Device-to-device based user equipment to network relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016337936-A1
Application number	US-201415112914-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: generate or receive a message comprising relay capability information, and transmit or forward the message to a device to device group.

First claim

1 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . A method, comprising:
generating, by a relaying node or a node on behalf the relaying node, a message comprising relay capability information, or receiving, at a node, a message comprising relay capability information; and transmitting or forwarding the message to a device to device group.

28 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the message is generated and transmitted by the relaying node, and wherein relay function is active in the relaying node, the method further comprising: relaying data between a network node and a relayed user equipment by the relaying node.

29 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the message is generated and transmitted by the relaying node, and wherein relay function is present but not activated in the relaying node, the method further comprising: activating relay function in the relaying node; and relaying data between a network node and a relayed user equipment by the relaying node.

30 . The method according to claim 27 , further comprising:
receiving relaying request from a relayed user equipment.

31 . The method according to claim 30 , wherein the relaying request is received on a broadcast message or a channel specified for sending relaying request.

32 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the relaying node is a cluster head and wherein the relay capability information is transmitted by the cluster head to the device to device group.

33 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the relaying node is not a cluster head and the method further comprising:
detecting whether relay capability information has been announced by other user equipment within the device to device group.

34 . The method according to claim 27 , further comprising: differentiating uplink packet transmitted from a relayed user equipment for local device to device traffic or relay traffic by at least one of: packet header, dedicated channel and preamble, wherein with packet header, a packet type information field is included into packet header to indicate the packet is for local device to device traffic or to be relayed to a network node, wherein with dedicated channel, different physical resources are used for local device to device traffic and relay traffic to the network node, and wherein with preamble, a subset of preamble sequences is allocated for relay traffic to the network node and the rest of preamble sequences is allocated for local device to device traffic.

35 . The method according to claim 27 , further comprising: differentiating downlink packet destined to a relayed user equipment or the relaying node by at least one of: internet protocol address, packet header, logical channel, wherein with internet protocol address, different internet protocol addresses are allocated to packets destined to the relayed user equipment and the relaying node, wherein with packet header, a packet type information field is included in packet header to indicate whether the packet is destined to the relayed user equipment or the relaying node, and wherein with logical channel, different logical channels are allocated to packets destined to the relayed user equipment and the relaying node.

36 . The method according to claim 27 , further comprising:
notifying mobility status to a cluster head or a user equipment within the device to device group.

37 . An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: generate or receive a message comprising relay capability information, and transmit or forward the message to a device to device group.

38 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus comprises at least one of a relaying node, a node on behalf a relaying node, and a node which is capable of forwarding the message to the device to device group.

39 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
receive a relaying request from a relayed user equipment.

40 . The apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein the relaying request is received on a broadcast message or a channel specified for sending relaying request.

41 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is a cluster head and wherein the relay capability information is transmitted by the apparatus to the device to device group.

42 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is not a cluster head and the apparatus is further caused to: detect whether relay capability information has been announced by other user equipment within the device to device group.

43 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to differentiate uplink packet transmitted from a relayed user equipment for local device to device traffic or relay traffic by at least one of: packet header, dedicated channel and preamble, wherein with packet header, a packet type information field is included into packet header to indicate the packet is for local device to device traffic or to be relayed to a network node, wherein with dedicated channel, different physical resources are used for local device to device traffic and relay traffic to the network node, and wherein with preamble, a subset of preamble sequences is allocated for relay traffic to the network node and the rest of preamble sequences is allocated for local device to device traffic.

44 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to differentiate downlink packet destined to a relayed user equipment or the apparatus by at least one of: internet protocol address, packet header, logical channel, wherein with internet protocol address, different internet protocol addresses are allocated to packets destined to the relayed user equipment and the apparatus, wherein with packet header, a packet type information field is included in packet header to indicate whether the packet is destined to the relayed user equipment or the apparatus, and wherein with logical channel, different logical channels are allocated to packets destined to the relayed user equipment and the apparatus.

45 . The apparatus according to claim 37 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to notify mobility status to a cluster head or a user equipment within the device to device group.

46 . An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: select a relaying node from a group of user equipment with relay capability and within coverage of the apparatus based on at least one of: link quality with the apparatus, user equipment battery status, user equipment types, user equipment transmit power, mobility state, UE load status for relaying, volunteer status; receiving data from the relaying node; and sending acknowledgement to the relaying node if the data from the relaying node is received correctly.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Li Zexian
• Wijting Carl

Classifications

• H04W8/08

  Mobility data transfer · CPC title

• H04W40/04 Primary

  based on wireless node resources · CPC title

• H04W40/22 Primary

  using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point · CPC title

• H04W40/24

  Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title