Systems and methods for a user equipment to become a synchronization source

1. A method in an in-coverage (IC) user equipment (UE) for the IC UE to become a synchronization source for out-of-coverage UEs for device-to-device (D2D) communication, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the IC UE, scanning parameters;

scanning, by the IC UE, for out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

in response to a report trigger:

listening, by the IC UE, for a measurement report from other UEs for a listening time; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report to a Transmission Point (TP) in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the measurement report during the listening time, the measurement report comprising information of one or more received out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

receiving, by the IC UE, a configuration command from the TP instructing the IC UE to become a synchronization source; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, a D2D synchronization signal (D2DSS).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning parameters are preconfigured.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning parameters are received in a broadcast message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scanning parameters comprise T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , wherein T 1 is a time gap between scanning windows, T 2 is a length of time of each scanning window of the scanning windows, and T 3 is a total length of time for scanning.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the listening time comprises a random time.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the IC UE, a random number; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report in response to the random number being greater than a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

listening, by the IC UE, for the D2DSS from other UEs for the listening time; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the D2DSS during the listening time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reading, by the IC UE, a physical D2D synchronization channel (PD2DSCH) of detected sources; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that there is not another synchronization source belonging the IC UE's cell.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the measurement report for one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals in response to a received signal strength (RSS) of the one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals being greater than a threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the D2DSS comprises transmitting the D2DSS for a duration of time or until instructed not to do so by the TP.

11. An in-coverage (IC) user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

obtain scanning parameters;

scan for out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

in response to a report trigger:

listen for a measurement report from other UEs for a listening time; and

transmit the measurement report to Transmission Point (TP) in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the measurement report during the listening time, the measurement report comprising information of one or more received out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

receive a configuration command from the TP instructing the IC UE to become a synchronization source; and

transmit a device-to-device (D2D) synchronization signal (D2DSS).

12. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the scanning parameters are preconfigured.

13. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the scanning parameters are received in a broadcast message.

14. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the scanning parameters comprise T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , wherein T 1 is a time gap between scanning windows, T 2 is a length of time of each scanning window of the scanning windows, and T 3 is a total length of time for scanning.

15. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the listening time comprises a random time.

16. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the programming further comprises instructions to:

select a random number; and

transmit, by the IC UE, the measurement report in response to the random number being greater than a predetermined threshold.

17. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the programming further comprises instructions to:

listen for the D2DSS from other UEs for the listening time; and

transmit the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the D2DSS during the listening time.

18. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the programming further comprises instructions to:

read a physical D2D synchronization channel (PD2DSCH) of detected sources; and

transmit the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that there is not another synchronization source belonging the IC UE's cell.

19. The IC UE of claim 11 , further comprising instructions to transmit the measurement report for one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals in response to a received signal strength (RSS) of the one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals being greater than a threshold.

20. The IC UE of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to transmit the D2DSS comprise instructions to transmit the D2DSS for a duration of time or until instructed not to do so by the TP.

21. A method in an in-coverage (IC) user equipment (UE) for the IC UE to become a synchronization source for out-of-coverage UEs for device-to-device (D2D) communication, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the IC UE, scanning parameters;

scanning, by the IC UE, for out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

in response to a report trigger:

listening, by the IC UE, for a device-to-device (D2D) synchronization signal (D2DSS) from other UEs for a listening time; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, a measurement report to a Transmission Point (TP) in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the D2DSS during the listening time, the measurement report comprising information of one or more received out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

receiving, by the IC UE, a configuration command from the TP instructing the IC UE to become a synchronization source; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the D2DSS.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the scanning parameters are preconfigured.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the scanning parameters are received in a broadcast message.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the scanning parameters comprise T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , wherein T 1 is a time gap between scanning windows, T 2 is a length of time of each scanning window of the scanning windows, and T 3 is a total length of time for scanning.

25. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

selecting, by the IC UE, a random number; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report in response to the random number being greater than a predetermined threshold.

26. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

reading, by the IC UE, a physical D2D synchronization channel (PD2DSCH) of detected sources; and

transmitting, by the IC UE, the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that there is not another synchronization source belonging the IC UE's cell.

27. The method of claim 21 , further comprising transmitting the measurement report for one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals in response to a received signal strength (RSS) of the one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals being greater than a threshold.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein transmitting the D2DSS comprises transmitting the D2DSS for a duration of time or until instructed not to do so by the TP.

29. An in-coverage (IC) user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

obtain scanning parameters;

scan for out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

in response to a report trigger:

listen for a device-to-device (D2D) synchronization signal (D2DSS) from other UEs for a listening time; and

transmit a measurement report to Transmission Point (TP) in response to the IC UE determining that no other UE has transmitted the D2DSS during the listening time, the measurement report comprising information of one or more received out-of-coverage synchronization signals;

receive a configuration command from the TP instructing the IC UE to become a synchronization source; and

transmit the D2DSS.

30. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the scanning parameters are preconfigured.

31. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the scanning parameters are received in a broadcast message.

32. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the scanning parameters comprise T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 , wherein T 1 is a time gap between scanning windows, T 2 is a length of time of each scanning window of the scanning windows, and T 3 is a total length of time for scanning.

33. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the programming further comprises instructions to:

select a random number; and

transmit, by the IC UE, the measurement report in response to the random number being greater than a predetermined threshold.

34. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the programming further comprises instructions to:

read a physical D2D synchronization channel (PD2DSCH) of detected sources; and

transmit the measurement report to the TP in response to the IC UE determining that there is not another synchronization source belonging the IC UE's cell.

35. The IC UE of claim 29 , further comprising instructions to transmit the measurement report for one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals in response to a received signal strength (RSS) of the one of the out-of-coverage synchronization signals being greater than a threshold.

36. The IC UE of claim 29 , wherein the instructions to transmit the D2DSS comprise instructions to transmit the D2DSS for a duration of time or until instructed not to do so by the TP.