Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) for implementing a cellular oriented mechanism such as Random Access (RA) mechanism to support device-to-device (D2D) discovery procedure and D2D connection setup for a direct D2D communication of cellular devices such as UEs, e.g., in LTE wireless systems. The network can provide D2D uplink resource(s) to UEs for setting the D2D communication based on a RACH preamble (e.g., mapped according to a predefined procedure from the discovery signal) received by the network from the UE.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) for improving device discovery and D2D operation, e.g., in LTE wireless systems, by using control signaling provided by a wireless network (e.g., by an eNB). The discovery channel/channels which conveys discovery signal/signals are configured by a network (e.g., by the eNB) and are mapped to control channel/channels (e.g., one-to-one). After sending/receiving the discovery signal/signals, the D2D devices are monitoring control channel/channels to get current information for establishing the D2D communication among these D2D devices, the current information may include a resource allocation for the D2D communication and a device list of candidates for establishing the D2D communication.

Abstract: Downlink common control information communicated in a first network (such as a macro network or a small cell) between a first/macro access node and a user equipment UE is mapped to an uplink resource. The first/macro access node and UE then tune to the mapped uplink resource to send or receive dedicated control information about the UE concerning a second network (an underlay network such as a femto CSG or D2D network). In one embodiment the DCI may be within a downlink assignment indicated by P-RNTI, RA-RNTI, or SI-RNTI; and the mapping uses a control channel element which carries the P-RNTI or the RA-RNTI or the SI-RNTI. In another the mapped uplink resource is a format 1a or format 1b PUCCH and the common control information requires neither an acknowledgement nor a negative acknowledgement. The dedicated control information may inform about interference experienced by the UE with the second network.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods, devices and computer programs arranged to facilitate access to device-to-device (D2D) communication services in a communication network. One embodiment includes an apparatus for use in controlling access to a D2D communication service in a communication network, the apparatus including a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to: receive a D2D discovery signal including data indicative of said D2D communication service; determine a verification state for the D2D communication service as one of a first verification state and a second, different, verification state, on the basis of said received D2D discovery signal, the first verification state being one in which said D2D communication service can be verified by the apparatus; and in the event that said D2D communication service is determined to be in the second verification state, transmit data indicative of said D2D communication service for verification by the communication network.

Abstract: A feedback radio resource in a license-exempt frequency band maps from a data radio resource to at least one frequency sub-band which the data resource excludes. The feedback resource is also spaced in time from the data resource by a predetermined interval. Feedback (ACK/NACK) for data received in the data resource is then sent in the feedback resource. In various embodiments the sub-band is one or more edges of the data resource channel, or of a license-exempt component carrier. The predetermined interval may be a function of how much of the data resource is occupied by data. The data transmitting device delays sending its data by a time offset from the end of a previous transmission on that channel, or if it does not know the end time it delays until the predetermined interval plus the length of the feedback resource have lapsed. Various synchronization aspects are also disclosed.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software related product (e.g., a computer readable memory) for discovery of D2D devices in wireless communications, e.g., LTE systems by relating beacon/discovery resources to paging frames, so that the UE may save power being active (e.g., in the wake-up state) only during paging frames. The user equipment may receive during a paging receiving time a paging signal from the wireless network and at least one discovery signal from at least one user equipment operating in the wireless network, wherein a discovery cycle period of the at least one discovery signal is different than the paging cycle period and is determined using the paging cycle period based on a predefined rule.

Abstract: A fixed or Mode II device enables a Mode I device for license exempt operation by providing to it a list of available license exempt radio channels and a parameter indicating an interval at which contact verification signals CVSs are to be sent. The CVSs verify whether the list remains valid. The fixed/Mode II device then repeatedly sends contact verification signals spaced in time from one another according to the interval. In various embodiments the parameter may be an explicit indication (number of seconds or number of beacons between consecutive CVSs), or it may be implicit (derived from an ID of the fixed/Mode II or Mode I device or a frequency channel, in which the relevant ID is the parameter). A plurality of enabled Mode I devices each gets a device-specific list, and in one embodiment the interval is the same for each of them and the explicit indication is broadcast while in another the parameter is provided to each of them via unicast messages and the interval may differ.

Abstract: There is stored in a memory an association between each nth one of N content types with a respective nth group of N groups of identifiers (N is an integer greater than one, n indexes from 1 to N, and at least one of the groups has more than one identifier). A beacon sender selects one of the content types for a beacon to be transmitted and selects a beacon identifier from the group associated with the selected content type. The beacon to be transmitted is compiled to include content of the selected content type and the selected beacon identifier. The beacon receiver selects at least one of the content types; and for a plurality of beacons received, filters out from further processing each beacon having a beacon identifier that is not within the group of identifiers associated with any of the at least one selected content types. The network creates the association and broadcasts it in a network cell.

Abstract: An apparatus receives from a first device a first broadcast message/beacon which comprises an identifier for an enabling station, then uses the identifier to associate with the enabling station to obtain from it a list of at least one license-exempt channel (e.g., TV whitespaces). In one embodiment the apparatus can then join an ad hoc network (IBSS) with the first device and transmit a second beacon which comprises the identifier for the enabling station. If the apparatus hears multiple beacons advertising different IBSSs, it can select to join the first device's ad hoc network over the other(s) based on a service offered or the first device's network being trusted. Various examples are detailed for where in the beacon frame the identifier (e.g., SSID) might be placed. In one example the apparatus and first device are Mode I devices and the enabling station is a Mode II device under (draft) IEEE802.11af.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment there are determined which radio resource are to be used for contention based access, and the allocated radio resource is accessed according to a probability function that varies in dependence on at least one of interference measured on the allocated radio resource and a received power level for the allocated radio resource. By example the radio resource is allocated by a cellular base station for use in D2D communications; the base station provides configuration parameters for the D2D communications via common or dedicated signaling; the received power level is a target received power level that is received via broadcast system information or dedicated control signaling; and/or the received power level is itself a function of pathloss on a wireless link to the cellular base station. Embodiments are presented for method, apparatus, and tangibly stored computer program.

Abstract: A wireless backhaul link is established by sending from a mobile first access node to a second access node a priority request message requesting high priority for a link between them. The established wireless backhaul link is utilized as part of a wireless multihop connection between the second access node and at least one user device attached to the mobile first access node. In various embodiments the high priority is requested by indicating a priority class (e.g., highest priority, at least higher than any current priority, and at least as high as a highest current priority) and may also indicate how many user devices are attached and/or an amount of data waiting to be sent. A first timer may be initiated upon inactivity on the wireless backhaul link and continuous inactivity through expiry of that automatically results in a reduction of the priority class for the wireless backhaul link.

Abstract: A coexistence central entity CCE receives deployment messages from each nth one of a plurality of N access nodes. Each deployment message has an identifier of the nth access node and an identifier of an ith channel in a license-exempt band. From the received deployment messages the CCE compiles and maintains a database which associates each ith channel with an ith multicast group. Each ith multicast group includes all of the access nodes from which was received at least one deployment message with the identifier of the ith channel. When the CCE receives a multicast message from one of the access nodes identifying the ith channel, it checks the database to find members of an ith multicast group associated with the ith channel, and notifies at least some of those members of the received multicast message. In this manner the access node's multicast message is forwarded among the whole group.

Abstract: There are provided measures for channel access control. Such measures may exemplarily comprise obtaining a contention window assignment including at least an assignment of a size of a contention window for contention-based channel access, accessing at least one logical channel in a contention-based manner according to the contention window assignment, including allocating resources to the at least one logical channel for data transmission, and modifying the size of the contention window based on a result of the resource allocation in terms of an aggregated bit rate allocated for data transmission and an aggregate target bit rate requirement of prioritized bit rates of the at least one logical channel.

Abstract: Downlink control signaling from a network to a user equipment UE associates at least a first logical channel or radio bearer with a first component carrier in a licensed frequency band and associates at least a second logical channel or radio bearer with a second component carrier in an unlicensed frequency band. The UE uses the associations to select which uplink data is sent on the first and on the second component carriers by multiplexing the uplink data on the at least first and the at least second logical channels or radio bearers. By example the downlink control signaling may be a MAC control element in a RRC_Connection_Reconfiguration message which semi-statically defines a multiplexing allowance for each of the logical channels or radio bearers. An example MAC control element has an information tuple giving the association and multiplexing status per channel/bearer. Certain embodiments also adapt transmit power scaling for licensed/unlicensed band operation.

Abstract: A network support node collects information about unlicensed spectrum in use by a first access node; and provides at least some of the information to a user equipment via a second access node which utilizes licensed spectrum. In various exemplary embodiments: the information is collected via an interface between the first access node and the support node which does not pass through the second access node; the support node sends a query for the information when previously collected information is outdated; the support node sends to the first access node a preferred set of whitespace channels and/or virtual channelization; and the support node sends parameters for either/both access nodes to report on the unlicensed spectrum. Example parameters are: frequency/bandwidth range for the unlicensed spectrum in use by the first access node, and/or frequency range for a common control channel transmitted by the first access node in the unlicensed spectrum.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that performs operations including determining whether an application message meets a predetermined set of criteria. If the application message meets the set, the application message is transmitted via a first communication layer pathway between the apparatus and one or more other apparatuses participating in a device-to-device communication with the apparatus. If the application message does not meet the set, the application message is transmitted via a second communication layer pathway between the apparatus and the other apparatus. The first and second communication layer pathways are different. The first pathway may be an L1 physical control channel while the second pathway may be an L1 physical data channel. The first pathway may be a first L2 logical channel while the second pathway may be a second L2 logical channel. Methods and program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: In an embodiment, for a case in which there is an active connection established between a cellular network and a user equipment UE and the UE has simultaneously an active connection within a local network distinct from the cellular network, there is an indication within a resource allocation message communicated between the cellular network and the UE which is used to identify whether a radio resource allocated by the resource allocation message is for the cellular network or for the local network. In various embodiments, the local network is a D2D network and the message is directed to a C-RNTI associated with the D2D network; and/or a value of the indication identifies the allocated radio resource as an allocation for the D2D network or for the cellular network and also whether the allocation is to the UE or to a paired D2D device or to both.

Abstract: A position of a device within a cluster of multiple devices is determined and stored in a memory. An uplink radio resource is mapped from a downlink radio resource in dependence on the determined position of the device within the cluster of multiple devices. In an embodiment the respective uplink and downlink radio resource is a PUCCH and PDCCH of a cellular network, and the cluster is a D2D network. In one embodiment the device position is an index j which is used to offset from a predetermined mapping pattern. In another embodiment the position of the device corresponds to an individual field of a transmission on the PDCCH and the mapping is in dependence on a bit value in the individual field.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment there are determined which radio resource are to be used for contention based access, and the allocated radio resource is accessed according to a probability function that varies in dependence on at least one of interference measured on the allocated radio resource and a received power level for the allocated radio resource. By example the radio resource is allocated by a cellular base station for use in D2D communications; the base station provides configuration parameters for the D2D communications via common or dedicated signaling; the received power level is a target received power level that is received via broadcast system information or dedicated control signaling; and/or the received power level is itself a function of pathloss on a wireless link to the cellular base station. Embodiments are presented for method, apparatus, and tangibly stored computer program.

Abstract: At a cluster head/first device there is received, from each of at least two other devices with which the cluster head has a respective wireless link, a quality indicator for the respective link observed by the respective other device. The cluster head compiles those received quality indicators into a compressed report, and sends the compressed report to a network entity. In a specific embodiment the cluster head also determines an additional quality indicator of each of those respective links observed by the cluster head by listening to a sounding reference signal sent by the respective other device to the network entity on a PUCCH. Those additional quality indicators are also compiled into the compressed report, as are further quality indicators received from the devices for D2D links between pairs of those other devices that exclude the cluster head. The compressed report can inform how many indicators are above/below a threshold.