DEVICE TO DEVICE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20150065154A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Van Phan, Vinh, Yu, Ling, Horneman, Kari Veikko
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

In a network controlled device to device service a reference radio bearer that would provide an adequate service in a cellular access mode is determined. Information of semi-static resource allocation is then determined for the reference radio bearer and signalled to at least one device for use in configuring the at least one device for device to device communications. The at least one device can use the information as guidance when configuring for device to device communications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling device to device communications, comprising

determining a reference radio bearer that would provide an adequate service in a cellular access mode,

determining information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer, and

signalling the information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer to at least one device for use in configuring the at least one device for device to device communications.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein an updated semi-static resource allocation is determined based on updated information on relevant devices.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the updated information on devices comprises information on channel conditions and/or connection statuses of devices involved in the device to device communications.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising signalling a determined reference radio bearer configuration to the at least one device.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein information of at least one of a device to device service specific indicator, an offset and a threshold is signalled to at least one device for use in configuring the device for device to device communications.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining that device to device communications are available for end-to-end communications between at least two devices, switching from the cellular access mode to the device to device communications, and determining the reference radio bearer based on a radio bearer provided for the end-to-end communications in the cellular access mode.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising switching between the cellular access mode and device to device communications based on information on a radio network temporary identity.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein

signalled allocation related to non-cellular device to device access mode is indicated by at least one of a semi-persistent scheduling cellular radio network temporary identity, C-RNTI, for a device to device enabled device, a C-RNTI assigned for a device to device link and a C-RNTI assigned for a device to device group or cluster, and

signalled allocation related to cellular access mode is indicated by a regular C-RNTI of a user equipment.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring at least one device to device enabled device for reporting information associated with the reference radio bearer and semi-static resource allocation thereof.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising configuring a trigger for reporting and/or switching by a device to device enabled device.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising reporting by the at least one device information associated with a detected performance of a device to device link relative to an expected performance of a device to device radio bearer configured based on the reference radio bearer or a radio bearer in the cellular access mode.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising determining link budget parameters for device to device communications based on the information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein configuring the at least one device for device to device communications comprises setting, for a device to device link, at least one of a maximum allowed transmission power, an offset for a maximum allowed transmission power, a bit rate, an offset for a bit rate, a link delay, a traffic class priority, and a bearer class priority.

2. A method for device to device communications, comprising

obtaining at a device information of semi-static resource allocation for a reference radio bearer determined to provide an adequate service in a cellular access mode, and

using the information of semi-static resource allocation as guidance when configuring the device for device to device communications.

26. A method according to claim 2, wherein an updated semi-static resource allocation is determined based on updated information on relevant devices.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the updated information on devices comprises information on channel conditions and/or connection statuses of devices involved in the device to device communications.

28. A method according to claim 2, further comprising signalling a determined reference radio bearer configuration to the at least one device.

29. A method according to claim 2, wherein information of at least one of a device to device service specific indicator, an offset and a threshold is signalled to at least one device for use in configuring the device for device to device communications.

30. A method according to claim 2, further comprising determining that device to device communications are available for end-to-end communications between at least two devices, switching from the cellular access mode to the device to device communications, and determining the reference radio bearer based on a radio bearer provided for the end-to-end communications in the cellular access mode.

31. A method according to claim 2, further comprising switching between the cellular access mode and device to device communications based on information on a radio network temporary identity.

32. A method according to claim 27, wherein

signalled allocation related to non-cellular device to device access mode is indicated by at least one of a semi-persistent scheduling cellular radio network temporary identity, C-RNTI, for a device to device enabled device, a C-RNTI assigned for a device to device link and a C-RNTI assigned for a device to device group or cluster, and

signalled allocation related to cellular access mode is indicated by a regular C-RNTI of a user equipment.

33. A method according to claim 2, further comprising configuring at least one device to device enabled device for reporting information associated with the reference radio bearer and semi-static resource allocation thereof.

34. A method according to claim 2, further comprising configuring a trigger for reporting and/or switching by a device to device enabled device.

35. A method according to claim 2, further comprising reporting by the at least one device information associated with a detected performance of a device to device link relative to an expected performance of a device to device radio bearer configured based on the reference radio bearer or a radio bearer in the cellular access mode.

36. A method according to claim 2, further comprising determining link budget parameters for device to device communications based on the information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer.

37. A method according to claim 2, wherein configuring the at least one device for device to device communications comprises setting, for a device to device link, at least one of a maximum allowed transmission power, an offset for a maximum allowed transmission power, a bit rate, an offset for a bit rate, a link delay, a traffic class priority, and a bearer class priority.

15. An apparatus for a network enabling device to device communications, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to

determine a reference radio bearer that would provide an adequate service in a cellular access mode,

determine information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer, and

cause signalling of the information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer to at least one device for use in configuring the at least one device for device to device communications.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, configured to determine or use an updated semi-static resource allocation, the update being based on updated information on relevant devices.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, configured for signalling a determined a reference radio bearer configuration to the at least one device.

16. An apparatus for a wireless device, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to

obtain at a device information of semi-static resource allocation for a reference radio bearer determined to provide an adequate service in a cellular access mode, and

use the information of semi-static resource allocation as guidance when configuring the device for device to device communications.

19. An apparatus according to claim 16, configured for determining that device to device communications are available for end-to-end communications between at least two devices, switching from the cellular access mode to the device to device communications, and using a reference radio bearer determined based on a radio bearer provided for the end-to-end communications in the cellular access mode.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16, configured to cause configuring of at least one device to device enabled device for reporting information associated with the reference radio bearer and semi-static resource allocation thereof.

21. An apparatus according to claim 16, configured for determining link budget parameters for device to device communications based on the information of semi-static resource allocation for the reference radio bearer.

22. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein configuring the at least one device for device to device communications comprises setting, for a device to device link, at least one of a maximum allowed transmission power, an offset for a maximum allowed transmission power, a bit rate, an offset for a bit rate, a link delay, a traffic class priority, and a bearer class priority.

23-25. -25. (canceled)