Configuration of user equipment for peer-to-peer communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9320067-B2
Application number	US-201113333923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2011
Priority date	Nov 24, 2008
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

Configuring a peer-to-peer (P2P) link in a multi-access wireless network includes receiving P2P configuration information from a base station at a UE supporting P2P communication. The first UE communicates directly with a second UE based on the P2P configuration information received from the base station. The first UE may send a configuration request message to the base station, and receive a responsive configuration message with the P2P configuration information from the base station, which messages may be Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages supporting P2P. In the alternative, the P2P configuration information may be provided in a system information block (SIB) broadcast by the base station. The P2P configuration information may indicate allocation of physical layer or Medium Access Control resources, or both allocated for P2P communication, and other information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving peer-to-peer (P2P) configuration information from a base station at a first user equipment (UE), the P2P configuration information supporting P2P communication for UEs within coverage of the base station based on Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) radio access technology without identifying the UEs;
performing peer discovery by the first UE to detect a second UE, the peer discovery comprising detecting a peer discovery code on a proximity detection signal transmitted by the second UE advertising its availability for P2P communication; and
communicating directly with the second UE by the first UE based on the P2P configuration information,
wherein receiving the P2P configuration information comprises receiving at least one system information block (SIB) broadcast by the base station, and obtaining the P2P configuration information from the at least one SIB.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving P2P configuration information comprises
sending a configuration request message from the first UE to the base station, and
receiving a configuration message comprising the P2P configuration information from the base.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein configuration request message and the configuration message comprise Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages supporting P2P.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys physical layer (PHY) resources, or Medium Access Control (MAC) resources, or both allocated for P2P communication.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys UE identities to use for P2P communication.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys service credentials for P2P communication.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the P2P configuration information is received by the first UE at a time selected by the first UE.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing peer discovery by the first UE to detect the second UE after receiving the P2P configuration information.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing the peer discovery by the first UE to detect the second UE prior to receiving the P2P configuration information.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station is a macro base station for a macro cell.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station is a home base station for a femto cell.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
means for receiving peer-to-peer (P2P) configuration information from a base station at a first user equipment (UE), the P2P configuration information supporting P2P communication for UEs within coverage of the base station based on Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) radio access technology without identifying the UEs;
means for performing peer discovery by the first UE to detect a second UE, the peer discovery comprising detecting a peer discovery code on a proximity detection signal transmitted by the second UE advertising its availability for P2P communication; and
means for communicating directly with the second UE by the first UE based on the P2P configuration information,
wherein receiving the P2P configuration information comprises receiving at least one system information block (SIB) broadcast by the base station, and obtaining the P2P configuration information from the at least one SIB.

13. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory, the memory holding program instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to perform the operations of:
receiving peer-to-peer (P2P) configuration information from a base station at a first user equipment (UE), the P2P configuration information supporting P2P communication for UEs within coverage of the base station based on Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) radio access technology without identifying the UEs,
performing peer discovery by the first UE to detect a second UE, the peer discovery comprising detecting a peer discovery code on a proximity detection signal transmitted by the second UE advertising its availability for P2P communication, and
communicating directly with the second UE by the first UE based on the P2P configuration information,
wherein receiving the P2P configuration information comprises receiving at least one system information block (SIB) broadcast by the base station, and obtaining the P2P configuration information from the at least one SIB.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for receiving P2P configuration information comprise instructions for:
sending a configuration request message from the first UE to the base station, and
receiving a configuration message comprising the P2P configuration information from the base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the configuration request message and the configuration message comprise Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages supporting P2P.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys physical layer (PHY) resources, or Medium Access Control (MAC) resources, or both allocated for P2P communication.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys UE identities to use for P2P communication.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the P2P configuration information conveys service credentials for P2P communication.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the P2P configuration information to be received by the first UE at a time selected by the first UE.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the memory further holds instructions for performing the peer discovery by the first UE to detect the second UE after receiving the P2P configuration information.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the memory further holds instructions for performing the peer discovery by the first UE to detect the second UE prior to receiving the P2P configuration information.

22. A computer program product, comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
code for causing at least one processor to receive peer-to-peer (P2P) configuration information from a base station at a first user equipment (UE) in response to the configuration request message, the P2P configuration information supporting P2P communication for UEs within coverage of the base station based on Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) radio access technology without identifying the UEs,
code for causing the at least one processor to perform peer discovery by the first UE to detect a second UE, the peer discovery comprising detecting a peer discovery code on a proximity detection signal transmitted by the second UE advertising its availability for P2P communication, and
code for causing the at least one processor to communicate directly with the second UE by the first UE based on the P2P configuration information,
wherein receiving the P2P configuration information comprises receiving at least one system information block (SIB) broadcast by the base station, and obtaining the P2P configuration information from the at least one SIB.

23. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving a configuration request message from a first user equipment (UE) at a base station of a wireless communication system; and
providing peer-to-peer (P2P) conf

Assignees

• Ho Saiyiu D
• Horn Gavin Bernard
• Griot Miguel
• Nagaraja Nagendra
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ho Saiyiu D
• Horn Gavin Bernard
• Griot Miguel
• Nagaraja Nagendra

Classifications

• H04W76/023 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/1061

  using node-based peer discovery mechanisms (static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51) · CPC title

• H04B7/022 Primary

  Site diversity; Macro-diversity (using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04) · CPC title

• H04W52/383

  power control in peer-to-peer links · CPC title

• H04L67/104

  Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks · CPC title