ALLOCATION OF COMMUNICATION RESOURCES FOR DEVICE TO DEVICE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

1 . A method of broadcasting data from one user equipment for receipt by at least one further user equipment comprising:

selecting a preamble from a plurality of preambles, said plurality of preambles each identifying a corresponding block of transmission resources said block of transmission resources comprising at least one corresponding communication channel;

transmitting a preamble signature of said selected preamble on a preamble channel, transmission of said preamble signature indicating to said at least one further user equipment that said user equipment intends to transmit data on said at least one corresponding communication channel indicated by said preamble signature, each of said channels comprising half duplex channels configured to transmit data in one direction at one time; and

monitoring for signals received via said at least one corresponding communication channel; and

in response to detecting one of, a preamble response signal or no signal during a predetermined time on said at least one corresponding communication channel transmitting said data on said at least one corresponding communication channel.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said channels comprises a time-frequency resource.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting said data is performed in response to detecting at least one of said preamble response signal.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting said data is performed in response to detecting no signal during a predetermined time.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , comprising a further setting said predetermined time to one of a plurality of values, said plurality of values depending on a desired quality of service.

6 . A method according to claim 4 , wherein in response to detecting a signal on said communication channel, ceasing to transmit said preamble signature on said preamble channel for a backoff time, and following said backoff time transmitting said preamble signature on said preamble channel again and monitoring for signals on said at least one communication channel.

7 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein in response to detecting said response signal, transmitting said data in a next predetermined communication time slot.

8 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein in response to not detecting said response signal within a predetermined detection time, not transmitting said preamble signature for a backoff time and following said backoff time re-transmitting said preamble signature on said preamble channel and monitoring for signals on said at least one communication channel.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising continuing to transmit said preamble signature via said preamble channel while said data is transmitted via said at least one communication channel and stopping transmitting said preamble signature following transmission of said data to release said corresponding communication channel.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of selecting said preamble comprises selecting one of said plurality of preambles in dependence upon one of:

a collision probability stored associated with at least some of said plurality of preambles;

an availability of said preamble;

an application to be performed; or an identity of said user equipment.

11 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising a step of monitoring at least one of said preamble channel and marking said preambles currently being used as being unavailable prior to selecting said one of said plurality of preambles, said selecting step comprising selecting said preamble from said plurality of preambles that are not currently marked as unavailable.

12 . A method according to claim 1 , comprising:

monitoring at least one of said preamble channel; and

in response to detecting a preamble signature indicating a data communication in which said user equipment is interested, monitoring said at least one corresponding communication channel.

13 . A method according to claim 12 , comprising:

prior to monitoring said corresponding communication channel responding to said preamble signature in which said user equipment is interested by sending a response to said preamble signature on one of said at least one corresponding communication channels.

14 . A computer program product storing a computer program which when executed by a computer controls said computer to perform the method according to claim 1 .

15 . A user equipment configured to communicate wirelessly with at least one further user equipment, said user equipment comprising:

a preamble store for storing details of a plurality of preambles and corresponding transmission resource blocks;

preamble selection logic for selecting a preamble from said plurality of stored preambles, said plurality of preambles each being associated with a corresponding block of transmission resources, said block of transmission resources comprising at least one corresponding communication channel;

a port for receiving signals and outputting signals on one of a plurality of channels, said port being a half duplex port such that for each channel a signal can either be received or transmitted;

said user equipment being configured to broadcast data for receipt by said at least one further user equipment by:

selecting a preamble from said plurality of preambles using said preamble selection logic;

transmitting a preamble signature of said selected preamble via said port on a preamble channel, transmission of said preamble signature indicating to said at least one further user equipment that said user equipment intends to transmit data on said at least one corresponding communication channel; and

detecting signals received on said at least one corresponding communication channel; and

in response to detecting either a preamble response signal or no signal during a predetermined time, transmitting said data on said at least one corresponding communication channel.