System and Method for Radio Link Sharing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016182145-A1
Application number	US-201414577438-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a first user equipment (UE) from a second UE, identity information and transmitting, by the first UE to a communications controller, the identity information. The method also includes receiving, by the first UE from the communications controller, a first packet after transmitting the identity information and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, the first packet in accordance with the identity information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a first user equipment (UE) from a second UE, identity information; transmitting, by the first UE to a communications controller, the identity information; receiving, by the first UE from the communications controller, a first packet after transmitting the identity information; and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, the first packet in accordance with the identity information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first UE from the communications controller, a random number after receiving the identity information; transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, the random number; receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, a signed random number; and transmitting, by the first UE to the communications controller, the signed random number.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, after transmitting the identity information, a second packet; and transmitting, by the first UE to the communications controller, the second packet.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, a first message requesting radio link sharing; and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, after transmitting the first message and before receiving the identity information, a second message, wherein the second message indicates a capability of the first UE to serve as a donor UE.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first packet is a voice packet.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first packet is a data packet.

7 . A method comprising:
transmitting, by a first user equipment (UE) to a second UE, identity information; receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, a first message indicating that the first UE has been added to a first network after transmitting the identity information; and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE after receiving the first message, a first packet in accordance with the identity information, wherein the first packet is destined for the first network.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising accessing an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the first UE, wherein the identity information comprises the IMSI.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, a random number after transmitting the identity information; signing the random number to produce a signed random number; and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, the signed random number.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, after receiving the first message, a second packet, wherein the second packet originates from the first network.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, a second message requesting radio link sharing before transmitting the identity information; receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, after transmitting the second message, a third message indicating a capability of the second UE to serve as a donor UE; and determining whether the second UE will serve as the donor UE in accordance with the third message, wherein transmitting the identity information is only performed after determining that the second UE will serve as the donor UE.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising detecting a network problem before transmitting the identity information.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the network problem is a lack of service.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the network problem is that the network imposes charges on the first UE.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the network problem is that an available data rate of the network is lower than a target data rate of the first UE.

16 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
searching for a second network; determining whether the second network provides good service to the first UE; disconnecting from the first network when the second network provides good service to the first UE; and connecting to the second network after disconnecting from the first network.

17 . A first user equipment (UE) comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to
receive, from a second UE, identity information,
transmit, to a communications controller, the identity information,
receive, from the communications controller, a first packet after transmitting the identity information, and
transmit, to the second UE, the first packet in accordance with the identity information.

18 . A first user equipment (UE) comprising:
a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to
transmit, to a second UE, identity information,
receive, from the second UE, a first message indicating that the first UE has been added to a first network after transmitting the identity information, and
transmit, to the second UE after receiving the first message, a first packet in accordance with the identity information, wherein the first packet is destined for the first network.

19 . The second UE of claim 18 further comprising:
receive a first packet, from a first network after receiving a message indicating that the first UE has been added to a first network after transmitting the identity information, and
transmit the first packet to the first UE, wherein the first packet is destined for the first UE.

20 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein the first packet is a voice packet.

21 . The UE of claim 18 , wherein the first packet is a data packet.

22 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a first user equipment (UE) from a second UE, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the second UE; transmitting, by the first UE to a communications controller, the IMSI of the SIM card of the second UE; receiving, by the first UE from the communications controller, a first packet using a SIM card of the first UE, after transmitting the IMSI of the SIM card of the second UE; and transmitting, by the first UE to the second UE, the first packet in accordance with the IMSI of the SIM card of the second UE.

23 . A method comprising:
transmitting, by a first user equipment to a second UE, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card of the first UE; receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, a message indicating that the first UE has been added to a first network after transmitting the IMSI of the SIM card of the first UE; and receiving, by the first UE from the second UE, after receiving the message, a packet, in accordance with the IMSI of the SIM card of the first UE, wherein the packet is from the first network.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Shi Ping
• Toh Wee Kian

Classifications

• H04W36/16

  Performing reselection for specific purposes · CPC title

• H04L49/555

  Error detection · CPC title

• H04B7/2606 Primary

  Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W60/00

  Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration · CPC title