Device to device (D2D) control information relay

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949246-B2
Application number	US-201414409172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 27, 2013
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A method for a network node, a method for a relay wireless device, a method for an out of coverage wireless device, a network node, and a relay wireless device, an out of coverage wireless device are presented. The network node serves a cell in which a relay wireless device is at least partially located, the network node provides at least partial network coverage for the relay wireless device located in the cell, and an out of coverage wireless device is at least partially out of network coverage from the network node. The method includes determining that the network node should control the out of coverage wireless device. The method further includes determining D2D control information to be used for controlling the out of coverage wireless device, and transmitting the D2D control information to the out of coverage wireless device via a relay wireless device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a network node for handling relay of Device to Device, D2D, control information using D2D communication,
wherein the network node serves a cell in which a relay wireless user equipment device is at least partially located,
wherein the network node provides at least partial network coverage for the relay wireless user equipment device in the cell,
wherein an out of coverage wireless user equipment device is at least partially out of network coverage from the network node,
the method comprising:
determining that the network node should control the out of coverage wireless user equipment device;
receiving D2D activity status information at the network node from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device relayed via the relay wireless user equipment device so that the D2D activity status information is received as a D2D communication at the relay wireless user equipment device from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and as a cellular network communication at the network node from the relay wireless user equipment device;
responsive to receiving the D2D activity status information from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device relayed via the relay wireless user equipment device, determining at the network node D2D control information to be used for controlling the out of coverage wireless user equipment device, wherein the D2D control information is determined in accordance with the received D2D activity status information relayed via the relay wireless user equipment device, wherein the D2D control information comprises information to be applied by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to adapt the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to at least one of: mitigate interference by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and adjust a power level used by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device; and
transmitting the D2D control information from the network node to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device via the relay wireless user equipment device so that the D2D control information is transmitted as a cellular network communication from the network node to the relay wireless user equipment device and as a D2D communication from the relay wireless user equipment device to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device using resources specified by the network node to use when relaying the D2D control information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein D2D control information is transmitted together with D2D relay configuration information from the network node to the relay wireless user equipment device, and wherein the D2D relay configuration information indicates the resources specified by the network node that the relay wireless user equipment device should use when relaying the D2D control information to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the D2D control information that is transmitted to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device via the relay wireless user equipment device is at least one of:
power control setting for a D2D link between the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and the relay wireless user equipment device;
timing aspects;
synchronization information, including an identity of a synchronization reference and/or a type of synchronization source;
cell identity of a cell served by the network node;
communications resources for discovery/communication between the network node and the relay wireless user equipment device; and
DRX information for the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to listen for the D2D control information discontinuously.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
providing D2D relay configuration information to the relay wireless user equipment device, which D2D relay configuration information enables the relay wireless user equipment device to be configured to relay D2D control information to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device using the D2D communication and to relay D2D activity status information from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device using the D2D communication.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and the relay wireless user equipment device are both Proximity Service, ProSe, enabled wireless user equipment devices.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the network node is one of a base station, a Cluster Head, CH, and a wireless user equipment device.

7. A method in a relay wireless user equipment device for handling relay of Device to Device, D2D, control information using D2D communication,
wherein the relay wireless user equipment device is located in a cell served by a network node,
wherein the relay wireless user equipment device is at least partially provided with network coverage by the network node, and
wherein an out of coverage wireless user equipment device is at least partially out of network coverage from the network node,
the method comprising:
receiving the D2D control information at the relay wireless user equipment device from the network node so that the D2D control information is received as a cellular network communication from the network node at the relay wireless user equipment device, wherein the D2D control information comprises information to be applied by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to adapt the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to at least one of: mitigate interference by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and adjust a power level used by the out of coverage wireless user equipment device;
relaying the D2D control information to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device using D2D communication so that the D2D control information is received as the cellular network communication from the network node and transmitted as a D2D communication from the relay wireless user equipment device to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device using resources specified by the network node to use when relaying the D2D control information;
receiving D2D activity status information at the relay wireless user equipment device from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device so that the D2D activity status information is received as a D2D communication at the relay wireless user equipment device from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device; and
relaying the D2D activity status information to the network node so that the D2D activity status information is received as the D2D communication from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and transmitted as a cellular network communication from the relay wireless user equipment device to the network node, wherein the D2D activity status information provides information to the network node indicating how the network node should control the out of coverage wireless user equipment device.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
transmitting synchronization information to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device, which synchronization information enables the relay wireless user equipment device and the out of coverage wireless user equipment device to be synchronized in exchanging information.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
configuring the relay wireless user equipment device to support relay of the D2D control information to the out of coverage wireless user equipment device and to support relay of D2D activity status information from the out of coverage wireless user equipment device.

10. The method according to claim 9 , furt

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Li Yunxi
• Gunnarsson Fredrik
• Sorrentino Stefano
• Wänstedt Stefan

Classifications

• H04W72/23 Primary

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W56/0025

  synchronizing potentially movable access points · CPC title

• H04W52/04

  Transmission power control [TPC] · CPC title

• H04W88/04

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