Methods and apparatus for peer-to-peer communications resource scheduling

1. A method of operating a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

requesting assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

receiving a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals,

where M and N are used to indicate at least one of a semi-persistent assignment or a persistent assignment of the peer-to-peer communications resources to the wireless terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , where M is less than or equal to N, and further comprising:

refraining from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

using at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource assigned to the another device will not be used; and

using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device to which the resource was assigned.

6. The wireless terminal of claim 4 , further comprising:

means for detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource assigned to the another device will not be used; and

means for using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device to which the resource was assigned.

7. A wireless terminal comprising:

means for requesting assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

means for receiving a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals,

where M and N are used to indicate at least one of a semi-persistent assignment or a persistent assignment of the peer-to-peer communications resources to the wireless terminal.

8. The wireless terminal of claim 7 , where M is less than or equal to N, and further comprising:

means for refraining from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

means for using at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

9. The wireless terminal of claim 8 , further comprising:

means for determining not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

means for broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

10. The wireless terminal of claim 9 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

11. A computer program product for use in a wireless terminal, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

code for causing at least one computer to request assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

code for causing said at least one computer to receive a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals,

where M and N are used to indicate at least one of a semi-persistent assignment or a persistent assignment of the peer-to-peer communications resources to the wireless terminal.

12. A wireless terminal comprising:

at least one processor configured to:

request assignment of peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource assignment request intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2; and

receive a peer-to-peer communications resource assignment indicating assignment of resources for an assigned time period which is at least M times a time period between resource request intervals, where M and N are used to indicate at least one of a semi-persistent assignment or a persistent assignment of the peer-to-peer communications resources to the wireless terminal; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The wireless terminal of claim 12 , where M is less than or equal to N, and wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

refrain from requesting assignment of said assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

use at least some of the assigned resources during said assigned time period.

14. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

determine not to use one of the assigned resources during said assigned time period; and

broadcast a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the assigned resources will not be used.

15. The wireless terminal of claim 14 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the assigned resources which will not be used.

16. A method of operating a peer-to-peer communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

refraining from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time;

using at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

during said period of time when said resources are reserved, transmitting a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource reserved by the another device will not be used; and

using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device which reserved the resource.

20. A peer-to-peer communications device comprising:

means for transmitting a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

means for refraining from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time;

means for using at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

means for transmitting a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds during said period of time when said resources are reserved, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

21. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 20 , further comprising:

means for determining not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

means for broadcasting a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

22. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 21 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.

23. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 22 , further comprising:

means for detecting a resource availability indicator transmitted by another device indicating that a communications resource reserved by the another device will not be used; and

means for using the communications resource that said availability indicator indicates will not be used by the device which reserved the resource.

24. A computer program product for use in a peer-to-peer communications device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

code for causing at least one computer to transmit a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

code for causing said at least one computer to refrain from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time;

code for causing said at least one computer to use at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

code for causing said at least one computer, during said period of time when said resources are reserved, to transmit a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a computer is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved.

25. A peer-to-peer communications device comprising:

at least one processor configured to:

transmit a peer-to-peer resource reservation signal reserving peer-to-peer communications resources for a period of time which is at least N times a time period between resource reservation signaling intervals, N being a positive integer greater than 2;

refrain from transmitting a resource reservation signal reserving said peer-to-peer resources during said period of time;

use at least some of the reserved peer-to-peer resources during said period of time; and

transmit a reservation indicator signal at least once every M seconds during said period of time when said resources are reserved, where M is greater than the period between two resource reservation intervals and is a maximum amount of time a device is allowed to go without transmitting a signal indicating resources that it has reserved; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

26. The peer-to-peer communications device of claim 25 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

determine not to use one of the reserved resources during said reservation time period; and

broadcast a resource availability indicator, prior to a traffic time period in which said one of the reserved resources will not be used.

27. The peer to peer communications device of claim 26 , wherein the resource availability indicator is a one bit indicator transmitted in a slot of a resource availability channel, said slot having a predetermined known relationship to the one of the reserved resources which will not be used.