METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PEER DISCOVERY INTERFERENCE MANAGEMENT IN A WIRELESS WIDE AREA NETWORK

• US 20130066966A1
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Patil, Shailesh, Wu, Xinzhou, Wang, Hua, Li, Junyi, Richardson, Thomas J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless device is provided in which the wireless device determines to use one grouping of peer discovery resources of a plurality of groupings of peer discovery resources based on one of a path loss or a distance to a base station. The plurality of groupings include a first grouping of resources having a first plurality of identical subsets of resources and a second grouping of resources having a second plurality of identical subsets of resources. Each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over at least one of a different time period or a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources. The wireless device transmits a peer discovery signal on one subset of the identical subsets of said one grouping of peer discovery resources.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless device, comprising:

determining to use one grouping of peer discovery resources of a plurality of groupings of peer discovery resources based on one of a path loss or a distance to a base station, the plurality of groupings comprising a first grouping of resources having a first plurality of identical subsets of resources and a second grouping of resources having a second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extending over at least one of a different time period or a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources; and

transmitting a peer discovery signal on one subset of the identical subsets of said one grouping of peer discovery resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different time period and a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first time period and over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second time period and over a second number of subcarriers, the first time period is less than the second time period, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of sub carriers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second number of subcarriers, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of subcarriers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources comprises:

determining to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to a serving base station that is greater than a first threshold; and

determining to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to the serving base station that is less than a second threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources comprises:

determining to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to a neighboring base station that is less than a first threshold; and

determining to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to the neighboring base station that is greater than a second threshold.

7. A method of operating a base station, comprising:

determining a path loss or a distance to each of a plurality of wireless devices; and

transmitting information to the wireless devices instructing the wireless devices to use peer discovery resources based on the determined path loss or distance.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising distributing an allocation of the peer discovery resources to the wireless devices such that resources allocated to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance less than a threshold and to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance greater than the threshold are approximately evenly distributed across each set of time concurrent resources of the peer discovery resources.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising summing path losses and distances for each set of concurrent resources such that at least one of a maximum is minimized or a minimum is maximized across the concurrent resources.

10. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining to use one grouping of peer discovery resources of a plurality of groupings of peer discovery resources based on one of a path loss or a distance to a base station, the plurality of groupings comprising a first grouping of resources having a first plurality of identical subsets of resources and a second grouping of resources having a second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extending over at least one of a different time period or a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources; and

means for transmitting a peer discovery signal on one subset of the identical subsets of said one grouping of peer discovery resources.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different time period and a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first time period and over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second time period and over a second number of subcarriers, the first time period is less than the second time period, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of sub carriers.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second number of subcarriers, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of subcarriers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources is configured to:

determine to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to a serving base station that is greater than a first threshold; and

determine to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to the serving base station that is less than a second threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources is configured to:

determine to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to a neighboring base station that is less than a first threshold; and

determine to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to the neighboring base station that is greater than a second threshold.

16. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining a path loss or a distance to each of a plurality of wireless devices; and

means for transmitting information to the wireless devices instructing the wireless devices to use peer discovery resources based on the determined path loss or distance.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for distributing an allocation of the peer discovery resources to the wireless devices such that resources allocated to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance less than a threshold and to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance greater than the threshold are approximately evenly distributed across each set of time concurrent resources of the peer discovery resources.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for summing path losses and distances for each set of concurrent resources such that at least one of a maximum is minimized or a minimum is maximized across the concurrent resources.

19. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

determine to use one grouping of peer discovery resources of a plurality of groupings of peer discovery resources based on one of a path loss or a distance to a base station, the plurality of groupings comprising a first grouping of resources having a first plurality of identical subsets of resources and a second grouping of resources having a second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extending over at least one of a different time period or a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources; and

transmit a peer discovery signal on one subset of the identical subsets of said one grouping of peer discovery resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different time period and a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first time period and over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second time period and over a second number of subcarriers, the first time period is less than the second time period, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of sub carriers.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second number of subcarriers, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of subcarriers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein to determine to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources, the processing system is configured to:

determine to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to a serving base station that is greater than a first threshold; and

determine to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to the serving base station that is less than a second threshold.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein to determine to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources, the processing system is configured to:

determine to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to a neighboring base station that is less than a first threshold; and

determine to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the apparatus has a path loss or a distance to the neighboring base station that is greater than a second threshold.

25. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

determine a path loss or a distance to each of a plurality of wireless devices; and

transmit information to the wireless devices instructing the wireless devices to use peer discovery resources based on the determined path loss or distance.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processing system is further configured to distribute an allocation of the peer discovery resources to the wireless devices such that resources allocated to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance less than a threshold and to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance greater than the threshold are approximately evenly distributed across each set of time concurrent resources of the peer discovery resources.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processing system is further configured to sum path losses and distances for each set of concurrent resources such that at least one of a maximum is minimized or a minimum is maximized across the concurrent resources.

28. A computer program product in a wireless device, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

determining to use one grouping of peer discovery resources of a plurality of groupings of peer discovery resources based on one of a path loss or a distance to a base station, the plurality of groupings comprising a first grouping of resources having a first plurality of identical subsets of resources and a second grouping of resources having a second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extending over at least one of a different time period or a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources; and

transmitting a peer discovery signal on one subset of the identical subsets of said one grouping of peer discovery resources.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different time period and a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first time period and over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second time period and over a second number of subcarriers, the first time period is less than the second time period, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of subcarriers.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a different number of subcarriers than each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources, each of the first plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a first number of subcarriers, each of the second plurality of identical subsets of resources extends over a second number of subcarriers, and the first number of subcarriers is greater than the second number of sub carriers.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources comprises:

determining to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to a serving base station that is greater than a first threshold; and

determining to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to the serving base station that is less than a second threshold.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the determining to use said one grouping of peer discovery resources comprises:

determining to use resources in the first plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to a neighboring base station that is less than a first threshold; and

determining to use resources in the second plurality of identical subsets of resources when the wireless device has a path loss or a distance to the neighboring base station that is greater than a second threshold.

34. A computer program product in a base station, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

determining a path loss or a distance to each of a plurality of wireless devices; and

transmitting information to the wireless devices instructing the wireless devices to use peer discovery resources based on the determined path loss or distance.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for distributing an allocation of the peer discovery resources to the wireless devices such that resources allocated to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance less than a threshold and to wireless devices with a path loss or a distance greater than the threshold are approximately evenly distributed across each set of time concurrent resources of the peer discovery resources.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises code for summing path losses and distances for each set of concurrent resources such that at least one of a maximum is minimized or a minimum is maximized across the concurrent resources.