Autonomous topology management for wireless radio user equipment

Abstract

The described technology is generally directed towards an autonomous topology management scheme in a wireless communications network that establishes a hierarchical structure from a peer-to-peer network without assistance from the wireless network. A group of user equipment (UEs) negotiate with each other to elect a local manager that acts as a base station by which other UEs of the group can access network resources. Described is an example voting scheme by which the negotiation process elects the local manager for a term.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 during a voting process to elect a local manager for a group of radio user equipment, generating, by a first radio user equipment comprising a processor, a vote indicative of a decision of whether the first radio user equipment votes for a neighboring radio user equipment nominated to be the local manager in a neighbor-candidacy message received by the first radio user equipment, wherein the group of radio user equipment comprises the first radio user equipment and the neighboring radio user equipment, and wherein generating the vote comprises:
 in response to the first radio user equipment making the decision to vote for the neighboring radio user equipment being the local manager, setting the vote to an acknowledgement, and 
 in response to the first radio user equipment making the decision to vote against the neighboring radio user equipment being the local manager, setting the vote to a negative acknowledgement; and 
   sending, by the first radio user equipment, within a defined time duration, voting data comprising the vote in response to the neighbor-candidacy message.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neighbor-candidacy message is a first neighbor-candidacy message, and the neighboring radio user equipment is a first neighboring radio user equipment, and further comprising receiving, by the first radio user equipment, a second neighbor-candidacy message nominating a second neighboring radio user equipment of the group of radio user equipment to be the local manager during the voting process. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and further comprising:
 in response to setting the first vote to the acknowledgement, setting, by the first radio user equipment, a second vote to the negative acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote against the second neighboring radio user equipment being the local manager; and   sending, by the first radio user equipment, within the defined time duration, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy message.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and further comprising:
 in response to setting the first vote to the negative acknowledgement, setting, by the first radio user equipment, a second vote to the acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote for the second neighboring radio user equipment being the local manager; and   sending, by the first radio user equipment, within the defined time duration, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy message.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising broadcasting, by the first radio user equipment, a self-candidacy notification that volunteers the first radio user equipment as a candidate to be the local manager of the group. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, and wherein determining the local manager of the group further comprises:
 monitoring, within the defined time duration, second voting data received from a second radio user equipment of the group in response to broadcasting the self-candidacy notification,   determining, based on the second voting data, that the group has elected the first radio user equipment to be the local manager of the group, and   operating the first radio user equipment as the local manager.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein operating the first radio user equipment as the local manager comprises operating the first radio user equipment as the local manager for a defined amount of time. 
     
     
         8 . A mobile device, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 during an election for a local manager for a group of mobile devices, generating a vote indicative of a decision of whether the mobile device votes for a neighboring mobile device nominated to be the local manager in a neighbor-candidacy notification received by the mobile device, wherein generating the vote comprises:
 in response to the mobile device making the decision to vote for the neighboring mobile device being the local manager, setting the vote to an acknowledgement, and 
 in response to the mobile device making the decision to vote against the neighboring mobile device being the local manager, setting the vote to a negative acknowledgement; and 
 
 sending, within a defined period of time, voting data comprising the vote in response to the neighbor-candidacy notification. 
   
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 8 , wherein the neighbor-candidacy notification is a first neighbor-candidacy notification, wherein the neighboring mobile device is a first neighboring mobile device, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving a second neighbor-candidacy notification nominating a second neighboring mobile device to be the local manager during the election. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to setting the first vote to the acknowledgement, setting a second vote to the negative acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote against the second neighboring mobile device being the local manager; and   sending, within the defined period of time, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy notification.   
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 9 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to setting the first vote to the negative acknowledgement, setting a second vote to the acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote for the second neighboring mobile device being the local manager; and   sending, within the defined period of time, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy notification.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 8 , wherein the neighbor-candidacy notification is sent from the neighboring mobile device, and generating the vote is based on a signal strength of the neighbor-candidacy notification. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 8 , wherein generating the vote is based on a relative velocity between the mobile device and the neighboring mobile device. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile device of  claim 8 , wherein generating the vote is based on a comparison of first received signal strength of the neighboring mobile device and second received signal strength of a current local manager of the group of mobile devices prior to the election of the local manager. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 during an election of a local manager for a group of user equipment, generating a vote indicative of a decision of whether the user equipment votes for a neighboring user equipment nominated to be the local manager in a neighbor-candidacy notification received by the user equipment, wherein generating the vote comprises:
 in response to the user equipment making the decision to vote for the neighboring user equipment being the local manager, setting the vote to an acknowledgement, and 
 in response to the user equipment making the decision to vote against the neighboring user equipment being the local manager, setting the vote to a negative acknowledgement; and 
   sending, within a defined time window, voting data comprising the vote in response to reception of the neighbor-candidacy notification.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the neighbor-candidacy notification is a first neighbor-candidacy notification, and the neighboring user equipment is a first neighboring user equipment, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving a second neighbor-candidacy notification nominating a second neighboring user equipment to be the local manager during the election. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to setting the first vote to the acknowledgement, setting a second vote to the negative acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote against the second neighboring user equipment being the local manager; and   sending, within the defined time window, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy message.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the voting data is first voting data, the vote is a first vote, and the decision is a first decision, and wherein the operations further comprise:
 in response to setting the first vote to the negative acknowledgement, setting a second vote to the acknowledgement indicating a second decision to vote for the second neighboring user equipment being the local manager; and   sending, within the defined time window, second voting data comprising the second vote in response to the second neighbor-candidacy message.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating the vote is based on a signal strength of the neighboring user equipment. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating the vote is based on a relative velocity between the user equipment and the neighboring user equipment.