METHOD FOR D2D RADIOCOMMUNICATION

• US 20150249937A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 09/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lindoff, Bengt, Lu, Qianxi, Miao, Qingyu, Wilhelmsson, Leif
• Granted Patent: US 10,004,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0011 for data sessions of end-to-end connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/03 Reselecting a link using a direct mode connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/165 for reducing network power consumption H04W36/18 - H04W36/22 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method of a first radio device in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol. The method comprises determining that the first radio device is within coverage of a cellular network. The method also comprises connecting to the cellular network. The method also comprises sending a message to the second radio device, informing said second radio device that the first radio device is within coverage of the cellular network. The method also comprises receiving a message from the cellular network comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol. The method also comprises initiating a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

Claims

1. A method of a first radio device in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the method comprising:

determining that the first radio device is within coverage of a cellular network (100);

connecting to the cellular network;

sending a message to the second radio device, informing said second radio device that the first radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receiving a message from the cellular network comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiating a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message to the second radio device, informing said second radio device of the second frequency resource and the second communication protocol received from the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover is to network assisted D2D communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second radio device is connected to the cellular network before the initiating of the handover, and the handover is to radio communication between the first and second radio devices via said network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first radio device is connected to the cellular network via a first network node and the second radio device is connected to the cellular network via a second, different, network node before the initiating of the handover.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency resource is within an unlicensed frequency band.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is one of a Wireless Local Area Network protocol a Bluetooth protocol, a FlashlinQ protocol, and a Zigbee protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is a long term evolution (LTE) D2D communication protocol.

3. A method of a second radio device in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a first radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the first radio device, informing the second radio device that said first radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receiving a message from the first radio device, informing the second radio device of a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiating a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

4. A method of a network node of a cellular network, the method comprising:

allowing a first radio device to connect to the cellular network via the network node, said first radio device being in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol;

sending a handover message to the first radio device, comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol to which handover of the D2D communication should be initiated; and

receiving an acknowledgement from the first radio device relating to the sent handover message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network node is one of a base station, a radio access network node, or a core network node.

12. (canceled)

13. A nontransitory processor-readable storage medium comprising a computer program for a first radio device in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a processor of the first radio device, causes the first radio device to:

determine that the first radio device is within coverage of a cellular network;

connect to the cellular network;

send a message to the second radio device, informing said second radio device that the first radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receive a message from the cellular network comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiate a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

14. A nontransitory processor-readable storage medium comprising a computer program for a second radio device in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a first radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the computer program comprising computer program code, when run on a processor of the second radio device, causes the second radio device to:

receive a message from the first radio device, informing the second radio device that said first radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receive a message from the first radio device, informing the second radio device of a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiate a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

15. A nontransitory processor-readable storage medium comprising a computer program for a network node of a cellular network, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a processor of the network node, causes the network node to:

allow a first radio device to connect to the cellular network via the network node, said first radio device being in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol;

send a handover message to the first radio device, comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol to which handover of the D2D communication should be initiated; and

receive an acknowledgement from the first radio device and relating to the sent handover message.

16. (canceled)

17. A radio device configured for being in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with another radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the radio device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radio device to;

determine that the radio device is within coverage of a cellular network;

connect to the cellular network;

send a message to the other radio device, informing said other radio device that the radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receive a message from the cellular network comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiate a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

18. A radio device configured for being in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with another radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol, the radio device comprising:

a processor; and

a storage unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the radio device to;

receive a message from the other radio device, informing the radio device that said other radio device is within coverage of the cellular network;

receive a message from the other radio device, informing the radio device of a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol; and

initiate a handover of the D2D communication from the first frequency resource and communication protocol to the second frequency resource and communication protocol.

19. A network node of a cellular network, the network node comprising:

a processor; and

a storage unit storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to;

allow a first radio device to connect to the cellular network via the network node, said first radio device being in non-network assisted device-to-device (D2D) communication with a second radio device using a first frequency resource and a first communication protocol;

send a message to the first radio device, comprising information about a second frequency resource and a second communication protocol to which handover of the D2D communication should be initiated; and

receive an acknowledgement from the first radio device and relating to the sent handover message.