Method and Apparatus for Device-to-Device Communication

• US 20130150051A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Van Phan, Vinh, Hakola, Sami, Koskela, Timo, Charbit, Gilles, Tuomaala, Esa
• Granted Patent: US 9,578,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method of controlling device-to-device communications between user equipment, including using a network control element, which is common to a plurality of networks, including controlling any of the following functions: network access control functions, connection set-up, resource allocation, mode switching, handover, security and/or charging. Also a method of controlling handovers or connections in a device-to-device communications between a first and a second user equipment wherein the control is performed, at least in part, said first or second user equipments. Alternatively the user equipment may send reports a handover/connection is initiated/controlled based on said report.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method, comprising:

one or both of controlling or initiating handovers or connections in a device-to-device communications between a first and a second user equipment wherein the control is performed, at least in part, by said first user equipments.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first and second user equipments belong to different networks.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein a handover or connection is performed using an initial resource allocation assigned by a common control node, device-to-device registration server function, Radio Access Network or NodeB.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 including detecting that a device-to-device connection is moving out of a current serving cell and/or selecting suitable candidates for a targeted serving cell.

15. A method as claimed in claim 11 including the step of measuring by the first user equipment, Reference Symbol Received Power (RSRP) or any other parameter, from one or more neighbouring cells, and/or selecting the a suitable target cells to re-establish a cellular connection.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 where said selecting allocates priority to a cell under control of the same Common Network Node, DRSF device-to-device registration server function, and/or having the same operator and/or the same Radio Access Technology (RAT) as that of the current serving cell.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first user equipment performs one or both of accessing the selected cell or sending a handover request.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said request includes information concerning a current device-to-device connection.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18 further comprising initiating, by the first user equipment a device-to-device to cellular mode switching request to the Common Network Node/device-to-device registration server function.

20-27. -27. (canceled)

28. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory including computer program code, and

at least one processor,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

for a device-to-device communications between first and second user equipments, one or both of controlling or initiating, at least in part by the first user equipment, handovers or connections in the device-to-device communication.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 in which the first user equipment belongs to a different network than said second user equipment.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 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 perform at least the following:

performing a handover or connection using an initial resource allocation assigned by a common network node, device-to-device registration server function, Radio Access Network or NodeB.

31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28 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 perform at least the following:

detecting that a device-to-device connection is moving out of the a current serving cell and/or selecting suitable candidates for a targeted serving cell.

32. An apparatus as in claim 28, 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 perform at least the following:

sending reports pertaining to one or both of initiation or control of connections or handovers in a device-to-device connection between a first user equipment and a second user equipment.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32 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 perform at least the following:

performing one or both of the following;

or reporting RSRP or other parameters, from one or more neighbouring cells, or selecting suitable target cells to re-establish the cellular connection and reporting said selected target cells.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32 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 perform at least the following:

signalling one or both of suitable target cells or power measurements to the other user equipments, base stations, Radio Access Networks, Common Network Nodes, or device-to-device registration server function.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32 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 perform at least the following:

allocating priority for said selection to a cell under control of a same Common Network Node, device-to-device registration server function, and/or having the same operator and/or the same Radio Access Technology (RAT) as that of the current serving cell.

36. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32 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 perform at least the following:

one or both of accessing a selected cell or sending a handover request.

37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 36 wherein said handover request includes one or more of information concerning current device-to-device connection;

or current serving cell identity, or Common Network Node device-to-device registration server function identity.

38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 32 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program are further code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

initiating a device-to device to cellular mode switching request to a common network node/device-to-device registration server function.

39. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory including computer program code, and

at least one processor

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receiving from a first user equipment in a device-to-device connection with at least a second user equipment, a connection or handover request and/or data pertaining to a handover or a connection; and

initiating or controlling a handover or connection based on the request or data.

40. An apparatus as claimed in claim 39, which is a NodeB, random access network, common network node, or device-to-device registration server function.

42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 39 wherein said request or data comprises one or more of the following:

information indicative of load-balancing;

candidates for a targeted serving cell;

power or other measurements pertaining to one or more of said user equipments, and/or differences in power or other measurements between the one or more of said user equipments;

load status;

configuration change on a cell basis from local random access networks or a current serving random access network, or any further data relating to device-to-device communications.

41. (canceled)

43-51. -51. (canceled)