METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING BROADCAST COMMUNICATIONS IN A PEER TO PEER NETWORK
First Claim
1. A method of operating a first device, the method comprising:
- determining that broadcast data is to be transmitted;
identifying a broadcast transmission request resource in a recurring timing structure including transmission request intervals of a first type which support broadcast transmission requests and a second type which are limited to supporting unicast transmission requests; and
transmitting a transmission request in said identified broadcast transmission request resource.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus related to broadcasting data in a peer to peer wireless communications network are described. A timing structure is utilized employing slots of a first type which support broadcast traffic transmissions and unicast traffic transmissions and slots of a second type which support unicast traffic transmission but do not support broadcast traffic transmissions. In various embodiments, traffic air link resource scheduling is performed in a decentralized manner on a slot by slot basis. In some such embodiments, a wireless device prior to transmitting a broadcast data traffic signal, transmits a broadcast transmission request signal, sometimes alternatively referred to as a broadcast indicator signal; and a wireless device prior to transmitting a peer to peer unicast signal, transmits a peer to peer traffic transmission request signal. In various embodiments, for slots of the first type, broadcast transmission requests have priority over peer to peer unicast transmission requests.
121 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of operating a first device, the method comprising:
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determining that broadcast data is to be transmitted; identifying a broadcast transmission request resource in a recurring timing structure including transmission request intervals of a first type which support broadcast transmission requests and a second type which are limited to supporting unicast transmission requests; and transmitting a transmission request in said identified broadcast transmission request resource. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A device comprising:
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a broadcast determination module configured to determine if broadcast data is to be transmitted; a broadcast resource identification module configured to identify a broadcast transmission request resource in a recurring timing structure including transmission request intervals of a first type which support broadcast transmission requests and a second type which are limited to supporting unicast transmission requests; a broadcast transmission request signal generation module configured to generate a broadcast transmission request when said broadcast determination module determines that broadcast data is to be transmitted; a wireless transmitter module; and a broadcast request control module configured to control the wireless transmitter module to transmit said generated broadcast transmission request in said identified broadcast transmission request resource. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A device comprising:
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broadcast determination means for determining if broadcast data is to be transmitted; broadcast resource identification means for identifying a broadcast transmission request resource in a recurring timing structure including transmission request intervals of a first type which support broadcast transmission requests and a second type which are limited to supporting unicast transmission requests; broadcast transmission request signal generation means for generating a broadcast transmission request when said broadcast determination means determines that broadcast data is to be transmitted; a wireless transmitter means; and broadcast request control means for controlling the wireless transmitter means to transmit said generated broadcast transmission request in said identified broadcast transmission request resource. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable medium comprising; code for causing a computer to determine that broadcast data is to be transmitted; code for causing a computer to identify a broadcast transmission request resource in a recurring timing structure including transmission request intervals of a first type which support broadcast transmission requests and a second type which are limited to supporting unicast transmission requests; and code for causing a computer to control transmitting a transmission request in said identified broadcast transmission request resource. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification