Abstract: First and second level discovery messages for device-to-device discovery are determined to be going to be transmitted, resource(s) are requested for transmission of at least the second level discovery message, and allocated resource(s) of a second type are received. The first level discovery message is transmitted on either a selected resource of the first type or a selected one of the allocated resource(s). The second level discovery message is transmitted on a selected one of the more allocated resource(s) of the second type, A first level discovery message is received on a resource of either a first type or a second type. It is determined whether the received message is of interest or not and if the message is of interest, then it is determined whether a second level discovery message is available and if so, the second level discovery message is received on a resource of the second type.

Abstract: One of the embodiments of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a D2D discovery process at a discovering user equipment. The method comprises determining by the discovering user equipment whether discovery information in a discovering message received from a discovered user equipment is sufficient for performing the D2D discovery process or not. In response to a positive result of the determination, the user equipment continues the discovery procedure without involvement of network node, at least by using the discovery information in the discovering message; in response to a negative result of the determination, the user equipment sends a request to a network node for assistance on further discovery information for performing the D2D discovery process, and then receives the further discovery information from the network node. Embodiments of the present invention also provide methods, apparatuses and computer program products.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising receiving a request from a user equipment for resource allocation for at least one service coverage zone in a coverage area of a first network, the first network comprising a plurality of nodes forming a synchronised sub-network, said nodes configured to provide a user equipment with at least one of instant radio access and cellular access, wherein the sub-network is associated with at least one cellular network which provides cellular access over the first network area and wherein said request comprises first information, allocating instant radio access resources for the user equipment for use within the at least one service coverage zone and providing an indication of said instant radio access resources to said user equipment.

Abstract: There is provided a method comprising determining a service coverage zone operation within a network, the network able to form a synchronised sub-network, and being associated with at least one cellular network which provides cellular access over the coverage area of the network, configuring, in dependence on the determined service coverage zone operation, a plurality of nodes of the network for providing a service coverage zone to provide at least one service, providing an indication of the service coverage zone to at least one user equipment and controlling access of the at least one user equipment to the at least one service.

Abstract: Methods, corresponding apparatuses, and non-transitory computer readable mediums for a Proximity-based Service are provided. A method comprises receiving, from at least one user equipment, a resource utilization indication that indicates resources used by at least one user equipment for a ProSe device-to-device discovery procedure. The method also comprises determining, based on the received resource utilization indication, resources for the at least one user equipment to perform a subsequent ProSe device-to-device discovery procedure. The method additionally comprises signaling the determined resource to the at least one user equipment. With the claimed inventions, utilization efficiency of the radio resources may be improved and the complexity and overhead in allocating the resource for ProSe D2D discovery procedure may be lowered.

Abstract: Handling of related identities may be valuable in communication systems. More particularly, in areas such as long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) proximity services (ProSe), it may be useful to provide for handling of ProSe device to device (D2D) related identities at the radio access network (RAN) level. A method can include deriving an initial layer one identifier corresponding to a target user equipment or group. The method can also include determining whether the initial layer one identifier collides with another layer one identifier corresponding to a different target user equipment or group. The method can further include communicating with the target user equipment or group based on the determination of whether the initial layer one identifier collides with another layer one identifier in use.

Abstract: An example technique may include controlling receiving, by a user device from a serving cell, a first control information including a scheduling grant that identifies a resource to be used for communication between the user device and the serving cell, controlling receiving, by the user device, at least a part of a second control information from one or more other cells that are not serving the user device, and determining, by the user device, whether or not to reject the scheduling grant from the serving cell based on at least the first control information received from the serving cell and the part of the second control information received from the one or more other cells that are not serving the user device.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for controlling state transition of a user equipment UE in proximity wireless communication. A method can comprise: learning about an associated agent's context of a connected UE and said UE's capability; deciding to put the connected UE into virtual associated state; sending to said UE a message with indication of putting said UE into said virtual associated state as well as the UE's context; and maintaining said associated agent's context of the UE.

Abstract: The present invention addresses method, apparatus and computer program product for setting up a proximity services device-to-device communication service. Thereby, by a transmitting user equipment, a message including application control information is compiled, a scheduling assignment for scheduling the message transmission is transmitted to a device to be set up, and the message is transmitted to the device according to the scheduling assignment. A receiving user equipment receives a scheduling assignment and at least one of data packets scheduled in the scheduling assignment, determines whether at least one of the received data packets relates to a new proximity services device-to-device communication service traffic flow, determines whether a message including application control information is included in the at least one of the received data packets, and completes the setup based on the application control information.

Abstract: An example implementation relates to an apparatus including: at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: compare the need for frequency resources with currently allocated frequency resources, and if the need for frequency resources is less than the currently allocated frequency resources, inform at least one other node about at least one releasable frequency resource, the at least one releasable frequency resource comprising at least one frequency resource exceeding the need for frequency resources, and at least one rule associated with the at least one releasable frequency resource the at least one rule defining reallocation principles.

Abstract: The invention relates to the Authorized Shared Access (ASA) concept in which a source node temporarily uses ASA spectrum as secondary user and on request of an ASA controller said ASA spectrum needs to be cleared (evacuated) and made available to a primary spectrum user and thus target nodes have to be selected by the source node to take over traffic from the source node; the source node thus obtains resource information of at least one target node for the spectrum clearance, choose at least one target node for clearance traffic transfers based on the resource information of the at least one target node, inform the chosen at least one target node about the coming traffic transfers, and transfer traffic by using a handover procedure; the target node reserves resources after receiving the information about the coming traffic transfers.

Abstract: A method for providing an ad-hoc network provided, wherein at least one group of mobile devices operate as a device-to-device cluster having a currently elected cluster head device. The method comprises configuring, in a network apparatus for the device-to-device cluster, a cluster-specific cell-level radio network temporary identifier C-RNTI on the basis of a content-sharing service requested within the device-to-device cluster. C-RNTI is used to act as a cluster-specific virtual radio access user responsible for transmission between a serving base station and the currently elected cluster head device on behalf of the device-to-device cluster.

Abstract: One kind of communication is referred to as device-to-device D2D communication. Misuse is an issue for this type of communication. For example a public safety network may permit D2D communication to operate in an area following a natural or other incident where the controlling network entity loses coverage. However this permission to allow D2D communication without the controlling entity can lead to users of D2D apparatus such as public safety communications devices configured for use in a first region being able to perform D2D communications in a second region in licensed bands that are illegal or not permitted. Furthermore, each device should be configured to setup an ad hoc network using D2D only in those areas where the licensed bands can be used legally by the device. Therefore, each device determines its position and blocks D2D operation when outside of a geographical area to which it was configured.

Abstract: There is provided a method, including requesting, by a network element of a macro cell network infrastructure, a local cell access point operating within the macro cell to either activate or deactivate a local cell control plane with respect to active user equipment of the local cell, wherein the local cell access point continues to provide a user plane to the active user equipment; and receiving a response to the request.

Abstract: A concept of having at least one representative access node for inter-operator interactions for spectrum sharing between a first operator's network and one or more further operators' networks is introduced, the representative access node being discoverable by a discovery procedure performed by access nodes. According to an example implementation, a method or technique may include performing a discovery procedure for discovering one or more representative access nodes for inter-operator interactions for spectrum sharing between a first operator's network and one or more further operators' networks, and causing a transmission of results of the discovery procedure to a controlling entity.

Abstract: There are provided measures for mobility management for device-to-device communications. Such measures exemplarily include receiving a radio handover request message indicating that a radio handover of at least one communication endpoint utilizing device-to-device communication is to be hidden from core network, and determining, based on device-to-device context information, which is information on said device-to-device communication, and/or on information on said at least one communication endpoint, whether a notification of said radio handover is to be transmitted.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for device discovery are disclosed. In the method a type of device discovery to be used by a device for proximity services involving at least one another device is determined, wherein the available types of discovery comprise at least a first type discovery where additional resource information is provided for the device and a second type discovery where no additional resource information is provided. The method further comprises signalling Information based on the determined type of device discovery.

Abstract: There is provided a method, comprising: detecting, by a local area access node, a broadcast transmission of uplink data from a user device, wherein the user device and the local area access node have not established a mutual radio communications connection with each other; detecting an indication of a target network element from the broadcast transmission; and controlling forwarding at least part of the broadcast transmission to the target network element as a dedicated transmission, thereby providing a broadcast based network access for the user device.

Abstract: Measures are provided for management of RRC for D2D communication. Such measures include setting a connected state of RRC for device(s) of a pair of devices. For the devices(s), both a D2D communication service between the pair of devices and a core network communication service between the device(s) and a core network entity are active. The setting enables radio resource management for the device(s) for the D2D communication service and the core network communication service. Termination of the core network communication service is detected for the device(s). A connection towards the core network entity is reconfigured for disabling the core network communication service of the device(s). The connected state of RRC is maintained for the devices(s) of the pair of devices, for which the device(s) only the device-to-device communication service is active. The maintaining enables radio resource management for the device(s) for the D2D communication service.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for network assisted ProSe discovery management are provided. One method includes establishing, by a network element, a discovery context of a user equipment, and transmitting a discovery context establishment request comprising beacon information on at least one other user that a user of the user equipment is interested in discovering.