System and method for allocating network resources

• US 9,769,857 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sartori, Philippe, Liu, Deping, Classon, Brian, Desai, Vipul, Soong, Anthony C. K., Yang, Yunsong
• Primary Examiner(s): BEDNASH, JOSEPH A
• Application Number:
  US13/406,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,031 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a UE group including at least two UEs includes receiving, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to the UE group and a transmission indication, where the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources. The method further includes transmitting, to other UEs in the UE group utilizing a direct mobile communications (DMC) link associated with the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating scheduling information for a second subset of the second set of network resources.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a UE group including at least two UEs, the method comprising:

receiving, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to the UE group and a transmission indication, wherein the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources;

transmitting, by the UE to other UEs in the UE group using a direct mobile communications (DMC) link managed by the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating resource block allocation information for a second subset of the second set of network resources, wherein the UE is not a designated scheduling master; and

receiving, over the DMC link by the UE from one other UE in the UE group, a second message including a second control indicator on a first subset of a third set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, the second control indicator indicating resource block allocation information for a second subset of the third set of network resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications controller comprises one or more evolved NodeBs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message is addressed with a cell radio network temporary identifier of the UE group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control indicator is received in a time resource that differs from another time resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control indicator is received in a frequency resource that differs from another frequency resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message comprises an indication of a maximum transmit power level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control indicator further comprises feedback information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the feedback information comprises an acknowledgement of previously received data, an acknowledgement of previously received channel quality information, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource block allocation information comprises source information, destination information, UE group identifier, hybrid automatic repeat requested process number, new data indicator, modulation and coding scheme information, transmit power information, exact network resource allocation, transmission mode, multiple input multiple output information, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message is received in a radio resource control signaling message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message is received over a control channel.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing a start time with the other UEs in the UE group.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message includes a time stamp, and wherein synchronizing the start time comprises synchronizing the start time according to the time stamp.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein synchronizing the start time comprises performing a handshaking procedure.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a request message to the communications controller, to request an allocation of network resources to the UE group.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the communications controller, a release message to initiate a release of the first set of network resources; and

releasing the first set of network resources.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the other UEs are two UEs.

18. A user equipment (UE), in a UE group, comprising:

a receiver configured to;

receive, from a communications controller, network resources information about an allocation of a first set of network resources to the UE group and a transmission indication, wherein the transmission indication indicates that the UE is selected to transmit in a second set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, and

receive, over a direct mobile communications (DMC) link from one other UE in the UE group, a second message including a second control indicator on a first subset of a third set of network resources that is a subset of the first set of network resources, the second control indicator indicating resource block allocation information for a second subset of the third set of network resources, wherein the UE is not a designated scheduling master; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the receiver, the transmitter configured to transmit, to other UEs in the UE group using the DMC link managed by the communications controller, a first message including a control indicator in a first subset of the second set of network resources, the control indicator indicating resource block allocation information for a second subset of the second set of network resources.

19. The UE of claim 18, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to generate the resource block allocation information.

20. The UE of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to generate feedback information.

21. The UE of claim 20, wherein the feedback information comprises an acknowledgement of previously received data, an acknowledgement of previously received channel quality information, or a combination thereof.

22. The UE of claim 18, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to synchronize a start time with the other UEs in the UE group.

23. The UE of claim 22, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message includes a time stamp, and wherein the processor is further configured to synchronize the start time according to the time stamp.

24. The UE of claim 18, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a release message from the communications controller to initiate a release of the first set of network resources, and wherein the UE further comprises a processor operatively coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to release the first set of network resources.

25. The UE of claim 18, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message is addressed with a cell radio network temporary identifier of the UE group.

26. The UE of claim 18, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the second control indicator in a time resource that differs from another time resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

27. The UE of claim 18, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the second control indicator in a frequency resource that differs from another frequency resource where the control indicator is transmitted.

28. The UE of claim 18, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the third message comprises an indication of a maximum transmit power level.

29. The UE of claim 18, wherein the resource block allocation information comprises source information, destination information, UE group identifier, hybrid automatic repeat requested process number, new data indicator, modulation and coding scheme information, transmit power information, exact network resource allocation, transmission mode, multiple input multiple output information, or a combination thereof.

30. The UE of claim 18, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the receiver is configured to receive the third message in a radio resource control signaling message.

31. The UE of claim 18, wherein the network resources information is in a third message, and the receiver is configured to receive the third message over a control channel.

32. The UE of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is configured to send a request message to the communications controller to request an allocation of network resources to the UE group.

33. The UE of claim 18, wherein the other UEs are two UEs.