User equipment and protocol and methods for device-to-device communication

• US 9,986,447 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2014
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Heo, Youn Hyoung, Zong, Pingping, Stojanovski, Alexandre Saso, Luft, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): Mew, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/914,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4856 resumption being on a different machine, e.g. task migration, virtual machine migration G06F9/5088 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/12 by using return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 : Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 : Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 : by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 : triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of a UE and methods for D2D communication are generally described herein. The UE may transmit, as part of an in-network communication session, a D2D discovery status message. The D2D discovery status message may indicate an initiation or termination of a D2D discovery operation at the UE and may indicate if the UE is announcing or monitoring part of the D2D discovery operation. The D2D discovery operation may be at least partly for configuring a D2D communication session between the UE and one or more other UEs. The UE may transmit, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a D2D discovery signal for reception at one or more other UEs. The UE may transmit and receive D2D packets over a direct link to a second UE as part of the D2D communication session.

Claims

1. An apparatus of a User Equipment (UE) configured to operate in accordance with a device-to-device (D2D) communication mode, comprising:

processing circuitry to configure the UE to;

receive, as part of an in-network communication session, one or more D2D resource parameters from an Evolved Node-B (eNB), wherein the D2D resource parameters include assistance information for D2D discovery resources of a second eNB;

transmit, as part of the in-network communication session, a D2D discovery status message for a D2D discovery operation at the UE;

transmit, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a D2D discovery signal for reception at one or more other UEs,

wherein the D2D discovery signal is transmitted according to a transmission time and transmission frequency resources determined at least partly from the D2D resource parameters; and

receive, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a second D2D discovery signal from a second UE, wherein the second UE is engaged in an in-network communication session with the second eNB, and wherein the second D2D discovery signal is received according to a reception time and reception frequency resources determined at least partly from the assistance information; and

memory configured to store the D2D resource parameters.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate an initiation or termination of the D2D discovery operation at the UE; and

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate whether the UE is announcing or monitoring as part of the D2D discovery operation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to transmit the D2D discovery status message during at least one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode or a RRC connection setup procedure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the assistance information includes information related to a measurement gap for the second eNB; and

the reception time for the reception of the second D2D discovery signal is based at least partly on the measurement gap for the second eNB.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is to configure the UE to transmit, as part of the in-network communication session, a D2D discovery resource request message for reception at the eNB.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the D2D discovery resource parameters received from the eNB are included in one or more System Information Blocks (SIBS) transmitted from the eNB.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the D2D discovery operation is at least partly for configuring a D2D communication session between the UE and the one or more other UEs; and

wherein the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to transmit and receive D2D packets over a direct link to a second UE as part of the D2D communication session.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is to configure the UE to:

receive packets from the eNB as part of the in-network communication session; and

when the reception of D2D packets collides with the reception of packets from the eNB, refrain from receiving the D2D packets.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is to configure the UE to:

transmit control packets for reception at the eNB as part of the in-network communication session; and

when transmission of D2D discovery signals collides with the transmission of control packets, refrain from transmitting the D2D discovery signals.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the transmitted D2D packets are transmitted according to a first integrity for the D2D communication session based at least partly on a first Message Authentication Code (MAC) generated at least partly from a first counter value; and

the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to;

transmit, for reception at the eNB, an integrity failure notification in response to a detection of a failure of the first integrity for the D2D communication session;

receive, from the eNB, a second counter value; and

generate a second MAC, based at least partly on the second counter value;

to enable a second integrity for the D2D communication session.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the UE includes an application layer, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer and a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) layer;

the transmission time and the transmission frequency resources for the transmission of the D2D discovery signal are determined at least partly at the RRC layer; and

the RRC layer is configured by the NAS layer to transmit the D2D discovery signal in response to a reception at the NAS layer of a D2D discovery enabling command from the application layer.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is to configure the UE is further to operate in accordance with proximity-based services (Pro-Se).

13. A computer-readable hardware storage device that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for communication in a device-to-device (D2D) mode and to configure the one or more processors to configure a User Equipment (UE) to:

receive, as part of an in-network communication session, one or more D2D resource parameters from an Evolved Node-B (eNB), wherein the D2D resource parameters include assistance information for D2D discovery resources of a second eNB;

transmit, as part of the in-network communication session;

a D2D discovery status message for a D2D discovery operation at the UE;

transmit, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a D2D discovery signal for reception at one or more other UEs,

wherein the D2D discovery signal is transmitted according to a transmission time and transmission frequency resources determined at least partly from the D2D resource parameters; and

receive, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a second D2D discovery signal from a second UE, wherein the second UE is engaged in an in-network communication session with the second eNB, and wherein the second D2D discovery signal is received according to a reception time and reception frequency resources determined at least partly from the assistance information.

14. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to claim 13, wherein:

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate an initiation or termination of the D2D discovery operation at the UE;

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate whether the UE is announcing or monitoring as part of the D2D discovery operation; and

wherein the instructions are to configure the one or more processors to cause transmission of the D2D discovery status message during at least one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode or a RRC connection setup procedure.

15. The computer-readable hardware storage device according to claim 13, wherein:

the assistance information includes information related to a measurement gap for the second eNB; and

the reception time for the reception of the second D2D discovery signal is based at least partly on the measurement gap for the second eNB.

16. The non transitory computer-readable hardware storage device according to claim 13, wherein:

the D2D discovery operation is at least partly for configuring a D2D communication session between the HE and the one or more other UEs; and

wherein the instructions are to configure the one or more processors to cause transmission and reception of D2D packets over a direct link to a second UE as part of the D2D communication session.

17. A method of communicating in a device-to-device (D2D) mode, comprising:

receiving, as part of an in-network communication session, one or more D2D resource parameters from an Evolved Node-B (eNB), wherein the D2D resource parameters include assistance information for D2D discovery resources of a second eNB;

transmitting, as part of the in-network communication session, a D2D discovery status message for a D2D discovery operation at the UE;

transmitting, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a D2D discovery signal for reception at one or more other UEs,

wherein the D2D discovery signal is transmitted according to a transmission time and transmission frequency resources determined at least partly from the D2D resource parameters

receiving, as part of the D2D discovery operation, a second D2D discovery signal from a second UE, wherein the second HE is engaged in an in-network communication session with the second eNB, and wherein the second D2D discovery signal is received according to a reception time and reception frequency resources determined at least partly from the assistance information.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein:

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate an initiation or termination of the D2D discovery operation at the UE;

the D2D discovery status message is to indicate whether the UE is announcing or monitoring as part of the D2D discovery operation; and

transmitting the D2D discovery status message occurs during at least one of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode or a RRC connection setup procedure.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein:

the assistance information includes information related to a measurement gap for the second eNB; and

the reception time for the reception of the second D2D discovery signal is based at least partly on the measurement gap for the second eNB.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising transmitting and receiving D2D packets over a direct link to the second HE as part of a D2D communication session between the UE and the one or more other UEs, wherein the D2D discovery operation is at least partly for configuring the D2D communication session.