Device beacon for communication management for peer to peer communications

Abstract

A wireless communication device transmits a device beacon in accordance with a system timing of a wireless wide area network (WWAN). For one example, the beacon is transmitted relative to WWAN uplink channels of the time-frequency space of the uplink WWAN channel assignment. In response to the reception of the device beacon by another wireless communication device, a peer to peer communication session is established.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A first wireless communication device comprising:
 a transceiver configured to:
 receive, via a first frequency band from a base station, a synchronization signal for acquiring system timing of the base station and first information, the first information being broadcasted from the base station and identifying at least one frequency and one time within a frequency-time space including a plurality of frequencies and a plurality of times in a second frequency band, the at least one frequency and one time allocated for transmission of direct signals transmitted directly to a second wireless communication device via the second frequency band different from and outside of the first frequency band; 
 periodically transmit the direct signals, in the frequency-time space of the second frequency band based on the at least one frequency and based on the time, directly to the second wireless communication device; and 
 perform direct communication with the second wireless communication device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The first wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the second frequency band is an unlicensed band. 
     
     
         3 . The first wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the direct signals include second information indicating the first wireless communication device derives its timing from the system timing of the base station. 
     
     
         4 . The first wireless communication device of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to determine when to transmit the direct signals based on the one time. 
     
     
         5 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a first wireless communication device via a first frequency band from a base station, a synchronization signal for acquiring system timing of the base station and first information, the first information being broadcasted from the base station and identifying at least one frequency and one time within a frequency-time space including a plurality of frequencies and a plurality of times in a second frequency band, the at least one frequency and one time allocated for transmission of direct signals transmitted directly to a second wireless communication device via the second frequency band different from and outside of the first frequency band;   periodically transmitting the direct signals, in the frequency-time space of the second frequency band based on the at least one frequency and based on the time, directly to the second wireless communication device; and   performing direct communication with the second wireless communication device.   
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for controlling a first wireless communication device, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the processor configured to:
 receive, via a first frequency band from a base station, a synchronization signal for acquiring system timing of the base station and first information, the first information being broadcasted from the base station and identifying at least one frequency and one time within a frequency-time space including a plurality of frequencies and a plurality of times in a second frequency band, the at least one frequency and one time allocated for transmission of direct signals transmitted directly to a second wireless communication device via the second frequency band different from and outside of the first frequency band;   periodically transmit the direct signals, in the frequency-time space of the second frequency band based on the at least one frequency and based on the time, directly to the second wireless communication device; and   perform direct communication with the second wireless communication device.