Method and apparatus supporting device-to-device (D2D) communication in a wireless communication system

• US 10,085,297 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Original Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Inventors: Pan, Li-Te
• Primary Examiner(s): Trandai, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US14/558,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method of a UE being served by a eNB for supporting device to device (D2D) communication is disclosed. The method includes the UE receiving a message that includes information pertaining to a first resource pool provided by the eNB, wherein resources of the first resource pool are common resources shared by more than one UE using the first resource pool. The method further includes the UE being configured with a second resource pool provided by the eNB, wherein the second resource pool is different from the first resource pool. Furthermore, the method includes the UE selecting resource(s) from the second resource pool and uses the selected resource(s) for D2D transmission.

Claims

1. A method of a User Equipment (UE) served by an evolved Node B (eNB) for supporting device-to-device (D2D) communication, the method comprising:

the UE receives a message that includes information pertaining to a first resource pool provided by the eNB, wherein resources of the first resource pool are common resources shared by more than one UE using the first resource pool and are used for D2D transmission;

the UE uses the first resource pool for D2D transmission if the UE knows the first resource pool based on the message, and the UE is not configured with a second resource pool provided by the eNB yet, wherein the second resource pool allocated by the eNB (and not allocated by any UE including the UE) is different from the first resource pool and is also used for D2D transmission;

the UE uses the second resource pool and does not use the first resource pool for D2D transmission if the first resource pool is still available for D2D transmission and the UE is configured with the second resource pool by the eNB; and

the UE selects resource(s) from the second resource pool and uses the selected resource(s) for D2D transmission when the UE uses the second resource pool.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE is served by a cell controlled by the eNB.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE establishes a direct communication with another UE.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE is requested to establish a direct communication with another UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the D2D transmission is for the UE to directly transmit data to another UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the common resource of the first resource pool is a resource that is specifically used for D2D transmission by more than one UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message received by the UE is a system information broadcasted by the eNB.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE is configured with the second resource pool via a specific RRC (Radio Resource Control) message received from the eNB.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE establishes a direct communication to assure that QoS (Quality of Service) requirement is initialized for at least a service via D2D communication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the UE uses a mechanism, which is used to select resources from the first resource pool, to select the resource from the second resource pool.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanism is based on random selection.

12. A UE (User Equipment) for supporting device-to-device (D2D) communication, the UE comprising:

a control circuit;

a processor installed in the control circuit; and

a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to;

enable the UE to be served by a eNB (evolved Node B);

enable the UE to receive a message that includes information pertaining to a first resource pool provided by the eNB, wherein resources of the first resource pool are common resources shared by more than one UE using the first resource pool and are used for D2D transmission;

enable the UE to use the first resource pool for D2D transmission if the UE knows the first resource pool based on the message and the UE is not configured with a second resource pool provided by the eNB yet, wherein the second resource pool allocated by the eNB (and not allocated by any UE including the UE) is different from the first resource pool and is also used for D2D transmission;

enable the UE to use the second resource pool and to not use the first resource pool for D2D transmission if the first resource pool is still available for D2D transmission and the UE is configured with the second resource pool by the eNB; and

enable the UE to select resource(s) from the second resource pool and to use the selected resource(s) for D2D transmission when the UE uses the second resource pool.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to enable the UE to be served by a cell controlled by the eNB.

14. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to enable the UE to establish a direct communication with another UE.

15. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to enable the UE to be requested to establish a direct communication with another UE.

16. The UE of claim 12, wherein the D2D transmission is for the UE to directly transmit data to another UE.

17. The UE of claim 12, wherein the message received by the UE is a system information broadcasted by the eNB.

18. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to enable the UE to be configured with the second resource pool via a specific RRC (Radio Resource Control) message received from the eNB.

19. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to enable the UE to use a mechanism, which is used to select resources from the first resource pool, to select the resources from the second resource pool.

20. The UE of claim 19, wherein the mechanism is based on random selection.