System and method for energy efficient synchronization in mesh wide area network (wan) for machine-type-communication (mtc) and internet of everything (ioe) communication

Abstract

A method for synchronizing a communication device includes synchronizing a first communication device to a network using an initial synchronization signal, synchronizing a second communication device to the network using the initial synchronization signal, associating the first communication device to the second communication device such that the first communication device may communicate information through the second communication device, and broadcasting a periodic secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device to the first communication device, the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal having a period that is longer than a period of the initial synchronization signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for synchronizing a communication device, comprising:
 synchronizing a first communication device to a network using an initial synchronization signal;   synchronizing a second communication device to the network using the initial synchronization signal;   associating the first communication device to the second communication device such that the first communication device may communicate information through the second communication device; and   broadcasting a periodic secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device to the first communication device, the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal having a period that is longer than a period of the initial synchronization signal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal has a period of 60 seconds (s). 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second communication device broadcasts the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal only when the first communication device is associated with the second communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first communication device searches for the secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device using an extended search window. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first communication device is an edge Internet of everything (IoE) device and the second communication device is a relay IoE device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the second communication device sending a primary synchronization signal (PSS)/secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to the first communication device as the initial synchronization signal, prior to the second communication device broadcasting the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal to the first communication device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal is configured to be broadcast one time within a predefined time window from the second communication device to the first communication device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first communication device has one opportunity within the predefined time window to receive and decode the secondary relay synchronization signal. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for communication, comprising:
 a first communication device synchronized to a network using an initial synchronization signal;   a second communication device synchronized to the network using the initial synchronization signal;   the first communication device synchronized to the second communication device such that the first communication device may communicate information through the second communication device; and   a periodic secondary relay synchronization signal broadcast from the second communication device to the first communication device, the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal having a period that is longer than a period of the initial synchronization signal.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal has a period of 60 seconds (s). 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the second communication device broadcasts the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal only when the first communication device is associated with the second communication device. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first communication device searches for the secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device using an extended search window. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first communication device is an edge Internet of everything (IoE) device and the second communication device is a relay IoE device. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising the second communication device configured to send a primary synchronization signal (PSS)/secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to the first communication device as the initial synchronization signal, prior to the second communication device sending the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal to the first communication device. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal is configured to be broadcast one time from the second communication device to the first communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first communication device has one opportunity to receive and decode the secondary relay synchronization signal. 
     
     
         17 . A device, comprising:
 means for synchronizing a first communication device to a network using an initial synchronization signal;   means for synchronizing a second communication device to the network using the initial synchronization signal;   means for associating the first communication device to the second communication device such that the first communication device may communicate information through the second communication device; and   means for broadcasting a periodic secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device to the first communication device, the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal having a period that is longer than a period of the initial synchronization signal.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal has a period of 60 seconds (s). 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the second communication device broadcasts the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal only when the first communication device is associated with the second communication device. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the first communication device searches for the secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device using an extended search window. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the first communication device is an edge Internet of everything (IoE) device and the second communication device is a relay IoE device. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal is configured to be broadcast one time from the second communication device to the first communication device. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 17 , further comprising means for the second communication device sending a primary synchronization signal (PSS)/secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to the first communication device as the initial synchronization signal, prior to the second communication device sending the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal to the first communication device. 
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for communication, the code executable by a processor to:
 synchronize a first communication device to a network using an initial synchronization signal;   synchronize a second communication device to the network using the initial synchronization signal;   associate the first communication device to the second communication device such that the first communication device may communicate information through the second communication device; and   broadcast a periodic secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device to the first communication device, the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal having a period that is longer than a period of the initial synchronization signal.   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal has a period of 60 seconds (s). 
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the code is executable by a processor to cause the second communication device to broadcast the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal only when the first communication device is associated with the second communication device. 
     
     
         27 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the code is executable by a processor to cause the first communication device to search for the secondary relay synchronization signal from the second communication device using an extended search window. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the first communication device is an edge Internet of everything (IoE) device and the second communication device is a relay IoE device. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the code is executable by a processor to cause the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal to be broadcast one time from the second communication device to the first communication device. 
     
     
         30 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 24 , wherein the code is executable by a processor to cause the second communication device to send a primary synchronization signal (PSS)/secondary synchronization signal (SSS) to the first communication device as the initial synchronization signal, prior to the second communication device sending the periodic secondary relay synchronization signal to the first communication device.