METHOD FOR DISCOVERY IN DEVICE-TO-DEVICE COMMUNICATIONS AND APPARATUS FOR THE SAME

• US 20140194115A1
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: YANG, Mi Jeong, LIM, Soon Yong, JUNG, Kwang Ryul, BAE, Hyung Deug, HWANG, You Sun, JANG, Moon Soo, PARK, Hyeong Jun, PARK, Nam Hoon
• Application Number:
  US14/149,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20140194115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0241 where no transmission is received, e.g. out of range of the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for discovery in device-to-device communications and an apparatus for the same are disclosed. The method performed in a device-to-device server supporting device-to-device discovery between a discovery terminal and a discoverable terminal may include receiving a device-to-device discovery participation message from the discoverable terminal, requesting a gateway to measure a proximity between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal, receiving a proximity measurement result from the gateway, and requesting the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal to initiate a procedure of device-to-device discovery when the proximity measurement result satisfies a predetermined threshold. Thus, the procedure of device-to-device discovery may be performed efficiently.

Claims

1. A method for device-to-device discovery, performed in a device-to-device server supporting device-to-device discovery between a discovery terminal and a discoverable terminal, comprising:

receiving a device-to-device discovery participation message from the discoverable terminal;

requesting a gateway to measure proximity between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal;

receiving a proximity measurement result from the gateway; and

requesting the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal to initiate a procedure of device-to-device discovery when the proximity measurement result satisfies a predetermined threshold.

2. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, further comprising allocating a physical channel for device-to-device discovery for the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal after the requesting the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal to initiate a procedure of device-to-device discovery.

3. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, wherein the device-to-device discovery participation message indicates that the discoverable terminal participates in the procedure of device-to-device discovery requested by the discovery terminal.

4. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, wherein the gateway is a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (PGW).

5. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, wherein the proximity is measured based on received signal strength of reference signals transmitted and received between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal.

6. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, wherein the proximity is measured based on positional information of the discovery terminal and positional information of the discoverable terminal.

7. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined based on a minimal distance which makes device-to-device communications between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal possible.

8. A method for device-to-device discovery, performed in a device-to-device server supporting device-to-device discovery between a discovery terminal and a discoverable terminal, comprising:

receiving device-to-device communication initiation request messages from the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal;

transmitting a device-to-device communication configuration request message requesting a gateway to configure device-to-device communications between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal; and

receiving a device-to-device communication configuration response message indicating a completion of configuration of device-to-device communications between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal from the gateway when a proximity measurement result satisfies a predetermined threshold.

9. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the device-to-device communication initiation request messages are received from the discovery terminal which recognized the discoverable terminal and from the discoverable terminal which recognized the discovery terminal

10. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the gateway is a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (PGW).

11. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the device-to-device communication configuration request messages include a network identifier of the discovery terminal and a network identifier of the discoverable terminal.

12. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the proximity is measured based on received signal strength of reference signals transmitted and received between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal.

13. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the proximity is measured based on positional information of the discovery terminal and positional information of the discoverable terminal.

14. The method for device-to-device discovery according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold is determined based on a minimal distance which makes device-to-device communications between the discovery terminal and the discoverable terminal possible.

15. A method for measuring proximity between terminals, performed in a base station, comprising:

allocating radio resources for transmitting a reference signal for measuring proximity to a first terminal;

allocating radio resources for receiving the reference signal for measuring proximity to a second terminal;

obtaining information on measurement result of the reference signal from the second terminal; and

determining whether to start device-to-device communications between the first terminal and the second terminal based on the information on measurement result of the reference signal.

16. The method for measuring proximity between terminals according to the claim 15, wherein the base station allocates radio resources for transmitting the reference signal for measuring proximity based on a request of a device-to-device server.

17. The method for measuring proximity between terminals according to the claim 15, wherein the information on measurement result of the reference signal includes the received signal strength of the reference signal.

18. The method for measuring proximity between terminals according to the claim 17, wherein the device-to-device communications between the first terminal and the second terminal are determined to be started when the received signal strength of the reference signal is equal to or above a predetermined threshold.

19. The method for measuring proximity between terminals according to the claim 17, wherein the device-to-device communications between the first terminal and the second terminal are determined to be released when the received signal strength of the reference signal is below a predetermined threshold.

20. The method for measuring proximity between terminals according to the claim 18, wherein the predetermined threshold is a minimal signal strength which makes the device-to-device communications between the first terminal and the second terminal possible.