DFC: Dynamic UL–DL Frame Configuration Mechanism for Improving Channel Access in eLAA

Enhanced licensed-assisted-access (eLAA) and MulteFire are the latest mechanisms that utilize unlicensed bands while keeping the benefits of LTE. Though eLAA/MulteFire helps to solve the Wi-Fi coexistence issue to a significant extent, its performance suffers due to competition from neighboring transmitting nodes in the unlicensed band to access the channel. We take advantage of new frame structure type-3, proposed for eLAA/MulteFire and formulate a dynamic uplink–downlink (UL–DL) frame configuration (DFC) mechanism to improve the channel access probability which uses an optimization game based on potential game theory. The DFC delivers a minimum of 40% improvement over arbitrary UL–DL frame configuration mechanism.