Operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9554262-B2
Application number	US-201213997736-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2012
Priority date	Apr 11, 2012
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A method and system for operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery is disclosed, which method may be executed as instructions on a machine, where the instructions are included on at least one computer readable medium. The method can include a transmission station in an operator network receiving a request for data service from a requesting wireless device. The transmission station can identify a serving wireless device to provide the data service for the requesting wireless device. The transmission station can transmit a device discovery message to the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device. The device discovery message provides a device discovery period for communication via an ad-hoc, D2D network between the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device. The ad-hoc, D2D network provides for device-to-device communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery, the instructions when executed on a machine to cause the machine to:
receive a request for data service at a transmission station in an operator network from a requesting wireless device;
search a data repository for listed subscribers with the requested data service and permission to provide the requested data service to the requesting wireless device;
identify a serving wireless device from the listed subscribers at the operator network to provide the requested data service for the requesting wireless device; and
transmit a device discovery message by the transmission station to the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device, wherein the device discovery message provides a device discovery period for communication via an ad-hoc, D2D network between the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device, wherein the ad-hoc, D2D network is an unlicensed band network that provides for device-to-device communication.

2. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request for data service further includes requested information selected from the group consisting of an identification of the data service or data content requested, a subscriber requested, a desired quality of service (QoS) of the requested data service, a location of the requesting wireless device, a transmission power level of the requesting wireless device, a traffic loading of the requesting wireless device, an allowable transmission rate of the requesting wireless device, and combinations thereof.

3. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the device discovery period is less than five seconds.

4. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the request for data service is configured to be received via an unicast message and the device discovery message is configured to be transmitted via a broadcast message, a multicast message, or a unicast message.

5. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the device discovery message recommends the serving wireless device to advertise during the device discovery period and recommends the requesting wireless device to listen for an advertisement during the device discovery period.

6. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the device discovery message recommends the requesting wireless device to request the data service during the device discovery period and recommends the serving wireless device to listen for the request during the device discovery period.

7. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the device discovery message recommends the serving wireless device to advertise during the device discovery period and to listen when the serving wireless device is not transmitting, and recommends the requesting wireless device to request the data service during the device discovery period to listen when requesting wireless device is not transmitting.

8. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , with further instructions to:
authenticate the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device via an operator network authentication protocol before the instruction to transmit the device discovery message.

9. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instruction to identify the serving wireless device further includes an instruction to:
search the data repository for listed subscribers whose locations are within transmission range of the requesting wireless device or check the current location of subscribers to determine which subscribers are in proximity of the requesting wireless device; and
select at least one serving wireless device from the listed subscribers whose location is within proximity of the requesting wireless device.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery, the instructions when executed on a machine to cause the machine to:
receive a device discovery message at a wireless device from a transmission station in an operator network, wherein the device discovery message provides a device discovery period for communication of a requested data service via an ad-hoc, D2D network between the wireless device and a neighboring wireless device, wherein the ad-hoc, D2D network is an unlicensed band network that provides device-to-device communication, wherein the transmission station is configured to search a data repository for listed subscribers with the requested data service and permission to provide the requested data service, and the transmission station selects the neighboring wireless device from the listed subscribers;
communicate the requested data service with the neighboring wireless device during the device discovery period via the ad-hoc, D2D network.

11. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the wireless device is the requesting wireless device and the neighboring wireless device is the serving wireless device, and the at least one computer readable medium includes further instructions to:
send a request for the data service by the requesting wireless device to the transmission station.

12. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the wireless device is the requesting wireless device and the neighboring wireless device is the serving wireless device, and the instruction to communicate with the neighboring wireless device further includes an instruction to:
request the data service from the serving wireless device via the ad-hoc, D2D network during the device discovery period.

13. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the wireless device is the serving wireless device and the neighboring wireless device is the requesting wireless device, and the at least one computer readable medium includes further instructions to:
wake up the serving wireless device from an idle state or a sleep state to an active state when the device discovery message is received.

14. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the wireless device is the serving wireless device and the neighboring wireless device is the requesting wireless device, and the instruction to communicate with the neighboring wireless device further includes an instruction to:
advertise the data service to the requesting wireless device via the ad-hoc, D2D network during the device discovery period.

15. A device for operator-assisted device-to-device (D2D) discovery, comprising:
a transceiver module configured to receive a request for data service in an operator network from a requesting wireless device; and
an identification module configured to identify a serving wireless device to provide the data service for the requesting wireless device,
wherein the transceiver module is further configured to transmit a device discovery message to the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device, wherein the device discovery message provides a device discovery period for communication via an ad-hoc, D2D network between the requesting wireless device and the serving wireless device, wherein the ad-hoc, D2D network is an unlicensed band network that provides for device-to-device communication,
wherein the identification module includes a data repository configured to store the data services available from listed subscribers, store the sharing permissions of data services available from l

Assignees

• Johnsson Kerstin
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Johnsson Kerstin

Classifications

• H04W76/14

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

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

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W48/16 Primary

  Discovering, processing access restriction or access information · CPC title