METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PEER-TO-PEER COMMUNICATIONS RESOURCE SCHEDULING

• US 20130308549A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Madan, Ritesh K., Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A wireless communications device supporting peer-to-peer communications acquires peer-to-peer communications resources for an extended period of time. In some embodiments, a base station assigns the resources to the device, while in other embodiments, the device reserves, e.g., self-assigns peer-to-peer communications resources for an extended period of time. The wireless communications device decides that it will not be using an acquired peer-to-peer communications resources, e.g., a particular acquired peer-to-peer traffic segment. The wireless communications device transmits a resource availability indicator indicating that it will not be using the particular peer-to-peer communications resource. Another wireless communications device, which detects the resource availability indicator, may use the peer-to-peer communications resource which is not be used by the device to which it is assigned.

Claims

1. A method of operating wireless terminal, the method comprising:

requesting assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

receiving a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals, where M is less than or equal to N.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

refraining from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

using at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource assigned to the another device will not be used; and

using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device to which the resource was assigned.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 4, further comprising:

means for detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource assigned to the another device will not be used; and

means for using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device to which the resource was assigned.

6. A wireless terminal comprising:

means for requesting assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

means for receiving a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals, where M is less than or equal to N.

7. The wireless terminal of claim 6, further comprising:

means for refraining from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

means for using at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

8. The wireless terminal of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

means for broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 8, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

11. A computer program product for use in a wireless terminal, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to request assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

code for causing said at least one computer to receive a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals, where M is less than or equal to N.

12. A wireless terminal comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

requesting assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

receiving a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals, where M is less than or equal to N; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

refrain from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

use at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

determine not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

broadcast a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

16. A method of operating a peer-to-peer communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

refraining from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

using at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

during said period of time during which said resources are reserved, transmitting a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource reserved by the another device will not be used; and

using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device which reserved the resource.

21. A peer-to-peer communications device comprising:

means for transmitting a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

means for refraining from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

means for using at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time.

22. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for transmitting a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds during said period of time during which said resources are reserved, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

23. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

means for broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

24. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 23, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.

25. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 24, further comprising:

means for detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource reserved by the another device will not be used; and

means for using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device which reserved the resource.

26. A computer program product for use in a peer-to-peer communications device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to transmit a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

code for causing said at least one computer to refrain from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

code for causing said at least one computer to use at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time.

27. A peer-to-peer communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

transmit a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

refrain from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

use at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

28. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 27, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds during said period of time during which said resources are reserved, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

29. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 28, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

determine not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

broadcast a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

30. The peer to peer communications device of claim 29, wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.