System and method for coordinating device-to-device communications
A master user equipment (UE) device may coordinate device-to-device (D2D) communications amongst a plurality of UE devices. For example, a UE device, which has been designated as a master UE device, may coordinate a D2D communication between a first UE device and a second UE device. The master UE device may be a UE device that obtains an indication that it is a master UE device that is to coordinate D2D communications amongst the plurality of UE devices. In some embodiments, the coordinating the D2D communication may be on behalf of a network and/or to facilitate wireless communication between the network and at least one of the plurality of UE devices.
1. A method performed by a first user equipment (UE) device comprising:
receiving an instruction from a second UE device, the instruction coordinating a D2D communication between the first UE device and a third UE device, wherein the second UE device is within network coverage; and
based on the instruction, communicating with the third UE device using the D2D communication, wherein the communicating comprises relaying data between the first UE device and a base station of a network.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UE device is a target UE device, the second UE device is a master UE device, and the third UE device is a helper UE device.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising transmitting the data from the first UE device to the third UE device using the D2D communication.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising receiving the data from the third UE device using the D2D communication.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising, based on the instruction, accessing a wireless channel during the D2D communication and mitigating interference with a D2D communication of a fourth UE device.
6. The method of claim 5 , comprising accessing the wireless channel using resources different from resources used by the D2D communication of the fourth UE device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second UE device coordinates the D2D communication on behalf of the network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UE device, the second UE device, and the third UE device form a D2D group treated by the base station as a virtual UE device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second UE device can directly communicate with the base station of the network without using D2D communication.
10. A first user equipment (UE) device comprising:
processing circuitry configured to implement a device-to-device (D2D) participator, the D2D participator to:
receive an instruction from a second UE device, the instruction coordinating a D2D communication between the first UE device and a third UE device, wherein the second UE device is within network coverage; and
based on the instruction, communicate with the third UE device using the D2D communication, wherein the communicating comprises relaying data between the first UE device and a base station of a network.
11. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the first UE device is a target UE device, the second UE device is a master UE device, and the third UE device is a helper UE device.
12. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the D2D participator is to transmit the data from the first UE device to the third UE device using the D2D communication.
13. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the D2D participator is to receive the data from the third UE device using the D2D communication.
14. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the D2D participator is to, based on the instruction, access a wireless channel during the D2D communication and mitigate interference with a D2D communication of a fourth UE device.
15. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the second UE device coordinates the D2D communication on behalf of the network.
16. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the first UE device, the second UE device, and the third UE device form a D2D group treated by the base station as a virtual UE device.
17. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the D2D participator is to transmit an indication to at least one of the second UE device and the network, the indication indicating that the first UE device requests assistance with the wireless communication between the first UE device and the base station.
18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the third UE device is also within network coverage and can directly communicate with the base station of the network without using D2D communication.
19. The first UE device of claim 10 , wherein the second UE device can directly communicate with the base station of the network without using D2D communication.
20. The first UE device of claim 19 , wherein the third UE device is also within network coverage and can directly communicate with the base station of the network without using D2D communication.