IP Library Granted Patent US 9,363,753
Granted Patent B2
US 9,363,753 · App. 13/552,439 · Granted Jun 7, 2016

Sleep mode for user equipment relays

Inventors: Aleksandar Damnjanovic (San Diego, CA); Naga Bhushan (San Diego, CA); Yongbin Wei (San Diego, CA); Durga Prasad Malladi (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W52/0229H04W48/12H04W52/0209H04W76/048H04W4/26H04W52/0235H04W88/04Y02B60/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,363,753
App. No.
13/552,439
Granted
Jun 7, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for subframe muting and/or discontinuous reception (DRX) mode related to sleep mode for user equipment (UE) relays. One method generally includes measuring, at a UE functioning as a relay (i.e., a UE relay), signals of one or more other UEs functioning as relays during one or more particular subframes and reporting the measurements of the signals to an apparatus. Another method generally includes determining, at a first UE functioning as a relay, that no UEs are being served by the first UE; based on the determination, increasing an interval between broadcast signals; and transmitting the broadcast signals according to the increased interval.

Claims (47)

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays;

receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern;

transmitting, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern; and

receiving, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

7. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays; and

a receiver configured to receive, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern and wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays; and

means for receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern,

wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern and wherein the means for receiving is configured to receive, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

19. A computer-program product for wireless communications, the computer-program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for:

transmitting, to a first user equipment (UE) functioning as a relay, a first alternating subframe muting pattern for use by UEs functioning as relays;

receiving, from the first UE, a first indication of measurements of signals from one or more other UEs functioning as relays, the measurements made during one or more particular subframes according to the first alternating subframe muting pattern;

transmitting, to a second UE functioning as a relay, a second alternating subframe muting pattern; and

receiving, from the second UE, a second indication of measurements of signals from at least the first UE, the measurements made during one or more certain subframes according to the second alternating subframe muting pattern.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19 , further comprising code for transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

21. The computer-program product of claim 20 , wherein the instruction is based on the received first indication of the measurements.

22. The computer-program product of claim 19 , further comprising code for transmitting an instruction for the first UE to enter a power-saving state.

23. The computer-program product of claim 22 , wherein the instruction is based on the received second indication of the measurements.

24. The computer-program product of claim 19 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is different from the first alternating subframe muting pattern.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

27. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

28. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

29. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

30. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

31. The computer-program product of claim 19 , wherein the first alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the first UE.

32. The method of claim 19 , wherein the second alternating subframe muting pattern is unique to the second UE.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2012
From: DAMNJANOVIC, ALEKSANDAR; BHUSHAN, NAGA; WEI, YONGBIN; MALLADI, DURGA PRASAD
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 029019/0491 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61509353 · Jul 19, 2011
Related Publication 20130021932A1 · Jan 24, 2013