Device discovery method, user equipment, server, and system

• US 9,681,285 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Guo, Yali, Zhou, Weihua
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/852,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• 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 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• 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 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device discovery method which relates to the field of communications technologies, and can reduce signaling interaction in a process of discovering a nearby device and lower power consumption of the UE. The method in the present invention mainly includes: receiving, by a server, a discovery request, where the discovery request is used to request to discover another UE near a user equipment UE, and the discovery request includes a discovery category indication; generating discovery configuration information according to the discovery category indication, and sending the discovery configuration information to a base station or the UE, where the discovery configuration information is used to configure a parameter that is used when the base station or the UE detects another nearby UE; and receiving a discovery result sent by the base station or the UE.

Claims

1. A device discovery method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a discovery request that is used to request to discover another user equipment (UE) near a UE, the discovery request comprising a discovery category indication;

generating discovery configuration information according to the discovery category indication;

sending the discovery configuration information to a base station or the UE, so that the base station or the UE discovers another UE near the UE according to the discovery configuration information, wherein the discovery configuration information is used to configure a parameter that is used when the base station or the UE detects another nearby UE; and

receiving a discovery result sent by the base station or the UE.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the discovery category indication comprises at least one of the following:

a service requirement indication, a discovery range indication, a target UE list, a capability requirement indication, and a target group indication.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein before the discovery request is received, the method further comprises receiving capability information and/or group information of the UE that registers with the server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the discovery category indication comprises the capability requirement indication and/or the target group indication;

and

wherein generating the discovery configuration information comprises generating the discovery configuration information according to the capability requirement indication and/or the target group indication, and the capability information and/or the group information of the UE that registers with the server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the discovery result comprises a list of UEs detected by the base station or the UE, wherein the detected UEs are near the UE and meet a requirement of the discovery category indication.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the discovery configuration information comprises sending the discovery configuration information to the base station.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the discovery configuration information comprises sending the discovery configuration information to the UE.

8. A device discovery method, comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE), a discovery request to a server, wherein the discovery request is used to request to discover another UE near the UE and the discovery request comprises a discovery category indication;

receiving control information from the server so that the UE can discover another nearby UE generates, the server controlling the UE based on discovery configuration information determined according to the discovery category indication, wherein the discovery configuration information is used to configure a parameter that is used when a base station or the UE detects another nearby UE; and

discovering the another nearby UE under control of the server and according to the discovery configuration information, so as to obtain a discovery result.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the discovery category indication comprises at least one of the following:

a service requirement indication, a discovery range indication, a target UE list, a capability requirement indication, and a target group indication.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the discovery result comprises a list of UEs detected by the base station or the UE, wherein the detected UEs are near the UE and meet a requirement of the discovery category indication.

11. A server, comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive a discovery request that is used to request to discover another user equipment (UE) near a UE, the discovery request comprising a discovery category indication;

a processor, configured to generate discovery configuration information according to the discovery category indication received by the receiver; and

a transmitter, configured to send the discovery configuration information generated by the processor to a base station or the UE, so that the base station or the UE discovers the another UE near the UE according to the discovery configuration information, wherein the discovery configuration information is used to configure a parameter that is used when the base station or the UE detects another nearby UE, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a discovery result sent by the base station or the UE.

12. The server according to claim 11, wherein the discovery category indication comprises at least one of the following:

a service requirement indication, a discovery range indication, a target UE list, a capability requirement indication, and a target group indication.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the receiver is further configured to, before receiving the discovery request, receive capability information and/or group information of the UE that registers with the server.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the discovery category indication comprises the capability requirement indication and/or the target group indication, the processor being further configured to generate the discovery configuration information according to the capability requirement indication and/or the target group indication received by the receiver, and the capability information and/or the group information of the UE that registers with the server.

15. The server according to claim 11, wherein the discovery result comprises a list of UEs detected by the base station or the UE, wherein the detected UEs are near the UE and meet a requirement of the discovery category indication.

16. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a transmitter, configured to send a discovery request to a server, wherein the discovery request is used to request to discover another UE near the UE, and the discovery request comprises a discovery category indication, so that the server generates discovery configuration information according to the discovery category indication, and then controls, according to the discovery configuration information, the UE to discover another nearby UE, wherein the discovery configuration information is used to configure a parameter that is used when a base station or the UE detects the another nearby UE;

a receiver, configured to receive the discovery configuration information delivered by the server; and

a processor, configured to discover the another nearby UE under control of the server and according to the discovery configuration information received by the receiver, so as to obtain a discovery result.

17. The UE according to claim 16, wherein the discovery category indication comprises at least one of the following:

a service requirement indication, a discovery range indication, a target UE list, a capability requirement indication, and a target group indication.

18. The UE according to claim 16, wherein the discovery result comprises a list of UEs detected by the base station or the UE, wherein the detected UEs are near the UE and meet a requirement of the discovery category indication.