Methods and apparatus for use in peer to peer communications devices and/or systems relating to rate scheduling, traffic scheduling, rate control, and/or power control

• US 8,902,771 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Richardson, Thomas, Wu, Xinzhou, Jovicic, Aleksandar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Kibrom T
• Application Number:
  US13/250,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20120020234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. Embodiments directed to methods and apparatus for establishing traffic data transmission rates and/or transmission power levels between wireless terminals is described. Embodiments direct to methods and apparatus of making decisions whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the received response signals are also described. Transmission of pilot signals after granting of a transmission request and a decision to transmit traffic data has been made occurs in some embodiments. Rate information to be used in determining a traffic rate may be received in response to the pilot signal from a peer to peer (P2P) device.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first communications device, comprising:

transmitting a transmission request;

monitoring to receive transmission request responses during a monitoring period;

determining if a response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received by the first communications device;

determining whether a response to a transmission request from a second communications device was received by the first communications device, wherein the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was transmitted by a third communications device; and

when it is determined that the response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received and it is also determined that the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was received, making a decision whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second communications device and based on whether the received power of the response to the transmit request from the second communications device is greater than a threshold power level,

wherein the first communications device and the second communications device each comprise a different peer to peer wireless terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said function includes use of an interference based cost threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said function compares the interference based cost threshold to one of:

(i) a predicated signal to interference ratio value and (ii) a predicated total interference value.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prior to making said decision whether or not to transmit, calculating an interference cost value as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second device and a power reference level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said power reference level is an expected transmission power level that the first communications device intends to use for transmission in a traffic slot to which the decision corresponds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said function includes use of a power level threshold.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prior to determining whether a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received, transmitting said transmission request from the first communications device, said transmitted request having a first priority.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission request from the second communications device has a second priority.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said function used to make said decision is based on whether the second priority is greater than said first priority.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes making a decision not to transmit when the second priority is greater than said first priority.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding to transmit when it is determined that the first priority is higher than the priority of any transmission request from a device other than the first device for which a response is received during said monitoring period.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when it is determined that a response to the transmission request is not received during said monitoring period, deciding not to transmit in a traffic interval corresponding to said transmission request from the first communications device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein there is a predetermined relationship between the monitoring period and the corresponding traffic interval;

and

wherein responses to transmission requests received on a predetermined communications resource during said monitoring period are responses to requests to use a first traffic resource during said traffic interval.

14. A first communications device supporting peer to peer communications comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a transmission request;

a monitoring module for monitoring to receive transmission request responses during a monitoring period;

a transmission request response module for determining if a response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received by the first communications device and for determining whether a response to a transmission request from a second communications device was received by the first communications device, wherein the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was transmitted by a third communications device; and

a transmission decision module for making a decision whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second communications device and based on whether the received power of the response to the transmit request from the second communications device is greater than a threshold power level when it is determined that a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received and it is also determined that a response to a transmission request from the second communications device was received,

wherein the first communications device and the second communications device each comprise a different peer to peer wireless terminal.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a power measurement module for measuring the received power level of transmission request response signals.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

an interference cost determination module for calculating the interference cost associated with a received transmission request response signal,

wherein said function includes use of an interference based cost threshold; and

wherein said interference cost determination module calculates an interference cost from a ratio of a measured received power level of a received transmission request response signal and a power reference level.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a transmission request generation module for generating a transmission request; and

a wireless transmitter module for transmitting said generated transmission request from the first communications device, said transmitted request having a first priority;

said transmitting occurring prior to determining whether a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

a priority determination module for determining a priority level associated with a received transmission request response signal, and

wherein the transmission request from the second communications device has a second priority.

19. The device of claim 18,

wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes making a decision not to transmit when the second priority is greater than said first priority;

wherein making a decision whether or not to transmit includes deciding to transmit when it is determined that the first priority is higher than the priority of any transmission request from a device other than the first device for which a response is received during said monitoring period; and

wherein said decision module decides not to transmit in a traffic interval corresponding to said transmission request from the first communications device when it is determined that a response to the transmission request is not received during said monitoring period.

20. A first communications device supporting peer to peer communications comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a transmission request;

monitoring means for monitoring to receive transmission request responses during a monitoring period;

transmission request response means for determining if a response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received by the first communications device and for determining whether a response to a transmission request from a second communications device was received by the first communications device, wherein the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was transmitted by a third communications device; and

transmission decision means for making a decision whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second communications device and based on whether the received power of the response to the transmit request from the second communications device is greater than a threshold power level when it is determined that a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received and it is also determined that a response to a transmission request from the second communications device was received,

wherein the first communications device and the second communications device each comprise a different peer to peer wireless terminal.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

power measurement means for measuring the received power level of transmission request response signals.

22. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a first communications device to implement a method, the method comprising:

transmitting a transmission request;

monitoring to receive transmission request responses during a monitoring period;

determining if a response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received by the first communications device;

determining whether a response to a transmission request from a second communications device was received by the first communications device, wherein the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was transmitted by a third communications device; and

when it is determined that a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received and it is also determined that a response to a transmission request from the second communications device was received, making a decision whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second communications device and based on whether the received power of the response to the transmit request from the second communications device is greater than a threshold power level,

wherein the first communications device and the second communications device each comprise a different peer to peer wireless terminal.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said function includes use of an interference based interference cost threshold, the computer readable medium further comprising machine executable instructions for:

calculating an interference cost value as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second device and a power reference level.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a processor for use in a first communications device, the processor configured to;

transmit a transmission request;

monitor to receive transmission request responses during a monitoring period;

determine if a response to the transmission request from the first communications device was received by the first communications device;

determine whether a response to a transmission request from a second communications device was received by the first communications device, wherein the response to the transmission request from the second communications device was transmitted by a third communications device; and

when it is determined that a response to a transmission request from the first communications device was received and it is also determined that a response to a transmission request from the second communications device was received, make a decision whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second communications device and based on whether the received power of the response to the transmit request from the second communications device is greater than a threshold power level,

wherein the first communications device and the second communications device each comprise a different peer to peer wireless terminal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said function includes use of an interference based interference cost threshold, and wherein said processor is further configured to:

calculate an interference cost value as a function of the received power of the response to the transmission request from the second device and a power reference level, prior to making said decision whether or not to transmit.