Method for handling device to device communication and related communication device

• US 9,241,361 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chih-Hsiang, Liao, Ching-Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rivero, Alejandro
• Application Number:
  US14/141,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20140187165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/23 Manipulation of direct-mode connections

Abstract

A method of handling device to device communication for a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system includes establishing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to a network of the wireless communication system; and receiving a first RRC message indicating to the first UE to use a first data radio bearer (DRB) for a proximity-based services (ProSe) communication with a second UE of the wireless communication system, wherein the first DRB is different from a second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network.

Claims

1. A method of handling device to device communication for a first user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

establishing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to a network of the wireless communication system;

receiving a first RRC message indicating to the first UE to use a first data radio bearer (DRB) for a proximity-based services (ProSe) communication with a second UE of the wireless communication system, wherein the first DRB is different from a second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network;

transmitting a first buffer status and a second buffer status to the network, wherein the first buffer status indicates a status of an uplink buffer of the first UE used for the first DRB, and the second buffer status indicates a status of an uplink buffer of the first UE used for the second DRB;

receiving, from the network, a first uplink grants for the ProSe communication and second uplink grants for communication between the first UE and the network; and

transmitting data of the first DRB by using the first uplink grants and transmitting data of the second DRB by using the second uplink grants;

wherein the first uplink grants and the second uplink grants are not in the same subframe.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second RRC message indicating to the first UE to use the second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first uplink grants for the ProSe communication are received in a control channel different from where the second uplink grants are received.

4. A method of handling device to device communication for a network in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

establishing an Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to a first user equipment (UE);

transmitting a first RRC message indicating to the first UE to use a first data radio bearer (DRB) for a proximity-based services (ProSe) communication with a second UE of the wireless communication system, wherein the first DRB is different from a second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network;

receiving a first buffer status and a second buffer status from the first UE, wherein the first buffer status indicates a status of an uplink buffer of the first UE used for the first DRB, and the second buffer status indicates a status of an uplink buffer of the first UE used for the second DRB; and

scheduling first uplink grants of the ProSe communication with the second UE and second uplink grants of communication between the first UE and the network for the first UE;

wherein the first uplink grants and the second uplink grants are not in the same subframe.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting a second RRC message indicating to the first UE to use the second DRB for communication between the first UE and the network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first uplink grants for the ProSe communication are in a format different from a format used for the second uplink grants used for communication between the first UE and the network.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first uplink grants for the ProSe communication are transmitted via a control channel different from that used for communication between the first UE and the network.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

scheduling the second UE to receive data of the first DRB by first downlink assignments for the ProSe communication and receive data of a third DRB by second downlink assignments for communication between the second UE and the network;

wherein the third DRB is indicated to the second UE for communication between the second UE and the network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first downlink assignments for the ProSe communication are in a format different from a format used for the second downlink assignments for communication between the first UE and the network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first downlink assignments for the ProSe communication are transmitted via a control channel different from that used for communication between the first UE and the network.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first downlink assignments and the second downlink assignments are not in the same subframe.