System and Method for Allocating Network Resources

• US 20130223352A1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sartori, Philippe, Liu, Deping, Classon, Brian, Desai, Vipul, Soong, Anthony C.K., Yang, Yunsong
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a UE group including at least two UEs includes receiving, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to the UE group and a transmission indication, where the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources. The method further includes transmitting, to other UEs in the UE group utilizing a direct mobile communications (DMC) link associated with the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the second set of network resources.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a UE group including at least two UEs, the method comprising:

receiving, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to the UE group and a transmission indication, wherein the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources; and

transmitting, to other UEs in the UE group using a direct mobile communications (DMC) link associated with the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the second set of network resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications controller comprises one or more evolved NodeBs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a second message, and the second message is addressed with a cell radio network temporary identifier of the UE group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, over the DMC link from one other UE in the UE group, a third message including a second control indicator on a first subset of a third set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, the second control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the third set of network resources.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second control indicator is received in a time resource that differs from a time resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second control indicator is received in a frequency resource that differs from a frequency resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a second message, and the second message comprises an indication of a maximum transmit power level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control indicator further comprises feedback information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the feedback information comprises an acknowledgement of previously received data, an acknowledgement of previously received channel quality information, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling information comprises source information, destination information, UE group identifier, hybrid automatic repeat requested process number, new data indicator, modulation and coding scheme information, transmit power information, exact network resource allocation, transmission mode, multiple input multiple output information, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a second message, and the second message is received in a radio resource control signaling message.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a second message, and the second message is received over a control channel.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing a start time with the other UEs in the UE group.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network resources information is in a second message, and the second message includes a time stamp, and wherein synchronizing the start time comprises synchronizing the start time according to the time stamp.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein synchronizing the start time comprises performing a handshaking procedure.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting data in the second subset of the second set of network resources.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request message to the communications controller, to request an allocation of network resources to the UE group.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the communications controller, a release message to initiate a release of the first set of network resources; and

releasing the first set of network resources.

19. A method for operating a communications controller, the method comprising:

allocating a set of network resources to a user equipment (UE) group for use by UEs in the UE group for intra-UE group communications over a direct mobile communications (DMC) link;

transmitting a message including network resources information about the allocation of the set of network resources to the UEs in the UE group; and

transmitting, to a transmitting UE in the UE group, a transmission indication indicating that the transmitting UE is selected to transmit to other UEs in the UE group using a subset of the set of network resources.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the message is transmitted using a radio resource control signaling message.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the message comprises a time stamp indicating a start time for the allocation of the set of network resources.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the message is transmitted in a control channel.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

allocating an additional set of network resources to the UE group, wherein the additional set of network resources is an update of the set of network resources; and

transmitting a second message including additional network resources information about the additional set of network resources.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a maximum transmit power for each UE in the UE group.

25. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to a UE group and a transmission indication, wherein the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, wherein the UE group includes at least two UEs; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the receiver, the transmitter configured to transmit, to other UEs in the UE group using a direct mobile communications (DMC) link associated with the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the second set of network resources.

26. The UE of claim 25, the receiver is configured to receive, over the DMC link from one other UE in the UE group, a second message including a second control indicator on a first subset of a third set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, the second control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the third set of network resources.

27. The UE of claim 25, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to generate scheduling information.

28. The UE of claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to generate feedback information.

29. The UE of claim 25, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to synchronize a start time with the other UEs in the UE group.

30. The UE of claim 25, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a release message from the communications controller to initiate a release of the first set of network resources, and wherein the UE further comprises a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to release the first set of network resources.

31. A communications controller comprising:

a processor configured to allocate a set of network resources to a user equipment (UE) group for use by UEs in the UE group for intra-UE group communications over a direct mobile communications (DMC) link; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit a message including network resources information about the allocation of the set of network resources to the UEs in the UE group, and transmits, to a transmitting UE in the UE group, a transmission indication indicating that the transmitting UE is selected to transmit to other UEs in the UE group using a subset of the set of network resources.

32. The communications controller of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to allocate an additional set of network resources to the UE group, wherein the additional set of network resources is an update of the set of network resources, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a second message including additional network resources information about the additional set of network resources.

33. The communications controller of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to determine a maximum transmit power for each UE in the UE group.

34. The communications controller of claim 31, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a release message to initiate a release of the set of network resources.