Methods And Networks For Device To Device Communication

• US 20130254277A1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vasudevan, Subramanian, Broustis, Ioannis, Cakulev, Violeta, Mizikovsky, Semyon, Sundaram, Ganesh
• Application Number:
  US13/425,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254277A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

At least one example embodiment discloses a method of controlling communications between first and second user equipments (UEs) by a base station in a network. The method includes obtaining an indication, the indication indicating if the first and second UEs are within a communication range of each other and controlling a direct communication link between the first and second UEs if the first and second UEs are within a communication range of each other. The controlling includes allocating at least a first portion of an uplink channel of the network to the direct communication link.

Claims

1. A method of controlling communications between first and second user equipments (UEs) by a base station in a network, the method comprising:

obtaining an indication, the indication indicating if the first and second UEs are within a communication range of each other; and

controlling a direct communication link between the first and second UEs if the first and second UEs are within a communication range of each other, the controlling including,

allocating at least a first portion of an uplink channel of the network to the direct communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling a direct communication link includes transmitting control information over a control path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control path includes a bi-directional link between the base station and the first UE and a bi-directional link between the base station and the second UE.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling a direct communication link includes transmitting transmission parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitting transmission parameters includes transmitting a same set of transmission parameters assigned for the first and second UEs for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the controlling a direct communication link includes transmitting reception parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmission parameters are based on the UE.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission parameters include a duplex mode, the duplex mode being a full-duplex or a half-duplex.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from the first UE; and

transmitting the data to the second UE,

wherein the second UE is configured to only receive data on a downlink.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information on a downlink to the first UE while the first UE monitors communications on the direct communication link.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling a direct communication link includes transmitting reception parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

12. A first user equipment (UE) configured to receive data from a peer UE over an uplink channel of a network.

13. The first UE of claim 12, wherein the first UE is configured to receive control information for reception over a bi-directional link between the first UE and a base station.

14. The first UE of claim 12, wherein the first UE is configured to listen in designated slots of an uplink of the network.

15. The first UE of claim 12, wherein the first UE is configured to receive transmission parameters from a base station and is configured to determine reception parameters based on the transmission parameters.

16. A base station configured to determine if first and second equipments (UEs) are within a communication range of each other, control a direct communication link between the first and second UEs if the first and second UEs are within a communication range of each other and allocate at least a first portion of an uplink channel of a network to the direct communication link.

17. The base station of claim 16, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit transmission parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

18. The base station of claim 17, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit a same set of transmission parameters assigned for the first and second UEs for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

19. The base station of claim 17, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit reception parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

20. The base station of claim 16, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit reception parameters for the direct communication link to the first and second UEs.

21. The base station of claim 16, wherein the first portion of the uplink channel is a portion of uplink spectrum of the network.