Device-to-Device Communications in Cellular System

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and a controller to control not only cellular radio connections in a cell of a cellular communication system but also direct device-to-device communication links established between terminal devices within the cell. Particularly, the controller selects portion of the terminal devices to function as relay terminals for the other terminals to enable relayed communication links between the terminal devices and the base station through the relay terminals. The relay terminals link device-to-device connections to the cellular radio connections between the relay terminals and the base station.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A method comprising:
 receiving a configuration message by a first terminal device in a first communication link from a base station, where the configuration message comprises information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as a relay terminal between a second terminal device and the base station, where the information elements of the configuration message indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; and   transmitting by the first terminal device to the second terminal device at least one message comprising information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the base station.   
     
     
         34 . A method as in  claim 33  where the identifier of the base station is a cell identifier which identifies a cell associated with the base station. 
     
     
         35 . A method as in  claim 33  where the at least one message is transmitted on at least one of the radio access technology or technologies to be used for the second communication link. 
     
     
         36 . A method as in  claim 33  where the information comprises a cellular network identifier. 
     
     
         37 . A method as in  claim 33  where the information comprises at least one of data rate, transport block sizes, frequency resources, a transmission power supported by the first terminal device for each radio access technology utilized for a relayed connection. 
     
     
         38 . A method as in  claim 33  where the at least one message comprises at least one beacon signal advertising availability of the first terminal device as the relay terminal. 
     
     
         39 . A method as in  claim 38  where the configuration message comprises information regarding a configuration of a type of beaconing to be used by the first terminal device for the at least one beacon signal. 
     
     
         40 . A method as in  claim 38  where the information in the at least one beacon signal comprises information on implicit availability of the second communication link as a relay link. 
     
     
         41 . A method as in  claim 33  further comprising receiving rules and information by the first terminal device, from the base station, related to the second communication link being used as a relay link on a channel which is dedicated to terminal devices equipped with cognitive radio capability. 
     
     
         42 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon receiving a configuration message by the apparatus in a first communication link from a base station, where the apparatus comprises a first terminal device, determining which radio access technology. or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and a second terminal device, where the configuration message comprises information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, and where the information elements of the configuration message indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for the second communication link; and 
 transmit by the first terminal device to the second terminal device at least one message comprising information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the base station. 
   
     
     
         43 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving a configuration message by a first terminal device in a first communication link from a base station, where the configuration message comprise information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as a relay terminal between a second terminal device and the base station, where the information elements of the configuration message indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; and   transmitting by the first terminal device to the second terminal device at least one message comprising information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of the base station.   
     
     
         44 . A method comprising:
 receiving by a second terminal device, from a first terminal device, at least one message comprising information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of a base station, and where the information indicates which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; and   transmitting a connection request from the second terminal device to the first terminal device via the indicated radio access technology or technologies.   
     
     
         45 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon receiving by the apparatus, from a first terminal device, at least one message comprising information indicating to the apparatus that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the apparatus and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of a base station, and where the apparatus is a second terminal device and where the information indicates which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device, determining which of the radio access technology or technologies is to be used for the communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; and 
 transmit a connection request from the second terminal device to the first terminal device via the indicated radio access technology or technologies. 
   
     
     
         46 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving by a second terminal device, from a first terminal device, at least one message comprising information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as a relay terminal between the second terminal device and the base station, where the information indicating to the second terminal device that the first terminal device is available as the relay terminal comprises an identifier of the first terminal device and an identifier of a base station, and where the information indicates which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; and   transmitting a connection request from the second terminal device to the first terminal device via the indicated radio access technology or technologies.   
     
     
         47 . A method comprising:
 selecting a first terminal device to be used as a relay terminal;   transmitting by a base station a configuration message to the first terminal device in a first communication link, where the configuration message comprises information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as the relay terminal between a second terminal device and the base station, where the informational elements are configured to be retransmitted by the first terminal device to the second terminal device and comprise an identifier of the base station indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.   
     
     
         48 . A method as in  claim 47  where the identifier of the base station comprises a cell identifier identifying a cell associated with the base station. 
     
     
         49 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 select a first terminal device to be used as a relay terminal; and 
 transmit by the apparatus a configuration message to the first terminal device in a first communication link, where the apparatus is a base station, where the configuration message comprise information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as the relay terminal between a second terminal device and the base station, where the informational elements are configured to be retransmitted by the first terminal device to the second terminal device and comprise an identifier of the base station and indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device. 
   
     
     
         50 . An apparatus as in  claim 49  where the identifier of the base station comprises a cell identifier identifying a cell associated with the base station. 
     
     
         51 . A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising:
 selecting a first terminal device to be used as a relay terminal; and   transmitting by a base station a configuration message to the first terminal device in a first communication link, where the configuration message comprise information elements for enabling the first terminal device to operate as the relay terminal between a second terminal device and the base station, where the informational elements are configured to be retransmitted by the first terminal device to the second terminal device and comprise an identifier of the base station and indicate which radio access technology or technologies is to be used for a second communication link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.   
     
     
         52 . A non-transitory program storage device as in  claim 51  where the identifier of the base station comprises a cell identifier identifying a cell associated with the base station.