Synchronization for Device-to-Device Communication

• US 20110182280A1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Tao, Koskela, Timo Kalevi, Charbit, Gilles, Hakola, Sami-Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to one example embodiment, a method may include synchronizing, by an access node in a wireless network, with a first mobile station, synchronizing with a second mobile station, compiling a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group including at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station, sending a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message including timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and sending a second connection message to the second mobile station.

Claims

1-70. -70. (canceled)

71. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by an access node in a wireless network, with a first mobile station;

synchronizing with a second mobile station;

compiling a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

sending a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

sending a second connection message to the second mobile station.

72. The method of claim 71 wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station have similar direction of arrival as estimated by the access node.

73. The method of claim 71 wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters.

74. The method of claim 71 wherein the first connection message and the second connection message are sent in a single broadcast message to the device-to-device group.

75. The method of claim 71 further comprising assigning resource blocks to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for device-to-device communication with each other, the resource blocks being previously assigned to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for uplink communication with the access node.

76. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by a first mobile station in a wireless network, with an access node;

receiving a connection message from the access node, the connection message comprising timing advance parameters of mobile stations in a device-to-device group and a maximum device-to-device transmission power level allowed, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and a second mobile station;

sending a synchronization message to the second mobile station, the synchronization message being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

receiving a synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station.

77. The method of claim 76 wherein:

the sending the synchronization message comprises repeatedly sending synchronization messages to the second mobile station until receiving the synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station, the synchronization messages being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and increasing transmission power levels to the maximum device-to-device transmission power comprised in the connection message; and

the method further comprises sending a transmission power message to the second mobile station, the transmission power message comprising a transmission power level of the synchronization message corresponding to the received synchronization acknowledgment message.

78. The method of claim 76 wherein:

the receiving the connection message comprises receiving the connection message from the access node, the connection message comprising timing advance parameters and directions of arrival of mobile stations in the device-to-device group and the maximum device-to-device transmission power level allowed; and

the repeatedly sending synchronization messages comprises repeatedly sending synchronization messages to the second mobile station until receiving the synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station, the synchronization messages being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station and the directions of arrival of the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and increasing transmission power levels to the maximum device-to-device transmission power comprised in the connection message.

79. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by a first mobile station in a wireless network, with an access node;

receiving a synchronization message from a second mobile station;

sending a synchronization acknowledgment message to the second mobile station; and

receiving a transmission power message from the second mobile station, the transmission power message comprising a transmission power level of the synchronization message corresponding to the received synchronization acknowledgment message.

80. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

synchronize with a first mobile station;

synchronize with a second mobile station;

compile a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

send a first connection message for the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

send a second connection message for the second mobile station.

81. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station have similar direction of arrival as estimated by the access node.

82. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters.

83. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

send the first connection message and the second connection message in a single broadcast message to the device-to-device group.

84. The apparatus of claim 80 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

assign resource blocks to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for device-to-device communication with each other, the resource blocks being previously assigned to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for uplink communication with the access node.

85. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

synchronize with an access node;

receive a connection message from the access node, the connection message comprising timing advance parameters of mobile stations in a device-to-device group and a maximum device-to-device transmission power level allowed, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and a second mobile station;

repeatedly sending synchronization messages to the second mobile station until receiving a synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station, the synchronization messages being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and increasing transmission power levels to the maximum device-to-device transmission power comprised in the connection message;

receive the synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station; and

send a transmission power message to the second mobile station, the transmission power message comprising a transmission power level of the synchronization message corresponding to the received synchronization acknowledgment message

86. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein the synchronizing with the access node comprises:

sending a preamble to the access node; and

receiving a response from the access node, the response comprising timing alignment information and an initial uplink grant.

87. The apparatus of claim 85 wherein:

the connection message comprises timing advance parameters and directions of arrival of mobile stations in the device-to-device group and the maximum device-to-device transmission power level allowed; and

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to repeatedly send the synchronization messages to the second mobile station until receiving the synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station, the synchronization messages being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station and the directions of arrival of the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and increasing transmission power levels to the maximum device-to-device transmission power comprised in the connection message.

88. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

synchronize with an access node;

receive a synchronization message from a second mobile station;

send a synchronization acknowledgment message to the second mobile station; and

receive a transmission power message from the second mobile station, the transmission power message comprising a transmission power level of the synchronization message corresponding to the received synchronization acknowledgment message.

89. A computer program product for facilitating device-to-device communication between mobile stations, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer storage medium and comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause an access node which serves a plurality of mobile stations to:

synchronize with a first mobile station;

synchronize with a second mobile station;

compile a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

send a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

send a second connection message to the second mobile station.

90. A computer program product for device-to-device communication between mobile stations, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a computer storage medium and comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a first mobile station to:

synchronize with an access node;

receive a connection message from the access node, the connection message comprising timing advance parameters of mobile stations in a device-to-device group and a maximum device-to-device transmission power level allowed, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and a second mobile station;

repeatedly send synchronization messages to the second mobile station until receiving a synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station, the synchronization messages being sent with an initial transmission power level based at least partly on a difference between timing advance parameters of the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and increasing transmission power levels to the maximum device-to-device transmission power comprised in the connection message;

receive the synchronization acknowledgment message from the second mobile station; and

send a transmission power message to the second mobile station, the transmission power message comprising a transmission power level of the synchronization message corresponding to the received synchronization acknowledgment message.