User equipment with cellular link and peer-to-peer link
Aspects of this disclosure relate to pair of wireless communication devices wirelessly communicating with a network system in a coordinated manner. A secondary wireless communication device can wirelessly communicate part of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission associated with a primary wireless communication device (i) with the primary wireless communication device via the peer-to-peer link and (ii) with the network system via a cellular link. The secondary wireless communication device can enable the primary wireless communication device to communicate with the network system at a higher data rate and/or at a higher MIMO rank.
1. A method of processing downlink data, the method comprising:
establishing a communication channel between a primary user equipment and a secondary user equipment via a peer-to-peer wireless link between the primary user equipment and the secondary user equipment;
while the primary user equipment is receiving first multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink data for the primary user equipment via a cellular communication, receiving second MIMO downlink data for the primary user equipment using one or more antennas of the secondary user equipment; and
transmitting the second MIMO downlink data to the primary user equipment via the communication channel.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second MIMO downlink data transmitted to the primary user equipment via the communication channel is symbol level data.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending MIMO physical layer information to the primary user equipment over the communication channel.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an identifier of the primary user equipment; storing the identifier of the primary user equipment; and determining that the received second MIMO downlink data for the primary user equipment is associated with the primary user equipment based on the stored identifier.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining to accept a pairing request from the primary user equipment based on one or more operational characteristics of the secondary user equipment, and wherein the establishing is in response to the determining.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining to accept a pairing request from the primary user equipment based on one or more pairing metrics, and wherein the establishing is in response to the determining.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary user equipment is configured to receive downlink MIMO data at up to a maximum rank via cellular communications, and wherein the first MIMO downlink data and the second MIMO downlink data are together included in a MIMO downlink data transmission having a rank that is higher than the maximum rank.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary user equipment is configured to receive downlink MIMO data at up to a maximum rank via cellular communications, and wherein the first MIMO downlink data and the second MIMO downlink data are together included in a MIMO downlink data transmission having a rank that is higher than the maximum rank.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first MIMO downlink data and the second MIMO downlink data are together included in a MIMO downlink data transmission, and wherein a rank of the MIMO downlink data transmission is greater than a number of antennas of the one or more antennas of the secondary user equipment.
10. A user equipment comprising:
one or more antennas configured to receive a part of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink data transmission;
a peer-to-peer wireless interface configured to communicate with a primary user equipment; and
a processor in communication with the one or more antennas and the peer-to-peer wireless interface, the processor configured to:
receive the part of the MIMO downlink data transmission via the one or more antennas;
determine that the part of the MIMO downlink data is associated with the primary user equipment; and
cause transmission of symbol level data corresponding to the part of the MIMO downlink data via the peer-to-peer wireless interface to the primary user equipment.
11. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to cause transmission of MIMO physical layer information to the primary user equipment.
12. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein a rank of the MIMO downlink data transmission is greater than a number of antennas of the one or more antennas.
13. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to establish a communication channel with the primary user equipment via the peer-to-peer wireless interface based on an operational characteristic of the user equipment.
14. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to establish a communication channel with the primary user equipment via the peer-to-peer wireless interface based on a channel condition associated with the user equipment.
15. The user equipment of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to:
receive MIMO uplink data associated with the primary user equipment via the via the peer-to-peer wireless interface; and
cause a cellular transmission of the MIMO uplink data associated with the primary user equipment via the one or more antennas.
16. A method of processing uplink data, the method comprising:
establishing a communication channel between a secondary user equipment and a primary user equipment via a peer-to-peer wireless interface of the secondary user equipment;
while the primary user equipment is transmitting first multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uplink data for the primary user equipment to a network system via a cellular communication, receiving, by the secondary user equipment, second MIMO uplink data transmission from the primary user equipment via the communication channel; and
transmitting, using one or more antennas of the secondary user equipment, the second MIMO uplink data to the network system.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising sending MIMO physical layer information to the primary user equipment over the communication channel.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second MIMO uplink data received from the primary user equipment is symbol level data.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining to accept a pairing request from the primary user equipment based on one or more operational characteristics of the secondary user equipment, and wherein the establishing is in response to the determining.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining to accept a pairing request from the primary user equipment based on one or more pairing metrics, and wherein the establishing is in response to the determining.
21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the primary user equipment transmits the first MIMO uplink data while the primary user equipment and the second are in communication via the communication channel.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the primary user equipment is configured to transmit uplink MIMO data at up to a maximum rank via cellular communications, and wherein the first MIMO uplink data and the second MIMO uplink data are together included in a MIMO uplink data transmission having a rank that is higher than the maximum rank.
23. The method of claim 16 , wherein the secondary user equipment is configured to transmit uplink MIMO data at up to a maximum rank via cellular communications, and wherein the first MIMO uplink data and the second MIMO uplink data are together included in a MIMO uplink data transmission having a rank that is higher than the maximum rank.