Multicast-based group communications in ad hoc arrangements of wireless devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9788303-B2
Application number	US-201314765285-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Wireless communication devices may directly communicate within groups of wireless communication devices using Layer-2 communications to implement “push-to-talk” type applications. In one implementation, a method may include generating a floor request signaling message to take control of a communication channel for a group. After transmitting data relating to the communications, a floor release signaling message may be generated and transmitted a number of times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An user equipment (UE) for proximity-based direct communications with one or more other UEs of a group, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more device-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to:
obtain information related to the group including a layer-2 group identifier (ID) and an upper layer group ID;
generate a frame having:
a destination layer-2 address for the proximity-based direct communication, wherein the destination layer-2 address is based on the layer-2 group ID, and
the upper layer group ID;

transmit the frame to the one or more other UEs affiliated with the layer-2 group ID;
receive a second frame;
determine that the second frame potentially belongs to the group when a layer-2 destination address of the second frame matches the layer-2 group ID;
determine, when the layer-2 destination address of the second frame matches the layer-2 group ID, whether a second upper layer group ID, associated with the second frame, matches the upper layer group ID; and
process the second frame as belonging to the group when the second upper layer group ID matches the upper layer group ID.

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a source layer-2 ID indicating a source layer-2 address for the proximity-based direct communication.

3. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the layer-2 is a media access control (MAC) layer.

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the UE to:
encrypt the frame with a group security key derived from a value shared among the group.

5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the UE to:
transmit a floor request signaling message to take control of a communication channel before transmitting the frame to the one and other UEs.

6. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the UE to:
transmit a floor release signaling message to release a communication channel after transmitting the frame to the one or other UEs.

7. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the UE to:
transmit the floor request signaling message for a plurality of times, based on current quality of the communication channel.

8. A method, employed by a user equipment (UE) for a proximity-based direct communication with one or more other UEs of a group, the method comprising:
obtaining information related to the group including a layer-2 group identifier (ID) and an upper layer group ID;
generating a frame having
a destination layer-2 address for the proximity-based direct communication, wherein the destination layer-2 address is based on the layer-2 group ID, and
the upper layer group ID;

transmitting the frame to the one or more other UEs affiliated with the layer-2 group ID;
receiving a second frame;
determining that the second frame potentially belongs to the group when a layer-2 destination address of the second frame matches the layer-2 group ID;
determining, when the layer-2 destination address of the second frame matches the layer-2 group ID, whether a second upper layer group ID, associated with the second frame, matches the upper layer group ID; and
processing the second frame as belonging to the group when the second upper layer group ID matches the upper layer group ID.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the frame further comprises a source layer-2 ID indicating a source layer-2 address for the proximity-based direct communication.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the layer-2 is a media access control (MAC) layer.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
encrypting the frame with a group security key derived from a value shared among the group.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transmitting a floor request signaling message to take control of a communication channel before transmitting the frame to the one and other UEs.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
transmitting the floor request signaling message for a plurality of times, based on current quality of the communication channel.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transmitting a floor release signaling message to release a communication channel after transmitting the frame to the one or other UEs.

Assignees

• Stojanovski Alexandre
• Venkatachalam Muthaiah
• Bienas Maik
• Luft Achim
• Zong Pingping
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Stojanovski Alexandre
• Venkatachalam Muthaiah
• Bienas Maik
• Luft Achim
• Zong Pingping

Classifications

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W72/56

  based on priority criteria · CPC title

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W72/30 Primary

  Resource management for broadcast services · CPC title

• H04W72/543

  based on requested quality, e.g. QoS · CPC title