Methods, base station, infrastructure node and communications terminal
A method of transmitting data from a first communications terminal to one or more second communications terminals includes receiving from an infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network an indication identifying a predetermined pattern of communications resources of a wireless access interface. The wireless access interface provides plural communications resources divided into time divided units. The method also includes transmitting the data in some or all of the predetermined pattern of communications resources to one or more of the second communications terminals in accordance with device to device communications. The predetermined pattern of communications resources is one of plural patterns of communications resources of the wireless access interface for plural of the time divided units. The plural patterns of communications resources are predetermined for a reduction in latency when transmitting the data from the first communications terminal and/or reducing in signalling overhead required to transmit the data.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a first communications terminal from an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network, an indication identifying a predetermined pattern of communications resources of a wireless access interface, the wireless access interface providing a plurality of communications resources divided in time and the predetermined pattern of communications resources being allocated by the infrastructure equipment to the first communications terminal across multiple scheduling control periods; and
transmitting, by the first communications terminal to a second communications terminal, the data in at least some communications resources of the predetermined pattern of communications resources, wherein
the predetermined pattern of communications resources is one of a plurality of patterns of communications resources of the wireless access interface.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterns of communications resources are pre-configured in any of the first communications terminal, the second communications terminal and the infrastructure equipment.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first communications terminal from the infrastructure equipment, another indication of the plurality of patterns of communications resources, wherein
the another indication is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment for receipt by the first communications terminal and the second communications terminal.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein
the receiving the another indication includes receiving the another indication a plurality of times, and
the infrastructure equipment changes the plurality of patterns of communications resources between each transmission of the another indication.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined pattern of communications resources identifies different communications resources in different time divided units.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the receiving the indication comprises receiving a scheduling assignment message from the second communications terminal, the infrastructure equipment having allocated a plurality of the patterns for communications resources to the first communications terminal and the second communications terminal.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitting, by the first communications terminal to the second communications terminal, is performed via device to device communications.
8. Circuitry for a communications terminal, the circuitry comprising:
reception circuitry configured to receive, from an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network, an indication identifying a predetermined pattern of communications resources of a wireless access interface, the wireless access interface providing a plurality of communications resources divided in time and the predetermined pattern of communications resources being allocated by the infrastructure equipment to the communications terminal across multiple scheduling control periods; and
transmission circuitry configured to transmit, to another communications terminal, the data in at least some communications resources of the predetermined pattern of communications resources, wherein
the predetermined pattern of communications resources is one of a plurality of patterns of communications resources of the wireless access interface.
9. The circuitry as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the plurality of patterns of communications resources are pre-configured in any of the communications terminal, the another communications terminal and the infrastructure equipment.
10. The circuitry as claimed in claim 8 , wherein
the reception circuitry is further configured to receive, from the infrastructure equipment, another indication of the plurality of patterns of communications resources, and
the another indication is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment for receipt by the communications terminal and the another communications terminal.
11. The circuitry as claimed in claim 10 , wherein
the reception circuitry is configured to receive the another indication a plurality of times, and
the infrastructure equipment changes the plurality of patterns of communications resources between each transmission of the another indication.
12. The circuitry as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the predetermined pattern of communications resources identifies different communications resources in different time divided units.
13. The circuitry as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the reception circuitry is further configured to receive a scheduling assignment message from the another communications terminal, the infrastructure equipment having allocated a plurality of the patterns for communications resources to the communications terminal and the another communications terminal.
14. The circuitry as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the transmission circuitry transmits the data to the another communications terminal via device to device communications.
15. A communications terminal, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
receive, from an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network, an indication identifying a predetermined pattern of communications resources of a wireless access interface, the wireless access interface providing a plurality of communications resources divided in time and the predetermined pattern of communications resources being allocated by the infrastructure equipment to the communications terminal across multiple scheduling control periods; and
transmit, to another communications terminal, the data in at least some communications resources of the predetermined pattern of communications resources, wherein
the predetermined pattern of communications resources is one of a plurality of patterns of communications resources of the wireless access interface.
16. The communications terminal as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the plurality of patterns of communications resources are pre-configured in any of the communications terminal, the another communications terminal and the infrastructure equipment.
17. The communications terminal as claimed in claim 15 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to receive, from the infrastructure equipment, another indication of the plurality of patterns of communications resources, and
the another indication is transmitted by the infrastructure equipment for receipt by the communications terminal and the another communications terminal.
18. The communications terminal as claimed in claim 17 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to receive the another indication a plurality of times, and
the infrastructure equipment changes the plurality of patterns of communications resources between each transmission of the another indication.
19. The communications terminal as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive a scheduling assignment message from the another communications terminal, the infrastructure equipment having allocated a plurality of the patterns for communications resources to the communications terminal and the another communications terminal.
20. The communications terminal as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the processing circuitry transmits the data to the another communications terminal via device to device communications.