D2D CLUSTER COMMUNICATION AND CONFIGURATIONS

• US 20150146620A1
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Phan, Vinh Van, Yu, Ling, Hugl, Klaus, Horneman, Kari V.
• Application Number:
  US14/534,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20150146620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for D2D cluster communication and configurations are provided. One method comprises receiving, at a first cluster head, information of a second cluster head; determining, based on the received information, a possible establishment of inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster; selecting a user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head, based on the received information, to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head; indicating to the selected user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head; and negotiating, via the selected user equipment, an inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster head, wherein the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to

receive, at a first cluster head, information of a second cluster head;

determine, based on the received information, a possible establishment of inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster;

select a user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head, based on the received information, to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head;

indicate to the selected user equipment to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head; and

negotiate, via the selected user equipment, an inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster head,

wherein the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the information is from at least one of the at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of broadcast or groupcast service related discovery contexts of individual clusters involved, channel quality information of the second cluster head, a cluster head identification or a cluster identification associated with the second cluster head.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the selecting is based on the channel quality being better than channel quality of other user equipment of the at least one user equipment.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the negotiating comprises sending at least one of timing information, resource allocation information, inter-cluster relationship support information, or configuration information to access the second cluster head.

6. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the timing information comprises timing offsets of preconfigured timing references common to the device-to-device communication.

7. The apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the timing information is sent to the selected user equipment for use in establishing the device-to-device communication.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first cluster head, information of a second cluster head;

determining, based on the received information, a possible establishment of inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster;

selecting a user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head, based on the received information, to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head;

indicating to the selected user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head to relay information between the first cluster head and the second cluster head; and

negotiating, via the selected user equipment, an inter-cluster relationship with the second cluster head,

wherein the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the information is from at least one of the at least one user equipment associated with the first cluster head.

10. The method as in claim 8, wherein the information comprises at least one of broadcast or groupcast service related discovery contexts of individual clusters involved, channel quality information of the second cluster head, a cluster head identification or a cluster identification associated with the second cluster head.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein the negotiating comprises negotiating at least one of timing information, resource allocation information, inter-cluster relationship support information, or configuration information to access the second cluster head.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to

detect, at a user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with a first cluster head, a second cluster head, wherein the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication;

send information of the second cluster head to the first cluster head;

receive an indication to relay between the first cluster head and the second cluster head for negotiation of an inter-cluster relationship;

perform the relaying between the first and second cluster head.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the information comprises at least one of broadcast or groupcast service related discovery contexts of individual clusters involved, channel quality information of the second cluster head, cluster head identification or cluster identification associated with the second cluster head.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to transmit data related to an identified common broadcast or groupcast service to the second cluster.

15. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a user equipment of at least one user equipment associated with a first cluster head, a second cluster head, wherein the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication;

sending information of the second cluster head to the first cluster head;

receiving an indication to relay between the first cluster head and the second cluster head for negotiation of an inter-cluster relationship;

performing the relaying between the first cluster head and the second cluster head.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the information comprises at least one of broadcast or groupcast service related discovery contexts of individual clusters involved, channel quality information of the second cluster head, cluster head identification or cluster identification associated with the second cluster head.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to

receive, at a user equipment, an indication that the user equipment is selected to relay between a first cluster head and a second cluster head for negotiation of an inter-cluster relationship; and

perform the relaying between the first cluster head and the second cluster head,

wherein the indication is received from the first cluster head and the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to transmit data related to an identified common broadcast or groupcast service to the second cluster.

19. The method, comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment, an indication that the user equipment is selected to relay between a first cluster head and a second cluster head for negotiation of an inter-cluster relationship; and

performing the relaying between the first cluster head and the second cluster head,

wherein the indication is received from the first cluster head and the second cluster head is associated with another user equipment for a device-to-device communication.

20. The method of 19, further comprising:

transmitting data related to an identified common broadcast or groupcast service to the second cluster.