PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-12028844-B2
Application Number: US-202217748880-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Systems and methods for multi-standard communication over frequency band

Abstract:
Systems and methods are disclosed for coordinating transmission and reception of data according to multiple communication standards over a frequency band. In particular, one or more base stations/mobile electronic devices may determine a first data size of first data to be sent conforming to a first communication standard and a second data size of second data conforming to a second communication standard. A first time period may then be determined for which to send the first data based on the first data size, and a second time period may be determined for which to send the second data based on the second data size. In response to determining that the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, the first data may be sent according to the first standard in the first time period, and the second data may be sent according to the second standard in the second time period.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A communication device comprising:
 transmission circuitry configured to send first data at a first peak data rate of less than 20 gigabits per second on a frequency channel, receiving circuitry configured to receive second data at a second peak data rate of at least 20 gigabits per second on the frequency channel, and control unit configured to
 receive a channel occupancy window of the frequency channel, 
 receive size of the first data and size of the second data, 
 receive a first transmission time period to send the first data based on the size of the first data and a first reception time period to receive the second data based on the size of the second data, 
 determine that the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions for a listening time period, 
 cause the transmission circuitry to send the first data in the first transmission time period within the channel occupancy window at the first peak data rate on the frequency channel, and 
 cause the receiving circuitry to receive the second data in the first reception time period within the channel occupancy window at the second peak data rate on the frequency channel. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the channel occupancy window of the frequency channel corresponds to a time period to occupy the frequency channel. 
     
     
       3. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the first transmission time period immediately follows the listening time period and the first reception time period immediately follows the first transmission time period. 
     
     
       4. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to send the first data and receive the second data on the frequency channel in a data packet, wherein the data packet comprises header information associated with the first data and the second data. 
     
     
       5. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission circuitry is configured to send third data at the second peak data rate on the frequency channel, wherein the control unit is configured to receive size of the third data, receive a second transmission time period to send the third data based on the size of the third data, and cause the transmission circuitry to send the third data in the second transmission time period within the channel occupancy window at the second peak data rate on the frequency channel. 
     
     
       6. The communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving circuitry is configured to receive third data at the first peak data rate on the frequency channel, wherein the control unit is configured to receive size of the third data, receive a second reception time period to receive the third data based on the size of the third data, and cause the receiving circuitry to receive the third data in the second reception time period within the channel occupancy window at the first peak data rate on the frequency channel. 
     
     
       7. Tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 receive a channel occupancy window of a frequency channel; 
 receive size of a first data and size of a second data; 
 receive a first transmission time period to send the first data based on the size of the first data and a first reception time period to receive the second data based on the size of the second data; 
 determine that the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions for a listening time period; 
 send the first data in the first transmission time period within the channel occupancy window at a first peak data rate of at least 20 gigabits per second on the frequency channel; and 
 receive the second data in the first reception time period within the channel occupancy window at a second peak data rate of less than 20 gigabit per second on the frequency channel. 
 
     
     
       8. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the channel occupancy window of the frequency channel corresponds to a time period to occupy the frequency channel. 
     
     
       9. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the first transmission time period immediately follows the listening time period and the first reception time period immediately follows the first transmission time period. 
     
     
       10. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processing circuitry to send the first data and receive the second data on the frequency channel in a data packet, wherein the data packet comprises header information associated with the first data and the second data. 
     
     
       11. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processing circuitry to send third data at the second peak data rate on the frequency channel based on receiving size of the third data, receiving a second transmission time period to send the third data based on the size of the third data, and sending the third data in the second transmission time period within the channel occupancy window at the second peak data rate on the frequency channel. 
     
     
       12. The tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the processing circuitry to receive third data at the first peak data rate on the frequency channel based on receiving size of the third data, receiving a second reception time period to receive the third data based on the size of the third data, and receive the third data in the second reception time period within the channel occupancy window at the first peak data rate on the frequency channel. 
     
     
       13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving, by a processing circuitry, size of first data for transmission with a first network communication standard and size of second data for transmission with a second network communication standard; 
 receiving, by the processing circuitry, a first transmission time period to send a first portion of the first data based on the size of the first data, a second transmission time period to send a second portion of the first data based on the size of the first data, and a third transmission time period to send the second data based on the size of the second data; 
 causing, by the processing circuitry, a transmission circuitry to send the first portion of the first data in the first transmission time period with the first network communication standard on a first frequency channel in response to determining that the first frequency channel is clear of other transmissions for a first listening time period; and 
 causing, by the processing circuitry, the transmission circuitry to send the second portion of the first data with the first network communication standard in the second transmission time period and send the second data with the second network communication standard in the third transmission time period on a second frequency channel in response to determining that the second frequency channel is clear of other transmissions for a second listening time period. 
 
     
     
       14. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , comprising causing, by the processing circuitry, the transmission circuitry to send the first portion of the first data within a first channel occupancy window of the first frequency channel, and send the second portion of the first data and the second data within a second channel occupancy window of the second frequency channel. 
     
     
       15. The computer-implemented method of  claim 14 , comprising determining, by the processing circuitry, the first transmission time period based on the first channel occupancy window of the first frequency channel, and determining, by the processing circuitry, the second transmission time period and the third transmission time period based on the second channel occupancy window of the second frequency channel. 
     
     
       16. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , comprising
 causing, by the processing circuitry, the transmission circuitry to send the first portion of the first data on the first frequency channel in a first data packet, wherein the first data packet comprises header information associated with the first data, and 
 causing, by the processing circuitry, the transmission circuitry to send the second portion of the first data and the second data on the second frequency channel in a second data packet, wherein the second data packet comprises header information associated with the first data and the second data. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the first transmission time period immediately follows the first listening time period, the second transmission time period immediately follows the second listening time period, and the third transmission time period immediately follows the second transmission time period. 
     
     
       18. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the first network communication standard comprises Long-Term Evolution standard, New Radio standard, or Wi-Fi. 
     
     
       19. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the first frequency channel or the second frequency channel is within an unlicensed spectrum of frequency. 
     
     
       20. The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the first frequency channel or the second frequency channel comprises a bandwidth of between 10 and 20 megahertz.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/920,488 entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-STANDARD COMMUNICATION OVER FREQUENCY BAND,” filed on Jul. 3, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/932,793, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-STANDARD COMMUNICATION OVER FREQUENCY BAND,” filed Nov. 8, 2019, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to enabling wireless communications using multiple wireless communication standards over a frequency band. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     Wireless communication systems are rapidly growing in usage. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting telephone calls, many mobile devices now provide access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the global positioning system (GPS), and are capable of operating sophisticated applications that utilize these functionalities. 
     Transmitters and/or receivers may be included in various electronic devices to enable communication between user equipment (e.g., user electronic devices, transmitting or receiving electronic devices) and core networks on said wireless networks, deployed through a variety of technologies including but not limited to access network base stations (e.g., network access nodes), such as an eNodeB (eNB) for long-term evolution (LTE) access networks and/or a next generation NodeB (gNB) for 5 th  generation (5G) access networks. In some electronic devices, a transmitter and a receiver are combined to form a transceiver. Transceivers may transmit and/or receive wireless signals by way of an antenna coupled to the transceiver, such as radio frequency (RF) signals indicative of data. 
     By way of example, an electronic device may include a transceiver to transmit and/or receive the radio frequency signals over one or more frequencies of a wireless network. The transmitter may include a variety of circuitry, including, for example, processing circuitry to modulate a data signal onto a carrier wave to generate a radio frequency signal. The radio frequency signal&#39;s frequency may be within the range of designated frequency spectrums for standardized communication by mobile networks. 
     The information to be transmitted is typically modulated onto the radio frequency signal prior to wireless transmission. In other words, the information to be transmitted is typically embedded in an envelope of a carrier signal that has a frequency in the radio frequency range. To embed or extract the information in or from the envelope of the carrier signal, processing may be performed on a received radio frequency signal according to transmission parameters. For example, an electronic device (e.g., user equipment) may demodulate the radio frequency signal (e.g., to remove the carrier signal) to recover the embedded information in the envelope based on a frequency of the received radio frequency signal. Data modulation and demodulation may be performed according to one of many mobile communication standards. The standards organizations may design or specify parameters of the mobile communication networks, such as the third generation of broadband cellular network technology (3G), fourth generation of broadband cellular network technology (4G)— including the Long-Term Evolution standard (LTE), and fifth generation of broadband cellular network technology (5G)— including the New Radio standard (NR). 
     Each mobile network may perform data transmission and reception utilizing the allocated frequency spectrum. The frequency spectrum allocation changes between countries, but there is an international consensus to enable use of certain frequency bands (e.g., 5150-5924 megahertz (MHz), or approximately 5 gigahertz (GHz) band) without the need for an issued license. As such, these frequency bands may be referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” or “unlicensed frequency bands”. 
     The ever increasing data sizes transmitted over networks, introduction of new mobile communication standards, such as, but not limited to, LTE and NR standards, combined with limited frequency spectrum resources, may benefit from mobile network spectrum expansion into unlicensed spectrum. In other words, the mobile networks, such as those operating under the LTE standard (“LTE networks”) and those operating under the NR standard (“NR networks”), may utilize the unlicensed frequency spectrum in addition to their designated frequency spectrums, and they may be sharing the spectrum together and with other wireless network technologies such as Wi-Fi. 
     Multiple wireless networks operating on a frequency spectrum (e.g., the same frequency spectrum or overlapping frequency spectrums) may result in increased data collision on the frequency channel. The wireless networks may use distinct circuitry and/or network base station for data transmission, which may not be in coordination with each other. Uncoordinated data transmission over the frequency spectrum may lead different transmitters to broadcast data over the same frequency channel inside the shared frequency spectrum. This may lead to unwanted data collision, resulting in data loss and/or retransmission of data. 
     To prevent data from colliding, the wireless networks may perform a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure. The LBT procedure may cause a transmitter to listen to a desired frequency channel and return an indication as to whether the channel is already occupied with data transmission from other transmitters. If the frequency channel is occupied with data traffic, the LBT procedure may cause the transmitter to wait for a random period of time before restarting the LBT procedure. The random wait period may also be referred to as random back-off time. If the transmitter identifies that the channel is clear of other transmissions, the transmitter may exit the LBT procedure and initiate the transmission. The transmission window may be limited to a maximum time regulated by wireless standards organizations. 
     However, having wireless devices communicating using the LTE standard and the wireless devices communicating using the NR standard, as well as those communicating using the Wi-Fi standard, compete for transmission time on the same (e.g., unlicensed) frequency band may negatively impact overall communication system. That is, two transmitters may use LBT procedures at the same time on a clear channel, which may lead to data collision on the channel. Furthermore, the LBT procedures may assign inefficient random back-off times to transmitters when different network stations are not in coordination with each other. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for coordinating transmission and reception of data according to multiple communication standards over a frequency band. In particular, one or more base stations (e.g., network access nodes) or mobile electronic devices (e.g., user equipment) may determine a first data size of first data to be sent conforming to a first communication standard (e.g., the New Radio standard (NR)) and a second data size of second data conforming to a second communication standard (e.g., the Long-Term Evolution standard (LTE)). A first time period may then be determined for which to send the first data based on the first data size, and a second time period may be determined for which to send the second data based on the second data size. The one or more base stations/mobile electronic devices may perform a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure over a frequency channel to determine whether the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions. Once the frequency channel is clear, the one or more base stations/mobile electronic devices may send the first data according to the first communication standard at a first time based on the first determined time period, and send the second data according to the second communication standard at a second time based on the first time, the first determined time period, and/or the second determined time period. In this manner, additional LBT procedures performed to confirm that the frequency channel is clear before sending the second data, or data collisions between sending the first data and the second data may be avoided, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. 
     Indeed, in a first embodiment, a system may include a first base station including transmission circuitry to send first data at a first peak data rate of at least one gigabit per second on a frequency channel. The first base station may also include a control unit that may determine a first data size of the first data, determine a first time period to send the first data based on the first data size, and receive a second time period to send second data from a second base station at a second peak data rate of at least 20 gigabits per second on the frequency channel. The control unit may further determine a first time to send the first data based on the first time period, determine a second time for the second base station to send the second data based on the first time period and the second time period, send an instruction to the second base station to send the second data on the frequency channel at the second time, and send the first data on the frequency channel at the first time using the first transmission circuitry in response to determining that the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions. 
     In another embodiment, a system may include a base station including transmission circuitry and a base station control unit. The transmission circuitry may send first data at a first peak data rate of less than 20 gigabits per second and second data at a second peak data rate of at least 20 gigabits per second on a frequency channel. The base station control unit may determine that the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, determine size of the first data and size of the second data, determine a first time period to send the first data based on the size of the first data and a second time period to send the second data based on the size of the second data, instruct the transmission circuitry to send the first data in the first time period on the frequency channel, and instruct the transmission circuitry to send the second data in the second time period on the frequency channel. 
     In yet another embodiment, a communication device may include transmission circuitry and a control unit. The transmission circuitry may send first data at a first peak data rate of less than one gigabit per second and second data at a second peak data rate of at least 20 gigabits per second on a range of frequencies. The control unit may determine size of the first data and size of the second data, determine a first transmission time interval to send the first data based on the size of the first data and a second transmission time interval to send the second data based on the size of the second data, determine that the range of frequencies is clear of other transmissions for a listening time interval, and instruct the transmission circuitry to send the first data in the first transmission time interval at the first peak data rate and the second data in the second transmission time interval at the second peak data rate on the range of frequencies. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic block diagram of an electronic device including a transceiver, in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of a handheld device representing an example of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of a handheld tablet device representing another example of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    is a front view and a side view of a wearable electronic device representing another example of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   , in accordance with an embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    is a front view of a desktop computer representing a fourth embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a front view and side view of a wearable electronic device representing a fifth embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a diagram depicting a communication system having a network base station that coordinates data transmission and/or reception using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8    is a block diagram of the communication system of  FIG.  7   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  9    is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating data transmission from the network base station of  FIG.  7    using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  10    is a timing diagram of the network base station of  FIG.  7    coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  11    is a diagram depicting a communication system having an electronic device that coordinates data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  12    is a block diagram of the communication system of  FIG.  11   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  13    is a diagram depicting a communication system having multiple base stations that coordinate data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  14    is a block diagram of the communication system of  FIG.  13   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  15    is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating data transmission from the network base stations of  FIG.  13    using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  16    is a timing diagram of a first base station of  FIG.  13    coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  17    is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating transmission and reception of data at the base station of  FIG.  7    using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  18    is a timing diagram of the base station of  FIG.  7    coordinating transmission and reception of data using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  19    is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating data transmission at the base station of  FIG.  7    using multiple network communication standards over multiple frequency channels, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  20    is a timing diagram of the base station of  FIG.  7    coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over multiple frequency channels, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  21    is a flowchart illustrating a method for coordinating frequency-divided data transmission at the base station of  FIG.  7    using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  22    is a timing diagram of the base station of  FIG.  7    coordinating frequency-divided data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. 
     Various hardware modules and processes may transmit or facilitate transmission of data, modulated using different network communication standards (e.g., NR, LTE, Wi-Fi) and coordinated between one or multiple network transmission stations. The multi-standard communication systems described hereafter may include electronic devices (e.g., mobile electronic wireless communication devices or user equipment), network base stations (e.g., eNB and gNB), and/or any other suitable wireless communication hardware. Some processes may use coordination between network base stations to facilitate the multi-standard communication coordination. 
     Various processes are disclosed that may adjust operation of user equipment (e.g., electronic devices) and/or the base stations (e.g., network access nodes). The processes may apply to a variety of electronic devices. In some embodiments, a control system (e.g., a controller) of an electronic device may couple or uncouple a power amplifier to or from an antenna, a transmission path (e.g., a transmission channel) associated with the antenna, and/or a receive path (e.g., a receive channel) associated with the antenna, to change whether the antenna is able to transmit or receive signals. It is noted that a channel may be a medium used to convey information from a sender (transmitter) to a receiver. It should be noted that since characteristics of the term “channel” may differ according to different wireless protocols, the term “channel” as used herein may be considered as being used in a manner that is consistent with the standard of the type of device with reference to which the term is used. In some standards, channel widths may be variable (e.g., depending on device capability, band conditions). For example, long-term evolution (LTE) networks may support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 Megahertz (MHz) to 20 MHz. In contrast, wireless local area network (WLAN) channels may be 22 MHz wide while BLUETOOTH® channels may be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and/or different channels for different uses such as data, control information, or the like. Also, as used herein, the term “band” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a section of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or set aside for the same purpose. These processes may be combined to bring certain advantages to operation, as is described herein. With the foregoing in mind, a general description of suitable electronic devices that may include such a transceiver is provided below. 
     Turning first to  FIG.  1   , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , a network interface  26 , a transceiver  28 , and a power source  29 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG.  1    may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. Furthermore, a combination of elements may be included in tangible, non-transitory, and machine-readable medium that include machine-readable instructions. The instructions may be executed by one or more processors and may cause the one or more processors to perform operations as described herein. It should be noted that  FIG.  1    is merely one example of a particular embodiment and is intended to illustrate the types of elements that may be present in the electronic device  10 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG.  2   , the handheld device depicted in  FIG.  3   , the handheld device depicted in  FIG.  4   , the desktop computer depicted in  FIG.  5   , the wearable electronic device depicted in  FIG.  6   , or similar devices. It should be noted that the processor(s)  12  and other related items in  FIG.  1    may be generally referred to herein as “data processing circuitry.” Such data processing circuitry may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the data processing circuitry may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within the electronic device  10 . 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   , the processor(s)  12  may operably couple with the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  to perform various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media at least collectively storing the instructions or processes, such as the memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16 . The memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  may include any suitable articles of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drives, and optical discs. Also, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions executable by the processor(s)  12  to enable the electronic device  10  to provide various functionalities. 
     In certain embodiments, the display  18  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), which may facilitate users to view images generated on the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the display  18  may include a touch screen, which may facilitate user interaction with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . Furthermore, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the display  18  may include one or more organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, or some combination of LCD panels and OLED panels. 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable the electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interface  26 . The network interface  26  may include, for example, one or more interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN) or wireless local area network (WLAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a 3rd generation (3G) cellular network, 4th generation (4G) cellular network, long term evolution (LTE) cellular network, long term evolution license assisted access (LTE-LAA) cellular network, or 5th generation (5G) cellular network. The network interface  26  may also include one or more interfaces for, for example, broadband fixed wireless access networks (WiMAX), mobile broadband Wireless networks (mobile WiMAX), asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) and its extension DVB Handheld (DVB-H), ultra-wideband (UWB), alternating current (AC) power lines, and so forth. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic device  10  communicates over the aforementioned wireless networks (e.g., Wi-Fi, WiMAX, mobile WiMAX, 4G, LTE, 5G, and so forth) using the transceiver  28 . The transceiver  28  may include circuitry useful in both wirelessly receiving and wirelessly transmitting signals (e.g., data signals, wireless data signals, wireless carrier signals, radio frequency signals), such as a transmitter and/or a receiver. Indeed, in some embodiments, the transceiver  28  may include a transmitter and a receiver combined into a single unit, or, in other embodiments, the transceiver  28  may include a transmitter separate from a receiver. The transceiver  28  may transmit and receive radio frequency signals to support voice and/or data communication in wireless applications such as, for example, PAN networks (e.g., Bluetooth), WLAN networks (e.g., 802.11x Wi-Fi), WAN networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, and LTE and LTE-LAA cellular networks), WiMAX networks, mobile WiMAX networks, ADSL and VDSL networks, DVB-T and DVB-H networks, UWB networks, and so forth. As further illustrated, the electronic device  10  may include the power source  29 . The power source  29  may include any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other type of electronic device. Such computers may be generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) and/or those that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  10 A, is illustrated in  FIG.  2    in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The notebook computer  10 A may include a housing or the enclosure  36 , the display  18 , the input structures  22 , and ports associated with the I/O interface  24 . In one embodiment, the input structures  22  (such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may enable interaction with the notebook computer  10 A, such as starting, controlling, or operating a graphical user interface (GUI) and/or applications running on the notebook computer  10 A. For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may facilitate user interaction with a user interface, GUI, and/or application interface displayed on display  18 . 
       FIG.  3    depicts a front view of a handheld device  10 B, which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 B may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  10 B may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. The handheld device  10 B may include the enclosure  36  to protect interior elements from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the display  18 . The I/O interface  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, an I/O port for a hard wired connection for charging and/or content manipulation using a standard connector and protocol, such as the Lightning connector provided by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California, a universal serial bus (USB), or other similar connector and protocol. 
     The input structures  22 , in combination with the display  18 , may enable user control of the handheld device  10 B. For example, the input structures  22  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  10 B, navigate a user interface to a home screen, present a user-editable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  10 B. Other of the input structures  22  may provide volume control, or may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. The input structures  22  may also include a microphone to obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker to enable audio playback. The input structures  22  may also include a headphone input to enable input from external speakers and/or headphones. 
       FIG.  4    depicts a front view of another handheld device  10 C, which represents another embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 C may represent, for example, a tablet computer, or one of various portable computing devices. By way of example, the handheld device  10 C may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device  10 , which may be, for example, a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. 
     Turning to  FIG.  5   , a computer  10 D may represent another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   . The computer  10 D may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a standalone media player or video gaming machine. By way of example, the computer  10 D may be an iMac®, a MacBook®, or other similar device by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. It should be noted that the computer  10 D may also represent a personal computer (PC) by another manufacturer. The enclosure  36  may protect and enclose internal elements of the computer  10 D, such as the display  18 . In certain embodiments, a user of the computer  10 D may interact with the computer  10 D using various peripheral input devices, such as keyboard  22 A or mouse  22 B (e.g., input structures  22 ), which may operatively couple to the computer  10 D. 
     Similarly,  FIG.  6    depicts a wearable electronic device  10 E representing another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   . By way of example, the wearable electronic device  10 E, which may include a wristband  43 , may be an Apple Watch® by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device  10 E may include any wearable electronic device such as, a wearable exercise monitoring device (e.g., pedometer, accelerometer, heart rate monitor), or other device by another manufacturer. The display  18  of the wearable electronic device  10 E may include a touch screen version of the display  18  (e.g., LCD, OLED display, active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, and so forth), as well as the input structures  22 , which may facilitate user interaction with a user interface of the wearable electronic device  10 E. 
     The electronic device  10  may communicate with a communication network provided by one or more base stations using the transceiver  28  by sending and receiving signals that conform to a communication standard, such as LTE, NR, or Wi-Fi. The LTE standard specifies a nominal data rate of 100 megabits per second (Mbit/s) while the electronic device  10  physically moves at high speeds relative to the one or more base stations, and one gigabit per second (Gbit/s) while the electronic device  10  and the one or more base stations are in relatively fixed positions. The NR standard specifies a downlink peak data rate of 20 Gbit/s and an uplink peak data rate of 10 Gbit/s. The Wi-Fi standard specifies a peak data rate of one Gbit/s. While each standard may be associated with a different, designated frequency spectrum, in some cases, data may be sent according to multiple standards that share a frequency spectrum, such as the “unlicensed spectrum” of 5150-5924 MHz, or approximately 5 GHz band. A benefit may include greater overall flexibility, bandwidth, or bitrate, by having data conforming to a communication standard use not only its designated frequency spectrum to send and receive data, but also use the unlicensed spectrum. However, without proper coordination, multiple wireless networks operating using multiple communication standards on the unlicensed frequency spectrum may result in increased data collision on the unlicensed frequency channel. The systems and methods described in this disclosure provide coordination between base stations and/or electronic devices  10  using multiple, different communication standards operating on the unlicensed spectrum to avoid or reduce data collision, increasing throughput and speed of communication. 
     Coordinating Transmission Using Multiple Communication Standards from a Base Station Over a Frequency Channel 
       FIG.  7    is a diagram depicting a communication system  100  that includes access network nodes, such as network base station  102  that coordinates data transmission and/or reception using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The network base station  102  may transmit first data according to the NR standard (e.g., NR data  104 ), and second data using the LTE standard (e.g., LTE data  106 ), via an antenna  108  or an array of antennas  108 , over a frequency band or channel of, for example, the unlicensed spectrum. In particular, the network base station  102  may modulate the NR data  104  on a carrier signal  110  according to the NR standard, and modulate the LTE data  106  on the carrier signal  110  according to the LTE standard. In other words, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be embedded in an envelope of the carrier signal  110  having a frequency in the radio frequency range (e.g., in the unlicensed spectrum). As such, the base station  102  may be a Next Generation Node B (gNB) base station that supports fifth generation broadband cellular network technology (5G), including the NR standard, an Evolved Node B (eNB) base station that supports fourth generation broadband cellular network technology (4G), including the LTE standard. 
     To enable coordination between sending the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , the base station  102  may determine sizes of the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , determine time periods for which to send the respective data, perform a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure over the frequency channel to determine whether the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, and, if the frequency channel is clear, send the NR data  104  at a first time and the LTE data  106  at a second time based on the determined time periods, as described in further detail below with respect to  FIGS.  9  and  10   . In this manner, additional LBT procedures performed to confirm that the frequency channel is clear before sending, for example, the LTE data  106 , or data collisions between sending the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , may be avoided, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. It should be understood that the network base station  102  may transmit the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  using any suitable different communication standards, including, for example Wi-Fi. 
     A first electronic device  112  (e.g., a first user equipment) having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  114  of the first electronic device  112  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the NR data  104 . Similarly, a second electronic device  116  having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  118  of the second electronic device  116  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the LTE data  106 . The first and second electronic devices  112 ,  116  may each be in the form of the electronic device  10  as described in  FIGS.  1 - 6    above. In some embodiments, a single electronic device (e.g.,  112 ) having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard (or a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to both the NR and the LTE standards) may receive the carrier signal  110  and extract both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 . Thus, such an electronic device may receive both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  in a virtually parallel fashion via both the NR and the LTE standards. 
     It is noted that user equipment able to communicate with the access nodes may include any of various types of computer systems device which are mobile or portable and which performs wireless communications. Examples of user equipment any suitable portable electronic devices, mobile telephones, smart phones, portable gaming devices, laptops, wearable devices, or the like. In general, the term “UE” or “UE device” can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and/or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) which is easily transported by a user and capable of wireless communication. 
     The term “base station” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wireless communication station installed at a fixed location and used to communicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system. The base stations  102 , the first electronic device  112 , and the second electronic device  116  may be configured to communicate over the transmission medium using any of various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or telecommunication standards, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) (e.g., associated with wide-band Code-Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or time division (TD) short-band Code-Division Multiple Access (SCDMA) air interfaces), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., real-time text (1×RTT), Evolution-Data Optimized (1×EV-DO), High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), evolved HRPD (eHRPD)), or the like. Note that if a respective base station, such as the base station  102  is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternately be referred to as an “eNodeB” or “eNB”. Note that if a respective base station is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternately be referred to as “gNodeB” or “gNB”. 
     Thus, while base stations  102  may act as a “serving cell” for electronic devices as illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an electronic device  10  may also be capable of receiving signals from (and possibly within communication range of) one or more other cells (which might be provided by base station  102  and/or any other base stations), which may be referred to as “neighboring cells”. Such cells may also be capable of facilitating communication between user devices and/or between user devices and the network. Such cells may include “macro” cells, “micro” cells, “pico” cells, and/or cells which provide any of various other granularities of service area size. 
       FIG.  8    is a block diagram of the communication system  100  of  FIG.  7   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the network base station  102  includes radio frequency communication circuitry  130  having a first transmitter that sends data according to the NR standard (an NR transmitter  132 ), a second transmitter that sends data according to the LTE standard (an LTE transmitter  134 ), and a receiver  136  that receives data, via the one or more antennas  108 . In some embodiments, the transmitters  132 ,  134  may be combined as a single transmitter. As such, the NR transmitter  132  and LTE transmitter  134  may be considered as “co-located” at the base station  102 . Moreover, in additional or alternative embodiments, at least one of the transmitters  132 ,  134  and the receiver  136  may be combined as a transceiver. 
     The transmitters  132 ,  134  and/or the receiver  136  may be driven by control unit  138  to embed the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  onto or extract data from the carrier signal  110 . In particular, the control unit  138  may cause the NR transmitter  132  to modulate the NR data  104  onto a carrier wave to generate the radio frequency carrier signal  110 . Similarly, the control unit  138  may cause the LTE transmitter  134  to modulate the LTE data  106  onto the carrier wave to generate the radio frequency carrier signal  110 . The transmitters  132 ,  134  may include any suitable circuitry to facilitate transmitting data, including, for example, processing circuitry for signal modulation. The transmitters  132  and  134  may also or alternatively include power circuitry, such as a power amplifier (e.g., amplifying circuitry), to increase a power level of the carrier signal  110  so that the transmitters  132  and  134  may effectively transmit the carrier signal  110  into the air via the antenna  108 . 
     The receiver  136  may demodulate a received carrier signal for the control unit  138  to analyze or process data in the received carrier signal. The receiver  136  may include any suitable circuitry to facilitate receiving data, including, for example, processing circuitry to demodulate the received carrier signal. The receiver  136  may also include power circuitry to increase or decrease a power level of the received carrier signal to better extract the data and/or facilitate analyzing and/or processing by the control unit  138 . 
     The control unit  138  may generate control signals to control incoming and outgoing communications, and may include a processor  140  and a memory  142 . The processor  140  may include any suitable processing circuitry, such as one or more processors, microprocessors, general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, application specific integrated circuits, reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, or some combination thereof. The memory  142  may store information such as control software, look up tables, configuration data, etc. In some embodiments, the processor  140  and/or the memory  142  may be external to the control unit  138  and/or the radio frequency communication circuit  130 . The memory  142  may include a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium, such as a volatile memory (e.g., a random access memory (RAM)) and/or a nonvolatile memory (e.g., a read-only memory (ROM)). The memory  142  may store a variety of information and may be used for various purposes. For example, the memory  142  may store machine-readable and/or processor-executable instructions (e.g., firmware or software) for the processor  140  to execute, such as instructions for operating the radio frequency communication circuitry  130  to coordinate data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel. The memory  142  may include one or more storage devices (e.g., nonvolatile storage devices) that may include read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. 
     The electronic devices  112 ,  116  also each includes respective radio frequency communication circuitry  144 ,  146 . The radio frequency communication circuitry  144  of the first electronic device  112  includes a transmitter  148  and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard (an NR receiver  150 ), via the one or more antennas  114 . Similarly, the radio frequency communication circuitry  146  of the second electronic device  116  includes a transmitter  152  and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard (an LTE receiver  154 ), via the one or more antennas  118 . In some embodiments, the transmitters  148 ,  152  may be combined with the respective receivers  150 ,  154  as a transceiver. 
     The electronic device  112  may include a control unit  156  that drives the transmitter  148  and/or the NR receiver  150  to embed data onto or extract data from a carrier signal (e.g., the carrier signal  110 ). In particular, the control unit  138  may cause the NR receiver  150  to extract the NR data  104  from the carrier signal  110 . Similarly, the electronic device  116  may include a control unit  158  that drives the transmitter  152  and/or the LTE receiver  154  to embed data onto or extract data from a carrier signal (e.g., the carrier signal  110 ). In particular, the control unit  158  may cause the LTE receiver  154  to extract the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 . The transmitters  148 ,  152  may include any suitable circuitry to facilitate transmitting data, and the receivers  150 ,  154 , may include any suitable circuitry to facilitate receiving data. As with the control unit  138  of the base station  102 , the control units  156 ,  158  may generate control signals to control incoming and outgoing communications, and may include respective processors  160 ,  162  and respective memories  164 ,  166 , which may be structurally similar and perform similar functions as the processor  140  and the memory  142  of the control unit  138  of the base station  102  described above. 
     The frequency channel may be determined by any suitable source among the base station  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116 . That is, at least one of the base station  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may determine a desired frequency channel based on availability of the frequency channel in the unlicensed spectrum, user settings, availability of communication resources, hardware capabilities, compatibility, and so on. An indication of the desired frequency channel may then be sent to the other devices among the base station  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116 . It should be understood that the network base station  102  and/or the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may include additional or alternative components that facilitate coordinated data transmission (e.g., between multiple base stations  101  and/or between multiple electronic devices  112 ,  116 ), such as mobile communication network access points, routers, and so on. 
       FIG.  9    is a flowchart illustrating a method  180  for coordinating data transmission from the network base station  102  using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method  180  may be performed by any suitable device that controls components of the network base station  102  of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , such as the control unit  138 , the processor  140 , and so on. While the method  180  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. In some embodiments, the method  180  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  142 , using a processor, such as the processor  140 . 
     As illustrated, in process block  182 , the processor  140  receives an indication to send NR data  104  and LTE data  106 . The indication may be provided by separate or combined sources (e.g., other electronic device(s)) that send the NR data  104  and LTE data  106  to the base station  102 , intending for the first electronic device  112  to receive the NR data  104  and the second electronic device  116  to receive the LTE data  106 . In some embodiments, at least one of the base station and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may indicate a preferred frequency channel, or frequency range, based on their respective radio frequency capabilities, among other things. The preferred frequency channel or frequency range may be part of a frequency spectrum that both NR data and LTE data may be sent on, such as the unlicensed spectrum. As such, the base station  102  may send the NR data  104  and LTE data  106  on the same frequency channel. 
     As an illustrative example,  FIG.  10    is a timing diagram of the network base station  102  coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the frequency channel  200  in the unlicensed spectrum has a channel width of 20 MHz, though any suitable channel width is contemplated. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  9   , in process block  184 , the processor  140  determines the size of the NR data  104  (the NR data size) and the size of the LTE data  106  (the LTE data size) for transmission. In decision block  186 , the processor  140  determines whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. That is, the processor  140  may use the radio frequency communication circuitry  130  and the antenna  108  to determine whether there is any data being transmitted on the frequency channel  200 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  10   , at time  202 , the processor  140  determines if (e.g., by “listening” to) the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. This may also be referred to as “channel sensing”. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  9   , if the frequency channel  200  is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  188 , the processor  140  waits for a random period of time before repeating decision block  186 . In particular, the processor  140  may determine the random period of time (also referred to as a “random back-off time”) that the base station  102  should wait before attempting transmission on the frequency channel  200 , as the frequency channel  200  is currently being used. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  10   , the processor  140  waits for the random back-off time  204  to determine if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. Once the random back-off time  204  has elapsed, the processor  140  repeats decision block  186  by determining whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions at time  206 . Decision block  186  and process block  188  may be referred to as the Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure, as the processor  140  “listens” to the frequency channel  200  before sending data (“talking”) on the frequency channel  200 . 
     Turning back to  FIG.  9   , once the processor  140  has determined that the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  190 , the processor  140  determines a time period to send the NR data  104  (an NR time period) based on the NR data size and determines a time period to send the LTE data  106  (an LTE time period) based on the LTE data size. For example, the processor  140  may determine the NR time period such that it is sufficient to send the NR data size, and determine the LTE time period such that it is sufficient to send the LTE data size. In some embodiments, the time periods may be predetermined (e.g., one millisecond (ms), two ms, or any other suitable time periods), and the processor  140  may send portions of the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  (e.g., set the NR data size and/or the LTE data size) such that the portions of the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  may be sent in the time periods. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  10   , the processor  140  determines that the NR time period  208  is two ms and the LTE time period  210  is one ms. In some embodiments, the base station  102  may occupy the frequency channel  200  for a certain period of time (e.g., a “channel occupancy window”  211 ). As such, the processor  140  may determine the NR time period  208  and the LTE time period  210  to ensure that the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may fit within the channel occupancy window  211 . Moreover, the processor  140  may determine a time  212  to send the NR data  104 , and a time  214  to send the LTE data  106  (e.g., after the NR time period  208  has elapsed from the time  212  to send the NR data  104 ). 
     Turning back to  FIG.  9   , in process block  192 , the processor  140  sends the NR data  104  in the NR time period  208  and the LTE data  106  in the LTE time period  210  on the frequency channel  200 . In the illustrative of  FIG.  10   , the processor  140  sends the NR data  104  at the time  212  in the NR time period  208  and the LTE data  106  at the time  214  in the LTE time period  210 . In some embodiments, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be parts of a data packet  216 , which may include header information  218  that describes, for example, the NR data size, the LTE data size, how to decode or demodulate the data packet  216 , the NR data  104 , and/or the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. As such, in process block  190 , the processor  140  may determine the NR time period  208  and the LTE time period  210  to ensure that the data packet  216 , including the NR data  104 , the LTE data  106 , and the header information  218 , fits within the channel occupancy window  211 . In this manner, the method  180  may coordinate transmission of the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  from the network base station  102  over the frequency channel  200 . While the method  180  uses the example of downlink transmissions from the base station  102  to the electronic devices  112 ,  116 , the method  180  may also be applied to uplink transmissions. It should be understood that “downlink” refers to data transmission from one or more base stations (e.g.,  102 ) to one or more electronic devices (e.g.,  112 ,  116 ), and uplink refers to data transmission from one or more electronic devices to one or more base stations. 
     Coordinating Transmission Using Multiple Communication Standards from an Electronic Device Over a Frequency Channel 
     In some embodiments, an electronic device  10  may send and/or receive the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  on the frequency channel  200 , instead of the base station  102 . For example,  FIG.  11    is a diagram depicting a communication system  220  having an electronic device  222  that coordinates data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Like the network base station  102  of  FIG.  7   , the electronic device  222  may transmit the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  via an antenna  224  or an array of antennas  224 , over a frequency band or channel of, for example, the unlicensed spectrum. In particular, the electronic device  222  may modulate the NR data  104  on a carrier signal  110  according to the NR standard, and modulate the LTE data  106  on the carrier signal  110  according to the LTE standard. To enable coordination between sending the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , the electronic device  222  may determine sizes of the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , determine time periods for which to send the respective data, perform a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure over the frequency channel to determine whether the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, and, if the frequency channel is clear, send the NR data  104  at a first time and the LTE data  106  at a second time based on the determined time periods, as described in further detail below. In this manner, additional LBT procedures performed to confirm that the frequency channel is clear before sending, for example, the LTE data  106 , or data collisions between sending the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , may be avoided, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. It should be understood that the electronic device  222  may transmit the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  using any suitable different communication standards, including, for example Wi-Fi. 
     A first base station  226  having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  228  of the first base station  226  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the NR data  104 . Similarly, a second base station  230  having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  232  of the second base station  230  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the LTE data  106 . In some embodiments, a single base station (e.g.,  226 ) having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard (or a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to both the NR and the LTE standards) may receive the carrier signal  110  and extract both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 . Thus, such a base station may receive both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  in a virtually parallel fashion via both the NR and the LTE standards. 
       FIG.  12    is a block diagram of the communication system  220  of  FIG.  11   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the electronic device  222  includes radio frequency communication circuitry  234  having a first transmitter that sends data according to the NR standard (an NR transmitter  236 ), a second transmitter that sends data according to the LTE standard (an LTE transmitter  238 ), and a receiver  240  that receives data, via the one or more antennas  224 . In some embodiments, the transmitters  236 ,  238  may be combined as a single transmitter. As such, the NR transmitter  236  and LTE transmitter  238  may be considered as “co-located” at the electronic device  222 . Moreover, in additional or alternative embodiments, at least one of the transmitters  236 ,  238  and the receiver  240  may be combined as a transceiver. The transmitters  236 ,  238  and/or the receiver  240  may be driven by control unit  242  to embed the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  onto or extract data from the carrier signal  110 . The control unit  242  may include processor  244  and memory  246 , which may be similar in structure and/or function to the processor  244  and memory  246  of the base station  102  described in  FIG.  8   . 
     The base stations  226 ,  230  also each includes respective radio frequency communication circuitry  248 ,  250 . The radio frequency communication circuitry  248  of the first base station  226  includes a transmitter  252  and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard (an NR receiver  254 ), via the one or more antennas  228 . Similarly, the radio frequency communication circuitry  250  of the second base station  230  includes a transmitter  256  and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard (an LTE receiver  258 ), via the one or more antennas  232 . In some embodiments, the transmitters  252 ,  256  may be combined with the respective receivers  254 ,  258  as a transceiver. The base stations  226 ,  230  also each includes respective control units  260 ,  262  having respective processors  264 ,  266  and memories  268 ,  270 , which may be similar in structure and/or function to the processors  160 ,  162  and memories  164 ,  166  of the electronic devices  112 ,  116  described in  FIG.  8   . 
     The electronic device  222  may send the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  to the base stations  226 ,  230  on the frequency channel  200  by coordinating transmission of the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  according to the method  180  of  FIG.  7    and/or according to the timing diagram of  FIG.  8   . 
     Coordinating Transmission Using Multiple Communication Standards from Multiple Base Stations Over a Frequency Channel 
     In certain cases, multiple separate base stations may send the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  on the frequency channel  200 , instead of a single base station  102  or electronic device  222 . Coordination between the multiple base stations may be performed to prevent or avoid additional LBT procedures (e.g., performed by each base station) used to confirm that the frequency channel is clear, or data collisions between the multiple base stations sending data, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. 
     For example,  FIG.  13    is a diagram depicting a communication system  280  having multiple base stations  282 ,  284  that coordinate data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, a first base station  282  may transmit the NR data  104  via an antenna  286  or an array of antennas  286  over a frequency band or channel of, for example, the unlicensed spectrum, and a second base station  284  may transmit the LTE data  106  via an antenna  288  or an array of antennas  288  over the frequency band or channel. 
     To enable coordination between sending the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , the first base station  282  may, for example, determine a size of the NR data  104 , determine a time period for which to send the NR data  104 , receive a time period for which to send the LTE data  106  (as determined and sent from the second base station  284 ), perform an LBT procedure over the frequency channel to determine whether the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, and, if the frequency channel is clear, send the NR data  104  at a first time and instruct the second base station  284  to send the LTE data  106  at a second time based on the determined time periods, as described in further detail below with respect to  FIGS.  15  and  16   . 
     It should be understood that, in additional or alternative embodiments, the second base station  284  may, for example, determine a size of the LTE data  106 , determine a time period for which to send the LTE data  106 , receive a time period for which to send the NR data  104  (as determined and sent from the first base station  282 ), perform the LBT procedure over the frequency channel to determine whether the frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, and, if the frequency channel is clear, send the LTE data  106  at a first time and instruct the first base station  282  to send the NR data  104  at a second time based on the determined time periods. In this manner, additional LBT procedures performed to confirm that the frequency channel is clear before sending, the NR data  104  or the LTE data  106 , or data collisions between sending the NR data  104  or the LTE data  106 , may be avoided, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. It should be understood that the base stations  282 ,  284  may transmit the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  using any suitable different communication standards, including, for example Wi-Fi. 
     A communication interface, such as an Xn interface  290 , may enable the base stations  282 ,  284  to communicate. In particular, the Xn interface  290  may enable the first base station  282  to receive the time period for which to send the LTE data  106  from the second base station  284  and instruct the second base station  284  to send the LTE data  106 . Additionally or alternatively, the Xn interface  290  may enable the second base station  284  to receive the time period for which to send the NR data  104  from the first base station  282  and instruct the first base station  282  to send the NR data  104 . 
     A first electronic device  112  having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  114  of the first electronic device  112  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the NR data  104 . Similarly, a second electronic device  116  having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard may receive the carrier signal  110  via one or more antennas  118  of the second electronic device  116  and demodulate the carrier signal  110  to extract the LTE data  106 . Additional details of the first and second electronic devices  112 ,  116  are provided above with respect to  FIGS.  7  and  8   . In some embodiments, a single electronic device (e.g.,  112 ) having a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the NR standard and a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to the LTE standard (or a receiver capable of extracting data conforming to both the NR and the LTE standards) may receive the carrier signal  110  and extract both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 . Thus, such an electronic device may receive both the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  in a virtually parallel fashion via both the NR and the LTE standards. 
       FIG.  14    is a block diagram of the communication system  280  of  FIG.  13   , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the first base station  282  includes radio frequency communication circuitry  300  having a first transmitter that sends data according to the NR standard (an NR transmitter  302 ) and a receiver  304  that receives data, via the one or more antennas  286 . The second base station  284  also includes radio frequency communication circuitry  306  having a second transmitter that sends data according to the LTE standard (an LTE transmitter  308 ), and a receiver  310  that receives data, via the one or more antennas  288 . As such, the NR transmitter  302  and LTE transmitter  308  may be considered as “non-co-located”, as they are disposed in different devices or base stations  282 ,  284 . Moreover, in additional or alternative embodiments, any transmitter  302 ,  308  may be combined with a respective receiver  304 ,  310  as a transceiver. The NR transmitter  302  and the receiver  304  of the first base station  282  may be driven by control unit  312  to embed the NR data  104  onto or extract data from the carrier signal  110 . Similarly, the LTE transmitter  308  and the receiver  310  of the second base station  284  may be driven by control unit  314  to embed the LTE data  106  onto or extract data from the carrier signal  110 . The control units  312 ,  314  may include respective processors  316 ,  318  and memories  320 ,  322 , which may be similar in structure and/or function to the processor  244  and memory  246  of the base station  102  described in  FIG.  8   . The radio frequency communication circuitries  300 ,  306  of the first and second base stations  282 ,  284  may also enable access to the Xn interface  290  for communication between the first and second base stations  282 ,  284 . 
       FIG.  15    is a flowchart illustrating a method  330  for coordinating data transmission from the network base stations  282 ,  284  using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method  330  may be performed by any suitable device that controls components of the base station  282  and/or the base station  284  of  FIGS.  13  and  14   , such as the control units  312 ,  314 , the processors  316 ,  318 , and so on. While the method  330  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. In some embodiments, the method  330  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  320  and/or the memory  322 , using a processor, such as the processor  316  and/or the processor  318 . 
     As illustrated, in process block  332 , the processor  316  receives an indication to send NR data  104 . The indication may be provided by separate or combined sources (e.g., other electronic device(s)) that send the NR data  104  to the first base station  282 , intending for the first electronic device  112  to receive the NR data  104 . In some embodiments, at least one of the base stations  282 ,  284  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may indicate a preferred frequency channel, or frequency range, based on their respective radio frequency capabilities, among other things. In additional or alternative embodiments, the processor  316  may receive an indication to send LTE data  106  (e.g., instead of or in addition to the indication to send the NR data  104 ). 
     As an illustrative example,  FIG.  16    is a timing diagram of the first base station  282  coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the frequency channel  200  in the unlicensed spectrum has a channel width of 20 MHz, though any suitable channel width is contemplated. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  15   , in process block  334 , the processor  316  determines the size of the NR data  104  (the NR data size) for transmission. In decision block  336 , the processor  316  determines whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. That is, the processor  316  may use the radio frequency communication circuitry  300  and the antenna  286  to determine whether there is any data being transmitted on the frequency channel  200 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  16   , at time  360 , the processor  316  determines if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  15   , if the frequency channel  200  is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  338 , the processor  316  waits for a random back-off time before repeating decision block  336 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  16   , the processor  316  waits for the random back-off time  362  to determine if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. 
     During or after the random back-off time  362 , in process block  340 , the processor  316  determines whether an indication has been received to send the LTE data  106 . The indication may be sent from the second base station  284  via the Xn interface  290 , which may in turn be provided by separate or combined sources (e.g., other electronic device(s)) that send the LTE data  106  to the second base station  284 , intending for the second electronic device  116  to receive the LTE data  106 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  16   , at time  364 , the processor  316  receives an indication to send the LTE data  106  from the second base station  284 . 
     Turning back to  FIG.  15   , if the indication to send the LTE data  106  has been received, then the processor  316 , in process block  342 , receives a time period to send the LTE data  106  (an LTE time period). In particular, the second base station  284  may determine the size of the LTE data  106  (the LTE data size), and then determine the LTE time period based on the LTE data size, a data packet  216  size, and/or a channel occupancy window  211 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  16   , the processor  316  determines that the LTE time period  368  is one ms. The second base station  284  may then send the LTE time period  368  to the first base station  282 . In additional or alternative embodiments, the second base station  284  may send the LTE data size to the first base station  282 , and the processor  316  of the first base station  282  may then determine the LTE time period  368  based on the LTE data size, a data packet  216  size, and/or a channel occupancy window  211 . Once the random back-off time  362  has elapsed, the processor  316  repeats decision block  336  by determining whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions at time  366 . 
     Once the processor  316  has determined that the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  344 , the processor  316  determines a time period to send the NR data  104  (an NR time period) based on the NR data size. The processor  316  may additionally or alternatively determine the NR time period based on the LTE time period  368 , a data packet  216  size, and/or a channel occupancy window  211 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  16   , the processor  316  determines that the NR time period  370  is two ms. In some embodiments, the processor  140  may determine the NR time period  370  and/or the LTE time period  368  to ensure that the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may fit within the channel occupancy window  211 . Moreover, the processor  140  may determine a time  372  to send the NR data  104 , and a time  374  to send the LTE data  106  (e.g., after the NR time period  370  has elapsed from the time  372  to send the NR data  104 ). In some embodiments, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be too large to send in the data packet  216  size fitting in the channel occupancy window  211 . As such, the processor  140  may determine a portion of the NR data  104  to send in the NR time period  370  and/or a portion of the LTE data  106  to send in the LTE time period  368 . The remainder of the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  may then be sent in a subsequent transmission. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  15   , in process block  346 , the processor  140  sends the NR data  104  in the NR time period  370 , and instructs the second base station  284  to send the LTE data  106  in the LTE time period  368  on the frequency channel  200 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  10   , the processor  140  sends the NR data  104  at the time  372  in the NR time period  370 , and the second base station  284  sends the LTE data  106  at the time  374  in the LTE time period  368 . In some embodiments, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be sent as parts of a data packet  216 , which may include header information  218  that describes, for example, the NR data size, the LTE data size, how to decode or demodulate the data packet  216 , the NR data  104 , and/or the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. As such, in process block  344 , the processor  316  may determine the NR time period  370  and/or the LTE time period  368  to ensure that the data packet  216 , including the NR data  104 , the LTE data  106 , and the header information  218 , fits within the channel occupancy window  211 . In this manner, the method  330  may coordinate transmission of the NR data  104  from a first base station  282  and the LTE data  106  from a second base station  284  over the frequency channel  200 . While the method  330  uses the example of downlink transmissions from the base stations  282 ,  284  to the electronic devices  112 ,  116 , the method  330  may also be applied to uplink transmissions. Moreover, it should be understood that while the method  330  describes a first base station  282  sending NR data  104  in an initial process block  332 , in additional or alternative embodiments, the second base station  284  may send the LTE data  106  in the initial process block, and may later receive an indication from the first base station  282  to send the NR data  104 . 
     Coordinating Transmission and Reception Using Multiple Communication Standards Over a Frequency Channel 
     Coordination between data (e.g., NR data  104  and/or LTE data  106 ) received and data (e.g., NR data  104  and LTE data  106 ) sent on the frequency channel  200  (e.g., within the channel occupancy window  211 ) may also be performed to reduce additional LBT procedures (e.g., performed for receiving data and sending data) used to confirm that the frequency channel is clear, or data collisions between the receiving and sending the data, decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. For example, a base station  102  may include both NR and LTE transmitters, and be supported by secondary cells for downlink communication according to the NR and LTE standards, but may also include an NR receiver and be supported by secondary cells for uplink communication for the NR standard. 
       FIG.  17    is a flowchart illustrating a method  380  for coordinating transmission and reception of data at the base station  102  using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method  380  is discussed using the example of the base station  102  of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , though it should be understood that one or more base stations  102  and/or one or more electronic devices  10  may perform the method  380 , such as those illustrated in  FIGS.  11 - 14   . Moreover, while the example includes the capability of uplink communication using the NR standard but not the LTE standard, it should be understood that, in additional or alternative embodiments, the base station may have the capability of uplink communication using the LTE standard, or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi. 
     The method  380  may be performed by any suitable device that controls components of the base station  102 , such as the control unit  138 , the processor  140 , and so on. While the method  380  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. In some embodiments, the method  380  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  142 , using a processor, such as the processor  140   
     As illustrated, in process block  382 , the processor  140  receives an indication to send first NR data  104  (NR transmission data), receive second NR data (NR reception data), and send LTE data  106 . In some embodiments, at least one of the base station  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may indicate a preferred frequency channel. As an illustrative example,  FIG.  18    is a timing diagram of the base station  102  coordinating transmission and reception of data using multiple network communication standards over the frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the frequency channel  200  in the unlicensed spectrum has a channel width of 20 MHz, though any suitable channel width is contemplated. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  17   , in process block  384 , the processor  140  determines the size of the NR data  104  to be sent (the NR transmission data size), the size of the NR data to be received (the NR reception data size), and the LTE data  106  to be sent (the LTE data size). In decision block  386 , the processor  316  determines whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  18   , at time  410 , the processor  140  determines if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  17   , if the frequency channel  200  is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  388 , the processor  140  waits for a random back-off time before repeating process block  386 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  18   , the processor  140  waits for the random back-off time  412  to determine if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. Once the random back-off time  412  has elapsed, the processor  140  repeats decision block  386  by determining whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions at time  413 . 
     Once the processor  140  has determined that the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  390 , the processor  140  determines a time period to send the NR data  104  (an NR transmission time period) based on the NR data size, a time period to receive NR data (an NR reception time period), and a time period to send the LTE data  106  (an LTE transmission time period). In particular, when transferring downlink and uplink data in a frame (which may include a packet, such that the frame size may correspond to the packet size) using certain wireless communication standards, such as NR, LTE, or Wi-Fi (e.g., in a time division duplex mode), the downlink data and uplink data may be predetermined and/or specified (e.g., by the base station  102 ). This may facilitate informing receiving devices (e.g., the electronic devices  112 ,  116 ) when to expect to receive data. As such, the processor  140  may determine the NR transmission time period, the NR reception time period, and/or the LTE transmission time period (and in some cases the NR transmission data size, the NR reception data size, and/or the LTE data size) based on these time division duplex downlink and uplink frame specifications. It should be understood that the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data, and the LTE data  106  are used as examples in the disclosed embodiment, and, in additional or alternative embodiments, LTE data may be received in an LTE reception time period, while any of the NR transmission data  104 , NR reception data, and LTE data  106  being transmitted may be omitted. 
     In the illustrative example of  FIG.  18   , the NR transmission time period  414  (“NR TX”) of one ms for the NR transmission data  104  begins at an NR transmission time  416 , the NR reception time period  418  (“NR RX”) of one ms for NR reception data  420  begins at an NR reception time  422 , and the LTE transmission time period  424  (“LTE TX”) of one ms for the LTE data  106  begins at an LTE transmission time  426 . In some embodiments, the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data  420 , and the LTE data  106  may be too large to transferred in the data packet  216  size fitting in the channel occupancy window  211 . As such, the processor  140  may determine a portion of the NR transmission data  104  to send in the NR transmission time period  416 , a portion of the NR reception data  420  to receive in the NR reception time period  422 , and/or a portion of the LTE data  106  to send in the LTE time period  424 . The remainder of the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data  420 , and/or the LTE data  106  may then be transferred in a subsequent communication. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  17   , in process block  392 , the processor  140  sends the NR transmission data  104  in the NR time period  414  beginning at the NR transmission time  416 . In process block  394 , the processor  140  receives the NR reception data  420  in the NR time period  414  beginning at the NR transmission time  416 . In some embodiments, even though the base station  102  specifies that the electronic device  112  is to receive the NR reception data  420  in the NR time period  414 , the electronic device  112  may nevertheless listen to the frequency channel  200  for a time period  428  to ensure that the frequency channel  200  is clear. The time period  428  may be any suitable period of time for the electronic device  112  to determine that the frequency channel is clear, such as 25 microseconds. In process block  396 , the processor  140  sends the LTE transmission data  106  in the LTE transmission time period  424  beginning at the LTE transmission time  426 . 
     In some embodiments, the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data  420 , and the LTE data  106  may be transferred as parts of a data packet  216 , which may include header information  218  that describes, for example, the NR transmission data size, the NR reception data size, the LTE data size, how to decode or demodulate the data packet  216 , the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data  420 , and/or the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. As such, in process block  390 , the processor  140  may determine the NR transmission time period  416 , the NR reception time period  418 , and/or the LTE time period  424  to ensure that the data packet  216 , including the NR transmission data  104 , the NR reception data  420 , the LTE data  106 , and the header information  218 , fits within the channel occupancy window  211 . In this manner, the method  380  may coordinate transmission and reception of data over the frequency channel  200 . 
     Coordinating Transmission Using Multiple Communication Standards Using Multiple Frequency Channels 
     Multiple frequency channels may also be used to send or receive data (e.g., NR data  104  and/or LTE data  106 ) using multiple communication standards. That is, data may be broken up to send on the multiple frequency channels (e.g., in parallel), instead of sending the data on a single frequency channel, thus increasing throughput and speed of receiving data. Coordination may be performed on the data sent on at least one of the multiple frequency channels using multiple communication standards to reduce additional LBT procedures used to confirm that the frequency channel is clear, or data collisions between the sending, for example, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106 , decreasing communication latency and increasing communication speed. 
       FIG.  19    is a flowchart illustrating a method  440  for coordinating data transmission at the base station  102  using multiple network communication standards over multiple frequency channels, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method  440  is discussed using the example of the base station  102  of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , though it should be understood that one or more base stations  102  and/or one or more electronic devices  10  may perform the method  440 , such as those illustrated in  FIGS.  11 - 14   . 
     The method  440  may be performed by any suitable device that controls components of the base station  102 , such as the control unit  138 , the processor  140 , and so on. While the method  440  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. In some embodiments, the method  440  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  142 , using a processor, such as the processor  140 . 
     As illustrated, in process block  442 , the processor  140  receives an indication to send NR data  104  and LTE data  106 . The indication may be provided by separate or combined sources (e.g., other electronic device(s)) that send the NR data  104  and LTE data  106  to the base station  102 , intending for the first electronic device  112  to receive the NR data  104  and the second electronic device  116  to receive the LTE data  106 . In some embodiments, at least one of the base stations  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may indicate at least one preferred frequency channel, or frequency range, based on their respective radio frequency capabilities, among other things. 
     As an illustrative example,  FIG.  20    is a timing diagram of the base station  102  coordinating data transmission using multiple network communication standards over multiple frequency channels  470 ,  472 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the frequency channels  470 ,  472  in the unlicensed spectrum have a channel width of 20 MHz, though any suitable channel width is contemplated. Moreover, because data (e.g., the NR data  104 ) is sent using one communication standard (e.g., the NR standard) on the frequency channel  470 , then that frequency channel  470  may be in the designated spectrum for that communication standard, instead of the unlicensed spectrum, as that frequency channel  470  is not being used to send data conforming to multiple communication standards. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , in process block  444 , the processor  140  determines the size of the NR data  104  (the NR data size) and the size of the LTE data  106  (the LTE data size) for transmission. In decision block  446 , the processor  140  determines whether a frequency channel among multiple frequency channels ( 470 ,  472 ) in the shared, unlicensed spectrum is clear of other transmissions. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , at time  474 , the processor  140  determines if the first frequency channel  470  and the second frequency channel  472  are clear of other transmissions. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , if a frequency channel (e.g.,  470 ,  472 ) is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  448 , the processor  140  waits for a random back-off time before repeating decision block  446 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , the processor  140  waits for the random back-off time  476  to determine if a frequency channel  470 ,  472  is clear of other transmissions. Once the random back-off time  476  has elapsed, the processor  140  repeats decision block  446  by determining whether a frequency channel  470 ,  472  is clear of other transmissions at time  478 . At time  478 , the processor  140  determines that the first frequency channel  470  is clear of other transmissions. As illustrated, at time  478 , the second frequency channel  472  is not clear of other transmissions. 
     Once the processor  140  has determined that a frequency channel among multiple frequency channels  470 ,  472  is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  450 , the processor  140  determines a time period to send the NR data  104  (a first NR time period) based on the NR data size and/or a time period to send the LTE data  106  (a first LTE time period) based on the LTE data size, on the clear frequency channel. In particular, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be too large to send in a data packet fitting in a channel occupancy window on the frequency channel  470 . As such, the processor  140  may determine a portion of the NR data  104  to send in the first NR time period and/or a portion of the LTE data  106  to send in the first LTE time period. The processor  140  may additionally or alternatively determine the first NR time period and/or the first LTE time period based on one another, a data packet size, and/or a channel occupancy window. 
     In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , the processor  140  determines to send a portion  480  of the NR data  104  on the frequency channel  470  at a time  481  in a first NR time period  482  of two ms. In additional or alternative embodiments, the processor  140  may determine a first LTE time period to send the LTE data  106  on the frequency channel  470  in addition to or instead of the first NR time period  482 . 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , in process block  452 , the processor  140  sends the portion  480  of the NR data  104  at time  481  in the first NR time period  482 , as illustrated in  FIG.  20   . In some embodiments, the portion  480  of the NR data  104  may be sent as part of a data packet  484 , which may include header information  486  that describes, for example, the size of the portion  480  of the NR data  104 , how to decode or demodulate the data packet  484  and/or the portion  480  of the NR data  104  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. As such, in process block  450 , the processor  140  may determine the first NR time period  482  ensure that the data packet  484 , including the portion  480  of the NR data  104  and the header information  218 , fits within the channel occupancy window  211 . 
     In decision block  454 , the processor  140  determines whether a remaining frequency channel among the multiple frequency channels ( 470 ,  472 ) in the shared, unlicensed spectrum is clear of other transmissions. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , at time  478 , the processor  140  determines if the second frequency channel  472  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , if a remaining frequency channel (e.g.,  472 ) is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  456 , the processor  140  waits for a random back-off time before repeating decision block  454 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , the processor  140  waits for the random back-off time  489  to determine if the second frequency channel  472  is clear of other transmissions. Once the random back-off time  489  has elapsed, the processor  140  repeats decision block  454  by determining whether the second frequency channel  472  is clear of other transmissions at time  488 . At time  488 , the processor  140  determines that the second frequency channel  472  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Once the processor  140  has determined that a remaining frequency channel is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  458 , the processor  140  determines a time period to send a second portion of the NR data  104  (a second NR time period) based on the NR data size and/or a time period to send the LTE data  106  (a second LTE time period) based on the LTE data size, on the second frequency channel  472 . 
     In the illustrative example of  FIG.  20   , the processor  140  determines to send a second portion  490  of the NR data  104  on the second frequency channel  472  at a time  491  in a second NR time period  492  of one ms. The processor  140  also determines to send at least a portion  494  of the LTE data  106  on the second frequency channel  472  at a time  496  in an LTE time period  498  of one ms. It should be noted that if the processor  140  determined to send a first portion of the LTE data  106  in a first LTE time period on the first frequency channel  470  in process block  452 , then the LTE time period  498  may be a second LTE time period for which the portion  494  is a second portion of the LTE data  106  sent on the second frequency channel  472 . 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , in process block  460 , the processor  140  sends the second portion  490  of the NR data  104  at time  491  in the second NR time period  492  and at least the portion  494  of the LTE data  106  at time  496  on the second frequency channel  472 , as illustrated in  FIG.  20   . In some embodiments, the second portion  490  of the NR data  104  and at least the portion  494  of the LTE data  106  may be sent as part of a data packet  500 , which may include header information  502  that describes, for example, the size of the second portion  490  of the NR data  104 , the size of at least the portion  494  of the LTE data  106 , how to decode or demodulate the data packet  500 , the second portion  490  of the NR data  104 , and/or at least the portion  494  of the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. As such, in process block  458 , the processor  140  may determine the second NR time period  492  and/or the LTE time period  498  to ensure that the data packet  500 , including the second portion  490  of the NR data  104 , at least the portion  494  of the LTE data  106 , and the header information  502 , fits within the channel occupancy window  211 . 
     In this manner, the method  440  may coordinate transmission of the NR data  104  and LTE data  106  over multiple frequency channels  470 ,  472 . While the method  440  uses the example of downlink transmissions from the base station  102  to the electronic devices  112 ,  116 , the method  440  may also be applied to uplink transmissions. Moreover, it should be understood that while the method  440  describes a base station  102  sending NR data  104  in an initial process block  442 , in additional or alternative embodiments, the base station  102  may send the LTE data  106  in the initial process block, and may later receive an indication to send the LTE data  106 . 
     Coordinating Frequency-Divided Transmission Using Multiple Communication Standards Over a Frequency Channel 
     Thus far, the presently disclosed embodiments have divided the data packet and the channel occupancy window between NR data  104  and LTE data  106  in the time domain. For example, if the channel occupancy is four ms, the data packet may include an NR time period for sending the NR data  104  of two ms, and an LTE time period for sending the LTE data of two ms. In some embodiments, the data packet and the channel occupancy window may instead or additionally be divided in the frequency domain (such that a first frequency range of the frequency channel may be used to send the NR data  104 , while a second frequency range of the frequency channel may be used to send the LTE data  106 . 
       FIG.  21    is a flowchart illustrating a method  510  for coordinating frequency-divided data transmission at the base station  102  using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. The method  510  is discussed using the example of the base station  102  of  FIGS.  7  and  8   , though it should be understood that one or more base stations  102  and/or one or more electronic devices  10  may perform the method  510 , such as those illustrated in  FIGS.  11 - 14   . 
     The method  510  may be performed by any suitable device that controls components of the base station  102 , such as the control unit  138 , the processor  140 , and so on. While the method  510  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. In some embodiments, the method  510  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  142 , using a processor, such as the processor  140 . 
     As illustrated, in process block  512 , the processor  140  receives an indication to send NR data  104  and LTE data  106 . The indication may be provided by separate or combined sources (e.g., other electronic device(s)) that send the NR data  104  and LTE data  106  to the base station  102 , intending for the first electronic device  112  to receive the NR data  104  and the second electronic device  116  to receive the LTE data  106 . In some embodiments, at least one of the base stations  102  and the electronic devices  112 ,  116  may indicate at least one preferred frequency channel, or frequency range, based on their respective radio frequency capabilities, among other things. 
     As an illustrative example,  FIG.  22    is a timing diagram of the base station  102  coordinating frequency-divided data transmission using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the frequency channel  200  in the unlicensed spectrum has a channel width of 20 MHz, though any suitable channel width is contemplated. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  21   , in process block  514 , the processor  140  determines the size of the NR data  104  (the NR data size) and the size of the LTE data  106  (the LTE data size) for transmission. In decision block  516 , the processor  140  determines whether the frequency channel in the unlicensed spectrum is clear of other transmissions. In the illustrative example of  FIG.  22   , at time  530 , the processor  140  determines if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Turning back to  FIG.  21   , if the frequency channel  200  is not clear of other transmissions, then in process block  518 , the processor  140  waits for a random back-off time before repeating decision block  516 . In the illustrative example of  FIG.  22   , the processor  140  waits for the random back-off time  532  to determine if the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. Once the random back-off time  532  has elapsed, the processor  140  repeats decision block  516  by determining whether the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions at time  534 . At time  534 , the processor  140  determines that the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions. 
     Once the processor  140  has determined that the frequency channel  200  is clear of other transmissions, then in process block  520 , the processor  140  determines a frequency range to send the NR data  104  (an NR frequency range) based on the NR data size and/or a frequency range to send the LTE data  106  (an LTE frequency range) based on the LTE data size, on the frequency channel  200 . For example, the processor  140  may determine the NR frequency range and the LTE frequency based on the proportion of NR data  104  to LTE data  106 . That is, if the proportion of the NR data  104  to the LTE data  106  is 2:3, then the proportion of the bandwidth of the NR frequency range to the bandwidth of the LTE frequency range may also be 2:3. In cases where the NR data size and the LTE data size are too great to be sent in a single transmission (e.g., in a data packet within a channel occupancy window  211 ), portions of the NR data  104  and/or the LTE data  106  may be sent. As such, the NR frequency range and/or the LTE frequency may be based on the size of the portion of the NR data  104  and/or the size of the portion of the LTE data  106 . 
     In the illustrative example of  FIG.  22   , the processor  140  determines to send the NR data  104  in a first half of the frequency range (e.g., a first 10 MHz range) of the frequency channel  200  at the time  534 . The processor  140  also determines to send the LTE data  106  in a second half of the frequency range (e.g., a second 10 MHz range) of the frequency channel  200  at the time  534 . The first half of the frequency range used to send the NR data  104  may be referred to as the NR frequency range  536 , and the second half of the frequency range used to send the LTE data  106  may be referred to as the LTE frequency range  538 . While  FIG.  22    illustrates the NR frequency range  536  having the same range as the LTE frequency range  538 , it should be understood that in other cases, the NR frequency range  536  and the LTE frequency range  538  may be different (e.g., when the NR data size and the LTE data size are different). 
     Turning back to  FIG.  19   , in process block  522 , the processor  140  sends the NR data  104  at time  534  in the NR frequency range  536  and the LTE data  106  at time  534  in the LTE frequency range  538 , as illustrated in  FIG.  22   . In some embodiments, the NR data  104  and the LTE data  106  may be sent as part of a data packet  216 , which may include header information  535  that describes, for example, the size of the NR data  104 , the size of the LTE data  106 , the NR frequency range  536 , the LTE frequency range  538 , how to decode or demodulate the data packet  484 , the NR data  104 , and/or the LTE data  106  from the carrier signal  110 , timing information, and the like. In this manner, the method  510  may coordinate frequency-divided data transmission at the base station  102  using multiple network communication standards over a frequency channel  200 . While the method  510  uses the example of downlink transmissions from the base station  102  to the electronic devices  112 ,  116 , the method  510  may also be applied to uplink transmissions. 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. Moreover, any of the specific embodiments (e.g., any process or decision blocks of a disclosed method) may be combined in whole or in part with any of the other specific embodiments (e.g., any other process or decision blocks of any other of the disclosed methods). It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ,” it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20220519
Publication Date: 20240702
Grant Date: 20240702
Priority Date: 20191108
Inventors: IOFFE, ANATOLIY SERGEY
SAYENKO, ALEXANDER
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04W84/12", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W88/06", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W88/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W74/0808", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W74/085", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W74/0833", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0453", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/1215", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0446", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W84/12", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W72/0453", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 75750373