Apparatus and method to enable device-to-device (D2D) communication in cellular networks
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method of allowing user equipment to transmit information directly with other user equipment, using a device-to-device mode is disclosed herein. A device-to-device blank subregion is defined where device-to-device information can be transmitted without interference from other user equipment. The device-to-device blank subregion may be set up such that it is only used in an exclusive mode if a device-to-device cluster is considered highly interfering. A device may join a device-to-device network through the use of a beacon transmission interval, a control transmission interval, and a data transmission interval.
1. A method for reducing interference in a device-to-device cluster operating within a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell, said method comprising:
defining a device-to-device region within an LTE frame structure;
defining a device-to-device blank sub-region (DBS) within the device-to-device region; wherein
the device-to-device cluster comprises a plurality of User Equipment (UEs) configured to communicate directly to another UE;
the DBS comprises a subset of available resources within the LTE cell;
within the defined DBS, an evolved Node B (eNB) associated with the LTE cell transmits minimal information; and
within the defined DBS, the plurality of UEs are configured to transmit information directly to another UE.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the subset of available resources comprises one or more of the following:
a subset of carriers;
a subset of frames or subframes; and
a subset of resource blocks or resource elements.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said DBS overlaps with an almost blank subframe (ABS).
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to defining a DBS, determining the interference within the device-to-device cluster, wherein if interference is above a predetermined level, it is labeled “highly interfering”;
if the device-to-device cluster is “highly interfering,” restricting the device-to-device cluster to transmit device-to-device information only during a DBS; and
otherwise allowing a device-to-device cluster to transmit device-to-device information outside of the DBS.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
prior to defining a DBS, determining the interference within the device-to-device cluster;
determining the impact of the interference on serving and neighbor cells;
if the device-to-device cluster is “highly interfering,” restricting the device-to-device cluster to the use of dedicated resources; and
otherwise allowing the device-to-device cluster to use shared resources.
6. A system for implementing device-to-device communications in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell comprising:
an evolved Node B configured to:
define a device-to-device region within an LTE frame structure;
define a device-to-device blank sub-region (DBS) within the device-to-device region; and
a plurality of User Equipment (UEs) configured to communicate directly to another UE; wherein,
the DBS comprises a subset of available resources within the LTE cell;
within the defined DBS, the evolved Node B transmits minimal information; and
within the defined DBS, the plurality of UEs are configured to transmit information directly to another UE.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the subset of available resources comprises one or more of the following:
a subset of carriers;
a subset of frames or subframes; and
a subset of resource blocks or resource elements.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein said DBS overlaps with an almost blank subframe (ABS).
9. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
prior to defining a DBS, determining the interference within the device-to-device cluster, wherein if interference is above a predetermined level, it is labeled “highly interfering”;
if the device-to-device cluster is “highly interfering,” restricting the device-to-device cluster to transmit device-to-device information only during a DBS; and
otherwise allowing a device-to-device cluster to transmit device-to-device information outside of the DBS.
10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
prior to defining a DBS, determining the interference within the device-to-device cluster;
determining the impact of the interference on serving and neighbor cells;
if the device-to-device cluster is “highly interfering,” restricting the device-to-device cluster to the use of dedicated resources; and
otherwise allowing the device-to-device cluster to use shared resources.