Method and Apparatus for Providing Machine-to-Machine Communication in a Wireless Network

• US 20120281658A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Tao, Charbit, Gilles, Rikkinen, Kari Juhani
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus for providing machine-to-machine communication in a wireless network may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least providing wireless network resources to enable direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device, allocating wireless network resources to enable uplink data to be provided from the relatively low power communication device to a mobile gateway device within communication range of the relatively low power communication device and utilizing wireless network resources to receive the uplink data from the mobile gateway device at the wireless network access point. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:

provide wireless network resources to enable direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

allocate wireless network resources to enable uplink data to be provided from the relatively low power communication device to a mobile gateway device within communication range of the relatively low power communication device; and

utilize wireless network resources to receive the uplink data from the mobile gateway device at the wireless network access point.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to provide, allocate and utilize wireless network resources comprising cellular network resources.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to allocate wireless network resources by allocating selected cellular downlink channel resources and indicating corresponding resource blocks allocated to the relatively low power communication device and the mobile gateway device.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the relatively low power communication device and the mobile gateway device in relation to utilizing wireless network resources to receive the uplink data and to provide an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the relatively low power communication device for communication with the mobile gateway device based on the channel quality information in relation to providing wireless network resources.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive acknowledgement and non-acknowledgement messages indicative of successful receipt of packets sent by the relatively low power communication device to the mobile gateway device and forward the acknowledgement and non-acknowledgement messages to the relatively low power communication device.

38. A method comprising:

providing wireless network resources to enable direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

allocating wireless network resources to enable uplink data to be provided from the relatively low power communication device to a mobile gateway device within communication range of the relatively low power communication device; and

utilizing wireless network resources to receive the uplink data from the mobile gateway device at the wireless network access point.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein allocating wireless network resources comprises allocating selected cellular downlink channel resources and indicating corresponding resource blocks allocated to the relatively low power communication device and the mobile gateway device.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein utilizing wireless network resources to receive the uplink data further comprises receiving channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the relatively low power communication device and the mobile gateway device and wherein providing wireless network resources further comprises providing an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the relatively low power communication device for communication with the mobile gateway device based on the channel quality information.

41. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions for providing wireless network resources to enable direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

program code instructions for allocating wireless network resources to enable uplink data to be provided from the relatively low power communication device to a mobile gateway device within communication range of the relatively low power communication device; and

program code instructions for utilizing wireless network resources to receive the uplink data from the mobile gateway device at the wireless network access point.

42. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:

receive direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

receive, via the direct downlink communication, an indication of wireless network resources usable for provision of uplink data indirectly to the wireless network access point via a mobile gateway device; and

provide the uplink data to the mobile gateway device using the wireless network resources indicated.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the apparatus and the mobile gateway device in relation to provision of the uplink data and to receive an indication from the wireless network access point of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the apparatus for communication with the mobile gateway device based on the channel quality information.

44. A method comprising:

receiving direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

receiving, via the direct downlink communication, an indication of wireless network resources usable for provision of uplink data indirectly to the wireless network access point via a mobile gateway device; and

providing the uplink data to the mobile gateway device using the wireless network resources indicated.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising receiving channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the relatively low power communication device and the mobile gateway device in relation to provision of the uplink data and receiving an indication from the wireless network access point of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the relatively low power communication device for communication with the mobile gateway device based on the channel quality information.

46. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions for receiving direct downlink communication from a wireless network access point to a relatively low power communication device;

program code instructions for receiving, via the direct downlink communication, an indication of wireless network resources usable for provision of uplink data indirectly to the wireless network access point via a mobile gateway device; and

program code instructions for providing the uplink data to the mobile gateway device using the wireless network resources indicated.

47. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform:

receive uplink data from a relatively low power communication device for forwarding to a wireless network access point that directly provides downlink communication to the relatively low power communication device, the uplink data being received via downlink resources of a wireless network allocated by the wireless network access point; and

provide the uplink data to the wireless network access point using uplink resources of the wireless network.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to generate channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the apparatus and the relatively low power communication device in relation to receipt of the uplink data to enable the wireless network access point to provide an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the relatively low power communication device for communication with the apparatus based on the channel quality information.

49. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to generate acknowledgement and non-acknowledgement messages indicative of successful receipt of packets sent by the relatively low power communication device and communicate the acknowledgement and non-acknowledgement messages to the wireless network access point for forwarding to the relatively low power communication device.

50. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile gateway device, uplink data from a relatively low power communication device for forwarding to a wireless network access point that directly provides downlink communication to the relatively low power communication device, the uplink data being received via downlink resources of a wireless network allocated by the wireless network access point; and

providing the uplink data to the wireless network access point using uplink resources of the wireless network.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising generating channel quality information descriptive of a communication link between the mobile gateway device and the relatively low power communication device in relation to receipt of the uplink data to enable the wireless network access point to provide an indication of a modulation and coding scheme to be used by the relatively low power communication device for communication with the mobile gateway device based on the channel quality information.

52. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions for receiving, at a mobile gateway device, uplink data from a relatively low power communication device for forwarding to a wireless network access point that directly provides downlink communication to the relatively low power communication device, the uplink data being received via downlink resources of a wireless network allocated by the wireless network access point; and

program code instructions for providing the uplink data to the wireless network access point using uplink resources of the wireless network.