Methods and wireless devices for enabling synchronization in D2D communications

1. A method, performed by a first wireless device, for enabling Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with at least one second wireless device, the method comprising:

obtaining, from a wireless network, a timing reference and a time offset;

transmitting, to the at least one second wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) in accordance with the obtained timing reference, the SA comprising the time offset, wherein transmitting the Scheduling Assignment comprises transmitting the Scheduling Assignment to the at least one second wireless device via D2D communication, when the at least one second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to the wireless network; and

transmitting data, to the at least one second wireless device, in accordance with an uplink timing, wherein the uplink timing is based on the time offset and the timing reference.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing reference is a downlink timing of the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time offset is a Timing Advance.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing reference is any of:

GPS time;

system time;

reception timing associated with signals transmitted by wireless devices;

downlink timing determined based on received physical radio signals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing reference is configured by a node or via higher layers of the wireless network, or is pre-defined or decided by the first wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an updated time offset from the wireless network;

transmitting the updated time offset to the at least one second wireless device using a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of a data channel by means of which the first wireless device transmits data to the at least one second wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Scheduling Assignment indicates allocation of resources for the transmission of the data from the first wireless device to the at least one second wireless device via D2D communication.

8. A method, performed by a second wireless device, for enabling Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with a first wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving, from the first wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) comprising a time offset, wherein receiving the Scheduling Assignment comprises receiving the Scheduling Assignment via D2D communication when the second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to a wireless network;

determining a timing reference;

determining reception timing based on the received time offset and the determined timing reference; and

receiving data transmitted from the first wireless device in accordance with the determined reception timing.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the timing reference is based on any of:

a reception time of the received SA;

GPS time;

system time;

reception timing associated to signals transmitted by wireless devices;

downlink timing determined based on received physical radio signals.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the time offset is a Timing Advance.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving an updated time offset from the first wireless device by means of a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of a data channel by means of which the second wireless device receives data from the first wireless device; and

updating the uplink timing based on the received updated time offset.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the Scheduling Assignment indicates allocation of resources for the transmission of the data from the first wireless device to the second wireless device via D2D communication.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein determining the timing reference comprises determining the timing reference based on a reception time of the received Scheduling Assignment.

14. A first wireless device configured to enable Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with at least one second wireless device, the first wireless device comprising:

a processing circuit;

memory comprising instructions which when executed by the processing circuit causes the first wireless device to:

obtain, from a wireless network, a timing reference and a time offset;

transmit, to the at least one second wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) in accordance with the obtained timing reference, the SA comprising the time offset, wherein the Scheduling Assignment is transmitted to the at least one second wireless device via D2D communication, when the at least one second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to the wireless network, and

transmit data, to the at least one second wireless device, in accordance with an uplink timing, wherein the uplink timing is based on the time offset and the timing reference.

15. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the timing reference is a downlink timing of the wireless network.

16. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the time offset is a Timing Advance.

17. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the timing reference is any of:

GPS time;

system time;

reception timing associated with signals transmitted by wireless devices;

downlink timing determined based on received physical radio signals.

18. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein timing reference is configured by a node or via higher layers of the wireless network, pre-defined or decided by the first wireless device.

19. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions, which when executed by the processing circuit causes the first wireless device to:

receive an updated time offset from the wireless network; and

transmit the updated time offset to the at least one second wireless device using a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of a data channel by means of which the first wireless device transmits data to the at least one second wireless device.

20. The first wireless device of claim 14 , wherein the Scheduling Assignment indicates allocation of resources for the transmission of the data from the first wireless device to the at least one second wireless device via D2D communication.

21. A second wireless device configured to enable Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with a first wireless device, the second wireless device comprising:

a processing circuit;

memory comprising instructions which when executed by the processing circuit causes the second wireless device to:

receive, from the first wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) comprising a time offset, wherein the Scheduling Assignment is received via D2D communication when the second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to a wireless network;

determine a timing reference;

determine a reception timing based on the received time offset and the determined timing reference; and

receive data transmitted from the first wireless device in accordance with the determined reception timing.

22. The second wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the timing reference is based any of:

a reception time of the received SA;

GPS time;

system time;

reception timing associated to signals transmitted by wireless devices;

downlink timing determined based on received physical radio signals.

23. The second wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the time offset is a Timing Advance.

24. The second wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the memory further comprises instructions, which when executed by the processing circuit causes the second wireless device to:

receive an updated time offset from the first wireless device by means of a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) of a data channel by means of which the second wireless device receives data from the first wireless device; and

update the uplink timing based on the received updated time offset.

25. The second wireless device of claim 21 , wherein the memory comprises instructions which when executed by the processing circuit causes the second wireless device to determine the timing reference based on a reception time of the received Scheduling Assignment.

26. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling a first wireless device configured to enable Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with at least one second wireless device, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a processing circuit of the first wireless device, causes the first wireless device to:

obtain, from a wireless network, a timing reference and a time offset;

transmit, to the at least one second wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) in accordance with the obtained timing reference, the SA comprising the time offset, wherein the Scheduling Assignment is transmitted to the at least one second wireless device via D2D communication, when the at least one second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to the wireless network; and

transmit data, to the at least one second wireless device, in accordance with an uplink timing, wherein the uplink timing is based on the time offset and the timing reference.

27. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling a second wireless device configured to enable Device-to-Device (D2D) communication with a first wireless device, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on a processing circuit of the second wireless device, causes the second wireless device to:

receive, from the first wireless device, a Scheduling Assignment (SA) comprising a time offset, wherein the Scheduling Assignment is received via D2D communication when the second wireless device is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode with respect to a wireless network;

determine a timing reference;

determine reception timing based on the received time offset and the determined timing reference; and

receive data transmitted from the first wireless device in accordance with the determined reception timing.