IP Library Granted Patent US 9,942,917
Granted Patent B2
US 9,942,917 · App. 14/712,779 · Granted Apr 10, 2018

Allocating resources for a device-to-device transmission

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,942,917
App. No.
14/712,779
Granted
Apr 10, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for allocating resources for device-to-device transmission between two or more user equipment (UEs) includes transmitting, from a first UE to a second UE, a resource allocation configuration for device-to-device communications. A resource request for a device-to-device transmission is received from the second UE. In response to the resource request, a resource for the device-to-device transmission is selected at the first UE. A resource grant is transmitted to the second UE. The resource grant identifies the selected resource. A device-to-device transmission is received from the second UE over the selected resource.

Claims (55)

1. A method for configuring radio resources and assigning a grant for device-to-device (D2D) transmissions between a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE, the method comprising:

determining that the first UE and the second UE are within D2D proximity, wherein at least one of the first UE or the second UE is outside of a network coverage;

determining a configuration of a pool of D2D radio resources;

receiving, at the first UE, a resource request from the second UE;

in response to receiving the resource request from the second UE, selecting a radio resource from the pool of D2D radio resources; and

transmitting, from the first UE to the second UE, sidelink resource control information, wherein the sidelink resource control information includes an indication of the selected radio resource, and the selected radio resource is used by the second UE for transmissions from the second UE to the first UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the configuration of the pool of D2D radio resources substantially reduces D2D transmission collisions between the first UE and the second UE.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the substantial reduction includes avoiding collision of at least one subframe in the pool of D2D resources of the first UE and the second UE.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the D2D proximity includes discovery between the first UE and second UE.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first UE a transmission from the second UE, utilizing the selected radio resource.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a base station determines the configuration of the pool of D2D resources for transmissions between the first and the second UE.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determining of the configuration of the pool of D2D resources is based on Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for at least one of the first UE or second UE.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the base station substantially reduces transmission collisions of a Uu interface and D2D transmissions.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the base station determines the configuration of the pool of D2D resources for the first UE and the second UE.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the base station indicates the determined configuration of the pool of D2D resources for the first UE and the second UE using a downlink transmission and the first UE indicates to the second UE a determined configuration for the second UE using a D2D transmission.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the configuration of the pool of D2D resources is based on a preconfigured D2D transmission resource within the second UE.

12. The method of claim 11 where in the preconfigured resource of the second UE is shared with at least one of the first UE and a base station.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the first UE, a configuration of D2D radio resources for the second UE within the pool of D2D radio resources configured by a base station;

indicating, by the first UE, the determined configuration for the second UE; and

selecting, by the second UE, the grant for D2D transmissions to the first UE from the indicated configuration.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a base station assigns the grant; and

the first UE selects a second grant for the second UE within the grant given by the base station and the first UE indicates the second grant to the second UE.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the grant by the base station and the second grant by the first UE are assigned based on at least one of a resource request from the second UE or a QoS required for the transmissions between the first and the second UE.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the grants assigned by the base station and the second grant assigned by first UE is assigned semi-statically.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UE assigns the grant for the second UE from the radio resources configured for D2D transmissions.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the first UE indicates the assigned grant to the second UE based on a time resource pattern.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the grant for the second UE is semi-statically assigned.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sidelink resource control information is at least one of a resource configuration for D2D transmissions or a resource grant for D2D transmissions.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sidelink resource control information includes a description of time resource pattern information for D2D transmissions.

22. A device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware processor communicatively coupled with the memory and configured to:

determine that a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE are within D2D proximity, wherein at least one of the first UE or the second UE is outside of a network coverage;

determine a configuration of a pool of device-to-device (D2D) radio resources;

receive, at the first UE, a resource request from the second UE;

in response to receiving the resource request from the second UE, select a radio resource from the pool of D2D radio resources; and

transmit, from the first UE to the second UE, sidelink resource control information, wherein the sidelink resource control information includes an indication of the selected radio resource, and the selected radio resource is used by the second UE for transmissions from the second UE to the first UE.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the configuration of the pool of D2D resources for transmissions between the first and the second UE is determined by a base station.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:

determine, by the first UE, a configuration of D2D radio resources for the second UE within the pool of D2D radio resources configured by the base station;

indicate, by the first UE, the determined configuration for the second UE; and

wherein a grant for D2D transmissions to the first UE is selected from the indicated configuration.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the grant is assigned by a base station, a second grant is selected by the first UE within the grant given by the base station for the second UE, and the second grant is indicated by the first UE to the second UE.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the grant by the base station and the second grant by the first UE are assigned based on at least one of a resource request from the second UE or a QoS required for the transmissions between the first and the second UE.

27. The device of claim 25 , wherein at least one of the grants assigned by the base station and the second grant assigned by first UE is assigned semi-statically.

28. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining that a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE are within D2D proximity, wherein at least one of the first UE or the second UE is outside of a network coverage;

determining a configuration of a pool of D2D radio resources;

receiving, at the first UE, a resource request from the second UE;

in response to receiving the resource request from the second UE, selecting a radio resource from the pool of D2D radio resources; and

transmitting, from the first UE to the second UE, sidelink resource control information, wherein the sidelink resource control information includes an indication of the selected radio resource, and the selected radio resource is used by the second UE for transmissions from the second UE to the first UE.

29. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving, by the first UE a transmission from the second UE, utilizing the selected radio resource.

30. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the configuration of the pool of D2D resources for transmissions between the first and the second UE is determined by a base station.

Assignments (14)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDED PATENT NUMBER TO REMOVE PATENT NO. 8,873,407 AT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 64066 FRAME 1. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT EFFECTIVE DATE MARCH 20, 2023. Recorded Feb 2, 2026
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 074921/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT 12817157 APPLICATION NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 064015 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064807/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE COVER SHEET AT PAGE 50 TO REMOVE 12817157 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 063471 FRAME 0474. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 5, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 064806/0669 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 19, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064066/0001 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2023
From: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
To: MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064015/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2023
From: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
To: OT PATENT ESCROW, LLC
Reel/Frame 063471/0474 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2017
From: FAURIE, RENE
To: BLACKBERRY FRANCE S.A.S.
Reel/Frame 043325/0493 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2017
From: SUZUKI, TAKASHI
To: BLACKBERRY JAPAN LIMITED
Reel/Frame 043325/0550 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2017
From: VUTUKURI, ESWAR
To: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 043325/0563 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2016
From: BLACKBERRY JAPAN LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038771/0586 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2016
From: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038963/0468 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2016
From: BLACKBERRY JAPAN LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038607/0330 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2016
From: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
To: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038607/0185 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 4, 2016
From: BLACKBERRY FRANCE S.A.S.
To: BLACKBERRY UK LIMITED
Reel/Frame 038607/0038 →