Providing secondary coverage in a mobile communication system

• US 10,531,310 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Biswaroop, Smith, Jack Anthony, Ebrahimi Tazeh Mahalleh, Masoud, Gage, William Anthony, Novak, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asefa, Debebe A
• Application Number:
  US16/113,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20180368003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, articles of manufacture and systems for providing secondary coverage in a mobile communication system are disclosed. Example methods for a first device to provide secondary coverage in a mobile communication system include transmitting a secondary coverage signal and receiving a presence indication from a second device. Such example methods can also include reporting the presence indication to an access node of the mobile communication system. Such example methods can further include receiving information from the access node to enable relay node functionality in the first device in response to reporting the presence indication to the access node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from an access node to a first terminal, secondary coverage configuration information;

receiving, at the access node and from the first terminal, a presence indication (PI) report of a second terminal;

determining, at the access node, to configure the first terminal as a relay node based on the PI report; and

in response to the determining, directing traffic for the second terminal to the first terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information comprises at least one of secondary coverage signal (SCS) configuration information, SCS resource signal (SCS-R) configuration information, or PI timing information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information causes the first terminal to transmit SCS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring the first terminal as the relay node comprises:

transmitting, from the access node to the first terminal, relay node configuration information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the relay node configuration information causes the first terminal to stop transmitting SCS.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PI report indicates that the first terminal receives a PI from a second terminal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first terminal has primary coverage of the access node, and the second terminal does not have primary coverage of the access node.

8. A device, comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the at least one hardware processor and storing programming instructions for execution by the at least one hardware processor, wherein the programming instructions, when executed, cause the at least one hardware processor to perform operations comprising;

transmitting, from an access node to a first terminal, secondary coverage configuration information;

receiving, at the access node and from the first terminal, a presence indication (PI) report of a second terminal;

determining, at the access node, to configure the first terminal as a relay node based on the PI report; and

in response to the determining, directing traffic for the second terminal to the first terminal.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information comprises at least one of secondary coverage signal (SCS) configuration information, SCS resource signal (SCS-R) configuration information, or PI timing information.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information causes the first terminal to transmit SCS.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the configuring the first terminal as the relay node comprises:

transmitting, from the access node to the first terminal, relay node configuration information.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the relay node configuration information causes the first terminal to stop transmitting SCS.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the PI report indicates that the first terminal receives a PI from a second terminal.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first terminal has primary coverage of the access node, and the second terminal does not have primary coverage of the access node.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, from an access node to a first terminal, secondary coverage configuration information;

receiving, at the access node and from the first terminal, a presence indication (PI) report of a second terminal;

determining, at the access node, to configure the first terminal as a relay node based on the PI report; and

in response to the determining, directing traffic for the second terminal to the first terminal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information comprises at least one of secondary coverage signal (SCS) configuration information, SCS resource signal (SCS-R) configuration information, or PI timing information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the secondary coverage configuration information causes the first terminal to transmit SCS.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the configuring the first terminal as the relay node comprises:

transmitting, from the access node to the first terminal, relay node configuration information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the relay node configuration information causes the first terminal to stop transmitting SCS.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the PI report indicates that the first terminal receives a PI from a second terminal.