Sleep mode for user equipment relays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9363753-B2
Application number	US-201213552439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2012
Priority date	Jul 19, 2011
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for subframe muting and/or discontinuous reception (DRX) mode related to sleep mode for user equipment (UE) relays. One method generally includes measuring, at a UE functioning as a relay (i.e., a UE relay), signals of one or more other UEs functioning as relays during one or more particular subframes and reporting the measurements of the signals to an apparatus. Another method generally includes determining, at a first UE functioning as a relay, that no UEs are being served by the first UE; based on the determination, increasing an interval between broadcast signals; and transmitting the broadcast signals according to the increased interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:
transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays;
receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern;
transmitting, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern; and
receiving, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

7. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays; and
a receiver configured to receive, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern,
wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern and wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
means for transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays; and
means for receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern,
wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern and wherein the means for receiving is configured to receive, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

19. A computer-program product for wireless communications, the computer-program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for:
transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays;
receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern;
transmitting, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern; and
receiving, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19 , further comprising code for transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

21. The computer-program product of claim 20 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

22. The computer-program product of claim 19 , further comprising code for transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

23. The computer-program product of claim 22 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

24. The computer-program product of claim 19 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

27. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

28. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

29. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

30. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

31. The computer-program product of claim 19 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

32. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

Assignees

• Damnjanovic Aleksandar
• Bhushan Naga
• Wei Yongbin
• Malladi Durga Prasad
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Damnjanovic Aleksandar
• Bhushan Naga
• Wei Yongbin
• Malladi Durga Prasad

Classifications

• H04W48/12

  using downlink control channel · CPC title

• H04W52/0229 Primary

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W52/0235

  where the received signal is a power saving command · CPC title

• H04W88/04

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

• H04W76/28

  Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] · CPC title