Communication Method And Apparatus For Providing Real-Time Wireless Bulletin Board System

• US 20080186895A1
• Filed: 01/12/2005
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shang, Dan, Sun, Li
• Application Number:
  US11/813,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186895A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a communication method executing by a network system, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for establishing a real-time wireless BBS (Bulletin Board Service) from a UE supporting P2P (Peer-to-Peer) communication mode among a group of UEs (User Equipments), wherein the request includes identification information of other UEs among the group of UEs; allocating corresponding radio resources to the group of UEs according to the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS, so that information can be exchanged via direct links among UEs that supporting P2P communication mode.

Claims

1. A communication method to be executed by a network system, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving a request for establishing a real-time wireless BBS (Bulletin Board Service) from a UE supporting P2P (Peer-to-Peer) communication mode among a group of UEs (User Equipments), wherein the request includes identification information of other UEs among the group of UEs;

(B) allocating corresponding radio resources to the group of UEs according to the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS, so that information can be exchanged via direct links among UEs that supporting P2P communication mode.

2. The communication method according to claim 1, wherein step (B) comprises:

(a) determining whether requirements for establishing the real-time wireless BBS among the group of UEs are satisfied or not, according to the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

(b) allocating the radio resources if the requirements for establishing the real-time wireless BBS are satisfied.

3. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a1) sending a paging message to the other UEs respectively, according to the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

(a2) receiving paging response messages from the other UEs;

(a3) determining whether the requirements for establishing the real-time wireless BBS among the group of UEs are satisfied or not, according to the paging response messages.

4. The communication method according to claim 3, wherein the paging response messages include P2P capability indication information.

5. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein step (a3) comprises:

judging whether the other UEs have the capability to carry out a real-time wireless BBS communication or not according to the P2P capability indication information, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established between the group of UEs or not.

6. The communication method according to claim 5, wherein the paging message includes the identification information of the UE, the paging response messages include information about whether or not the other UEs accept the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

and the step (a3) further comprises;

judging whether or not the other UEs agree to establish the real-time wireless BBS with the UE according to the paging response messages, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established among the group of UEs or not.

7. The communication method according to claim 4, wherein the paging response messages include location information of the other UEs;

and the step (a3) comprises;

judging whether or not a distance between any two UEs in the group of UEs is within wireless coverage range for P2P communication according to the location information, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established among the group of UEs or not.

8. The communication method according to claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises:

allocating radio resources for probing the direct links to the group of UEs, so that each UE can send probing signals to other UEs in the group of UEs via the direct links respectively;

receiving probing reports from the each UE;

judging whether or not traffic signals can be transferred via the direct links according to the probing reports, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established among the group of UEs or not.

9. The communication method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

reporting, if some UEs among the other UEs don'"'"'t have multicast communication capability or don'"'"'t agree to establish the real-time wireless BBS, the identification information of the some UEs to the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

receiving an instruction message from the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

determining whether or not to establish the real-time wireless BBS among the group of UEs.

10. The communication method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

reporting, if distances among some UEs among the UEs and other UEs among the ULEs are beyond the wireless coverage range for P2P communication or the probing reports from the some UEs show that some of the direct links probed can'"'"'t be used for transferring traffic signals, the identification information of the some UEs and the other UEs is reported to the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

receiving an instruction message from the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

determining whether to establish the real-time wireless BBS among the group of UEs according to the instruction message.

11. The communication method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

sending an inquire message to the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS, to obtain the identification information of a UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS;

receiving a designation instruction from the UE that sent the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS, the designation instruction including the identification information of the UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS.

12. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an instruction for closing the real-time wireless BBS from the UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS;

forwarding the instruction for closing the real-time wireless BBS to online UEs of the real-time wireless BBS;

reclaiming the allocated radio resources.

13. The communication method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(i) receiving a request for joining the real-time wireless BBS from a UE;

(ii) inquiring the UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS whether to allow the UE to join the real-time wireless BBS or not;

(iii) receiving an instruction from the UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS;

(iv) performing corresponding operations according to the instruction, so as to permit the UE to join the real-time wireless BBS or prohibit the UE from joining the real-time wireless BBS.

14. The communication method according to claim 13, wherein step (iv) comprises:

checking, if the instruction permits the UE to join the real-time wireless BBS, whether or not the UE can carry out multicast communication with online UEs of the real-time wireless BBS;

allocating corresponding radio resources to the UE if requirements for multicast communication are satisfied, so that the UE can communicate via the real-time wireless BBS.

15. The communication method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for quitting the real-time wireless BBS from a UE;

forwarding the request for quitting the real-time wireless BBS to online UEs of the real-time wireless BBS.

16. A communication method to be executed by a UE supporting P2P communication mode, comprising the steps of:

(A) sending a request to a network system for establishing a real-time wireless BBS among a group of UEs including the UE, wherein the request includes identification information of other UEs among the group of UEs;

(B) receiving radio resources allocated according to the request from the network system;

(C) exchanging information with the other UEs via direct links for P2P communication, by using the radio resources.

17. The communication method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a report from the network system;

determining whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established between the group of UEs or not according to the report, which comprises information that the some UEs among the other UEs don'"'"'t have capabilities to carry out the real-time wireless BBS;

sending the determination result as an instruction message to the network system.

18. The communication method according to claim 17, wherein the report further includes information that a distance between some UEs among the UEs and other UEs among the UEs is beyond wireless coverage area for P2P communication, and/or information about that probing reports of some UEs among the UEs show that some of the direct links probed can'"'"'t be used for transferring traffic signals.

19. The communication method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an inquire message from the network system;

choosing a UE among the group of ULEs to be responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS, according to the inquire message;

sending the identification information of the chosen UE to the network system.

20. A communication method for a wireless communication network supporting P2P communication mode to be executed by a UE, comprising the steps of:

receiving a paging message, which is sent out according to a request for establishing a real-time wireless BBS among a group of UEs, from a network system;

sending a paging response message to the network system, wherein the paging response message comprises at least one of location information of the UE, P2P capability indication information and information about whether establishment of the real-time wireless BBS is allowed.

21. The communication method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

receiving radio resources allocated for probing direct links from the network system;

sending probing signals to other UEs among the group of UEs via the direct links, by using the radio resources;

communicating via the direct links in real-time wireless BBS mode if the probing succeeds.

22. The communication method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

sending a request for joining the real-time wireless BBS to the network system;

receiving a message about successfully joining the real-time wireless BBS from the network system;

obtaining the identification information of the UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS and online UEs of the real-time wireless BBS, according to the joining success message.

23. The communication method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

sending a request for quitting the real-time wireless BBS to the network system;

releasing the radio resources to quit the real-time wireless BBS.

24. The communication method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a designation instruction from the network system, to be responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS;

sending to the network system an instruction to close the real-time wireless BBS;

releasing the radio resources.

25. The communication method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a message about a UE attempting to join the real-time wireless BBS from the network system;

sending to the network system an instruction for permitting or prohibiting the UE to join the real-time wireless BBS.

26. A network system, comprising:

a receiving unit, for receiving a request for establishing a real-time wireless BBS from a UE supporting P2P communication mode among a group of UEs, wherein the request includes identification information of other UEs among the group of UEs;

a determining unit, for determining whether requirements for establishing the real-time wireless BBS among the group of UEs are satisfied or not;

an allocating unit, for allocating corresponding radio resources to the group of UEs if the requirements for establishing the real-time wireless BBS are satisfied, so that information can be exchanged via direct links between UEs supporting P2P communication mode among the group of UEs.

27. The network system according to claim 26, further comprising:

a transmitting unit, for sending a paging message to the other UEs respectively, according to the request for establishing the real-time wireless BBS;

the receiving unit, for receiving paging response messages from the other UEs, wherein the paging response messages include P2P capability indication information;

the determining unit, for judging whether the other UEs have the capability to carry out real-time wireless BBS communication or not according to the P2P capability indication information, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established among the group of UEs or not.

28. The network system according to claim 27, wherein the paging response messages include location information of the other UEs, and the determining unit judges whether or not a distance between any two UEs in the group of UEs is within wireless coverage range for P2P communication according to the location information, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established among the group of UEs or not.

29. The network system according to claim 26, wherein:

the allocating unit allocates radio resources for probing the direct links to the group of UEs, so that each UE sends probing signals to other UEs in the group of UEs via the direct link respectively;

the receiving unit receives probing reports from the each UE;

the determining unit judges whether or not traffic signals can be transferred via the direct links according to the probing reports, to determine whether the real-time wireless BBS can be established between the group of UEs or not.

30. A UE supporting P2P (Peer-to-Peer) communication mode, comprising:

a transmitting unit, for sending a request to a network system for establishing a real-time wireless BBS among a group of UEs including the UE, wherein the request includes identification information of other UEs among the group of ULEs;

a receiving unit, for receiving radio resources allocated according to the request from the network system;

a communicating unit, for exchanging information with the other UEs via the direct links for P2P communication, by using the radio resources.

31. The UE according to claim 30, further comprising:

a receiving unit, for receiving a paging message sent according to a request for establishing a real-time wireless BBS between a group of UEs from a network system;

the transmitting unit, for sending a paging response message to the network system, wherein the paging response message includes at least one of location information of the UE, P2P capability indication information and information about whether establishment of the real-time wireless BBS is allowed.

32. The UE according to claim 31, wherein:

the transmitting unit sends a request for joining the real-time wireless BBS to the network system;

the receiving unit receives a message about successfully joining the real-time wireless BBS from the network system and obtains the identification information of a UE responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS and online UEs of the real-time wireless BBS.

33. The UE according to claim 31, wherein the transmitting unit sends a request for quitting the real-time wireless BBS to the network system;

and the UE further comprises;

a releasing unit, for releasing the radio resources to quit the real-time wireless BBS.

34. The UE according to claim 31, wherein,

the receiving unit receives a designation instruction from the network system, to be responsible for control over the real-time wireless BBS;

the transmitting unit sends an instruction for closing the real-time wireless BBS to the network system.