Channel Configuration in Device-to-Device Communications
The present invention provides for a method of configuring a physical channel, such as a physical control channel, for device-to-device communication between mobile terminal devices within a cellular communications network environment and comprising a step of locating a device-to-device control channel within a cellular uplink signalling spectrum, and applying a frequency offset parameter to determine separation of the device-to-device control channel from a cellular uplink control channel, and to related terminal devices and computer program products.
1 . A mobile terminal device which supports device-to-device communication with a further mobile terminal device comprising:
reception circuit configured to receive control information which includes a first offset from a resource of a first uplink control channel; and
a processor configured to determine a resource for a first device-to-device control channel based on the first offset.
2 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control information further includes information regarding a bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel.
3 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the processor configured to determine the resource for the first device-to-device control channel based on the information regarding the bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel.
4 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the information regarding the bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel comprises the number of Resource Blocks.
5 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein control information which includes a second offset from a resource of a second uplink control channel.
6 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the processor configured to determine the resource for a second device-to-device control channel based on the second offset.
7 . The mobile terminal device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control information is transmitted by a Radio Resource Control message.
8 . A method of operating a mobile terminal device which supports device-to-device communication with a further mobile terminal device, the method comprising:
receiving control information which includes a first offset from a resource of a first uplink control channel; and
determining a resource for a first device-to-device control channel based on the first offset.
9 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the control information further includes information regarding a bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel.
10 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining the resource for the first device-to-device control channel is a step of determining the resource for the first device-to-device control channel based on the information regarding the bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel.
11 . The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the information regarding the bandwidth of the first device-to-device control channel comprises the number of Resource Blocks.
12 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein control information which includes a second offset from a resource of a second uplink control channel.
13 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising: determining the resource for a second device-to-device control channel based on the second offset.
14 . The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the control information is transmitted by a Radio Resource Control message.
15 . A computer program for causing a computer to perform the step of claim 8 .