STRUCTURE OF MOBILE TERMINAL OPERATING IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM SUPPORTING DEVICE TO DEVICE COMMUNICATION AND OPERATION METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140328267A1
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: RYU, Hyun-Seok, CHANG, Young-Bin, LIM, Chi-Woo, KIM, Kyung-Kyu, KIM, Dae-Gyun, PARK, Seung-Hoon, BAEK, Sang-Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 9,609,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/406 with more than one transmission mode, e.g. analog and digital modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A mobile terminal in a mobile communication system supporting device to device (D2D) communication, and a method for operating the mobile terminal are provided. The terminal includes a first radio frequency (RF) chain configured to transmit a mobile communication signal and a second RF chain configured to receive a mobile communication signal, for mobile communication with a base station, a switching unit including a plurality of switches configured to establish transmission and reception paths in the first and second RF chains, and a controller configured to control switching of the switching unit to establish transmission and reception paths of a D2D communication signal for D2D communication by combining a part of the first RF chain with a part of the second RF chain. The combination of the parts of the first and second RF chains is different according to a D2D communication frequency band.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal supporting Device to Device (D2D) communication in a mobile communication system, the mobile terminal comprising:

a first Radio Frequency (RF) chain configured to transmit a mobile communication signal and a second RF chain configured to receive a mobile communication signal, for mobile communication with a base station;

a switching unit including a plurality of switches configured to establish transmission and reception paths in the first and second RF chains; and

a controller configured to control switching of the switching unit to establish transmission and reception paths of a D2D communication signal for D2D communication by combining a part of the first RF chain with a part of the second RF chain,

wherein the combination of the parts of the first and second RF chains is different according to a D2D communication frequency band allocated in a part of frequency bands for mobile communication.

2. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, if the D2D communication frequency band is allocated in an uplink frequency band for mobile communication, the controller controls the switching unit to establish the transmission path of the D2D communication signal in correspondence with the first RF chain.

3. The mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switching unit to establish the reception path of the D2D communication signal through a mixer of the first RF chain for mixing the D2D communication signal with the uplink frequency band, a band pass filter, a power amplifier, and a converter of the second RF chain.

4. The mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein, if the D2D communication frequency band is allocated in a downlink frequency band for mobile communication, the controller controls the switching unit to establish the reception path of the D2D communication signal in correspondence with the second RF chain.

5. The mobile terminal of claim 4, wherein the controller controls the switching unit to establish the transmission path of the D2D communication signal through a converter of the first RF chain, a mixer of the second RF chain for mixing the D2D communication signal with the downlink frequency band, and a power amplifier and a band pass filter of the first RF chain.

6. A Device to Device (D2D) communication method of a mobile terminal in a mobile communication system supporting D2D communication, the method comprising:

detecting a generation of a D2D communication signal for D2D communication; and

controlling an establishment of transmission and reception paths of the D2D communication signal through at least one of a first Radio Frequency (RF) chain for transmitting a mobile communication signal for mobile communication with a base station, a second RF chain for receiving a mobile communication signal, and a combined chain obtained by combining a part of the first RF chain with a part of the second RF chain.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling of the establishment of the transmission and reception paths comprises, if a D2D communication frequency band is allocated in an uplink frequency band for mobile communication, controlling an establishment of a transmission path of the D2D communication signal in correspondence with the first RF chain.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

controlling an establishment of a reception path of the D2D communication signal through the combined chain,

wherein the combined chain includes a mixer of the first RF chain for mixing the D2D communication signal with the uplink frequency band, a band pass filter, a power amplifier, and a converter of the second RF chain.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the controlling of the establishment of the transmission and reception paths comprises, if a D2D communication frequency band is allocated in a downlink frequency band for mobile communication, controlling an establishment of a reception path of the D2D communication signal in correspondence with the second RF chain.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling an establishment of a transmission path of the D2D communication signal through the combined chain,

wherein the combined chain includes a mixer of the second RF chain for mixing the D2D communication signal with the downlink frequency band, and a power amplifier, a band pass filter, and a converter of the first RF chain.