We claim:
1. A User Equipment (UE) (211) comprising, a processor (602) and transceiver (620)
to:
define an adaptation context;
define a default quality of service (QoS) level and one or more additional acceptable QoS levels associated with the adaptation context;
communicate a request to create or update an adaptive bearer specifying the defined adaptation context and the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels using different sets of QoS parameters; and
receive or update spectrum resources for the adaptive bearer, the adaptive bearer remaining provisioned according to the communicated request throughout a pendency of the adaptive bearer when network resources change to alter a QoS level of the adaptive bearer between the default QoS level and the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels.
2. The UE (211) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UE (211) is to define an adaptation context of "LICENSED_SHARED_ACCESS (0)", whose value indicates licensed shared access specific scenarios.
3. The UE (211) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UE (211) is to define an enhanced QoS-Information Attribute Value Pair comprising an Adaptive-QoS-Level parameter.
4. The UE (211) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UE (211) is to define an Adaptive-QoS-Level Attribute Value Pair (AVP) comprising an Adaptation Context parameter, a preference parameter, a QoS-Class-Identifier parameter, guaranteed upload and download bitrate parameters, an Allocation Retention Priority parameter, and an AVP for each additional acceptable QoS level.
5. The UE (211) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the UE (211) is to regard any dedicated bearer as the adaptive bearer by augmenting a dedicated bearer's QoS parameters with a set of adaptive QoS levels.
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6. A base station (209) comprising, a hardware processing circuitry to:
receive an adaptation context, and a default quality of service (QoS) level and one or more additional acceptable QoS levels associated with the adaptation context generated by a network core entity;
receive a directive to create or update an adaptive bearer according to the adaptation context and the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels using different sets of QoS parameters; and
allocate or update spectrum resources to a User Equipment (UE) (211) for the adaptive bearer, the adaptive bearer remaining provisioned according to the received directive throughout a pendency of the adaptive bearer when network resources change to alter a QoS level of the adaptive bearer between the default QoS level and the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels.
7. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to receive an adaptation context of "LICENSED_SHARED_ACCESS (0)", whose value indicates licensed shared access specific scenarios.
8. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to receive an enhanced QoS-Information Attribute Value Pair comprising an Adaptive-QoS-Level parameter.
9. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to receive an Adaptive-QoS-Level Attribute Value Pair (A VP) comprising an Adaptation Context parameter, a preference parameter, a QoS-Class-Identifier parameter, guaranteed upload and download bitrate parameters, an Allocation Retention Priority parameter, and an AVP for each additional acceptable QoS level.

10. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to create or update the adaptive bearer by augmenting a dedicated bearer's QoS parameters with a set of adaptive QoS levels.
11. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein:
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at least one of the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels specifies licensed shared access (LSA) as an adaptation context, and the base station (209) is to:
receive an indication of reclamation of a Licensed Shared Access (LSA) spectrum; and
mitigate resource shortages caused by the LSA spectrum reclamation by adjusting the QoS level of the adaptive bearer to the at least one of the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels that use different sets of the QoS parameters.
12. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to:
receive an additional LSA spectrum after downgrading the adaptive bearer; and prioritize an upgrade of the QoS level of the adaptive bearer previously downgraded due to a previous LSA reclamation.
13. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base station (209) is to:
at least one of the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels specifies licensed shared access (LSA) as an adaptation context, and
the base station (209) is to admit the adaptive bearer based on supportability of the adaptive bearer when the LSA spectrum is reclaimed due to the at least one of the one or more additional acceptable QoS levels.
14. The base station (209) as claimed in claim 6, base station (209) is to:
track current QoS levels provided to the adaptive bearer and update a mobility management entity (MME) whenever the QoS level of the bearer is adapted.
15. A method for adaptive Quality of Service (QoS) levels in wireless networks, the
method comprising:
enhancing signaling protocols between a User Equipment (UE) (211) and an Application Function (AF) to indicate acceptable adaptive QoS levels; and
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conveying acceptable adaptive QoS level information between the UE (211) and the AF using the enhanced signaling protocols.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the enhanced signaling protocols define an adaptation context of "LICENSED_SHARED_ACCESS (0)".
17. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the enhanced signaling protocols define an enhanced QoS-Information Attribute Value Pair comprising an Adaptive-QoS- Level parameter.
18. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the enhanced signaling protocols define an Adaptive-QoS-Level Attribute Value Pair (AVP) comprising an Adaptation Context parameter, a preference parameter, a QoS-Class-Identifier parameter, guaranteed upload and download bitrate parameters, an Allocation Retention Priority parameter, and an AVP for each additional acceptable QoS level.
19. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the enhanced signaling protocols regard any dedicated bearer as an adaptive bearer by augmenting a dedicated bearer's QoS parameters with a set of adaptive QoS levels.