Synchronization for device-to-device communication

• US 9,107,155 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hakola, Sami-Jukka, Koskela, Timo Kalevi, Chen, Tao, Charbit, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Asad
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALI, SYED
• Application Number:
  US14/319,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20140341208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 370/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/383 power control in peer-to-peer links
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Various example embodiments are disclosed. According to one example embodiment, a method may include synchronizing, by an access node in a wireless network, with a first mobile station, synchronizing with a second mobile station, compiling a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group including at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station, sending a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message including timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station, and sending a second connection message to the second mobile station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by an access node in a wireless network, with a first mobile station;

synchronizing with a second mobile station;

compiling a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

sending a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

sending a second connection message to the second mobile station,

wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters,

wherein the first connection message comprises a transmission power message, and wherein the timing advance parameters are based on a propagation delay of a received synchronization acknowledgement message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station have similar direction of arrival as estimated by the access node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection message and the second connection message are sent in a single broadcast message to the device-to-device group.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning resource blocks to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for device-to-device communication with each other, the resource blocks being previously assigned to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for uplink communication with the access node.

5. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

synchronize with a first mobile station;

synchronize with a second mobile station;

compile a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

send a first connection message for the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

send a second connection message for the second mobile station,

wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters,

wherein the first connection message comprises a transmission power message, and wherein the timing advance parameters are based on a propagation delay of a received synchronization acknowledgement message.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station have similar direction of arrival as estimated by the access node.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to send the first connection message and the second connection message in a single broadcast message to the device-to-device group.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

assign resource blocks to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for device-to-device communication with each other, the resource blocks being previously assigned to the first mobile station and the second mobile station for uplink communication with the access node.

9. A computer program product for facilitating device-to-device communication between mobile stations, the computer program product being tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer storage medium and comprising executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause an access node which serves a plurality of mobile stations to:

synchronize with a first mobile station;

synchronize with a second mobile station;

compile a device-to-device group, the device-to-device group comprising at least the first mobile station and the second mobile station;

send a first connection message to the first mobile station, the first connection message comprising timing advance parameters of both the first mobile station and the second mobile station; and

send a second connection message to the second mobile station,

wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters,

wherein the first connection message comprises a transmission power message, and wherein the timing advance parameters are based on a propagation delay of a received synchronization acknowledgement message wherein the compiling comprises compiling the device-to-device group based at least partly on determining that the first mobile station and the second mobile station are within a predetermined distance from each other, based on their timing advance parameters,

wherein the first connection message comprises a transmission power message, and wherein the timing advance parameters are based on a propagation delay of a received synchronization acknowledgement message.