Relay UE discovery for proximity services

• US 10,708,812 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2015
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Basu Mallick, Prateek, Loehr, Joachim, Hori, Takako, Wang, Lilei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganguly, Sumitra
• Application Number:
  US15/746,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20190387429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0284 detecting congestion or overload during communication monitoring arrangements H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/033 in pre-organised networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/04 based on wireless node resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for discovery of one or more relay user equipments within a mobile communication network. A relay user equipment is capable to perform direct communication over a direct sidelink connection respectively with one or more remote user equipments, and is further capable to serve as a relay respectively for the one or more remote user equipments to relay communication between the one or more remote user equipments and the radio base station. The relay user equipment determines whether an overload situation exists in the relay user equipment or not, the overload situation preventing the relay user equipment to serve as a relay for a further remote user equipment. The relay user equipment transmits a relay discovery message, at least comprising an overload indication providing information on the result of the determination as to whether the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment.

Claims

1. A method for discovery of a relay user equipment within a mobile communication network, the relay user equipment configured to perform direct communication over a direct sidelink connection respectively with one or more remote user equipment, the relay user equipment being connected to a radio base station in the mobile communication network and further configured to serve as a relay respectively for the one or more remote user equipment so as to relay communication between the one or more remote user equipment and the radio base station, the method comprising:

determining, by the relay user equipment, whether or not an overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the overload situation preventing the relay user equipment to serve as a relay for another remote user equipment, and

transmitting, by the relay user equipment, a relay discovery message including an overload indication that indicates a result of the determination as to whether or not the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment,

wherein, in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation does not exist in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is transmitted using a first set of radio resources,

wherein in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is transmitted using a second set of radio resources different from the first set of radio resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the overload situation includes at least one of the following being overloaded:

a processor of the relay user equipment, a memory of the relay user equipment, ports of the relay user equipment, or logical channel identifications of the relay user equipment.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, estimating, by the relay user equipment, a duration of the overload situation in the relay user equipment,

wherein the relay discovery message further includes time information that indicates the duration of the overload situation in the relay user equipment,

wherein the time information is used by the another remote user equipment to determine whether or not to use the relay user equipment as a relay for communication.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relay discovery message is transmitted periodically or after the relay user equipment receives a relay solicitation message from the another remote user equipment, and the relay solicitation message requests discovery of the relay user equipment.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the relay user equipment will not serve as a relay for additional remote user equipment, and will not transmit router advertisement messages.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, determining, by the relay user equipment, whether the overload situation affects an uplink direction or a downlink direction between the relay user equipment and the another remote user equipment or between the relay user equipment and the radio base station,

wherein the relay discovery message further includes direction information that indicates whether the overload situation affects the uplink direction or the downlink direction between the relay user equipment and the another remote user equipment or between the relay user equipment and the radio base station,

wherein the direction information is used by the another remote user equipment to determine whether or not to use the relay user equipment as a relay for communication,

wherein the direction information is displayed to a user of the another remote user equipment.

7. The method according claim 1, further comprising:

in a case where a first remote user equipment is currently using the relay user equipment as a relay for communication with the radio base station, determining, by the first remote user equipment, a priority of the communication with the radio base station upon receiving the relay discovery message;

in a case where the priority is lower than or equal to a predetermined priority threshold, stopping, by the first remote user equipment, the communication with the radio base station, and selecting a different relay user equipment to serve as the relay for communication between the first remote user equipment and the radio base station; and

in a case where the priority is higher than the predetermined priority threshold, continuing, by the first remote user equipment, to use the relay user equipment as the relay for the communication with the radio base station.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the relay user equipment serves as a relay for a first remote user equipment to relay communication, wherein a first direct sidelink connection is established between the relay user equipment and the first remote user equipment over which communication is relayed between the relay user equipment and the first remote user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the relay discovery message further includes discovery information, which is usable by the one or more remote user equipment to discover the relay user equipment and services it provides,

wherein the discovery information includes at least one of the following information:

Type;

type of the relay discovery message,

Announcer Info and Discoveree Info;

information about the relay user equipment,

Discovery Type;

type of discovery, or

ProSe Relay UE ID;

identifier of the relay user equipment.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more remote user equipment is

in coverage of the radio base station, or

out-of-coverage of the radio base station and within coverage of the relay user equipment, which is in coverage of the radio base station.

11. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first set of radio resources are monitored by a remote user equipment not being served by the relay user equipment,

wherein the second set of radio resources are monitored by a remote user equipment currently being served by the relay user equipment.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, increasing, by the relay user equipment, a time period between transmission of the relay discovery message and transmission of a subsequent relay discovery message; and

in a case where the relay user equipment determines the overload situation does not exist in the relay user equipment, decreasing, by the relay user equipment, the time period between transmission of the relay discovery message and transmission of the subsequent relay discovery message.

13. A relay user equipment configured to participate in relay discovery within a mobile communication network, the relay user equipment configured to perform direct communication over a direct sidelink connection respectively with one or more remote user equipment, the relay user equipment being connected to a radio base station in the mobile communication network and further configured to serve as a relay respectively for the one or more remote user equipment so as to relay communication between the one or more remote user equipment and the radio base station, the relay user equipment comprising:

a processor configured to determine whether or not an overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the overload situation preventing the relay user equipment to serve as a relay for another remote user equipment; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a relay discovery message that includes an overload indication that indicates a result of the determination as to whether or not the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment,

wherein, in a case where the overload situation does not exist in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is transmitted using a first set of radio resources,

wherein in a case where the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is transmitted using a second set of radio resources different from the first set of radio resources.

14. The relay user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the overload situation includes at least one of the following being overloaded:

a processor of the relay user equipment, a memory of the relay user equipment, ports of the relay user equipment, or logical channel identifications of the relay user equipment.

15. The relay user equipment according to claim 13, wherein, in a case where the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the processor is further configured to estimate a duration of the overload situation in the relay user equipment,

wherein the relay discovery message further includes time information that indicates the duration of the overload situation in the relay user equipment,

wherein the time information is used by the another remote user equipment to determine whether or not to use the relay user equipment as a relay for communication.

16. The relay user equipment according to claim 13, wherein the relay discovery message is transmitted periodically or after the relay user equipment receives a relay solicitation message from the another remote user equipment, and the relay solicitation message requests discovery of the relay user equipment.

17. The relay user equipment according to claim 13, wherein,

in a case where the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the processor is further configured to determine whether the overload situation affects an uplink direction or a downlink direction between the relay user equipment and the another remote user equipment or between the relay user equipment and the radio base station,

wherein the relay discovery message further includes direction information that indicates whether the overload situation affects the uplink direction or the downlink direction between the relay user equipment and the another remote user equipment or between the relay user equipment and the radio base station.

18. A remote user equipment configured to discover a relay user equipment within a mobile communication network, the relay user equipment configured to perform direct communication over a direct sidelink connection respectively with one or more remote user equipment, the relay user equipment being connected to a radio base station in the mobile communication network and further configured to serve as a relay respectively for the one or more remote user equipment so as to relay communication between the one or more remote user equipment and the radio base station, the remote user equipment comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a relay discovery message including an overload indication that indicates a result of a determination in the relay user equipment as to whether or not an overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the overload situation preventing the relay user equipment to serve as a relay for the remote user equipment,

a processor configured to use the relay user equipment as a relay for communication with the radio base station in a case where the overload indication indicates the overload situation does not exist in the relay user equipment, and configure to not use the relay user equipment as the relay for communication with the radio base station in a case where the overload indication indicates the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment,

wherein, in a case where the overload situation does not exist in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is received using a first set of radio resources,

wherein in a case where the overload situation exists in the relay user equipment, the relay discovery message is received using a second set of radio resources different from the first set of radio resources.