Device-to-device communication scenario

• US 9,491,766 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Peng, Tao, Lu, Qianxi, Wang, Haiming, Chen, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Prez-Gutirrez, Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pannell, Mark G.
• Application Number:
  US13/991,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20130273926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 455/450, 455/451, 455/452.1, 455/509, 370502-520
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program for supporting simultaneous multi-use of resources of a backhaul link between a relay base station and another base station of a cellular radio network. The relay base station is configured to forward transmission resources of the backhaul link to at least one communication device located in a cell of the relay base station. The communication device(s) is/are then configured to utilize the resources of the backhaul link for device-to-device connections.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a relay base station of a cellular radio network, parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the relay base station and another base station of the cellular radio network;

transmitting, by the relay base station, at least some of the received parameters of the backhaul link to at least one communication device operating in a cell covered by the relay base station so as to enable simultaneous multi-utilization of-the transmission resources of the backhaul link;

communicating, by the relay base station, relay data in the transmission resources defined by the received parameters; and

transmitting, by the relay base station, interference control information to the at least one communication device, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for at least one device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the at least one communication device is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the at least one device-to-device link, transmission power of the at least one communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the relay base station, an information element indicating static transmission timing assigned to the relay base station for use in the backhaul link; and

transmitting, by the relay base station, the static transmission timing of the backhaul link to the at least one communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the relay base station, a frequency resource allocation assigned to the relay base station; and

transmitting, by the relay base station, the frequency resource allocation to the at least one communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting, by the relay base station, at least some of the received parameters of the backhaul link to the at least one communication device on a radio broadcast control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting of the transmission power for the device-to-device link avoids interference with the communication of relay data between the relay base station and another base station using a same transmission resources.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first communication device located in a cell covered by a relay base station of a cellular radio network, a message comprising parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the relay base station and another base station of the cellular radio network;

determining, by the first communication device, the transmission resources of the backhaul link from the received message;

utilizing, by the first communication device, the transmission resources of the backhaul link for a device-to-device link established between the first communication device and a second communication device; and

receiving, at the first communication device, interference control information sent from the relay base station, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for the device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the first communication device is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the device-to-device link, transmission power of the first communication device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the first communication device, transmission timing and frequency resources of the backhaul link; and

communicating, by the first communication device, over the device-to-device link in the transmission timing and the frequency resources of the backhaul link.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the first communication device, an interference control parameter;

determining, by the first communication device, transmission power for the device-to-device link on the basis of the received interference control parameter; and

causing transmission over the device-to-device link in the transmission resources of the backhaul link with the determined transmission power.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to at least;

receive, at the apparatus, parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the apparatus of a cellular radio network and another base station of the cellular radio network;

transmit, by the apparatus, at least some of the received parameters of the backhaul link to at least one communication device operating in a cell covered by the apparatus so as to enable simultaneous multi-utilization of the transmission resources of the backhaul link;

communicate, by the apparatus, relay data in the transmission resources defined by the received parameters; and

transmit, by the apparatus, interference control information to the at least one communication device, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for at least one device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the at least one communication device is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the at least one device-to-device link, transmission power of the at least one communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive, at the apparatus, an information element indicating static transmission timing assigned to the apparatus for use in the backhaul link; and

transmit, by the apparatus, the static transmission timing of the backhaul link to the at least one communication device.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive, at the apparatus, a frequency resource allocation assigned to the apparatus; and

transmit, by the apparatus, the frequency resource allocation to the at least one communication device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least broadcast at least some of the received parameters of the backhaul link to the at least one communication device on a radio broadcast control channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least transmit an interference control parameter limiting interference of the at least one communication device towards the relay base station.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive the parameters defining the transmission resources for the backhaul link on a relay physical downlink control channel between the apparatus and the other base station; and

transmit the at least some of the received parameters as system information broadcast on a physical broadcast channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a relay base station further comprising radio interface components to provide the relay base station with a radio communication capability.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to at least;

receive, at the apparatus located in a cell covered by a relay base station of a cellular radio network, a message comprising parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the relay base station of the cellular radio network and another base station of the cellular radio network;

determine, by the apparatus, the transmission resources of the backhaul link from the received message;

utilize, by the apparatus, the transmission resources of the backhaul link for a device-to-device link established between the first communication device and a second communication device; and

receive, at the apparatus, interference control information sent from the relay base station, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for the device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the apparatus is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the device-to-device link, transmission power of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

receive an interference control parameter;

determine transmission power for the device-to-device link on the basis of the received interference control parameter; and

transmit over the device-to-device link in the transmission resources of the backhaul link with the determined transmission power.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the interference control parameter indicates a maximum allowed interference towards the relay base station, and wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

determine a path loss between the relay node and the first communication device;

determine the transmission power for the device-to-device link on the basis of the determined path loss and the received interference control parameter; and

apply the determined transmission power when using downlink transmission resources of the backhaul link and applying a different transmission power when using uplink transmission resources of the backhaul link.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least:

detect transmission of the relay base station in the transmission resources of the backhaul link;

determine an offset between a transmission time interval assigned to the relay base station and a time interval when the transmission of the relay base station is observed by the apparatus; and

cause communication over the device-to-device link during a time interval offset from the transmission time interval assigned to the relay base station by at least the determined offset.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored therein, the execution of which result in operations comprising:

receiving, at a relay base station of a cellular radio network, parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the relay base station and another base station of the cellular radio network;

transmitting, by the relay base station, at least some of the received parameters of the backhaul link to at least one communication device operating in a cell covered by the relay base station so as to enable simultaneous multi-utilization of the transmission resources of the backhaul link;

communicating, by the relay base station, relay data in the transmission resources defined by the received parameters; and

transmitting, by the relay base station, interference control information to the at least one communication device, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for at least one device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the at least one communication device is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the at least one device-to-device link, transmission power of the at least one communication device.

21. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored therein, the execution of which result in operations comprising:

receiving, at a first communication device located in a cell covered by a relay base station of a cellular radio network, a message comprising parameters defining transmission resources for a backhaul link between the relay base station and another base station of the cellular radio network;

determining, by the first communication device, the transmission resources of the backhaul link from the received message;

utilizing, by the first communication device, the transmission resources of the backhaul link for a device-to-device link established between the first communication device and a second communication device; and

receiving, at the first communication device, interference control information sent from the relay base station, wherein the interference control information includes interference information for the device-to-device link that utilizes the transmission resources of the backhaul link, and wherein the interference information includes a threshold parameter that limits, when the first communication device is utilizing the transmission resources of the backhaul link for the device-to-device link, transmission power of the first communication device.