Location registration for a device-to-device (D2D) user equipment

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

communicate, by a first user equipment, with a communication network;

establish, by the first user equipment, a direct device-to-device communication with a second user equipment;

control, by the first user equipment, a reception from the communication network, of a configuration so as to send location update related messaging on behalf of the second user equipment with which the direct device-to-device communication has been established;

receive, by the first user equipment from the second user equipment, information of a change of status of the second user equipment regarding the direct device-to-device communication or a change of a cell of the second user equipment; and

in response to receiving the information from the second user equipment, cause a sending, by the first user equipment on behalf of the second user equipment, of a message to the communication network by using the configuration, the message comprising a location update request for the second user equipment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises information on the change of the status including whether the second user equipment is joining or leaving the direct device-to-device communication or whether the second user equipment reselects a new cell to camp on.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to:

receive, by the first user equipment, a request from the second user equipment to send the message comprising location update request regarding the second user equipment; and

send, by the first user equipment, the message on the basis of the request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the message is sent by the first user equipment on behalf of the second user equipment which is in idle mode.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises the identity of the second user equipment and security key related parameters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises information on the identifier of the cell the second user equipment is camping on.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a cluster head of a device cluster.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to transmit information to user equipment about the ability to send messages comprising location update requests on behalf of the user equipment.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to:

receive by the first user equipment from the second user equipment a location update message; and

forward, by the first user equipment, the location update message to the communication network.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further configured to utilize a device-to-device identification of the second user equipment when sending the message that includes the location update request for the second user equipment.

11. A method comprising:

communicating, by a first user equipment, with a communication network;

establishing, by the first user equipment, a direct device-to-device communication with a second user equipment;

controlling, by the first user equipment, a reception from the communication network of a configuration so as to send location update related messaging on behalf of the second user equipment with which the direct device-to-device communication has been established;

receiving, by the first user equipment from the second user equipment, information of a change of status of the second user equipment regarding the direct device-to-device communication or a change of a cell of the second user equipment; and

in response to receiving the information from the second user equipment, causing the sending, by the first user equipment on behalf of the second user equipment, of a message to the communication network by using the configuration, the message comprising a location update request for the second user equipment.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises information on the change of the status including whether the second user equipment is joining or leaving the direct device-to-device communication or whether the second user equipment reselects a new cell to camp on.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first user equipment, a request from the second user equipment to send the message comprising location update request regarding the second user equipment; and

sending, by the first user equipment, the message on the basis of the request.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message is sent by the first user equipment on behalf of the second user equipment which is in idle mode.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises the identity of the second user equipment and security key related parameters.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the message comprises information on the identifier of the cell the second user equipment is camping on.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting information to user equipment about the ability to send messages comprising location update requests on behalf of the user equipment.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving by the first user equipment from the second user equipment a location update message; and

forwarding, by the first user equipment, the location update message to the communication network.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

utilizing a device-to-device identification of the second user equipment when sending the message that includes the location update request for the second user equipment.