METHODS AND DEVICES FOR ADDRESSING DEVICE TO DEVICE COMMUNCATIONS

• US 20160050558A1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Wallentin, Pontus, Gunnarsson, Fredrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/672 Short addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method implemented in a first user equipment (UE) includes generating a first intermediate address. The method further includes transmitting a data packet using the first intermediate address by (i) applying a first address mechanism to a first part of the first intermediate address, and (ii) applying a second address mechanism to a second part of the first intermediate address.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

generating a first intermediate address; and

transmitting a data packet using the first intermediate address by;

(i) applying a first address mechanism to a first part of the first intermediate address, and

(ii) applying a second address mechanism to a second part of the first intermediate address.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the first intermediate address includes:

applying a first function to a first part of a first identifier, and

applying a second function to (i) a second part of the first identifier and (ii) the output of the first function applied to the first part of the first identifier,

wherein the first intermediate address is the output of the second function, and a number of bits included in the first intermediate address is less than a number of bits included in the first identifier.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first function is a hashing function, the second function is a scrambling function, and the first identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) UE ID associated with the first UE.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the output of the hashing function reduces a number of bits included in the first part of the identifier associated with the first UE.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first part of the identifier associated with the first UE is a network ID.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first intermediate address is an intermediate source address.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses the first part of the intermediate source address as a Layer 1 source address, and the second address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the second part of the intermediate source address as a Layer 2 source address.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a second intermediate address; and

transmitting the data packet using the second intermediate address by;

(i) applying a third address mechanism to a first part of the first intermediate address, and

(ii) applying a fourth address mechanism to a second part of the first intermediate address.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein generating the second intermediate address includes:

applying a first function to a first part of a second identifier, and

applying a second function to (i) a second part of the second identifier and (ii) the output of the first function applied to the first part of the second identifier,

wherein the second intermediate address is the output of the second function, and a number of bits included in the second intermediate address is less than a number of bits included in the second identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first function is a hashing function, and the second function is a scrambling function.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) UE ID associated with a second UE to which the first UE transmits the data packet.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) Group ID associated with a plurality of UEs to which the first UE transmits the data packet.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the second intermediate address is an intermediate destination address.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses the first part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 1 destination address, and the fourth address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the second part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 2 destination address.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first intermediate address is generated using a random number having a predetermined number of bits.

16. A method implemented in a first user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

generating an intermediate destination address;

receiving a data packet from a second UE, the received data packet including a received destination address and a received source address;

comparing a first part of the intermediate destination address with the received destination address using a first address mechanism;

in response to determining that the first part of the intermediate destination address matches the received destination address, comparing a second part of the intermediate destination address with received destination address using a second address mechanism; and

in response to determining that the second part of the intermediate destination address matches the received destination address, identifying a receiving function in the first UE using the received source address and a third address mechanism.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

determining, using the received data packet, whether an address conflict exists; and

in response to determining that the address conflict exists, identifying a receiving function in the first UE using the received source address and a fourth address mechanism.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that extracts the first part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 1 destination address, the second address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that extracts the second part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 2 destination address, and the third address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses received source address as a Layer 1 source address.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the fourth address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the received source address as a Layer 2 source address.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the address conflict is detected if a sequence number associated with the received data packet is out of order with respect to a sequence number of a previously received data packet.

21. A first user equipment (UE) (306), comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, said computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the first UE is operative to;

generate a first intermediate address, and

transmit a data packet using the first intermediate address by;

(i) applying a first address mechanism to a first part of the first intermediate address, and

(ii) applying a second address mechanism to a second part of the first intermediate address.

22. The first UE according to claim 21, wherein the first UE is operative to generate the first intermediate address by:

applying a first function to a first part of a first identifier, and applying a second function to (i) a second part of the first identifier and (ii) the output of the first function applied to the first part of the first identifier,

wherein the first intermediate address is the output of the second function, and a number of bits included in the first intermediate address is less than a number of bits included in the first identifier.

23. The first UE according to claim 22, wherein the first function is a hashing function, the second function is a scrambling function, and the first identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) UE ID associated with the first UE.

24. The first UE according to claim 23, wherein the output of the hashing function reduces a number of bits included in the first part of the identifier associated with the first UE.

25. The first UE according to claim 22, wherein the first part of the identifier associated with the first UE is a network ID.

26. The first UE according to claim 21, wherein the first intermediate address is an intermediate source address.

27. The first UE according to claim 26, wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses the first part of the intermediate source address as a Layer 1 source address, and the second address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the second part of the intermediate source address as a Layer 2 source address.

28. The first UE according to claim 21, wherein the first UE is further operative to:

generate a second intermediate address; and

transmit the data packet using the second intermediate address by;

(i) applying a third address mechanism to a first part of the first intermediate address, and

(ii) applying a fourth address mechanism to a second part of the first intermediate address.

29. The first UE according to claim 28, wherein the first UE is further operative to generate the second intermediate address by:

applying a first function to a first part of a second identifier, and

applying a second function to (i) a second part of the second identifier and (ii) the output of the first function applied to the first part of the second identifier,

wherein the second intermediate address is the output of the second function, and a number of bits included in the second intermediate address is less than a number of bits included in the second identifier.

30. The first UE according to claim 29, wherein the first function is a hashing function, and the second function is a scrambling function.

31. The first UE according to claim 30, wherein the second identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) UE ID associated with a second UE to which the first UE transmits the data packet.

32. The first UE according to claim 30, wherein the second identifier is a Proximity-based services (ProSe) Group ID associated with a plurality of UEs to which the first UE transmits the data packet.

33. The first UE according to claim 28, wherein the second intermediate address is an intermediate destination address.

34. The first UE according to claim 26, wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses the first part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 1 destination address, and the fourth address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the second part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 2 destination address.

35. The first UE according to claim 21, wherein the first intermediate address is generated using a random number having a predetermined number of bits.

36. A first UE comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, said computer readable medium containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the first UE is operative to;

generate an intermediate destination address,

receive a data packet from a second UE, the received data packet including a received destination address and a received source address,

compare a first part of the intermediate destination address with the received destination address using a first address mechanism,

in response to determining that the first part of the intermediate destination address matches the received destination address, compare a second part of the intermediate destination address with received destination address using a second address mechanism, and

in response to determining that the second part of the intermediate destination address matches the received destination address, identify a receiving function in the first UE using the received source address and a third address mechanism.

37. The first UE according to claim 36, further operative to:

determine, using the received data packet, whether an address conflict exists;

in response to determining that the address conflict exists, identify a receiving function in the first UE using the received source address and a fourth address mechanism.

38. The first UE according to claim 36 wherein the first address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that extracts the first part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 1 destination address, the second address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that extracts the second part of the intermediate destination address as a Layer 2 destination address, and the third address mechanism is a Layer 1 address mechanism that uses received source address as a Layer 1 source address.

39. The first UE according to claim 37, wherein the fourth address mechanism is a Layer 2 address mechanism that uses the received source address as a Layer 2 source address.

40. The first UE according to claim 36, wherein the address conflict is detected if a sequence number associated with the received data packet is out of order with respect to a sequence number of a previously received data packet.