User terminal and base station for a device to device proximity service

• US 9,521,641 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Fujishiro, Masato, Chang, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisner, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US15/048,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20160174181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/400, 370/406, 370328-337, 370/339, 370341-348, 370431-463, 455/422.1, 455450-455, 455/464, 455/509
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A user terminal exists in a first cell operating at a first frequency, in a mobile communication system that supports a D2D (Device to Device) proximity service. The user terminal includes a transmitter configured to transmit a D2D interest indication indicating that the user terminal has an interest in the D2D proximity service, to a base station forming the first cell.

Claims

1. A user terminal located inside the coverage area of a first cell, the first cell operating at a first frequency in a mobile communication system that supports a D2D (Device to Device) proximity service, the user terminal comprising:

a processor configured to

transmit a D2D interest indication to a base station operating in the first cell, the D2D interest indication indicating that the user terminal has an interest in the D2D proximity service, wherein the transmission of the D2D interest indication enables the base station to determine one of the first cell and the second cell where the user terminal will operate to obtain the D2D proximity service, wherein the D2D proximity service includes a D2D discovery signal step for discovering other user terminals located in one of the first cell operating at the first frequency and a second cell operating at a second frequency; and

transmit a D2D discovery signal of the D2D discovery signal step to another user terminal in one of the first cell or the second cell where the D2D resources are available.

2. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the D2D interest indication, upon a condition that the D2D resources are available at the second cell operating on the second frequency.

3. The user terminal according to claim 2,

wherein the processor is configured to receive a SIB (System Information Block) notified from the base station forming the first cell operating at the first frequency, the SIB including information indicating that the D2D resources are available on the second cell operating at the second frequency.

4. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive a handover command from the base station to handover the user terminal to the second cell operating on the second frequency, wherein D2D resources are available only in the second cell operating in the second frequency.

9. The processor of claim 1, wherein obtaining the D2D proximity service in one of the first cell and the second cell includes determining the availability of D2D resources.

10. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein as a result of the D2D interest indication transmitted to base station, the user terminal does not receive a handover to the second cell operating on the second frequency when the second cell does not provide D2D resources.

11. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the D2D resources are provided only in the second cell operating in the second frequency.

12. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal determines which other user terminals UEs it wants to perform D2D proximity service with other user terminals without assistance from the base station.

5. An apparatus for controlling a user terminal, the user terminal located inside the coverage area of a first cell, the first cell operating at a first frequency in a mobile communication system that supports a D2D (Device to Device) proximity service, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured

to transmit a D2D interest indication to a base station operating in the first cell, the D2D interest indication indicating that the user terminal has an interest in the D2D proximity service, wherein the transmission of the D2D interest indication enables the base station to determine one of the first cell and the second cell where the user terminal will operate to obtain the D2D proximity service, wherein the D2D proximity service includes a D2D discovery signal step for discovering other user terminals located in one of the first cell operating at the first frequency and a second cell operating at a second frequency; and

to transmit a D2D discovery signal of the D2D discovery signal step to another user terminal in one of the first cell or the second cell where the D2D resources are available.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor transmits the D2D interest indication, upon condition that the D2D resources are available at the second cell operating on the second frequency.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor receives information notified from the base station forming the first cell operating at the first frequency, the information indicating that the D2D resources are available on the second cell operating at the second frequency.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor receives a handover command from the base station to handover the user terminal to the second cell operating on the second frequency, wherein D2D resources are available only in the second cell operating in the second frequency.