunction with the UE  300  above. 
     While utilizing the secondary band, the eNB  402  may monitor the conditions of the license to ensure they remain met and, when they fail to be met, discontinue use of the secondary band. This is illustrated by secondary band test operation  428 , which indicates that use of the band is authorized as long as the conditions continue to be met. 
     Upon invalidation of one or more conditions (depending on how the license is written), the eNB  402  stops using the band as indicated by operation  430 . As previously discussed, discontinuing use of the secondary band may involve UE  400  stopping using the secondary band, eNB  402  stopping broadcasting the availability of the secondary band, and other operations. These are all represented by operation  430 . 
     Once the eNB  402  has discontinued use of the secondary band, appropriate notifications may be sent as indicated by exchange  432  and exchange  434 . 
     Although  FIG. 4  only represents a single eNB  402 , the SON server  404  may delegate to any number of eNB  402  systems and may also, in some embodiments, retain control over other eNB  402  systems (such as in the more centralized embodiment of  FIG. 3 ) creating a “hybrid” embodiment where some eNB  402  have been delegated SON responsibilities and some are directly controlled by the SON server  404 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a distributed self-organizing network with back off provisions. The embodiment of  FIG. 5  has several similarities to the embodiment of  FIG. 4  and many of the exchanges and operations are similar to those in  FIG. 4  and need to be repeated in detail here. Thus, where operations and exchanges are similar, reference will be made to  FIG. 4  where details may be obtained. 
     In  FIG. 5 , secondary band request/grant process  510  may operate substantially as outlined in conjunction with secondary band request/grant  410  of  FIG. 4 . As such, it represents the exchanges and processes implemented between the SON server  504 , the Operations and Maintenance server (OAM)  506  and spectrum licensee  508  to request and receive access to one or more secondary bands along with their associated licenses. 
     As in the distributed embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the SON sever  504  may delegate decision making authority to the eNB  502  to use the secondary band in accordance with the licensing provisions as discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 4 . Thus, exchange  518  may operate substantially as exchange  418 , secondary band test operation  520  may operate substantially as secondary band test operation  420 , exchange  522  as exchange  422 , exchange  524  as exchange  424  and exchange  526  as exchange  426 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , one of the license conditions is that operation of the secondary band may only occur when the original spectrum owner is not present. Thus, owner test operation  528  is included in the embodiment of  FIG. 5 . This test operation illustrates monitoring use of the secondary band by the original spectrum owner. This may include, for example, eNB  502  and/or UE  500  watching for communication on the band that may be attributed to the owner of the band. Detecting the presence of the owner of the secondary band may be accomplished by detecting signals adhering to the original use of the band. Such signals may differ in form and/or content from the signals used by the UE  500  and/or the eNB  502 , may be manifested in the form of high level interference, thus allowing UE  500  and/or the eNB  502  to detect their presence. The UE  500  and/or the eNB  502  receiver or transceiver circuitry may be used to detect the presence of the owner of the secondary band in many instances. Alternatively, or additionally, the eNB  502  and/or the UE  500  may use separate receiver and/or transceiver circuitry to detect the presence of the owner of the secondary band. 
     Upon detecting the presence of the owner of the secondary band, eNB  502  and/or UE  500  may implement a collision avoidance or back off procedure. In one embodiment, this may entail discontinuing use of the band. In such a situation, stop secondary band operation  530  indicates that the eNB  502  will discontinue use of the band, including causing any UE  500  to stop using the secondary band and stopping broadcasting the availability of the secondary band. Notifications of deactivation of the secondary band may be sent as indicated by exchange  532  and exchange  534 . 
     Alternatively, the back off procedure may not include discontinuing use of the band. It may simply use of some sort of collision avoidance scheme such as refraining from transmitting in the band for a period of time, switching channels, or some other collision avoidance procedure. What should happen when the owner of the band is using the band may be specified as part of the license conditions. 
     Although not specifically illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the eNB  502  may also be monitoring for adherence to other license conditions such as time, event occurrence, demand, and so forth, through a process similar to that illustrated and discussed in conjunction with secondary band test operation  428  of  FIG. 4 . When the license conditions are no longer met, the eNB  502  may discontinue use of the secondary band as previously described. 
     In a more centralized control type of embodiment, the SON server  504  typically monitors the license conditions and initiates shutdown of the secondary band when the conditions are no longer met. However, if the SON server  504  does not have appropriate receiver and/or transceiver circuitry, or of the SON server  504  does not operate in a geographic region where such circuitry would allow the SON server  504  to identify operation of the original owner within the secondary band, the SON server  504  may rely on other systems to inform the SON server  504  when the owner of the secondary band is operating within the band.  FIG. 6  illustrates an example diagram for spectrum sharing based on a centralized self-organizing network with back off provisions. 
     In  FIG. 6 , secondary band request/grant procedure  610  represents the initiation/request/grant processes such as those described in conjunction with  FIGS. 3-5  discussed above and the details need not be repeated here. Once the license has been granted and the conditions of the license obtained, the SON server  604  may determine when the license conditions are met as illustrated by secondary band test operation  612 . 
     When the license conditions are met and operation within the secondary band is authorized, the SON server  604  may initiate use of the secondary band as indicated by exchange  614 . The eNB  602  may active the secondary band (e.g., exchange  620 ) and inform the SON server  604  that the secondary band has been activated (e.g., exchange  616 ). The SON server  604  may, in turn, notify the OAM  606  that the secondary band has been activated (e.g., exchange  618 ). 
     Assuming that the SON server  604  is not able to directly monitor the presence of the spectrum owner, and assuming that the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  need to implement some sort of collision avoidance or back off procedure when the spectrum owner is present, the SON server  604  may utilize the functionality of the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  to detect the presence of the spectrum owner. This may occur, for example, by the SON server  604  informing the eNB  602  that the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  should monitor for the presence of the spectrum owner in exchange  614 . Use of a separate exchange or some other mechanism could also be employed. 
     Owner present test operation  622  represents the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  monitoring for the presence of the spectrum owner. As described in conjunction with  FIG. 5 , this may utilize the receiver and/or transceiver circuitry of the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  or may utilize separate receiver and/or transceiver circuitry. When the eNB  602  and/or UE  600  detects the presence of the spectrum owner, it may inform the SON server  604  as indicated by exchange  624 . The SON server  604  may then initiate shutdown of the secondary band or other collision avoidance or back off procedure to the extent that function is not delegated and/or implemented by the eNB  602 . Such a situation may occur, for example, when one eNB  602  detects the presence of the spectrum owner, but several eNB  602  should discontinue use of the secondary spectrum in accordance with the license conditions. In that situation, the eNB  602  that detected the presence may not need to be told to discontinue use of the secondary band while the others may need to be told to discontinue use of the secondary band. 
     If the eNB  602  does not need to be informed to discontinue use of the secondary band, path  626  indicates that the eNB  602  may discontinue use of the secondary band as indicated by operation  632 , exchange  634  and exchange  636 . If, however, the eNB  602  does need to be informed to discontinue use of the secondary band, or if the SON server  604  determines that the conditions for use of the secondary band are no longer met (e.g., test operation  628 ), then the SON server  604  may inform the eNB  602  to discontinue use of the band in exchange  630 . In response the eNB  602  will discontinue use of the secondary band as indicated by operation  632  and exchange  634  and exchange  636 . 
     The terms of the license may not specify termination of use of the secondary band. Alternatively, the back off procedure may use of some sort of collision avoidance scheme such as refraining from transmitting in the band for a period of time, switching channels, or some other collision avoidance procedure. What should happen when the owner of the band is using the band may be specified as part of the license conditions. 
     Although in  FIGS. 3-6  reference was made to “the secondary band,” there may be multiple secondary bands, along with their associated licenses (and conditions). Thus the SON server and/or eNBs illustrated in these figures may be monitoring license conditions for and/or using multiple secondary bands. Thus, one secondary band may be authorized for use under one set of conditions and a second secondary band may be authorized for use under a second set of conditions. Additionally, the SON server illustrated in at least some of these figures may retain control over some secondary bands while delegating control over others, the SON server illustrated in at least some of these figures may retain control over all secondary bands, and/or the SON server illustrated in at least some of these figures may delegate control over all secondary bands. 
       FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a computer processing system  700 , within which a set of instructions  724  for causing the computer to perform methodologies of this disclosure, including functions performed by the Self-Organizing Network (SON) server, the Operations and Maintenance (OAM) server, and/or spectrum licensee and/or other servers and systems described in  FIGS. 1-7 . 
     As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number of patentable classes or contexts including any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardware implementations that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon. 
     In addition to being sold or licensed via traditional channels, embodiments may also, for example, be deployed by software-as-a-service (SaaS), application service provider (ASP), or utility computing providers. The computer may be a server computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), cellular telephone, or any processing device capable of executing a set of instructions  724  (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that device. Further, while only a single computer is illustrated, the term “computer” shall also be taken to include any collection of computers that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions  724  to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, including the functions of the SON servers, the OAM servers, spectrum licensees, and so forth. 
     The example computer processing system  700  includes a processor  702  (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), advanced processing unit (APU) or some combination thereof), a main memory  704  and static memory  706 , which may communicate with each other via a bus  708 . The computer processing system  700  may further include a graphics display  710  (e.g., a plasma display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT) or other display). The processing system  700  may also include an alphanumeric input device  712  (e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation device  714  (e.g., a mouse, touch screen, or the like), a storage unit  716 , a signal generation device  728  (e.g., a speaker), and/or a network interface device  720 . 
     The storage unit  716  includes a machine-readable medium  722  on which is stored one or more sets of data structures and instructions  724  (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein such as the functions associated with the SON servers, the OAM servers, the spectrum licensees, and so forth. The instructions  724  may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory  704  and/or within the processor  702  during execution thereof by the computer processing system  700 , with the main memory  704  and the processor  702  also constituting computer-readable, tangible media. 
     The instructions  724  may be transmitted or received over a network  726  via a network interface device  720  utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)). 
     While the machine-readable medium  722  is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions  724 . 
     Plural instances may be provided for components, modules, operations, or structures described herein as a single instance. Finally, boundaries between various components, modules, operations, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations are illustrated in the context of specific illustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall within the scope of the claims. In general, structures and functionality presented as separate components in the exemplary configurations may be implemented as a combined structure, module, or component. Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a single module or component may be implemented as separate modules or components. These and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents. 
     It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description describes some embodiments with reference to different functional units or processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processors or domains may be used without detracting from the embodiments of the disclosure. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processors or controllers may be performed by the same processor or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only to be seen as references to suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a block diagram of a device  800  that may represent any of the wireless devices discussed herein and may implement any of the flow diagrams or processing discussed herein. Thus,  FIG. 8  may represent, for example, the eNBs of  FIGS. 1-6  and/or UEs of  FIGS. 1-6 . 
     The device  800  may include a processor  804 , a memory  806 , a transceiver  808 , antennas  810 , instructions  812 ,  814 , and possibly other components (not shown). 
     The processor  804  comprises one or more central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), accelerated processing units (APUs), signal processors, or various combinations thereof. The processor  804  provides processing and control functionalities for the device  800  and may implement the flow diagrams and logic described above for the eNBs and UEs of  FIGS. 1-6 . 
     The memory  806  comprises one or more transient and/or static memory units configured to store instructions  812 ,  814  and data for the device  800 . The transceiver  808  comprises one or more transceivers including, for an appropriate station or responder, a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) antenna to support MIMO communications. For the device  800 , the transceiver  808  receives transmissions and transmits transmissions. The transceiver  808  may be coupled to the antennas  810 , which represent an antenna or multiple antennas, as appropriate to the device  800 . As described in the figures above, the UE and eNB may operate in the primary band and the secondary bands and may be adapted to tune to any secondary band to which license is granted. 
     The instructions  812 ,  814  comprise one or more sets of instructions or firmware/software executed on a computing device (or machine) to cause such a computing device (or machine) to perform any of the methodologies discussed herein. The instructions  812 ,  814  (also referred to as computer- or machine-executable instructions) may reside, completely or at least partially, within the processor  804  and/or the memory  806  during execution thereof by the device  800 . While the instructions  812  and  814  are illustrated as separate, they can be part of the same whole. The processor  804  and the memory  806  also comprise machine-readable storage media. The instructions  812  and  814  may implement, for example, all or part of the flow diagrams in  FIGS. 3-6  attributed to the eNB and/or UE. Additionally, or alternatively, the instructions  812  and  814  may implement other processing and functionality discussed in conjunction with the other embodiments above such as  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
     In  FIG. 8 , processing and control functionalities are illustrated as being provided by the processor  804  along with the associated instructions  812  and  814 . However, these are only examples of processing circuitry that comprise programmable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within a general-purpose processor  804  or other programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software or firmware to perform certain operations. In various embodiments, processing circuitry may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured (e.g., within a special-purpose processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or array) to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that a decision to implement processing circuitry mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost, time, energy-usage, package size, or other considerations. 
     Accordingly, the term “processing circuitry” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. 
     The term “computer readable medium,” “machine-readable medium” and the like should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,  724 ,  812 ,  814 ). The terms shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions (e.g.,  724   812 ,  814 ) for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure. The term “computer readable medium,” “machine-readable medium” and the like shall accordingly be taken to include both “computer storage medium,” “machine storage medium” and the like as well as “computer communication medium,” “machine communication medium” and the like. The terms “computer storage medium,” “machine storage medium” and the like shall be taken to include physically tangible sources including solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, or other tangible devices and carriers. These terms specifically exclude signals per se, carrier waves and other such physically intangible sources. The terms “computer communication medium,” “machine communication medium” and the like shall be taken to include the physically intangible sources including, signals per se, carrier wave signals and the like that are specifically excluded by the terms “computer storage medium,” “machine storage medium” and the like. 
     The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. 
     While various implementations and exploitations are described, it will be understood that these embodiments are illustrative and that the scope of the claims is not limited to them. In general, techniques for maintaining consistency between data structures may be implemented with facilities consistent with any hardware system or hardware systems defined herein. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. 
     While the embodiments are described with reference to various implementations and exploitations, it will be understood that these embodiments are illustrative, and that the scope of claims provided below is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In general, the techniques described herein may be implemented with facilities consistent with any hardware system or hardware systems defined herein. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. 
     Although the present embodiments have been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. One skilled in the art would recognize that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in accordance with the disclosure. Moreover, it will be appreciated that various modifications and alterations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     The following represent various example embodiments. 
     Example 1. A method performed by an enhanced Node B (eNB) comprising: 
     receiving, from a control server, an indication that a secondary band may be used to communicate with user equipment (UE); 
     transmit, to the control server, an acknowledgment that the secondary band has been activated; 
     begin broadcasting availability of the secondary band to UE; 
     receive, from the control server, an indication that use of the secondary band should be discontinued; 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band; and 
     transmitting an acknowledgment that use of the secondary band has been discontinued. 
     Example 2. The method of example 1, wherein the control server is a self-organizing network server. 
     Example 3. The method of example 1, wherein the control server is a domain manager. 
     Example 4. A method performed by an enhanced Node B (eNB) comprising: 
     receiving, from a control server, a control message containing a condition under which a secondary band may be used to communicate with user equipment (UE); 
     determining that the condition under which a secondary band may be used have been met; 
     based on determining the condition has been met, begin broadcasting availability of the secondary band to UE; 
     determining that the condition under which the secondary band may be used are no longer met; 
     based on determining the condition is no longer met, discontinuing use of the secondary band. 
     Example 5. The method of example 4, wherein the control message indicates that the eNB should immediately begin using the secondary band. 
     Example 6. The method of example 5, further comprising receiving, from the control server, a message to discontinue using the secondary band and wherein determining the conditions under which the secondary band may be used comprise receipt of the message to discontinue using the secondary band. 
     Example 7. The method of example 4, wherein the condition under which the secondary band may be used comprises at least one of: 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may be used; 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may not be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may not be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used; 
     a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used; 
     a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used; 
     presence of the spectrum owner; 
     absence of the spectrum owner; and 
     combinations thereof. 
     Example 8. The method of example 4 or 7 further comprising sending a message to the control server indicating the secondary band has been activated upon determining that the condition has been met. 
     Example 9. The method of example 4 or 7 further comprising sending a message to the control server indicating the secondary band has been deactivated upon determining that the condition has no longer been met. 
     Example 10. The method of example 4, 5, 6 or 7 further comprising: 
     determining an owner of the secondary band is operating in the secondary band; and 
     based upon determining the owner is operating in the secondary band, implementing a back off procedure. 
     Example 11. The method of example 10 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band; and 
     sending a message to the control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 12. The method of example 10 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band for a period of time; and 
     determining whether the owner is still operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 13. The method of example 12 wherein the back off procedure further comprises sending a message to the control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 14. A method performed by an enhanced Node B (eNB) comprising: 
     obtaining containing a condition under which a secondary band may be used to communicate with user equipment (UE); 
     determining that the condition under which a secondary band may be used has been met; 
     based on determining the condition has been met, begin broadcasting availability of the secondary band to UE; 
     determining that the condition under which the secondary band may be used is no longer met; 
     based on determining the condition is no longer met, discontinuing use of the secondary band. 
     Example 15. The method of example 14, wherein the condition under which the secondary band may be used comprises at least one of: 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may be used; 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may not be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may not be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used; 
     a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used; 
     a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used; 
     presence of the spectrum owner; 
     absence of the spectrum owner; and 
     combinations thereof. 
     Example 16. The method of example 14 or 15 further comprising sending a message to a control server indicating the secondary band has been activated upon determining that the conditions have been met. 
     Example 17. The method of example 14 or 15 further comprising sending a message to a control server indicating the secondary band has been deactivated upon determining that the conditions have no longer been met. 
     Example 18. The method of example 14 or 15 further comprising: 
     determining an owner of the secondary band is operating in the secondary band; and 
     based upon determining the owner is operating in the secondary band, implementing a back off procedure. 
     Example 19. The method of example 18 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band; and 
     sending a message to a control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 20. The method of example 18 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band for a period of time; and 
     determining whether the owner is still operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 21. The method of example 20 wherein the back off procedure further comprises sending a message to a control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 22. A wireless device comprising: 
     at least one antenna; 
     transceiver circuitry coupled to the at least one antenna; 
     memory; 
     a processor coupled to the memory and transceiver circuitry; and 
     instructions, stored in the memory, which when executed cause the processor to: 
     receive, via the at least one antenna and transceiver circuitry, a control message containing a condition under which a secondary band may be used to communicate with user equipment (UE); 
     determine that the condition under which a secondary band may be used has been met; 
     based on determining the condition has been met, broadcast availability of the secondary band to UE; 
     determine that the condition under which the secondary band may be used is no longer met; 
     based on determining the condition is no longer met, discontinue use of the secondary band. 
     Example 23. The device of example 22, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send, via the at least one antenna and control circuitry, a message indicating that the secondary band has been activated upon determining that the conditions have been met. 
     Example 24. The device of example 22, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to send, via the at least one antenna and control circuitry, a message indicating that the secondary band has been deactivated upon determining that the conditions are no longer met. 
     Example 25. The device of example 22, wherein the condition under which the secondary band may be used comprises at least one of: 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may be used; 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may not be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may not be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used; 
     a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used; 
     a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used; 
     presence of the spectrum owner; 
     absence of the spectrum owner; and 
     combinations thereof. 
     Example 26. The device of examples 22, 23, 24 or 25 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: 
     determine an owner of the secondary band is operating in the secondary band; and 
     based upon determining the owner is operating in the secondary band, implement a back off procedure. 
     Example 27. The device of example 26 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band; and 
     sending a message to a control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 28. The device of example 26 wherein the back off procedure comprises: 
     discontinuing use of the secondary band for a period of time; and 
     determining whether the owner is still operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 29. The device of example 28 wherein the back off procedure further comprises sending a message to a control server that the owner is operating in the secondary band. 
     Example 30. A self-organizing network device comprising: 
     processing circuitry configured to: 
     obtain authorization to use a secondary band, the authorization containing a condition under which the secondary band may be used; 
     identify when the condition has been met; 
     send a message to an enhanced node B (eNB) to begin using the secondary band; 
     identify when the condition is no longer met; 
     send a message to the eNB to discontinue using the secondary band. 
     Example 31. The device of example 30, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to notify an operations and maintenance server that authorization to use the secondary band has been obtained. 
     Example 32. The device of example 30 or 31, wherein the condition under which the secondary band may be used comprises at least one of: 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may be used; 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may not be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may not be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used; 
     a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used; 
     a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used; 
     presence of the spectrum owner; 
     absence of the spectrum owner; and 
     combinations thereof. 
     Example 33. A computer storage medium having executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, configure a device to: 
     identify a condition under which a secondary band may be used by user equipment (UE); 
     determine the condition under which the secondary band may be used has been met; 
     based on determining the condition has been met, initiating activation of the secondary band to communicate with UE; 
     determine the condition under which the secondary band may be used is no longer met; and 
     based on determining the condition is no longer met, initiating deactivation of the secondary band to communicate with UE. 
     Example 34. The computer storage medium of example 33, wherein the computer storage medium is used by an enhanced Node B (eNB). 
     Example 35. The computer storage medium of example 33, wherein the computer storage medium is used by a self-organizing network device. 
     Example 36. The computer storage medium of example 33, 34 or 35, the condition under which the secondary band may be used comprises at least one of: 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may be used; 
     a geographic region where the secondary band may not be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may be used; 
     a time at which the secondary band may not be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may be used; 
     at least one event that indicates the secondary band may not be used; 
     a demand threshold above which the secondary band may be used; 
     a demand threshold below which the secondary band may not be used; 
     presence of the spectrum owner; 
     absence of the spectrum owner; and 
     combinations thereof. 
     Example 37. The computer storage medium of example 36, wherein executable instructions further configure the device to receive the condition via a message. 
     Example 38. User Equipment comprising: 
     at least one antenna; 
     transceiver circuitry coupled to the at least one antenna; 
     memory; 
     a processor coupled to the memory and transceiver circuitry; and 
     instructions, stored in the memory, which when executed cause the processor to: 
     receive, via the at least one antenna and transceiver circuitry, a control message from an enhanced Node B (eNB) on a primary band indicating that a secondary band is available for use; 
     begin using the secondary band for communications; 
     receive, via the at least one antenna and transceiver circuitry, a control message from the eNB that the secondary band should no longer be used; and 
     discontinue use of the secondary band for communications. 
     Example 39. The UE of example 38 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to use the primary band for control messages sent from and received by the UE.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190814
Publication Date: 20200811
Grant Date: 20200811
Priority Date: 20130301
Inventors: CHOU, JOEY
VENKATACHALAM, MUTHAIAH
Assignee: APPLE INC
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Family ID: 51420937