Radio resource allocation for d2d communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016183237-A1
Application number	US-201414575667-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for switching radio resource allocation for User Equipment (UE) enabled for a device-to-device (D 2 D) communication. One embodiment is a base station that switches resource allocation between Mode 1, Mode 2, and a transition mode. For the transition mode, one or more parameters have a value in a range between a value specified in Mode 1 and a value specified in Mode 2 for the parameter(s). The base station detects movement of the UE from in-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage, and initiates switching of the resource allocation for the UE from Mode 1 to the transition mode. The base station then detects movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to out-of-coverage, and initiates switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 2.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a base station of a radio access network, the base station comprising:
a controller configured to switch radio resource allocation for User Equipment (UE) that is enabled for device-to-device (D2D) communication between Mode 1, Mode 2, and a transition mode;
wherein for the transition mode, at least one parameter has a value in a range between a first value specified in Mode 1 and a second value specified in Mode 2 for the at least one parameter;
the controller is configured to detect a first movement of the UE from in-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage of the base station, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from Mode 1 to the transition mode in response to the first movement of the UE;
the controller is configured to detect a second movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to out-of-coverage of the base station, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 2 in response to the second movement of the UE.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a third movement of the UE from out-of-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage of the base station, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from Mode 2 to the transition mode in response to the third movement of the UE; and
the controller is configured to detect a fourth movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to in-coverage of the base station, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 1 in response to the fourth movement of the UE.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the base station comprises an eNodeB of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (e-UTRAN).

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to pre-provision the UE with a resource pool that specifies parameters for Mode 2.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the controller is configured to pre-provision the UE with a resource pool that specifies the at least one parameter for the transition mode.

6 . A method of switching radio resource allocation for User Equipment (UE) that is enabled for device-to-device (D2D) communication, the method comprising:
detecting, by a base station of a radio access network, a first movement of the UE from in-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage of the base station; wherein the base station is configured to switch radio resource allocation for the UE between Mode 1, Mode 2, and a transition mode; wherein for the transition mode, at least one parameter has a value in a range between a first value specified in Mode 1 and a second value specified in Mode 2 for the at least one parameter; switching the radio resource allocation for the UE from Mode 1 to the transition mode in response to the first movement of the UE; detecting, by the base station, a second movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to out-of-coverage of the base station; and switching the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 2 in response to the second movement of the UE.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:
detecting, by the base station, a third movement of the UE from out-of-coverage of the base station to edge-of-coverage of the base station;
switching the radio resource allocation for the UE from Mode 2 to the transition mode in response to the third movement of the UE;
detecting, by the base station, a fourth movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the base station to in-coverage of the base station; and
switching the radio resource allocation for the UE from the transition mode to Mode 1 in response to the fourth movement of the UE.

8 . The method of claim 6 wherein:
the base station comprises an eNodeB of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (e-UTRAN).

9 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:
pre-provisioning, by the base station, the UE with a resource pool that specifies parameters for Mode 2.

10 . The method of claim 6 wherein:
pre-provisioning, by the base station, the UE with a resource pool that specifies the at least one parameter for the transition mode.

11 . An apparatus comprising:
User Equipment (UE) enabled for a device-to-device (D2D) communication, the UE comprising:
a radio interface configured to exchange radio signals for the D2D communication; and
a controller configured to switch radio resource allocation for the radio interface between Mode 1, Mode2, and a transition mode based on movement of the UE in relation to a cell of a radio access network;
wherein for the transition mode, at least one parameter has a value in a range between a first value specified in Mode 1 and a second value specified in Mode 2 for the at least one parameter.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a first movement of the UE from in-coverage of the cell to edge-of-coverage of the cell, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the radio interface from Mode 1 to the transition mode in response to the first movement of the UE;
the controller is configured to detect a second movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the cell to out-of-coverage of the cell, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the radio interface from the transition mode to Mode 2 in response to the second movement of the UE.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:
the controller is configured to detect a first movement of the UE from out-of-coverage of the cell to edge-of-coverage of the cell, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the radio interface from Mode 2 to the transition mode in response to the first movement of the UE; and
the controller is configured to detect a second movement of the UE from edge-of-coverage of the cell to in-coverage of the cell, and to initiate switching of the radio resource allocation for the radio interface from the transition mode to Mode 1 in response to the second movement of the UE.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:
the controller is pre-provisioned with a resource pool that specifies parameters for Mode 2.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:
the controller is pre-provisioned with a resource pool that specifies the at least one parameter for the transition mode.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:
the cell includes a base station; and
the controller is configured to receive the resource pool for the transition mode from the base station.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 wherein:
the base station comprises an eNodeB of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (e-UTRAN).

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:
the controller is configured to receive a resource pool that specifies the at least one parameter for the transition mode from a relay node.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc

Inventors

• Cai Yigang
• Rao Anil

Classifications

• H04W72/54

  based on quality criteria · CPC title

• H04W72/51 Primary

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04W72/048 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic