Resource scheduling in direct device to device communications systems

• US 9,930,645 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Novak, Robert, Mukherjee, Biswaroop, Gage, William Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Ohri, Romani
• Application Number:
  US15/463,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20170208577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• 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 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatuses of a wireless communications network can involve transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE), configuration information for the first UE (UE1 configuration information) for an inter-device session (IDS) between the first UE and a second UE. The UE1 configuration information may include a first IDS radio network temporary identifier (IDS-RNTI). A radio resource control (RRC) message indicating a resource allocation can be transmitted to the first UE for the first UE to communicate directly with the second UE.

Claims

1. A network node of a wireless communications network, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to;

receive, from a first user equipment (UE), a request to perform an inter-device session (IDS) between the first UE and a second UE;

determine that the first UE can perform the IDS based on subscription information of the first UE;

transmit, to the first UE, configuration information for the first UE to perform the IDS, the configuration information for the first UE including a first IDS radio network temporary identifier (IDS-RNTI); and

transmit a first control message addressed to the first IDS-RNTI, the first control message including radio resource information indicating a first radio resource for the first UE to directly transmit data to the second UE and radio resource information indicating a second radio resource for the first UE to directly transmit one or more transmission parameters to the second UE, wherein the first radio resource is different than the second radio resource, and the transmission parameters include a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) for the direct data transmission on the first radio resource.

2. The network node of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the second UE, configuration information for the second UE to perform the IDS, the configuration information for the second UE including a second IDS-RNTI; and

transmit, to the second UE, a second control message addressed to the second IDS-RNTI, the second control message including the first radio resource and the second radio resource for the first UE to communicate directly with the second UE.

3. The network node of claim 2, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to transmit the first control message to the first UE and the second control message to the second UE.

4. The network node of claim 3, wherein the first control message and the second control message include same information.

5. The network node of claim 3, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

repeatedly transmit the first and second control messages to the first UE and the second UE; and

wherein the configuration information for the first UE and the configuration information for the second UE include an instruction instructing for at least one of the first UE or the second UE to refrain from transmitting acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) indicators in response to the transmissions of the first and second control messages.

6. The network node of claim 1, wherein the first radio resource identifies a resource for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmissions.

7. The network node of claim 6, wherein the first radio resource identifies a resource for a first HARQ transmission, and wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to identify resources for subsequent HARQ retransmissions.

8. The network node of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the second UE, a configuration of an IDS-physical uplink control channel (IDS-PUCCH), the IDS-PUCCH identifying a resource on which to transmit an acknowledgment/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) indicator; and

instruct the first UE to receive the ACK/NACK indicator from the second UE on the IDS-PUCCH.

9. The network node of claim 1, wherein the first UE and the second UE are configured to not transmit acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) indicators in response to IDS transmissions, and wherein a maximum number of transmissions is configured and known to the UEs.

10. The network node of claim 1, wherein the MCS of the direct data transmission is adjustable by the first UE.

11. The network node of claim 10, wherein an MCS change or a new MCS is indicated by the first UE via an inter-device session-medium access control (MAC) control element (IDS-MAC CE), the IDS-MAC CE sent over direct device-to-device resources.

12. The network node of claim 1, wherein an IDS transmission power level of the direct data transmission is adjustable by the first UE.

13. The network node of claim 12, wherein an IDS transmission power level change or a new IDS transmission power level is indicated by the first UE via an IDS-MAC CE, the IDS-MAC CE sent over direct device-to-device resources.

14. The network node of claim 1, wherein the direct data transmission on the first radio resource is scrambled by one of the first IDS-RNTI, an IDS semi-persistent scheduling radio network temporary identifier (IDS-SPS RNTI), or an IDS persistent scheduling radio network temporary identifier (IDS-PS RNTI), wherein the IDS-SPS RNTI and IDS-PS RNTI are indicated in the configuration information for the first UE.

15. The network node of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

configure resources for ACK/NACK feedback from the second UE in response to the direct data transmission; and

allocate IDS resources for re-transmissions according to the ACK/NACK feedback.

16. The network node of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the first UE and the second UE, a configuration of an IDS receiver control channel (IDS-RxCCH), the IDS-RxCCH configuration identifying a resource on which to transmit feedback directly from the second UE to the first UE.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein the IDS-RxCCH is usable by the second UE to perform at least one of:

instructing the first UE to adjust an IDS transmission power level of IDS transmissions;

sending IDS channel quality indicator (CQI) information to the first UE;

sending ACK/NACK indications to the first UE;

or

sending a request for a transmission opportunity to the first UE.

18. The network node of claim 1, wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the first UE and the second UE, the configuration of an IDS transmitter control channel (IDS-TxCCH), the IDS-TxCCH configuration identifying a resource on which to transmit control information directly from the first UE to the second UE.

19. The network node of claim 18, wherein the IDS-TxCCH is usable by the first UE to perform at least one of:

indicating a change in the MCS of the direct data transmission;

or

indicating a change in the one or more transmission parameters of IDS transmissions.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause a network node to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user equipment (UE), a request to perform an inter-device session (IDS) between the first UE and a second UE;

determining that the first UE can perform the IDS based on subscription information of the first UE;

transmitting, to the first UE, configuration information for the first UE to perform the IDS, the configuration information for the first UE including a first IDS radio network temporary identifier (IDS-RNTI); and

transmitting a first control message addressed to the first IDS-RNTI, the first control message including radio resource information indicating a first radio resource for the first UE to directly transmit data to the second UE and radio resource information indicating a second radio resource for the first UE to directly transmit one or more transmission parameters to the second UE, wherein the first radio resource is different than the second radio resource, and the transmission parameters include a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of the direct data transmission.