Broadcast based network access

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.

1 . 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.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user device is connected to a large area base station and the indication of the target network element is an identifier of the large area base station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing a reception of downlink data from the target network element; and   causing a broadcast transmission of at least part of the downlink data so that the user device is able to receive the broadcasted downlink data.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing a broadcast of an advertisement message, wherein the advertisement message comprises an indication that the local area access node supports the broadcast based network access.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a network, a detection message indicating how to detect at least one user device fulfilling a predetermined criteria;   detecting at least one user device fulfilling the predetermined criteria based on the detection message; and   upon detecting at least one user device, indicating the identifier of the at least one user device fulfilling the predetermined criteria to the network so that the network is able to configure the user device to perform the broadcast based network access.   
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 configuring the local area access node operate according to a broadcast based network access, according to which the user device accesses the network via broadcast transmissions between the user device and the local area access node without establishing a mutual radio communications connection with each other.   
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a resource allocation message from the network, the resource allocation message indicating a radio resource pool to be used for the broadcast transmissions between at least one user device and the local area access node, wherein the same radio resource pool is used by a plurality of local area access nodes with respect to a same user device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a resource allocation message from the network, the resource allocation message indicating a radio resource pool to be used for the broadcast transmissions between at least one user device and the local area access node, wherein different resource pools are allocated for the broadcast transmissions from the user device to the local area access node and for the broadcast transmissions from the local area access node to the user device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the broadcast transmissions are based on device-to-device broadcasting. 
     
     
         14 .- 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a local area access node to:
 detect 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; 
 detect an indication of a target network element from the broadcast transmission; and 
 control 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. 
   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the user device is connected to a large area base station and the indication of the target network element is an identifier of the large area base station. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 cause a reception of downlink data from the target network element; and   cause a broadcast transmission of at least part of the downlink data so that the user device is able to receive the broadcasted downlink data.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 cause a broadcast of an advertisement message, wherein the advertisement message comprises an indication that the local area access node supports the broadcast based network access.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 receive, from a network, a detection message indicating how to detect at least one user device fulfilling a predetermined criteria;   detect at least one user device fulfilling the predetermined criteria based on the detection message; and   upon detecting at least one user device, indicate the identifier of the at least one user device fulfilling the predetermined criteria to the network so that the network is able to configure the user device to perform the broadcast based network access.   
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 configure the local area access node operate according to a broadcast based network access, according to which the user device accesses the network via broadcast transmissions between the user device and the local area access node without establishing a mutual radio communications connection with each other.   
     
     
         27 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 receive a resource allocation message from the network, the resource allocation message indicating a radio resource pool to be used for the broadcast transmissions between at least one user device and the local area access node, wherein the same radio resource pool is used by a plurality of local area access node with respect to a same user device.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the local areas access node further to:
 receive a resource allocation message from the network, the resource allocation message indicating a radio resource pool to be used for the broadcast transmissions between at least one user device and the local area access node, wherein different resource pools are allocated for the broadcast transmissions from the user device to the local area access node and for the broadcast transmissions from the local area access node to the user device.   
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the broadcast transmissions are based on device-to-device broadcasting. 
     
     
         33 . An apparatus, comprising:
 at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a user device to:
 activate a broadcast based network access, according to which the user device accesses the network via broadcast transmissions between the user device and at least one local area access node without the user device and the at least one local area access node establishing mutual radio communications connections with each other; 
 control broadcast transmission of uplink data so as to enable the at least one local area access node to detect the broadcast transmission and to forward at least part of the broadcast transmission to the network, wherein the broadcast transmission includes an indication of a large area base station, to which the user device is connected to, as a target network element of the broadcast transmission; and 
 control reception of broadcasted downlink data from the at least one local area access node, wherein the transmitting at least one local area access node has received the downlink data from the network. 
   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the user device further to:
 request, from the network, for a permission to perform the broadcast transmission; and   
       upon receiving a positive response, performing the broadcast transmission of the uplink data. 
     
     
         35 .- 41 . (canceled)