Method and apparatus for improving device to device (D2D) communication in a wireless communication system

• US 10,361,833 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Original Assignee: Innovative Sonic Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Wei-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C
• Application Number:
  US14/566,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/365 Power headroom reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for improving device to device (D2D) communication are disclosed herein. One method includes communicating, by a user equipment (UE), with a device via the D2D communication. The method further includes triggering, by the UE, a first power headroom report (PHR) to indicate a power status of the D2D. The method also provides for triggering and transmitting, by the UE, a Scheduling Request (SR) to ask for radio resources from a network for scheduling if the UE has no available resources to transmit the first PHR. The method further includes triggering, by the UE, a second PHR to indicate a power status of a transmission path from the UE to the network and not triggering and transmitting the SR to ask for radio resources from the network for scheduling if the UE has no available resource to transmit the second PHR.

Claims

1. A method for improving device to device (D2D) communication, the method comprising:

communicating, by a user equipment (UE), with a device via the D2D communication;

triggering, by the UE, a first power headroom report (PHR) to indicate a power status of the D2D communication;

triggering and transmitting, by the UE, a first Scheduling Request (SR) to ask for radio resources from a network for scheduling to transmit the first PHR because the UE has no available resources to transmit the first PHR, wherein the first SR is triggered because there is no grant for the first PHR triggered for the D2D communication; and

triggering, by the UE, a second PHR to indicate a power status of a transmission path from the UE to the network and not triggering and transmitting a second SR to ask for radio resources from the network for scheduling because the UE has no available resource to transmit the second PHR.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the D2D communication is device to device proximity-based service (ProSe) direct communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is different from a power headroom Medium Access Control (MAC) control element and an extended power headroom control element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR contains an indication used for distinguishing the D2D communication from other Device to Device (D2D) communications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR contains an identity of the D2D communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power status is power difference between current used power value and the maximum power value which can be used in D2D communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio resource is an uplink grant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is a MAC control element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a change of path loss of the D2D communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a change of power value of the D2D communication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is triggered by an expiration of a timer for the D2D communication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) report of Device to Device communication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is triggered by the D2D communication.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first PHR is transmitted to an evolved Node B (eNB) or a relay node.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

triggering the first SR in a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) which the first PHR is triggered.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second PHR is triggered by periodic timer expiry.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second PHR is triggered by a change of downlink path loss larger than a threshold.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the second PHR is triggered by the configuration or reconfiguration of PHR functionality.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second PHR is triggered by activation of an SCell with configured uplink.

20. A communication device for improving device to device (D2D) communication, the communication device comprising:

a control circuit;

a processor installed in the control circuit;

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 memory to enable the UE to;

communicate with a device via the D2D communication;

trigger a first power headroom report (PHR) to indicate a power status of the D2D;

trigger and transmit a first Scheduling Request (SR) to ask for radio resources from a network for scheduling to transmit the first PHR if the UE has no available resources to transmit the first PHR, wherein the first SR is triggered even if there is no grant for the first PHR triggered for the D2D communication; and

trigger a second PHR to indicate a power status of a transmission path from the UE to the network and not trigger and transmit a second SR to ask for radio resources from the network for scheduling if the UE has no available resource to transmit the second PHR.

21. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the D2D communication is device to device proximity-based service (ProSe) direct communication.

22. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is different from a power headroom Medium Access Control (MAC) control element and an extended power headroom control element.

23. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR contains an indication used for distinguishing the D2D communication from other Device to Device (D2D) communications.

24. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR contains an identity of the D2D communication.

25. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the power status is power difference between current used power value and the maximum power value which can be used in D2D communication.

26. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the radio resource is an uplink grant.

27. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is a MAC control element.

28. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a change of path loss of the D2D communication.

29. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a change of power value of the D2D communication.

30. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is triggered by an expiration of a timer for the D2D communication.

31. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is triggered by a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) report of Device to Device communication.

32. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is triggered by the D2D communication.

33. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the first PHR is transmitted to an evolved Node B (eNB) or a relay node.

34. The communication device of claim 20, further comprising:

triggering the first SR in a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) which the first PHR is triggered.

35. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the second PHR is triggered by periodic timer expiry.

36. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the second PHR is triggered by a change of downlink path loss larger than a threshold.

37. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the second PHR is triggered by the configuration or reconfiguration of PHR functionality.

38. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the second PHR is triggered by activation of an SCell with configured uplink.