Communications device and method for transmitting data in resources corresponding to a buffer status report

Abstract

A communications device acting as a rely device is configured to transmit a buffer status report message indicating that the buffer is storing data received from the infrastructure equipment for transmission to a remote communications device, when predetermined conditions are satisfied or a trigger event occurs so that the transmission of the data to the remote communications device can make more efficient use of communications resources to transmit the data or the remote communications device receives the data when the remote communications device is in a state in which it should receive the data, for example when not in a reduced power state.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A communications device acting as a relay device configured to communicate with an infrastructure equipment of a mobile communications network, the communications device comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to
 receive signals representing uplink data from one or more remote communications devices for transmission to the infrastructure equipment; 
 transmit signals representing the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment; 
 store, in a buffer, the uplink data received from the one or more remote communications devices; 
 receive from the one or more of the remote communications device a buffer status report message indicating an amount of uplink data that the remote communications device has for transmission to the infrastructure equipment via the communications device acting as a relay node; 
 transmit in response to the buffer status response message received from the one or more remote communications devices an aggregated buffer status report message representing an amount of uplink data for transmission to the infrastructure equipment from the one or more remote communications devices; and 
 transmit the uplink data received from the one or more remote communications devices to the infrastructure equipment in communications resources allocated in accordance with the aggregated buffer status report. 
   
     
     
         3 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 receive an indication of the allocated communications resources from the infrastructure equipment for transmitting the uplink data from the buffer of the communications device to the infrastructure equipment; and   transmit the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment using the communications resources allocated in accordance with the aggregated buffer status report.   
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to detect that the data stored in the buffer should be transmitted to the remote communications device in accordance with one or more predetermined conditions. 
     
     
         6 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 receive, from the infrastructure equipment, an indication of a quality of service with which the data is to be communicated to the remote communications device, the indication of the quality of service including whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, and one of the one or more predetermined conditions comprises whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant;   determine whether the data stored in the buffer is delay tolerant in accordance with the indication of the quality of service;   in a case that the data is delay tolerant, wait for a predetermined time before transmitting the buffer status report message; and   in a case that the data is non-delay tolerant, transmit the buffer status report message to the remote communications device without delay.   
     
     
         7 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 receive, from the infrastructure equipment, an indication of a quality of service with which the data is to be communicated to the remote communications device, the indication of the quality of service including whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, and one of the one or more predetermined conditions comprises whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, determine whether the data stored in the buffer is delay tolerant in accordance with the indication of the quality of service;   in a case that the data is delay tolerant, wait for a predetermined time before transmitting the data; and   in a case that the data is non-delay tolerant, transmit the data to the remote communications device without delay.   
     
     
         8 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 receive data for transmission to the remote communications from the infrastructure equipment during the waiting for the predetermined time;   store the data in the buffer; and   transmit the data received during the predetermined time in the indicated communications resources from the buffer to the remote communications device.   
     
     
         9 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 monitor a quantity of the data stored in the buffer; and   in a case that the quality of data stored in the buffer exceeds a predetermined maximum amount, transmit the data received in the indicated communications resources from the buffer to the remote communications device before the end of the predetermined time.   
     
     
         10 . The communications device as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to
 wait for a predetermined time to receive the scheduling request message from the remote communications device, for allowing the remote communications device to receive the data in a case that predetermined conditions have been satisfied; and   in a case that the scheduling request message has not been received within the predetermined time, re-transmit the buffer status report message.   
     
     
         11 . A method of communicating using a communications device acting as a relay device, the method comprising:
 receiving an indication of an allocated pool of communications resources from an infrastructure equipment of a wireless communications network, the allocated pool of communication resources being for one or more remote communications devices to transmit uplink data to the communications devices acting as the relay device;   receiving a buffer status report message from one of the remote communications devices;   allocating communications resources from the pool of communications resources allocated by the infrastructure equipment for the remote communications device to transmit the uplink data to the communications device acting as a relay node;   receiving uplink data from the remote communications device for transmission to the infrastructure equipment;   storing the received uplink data in the buffer, which should be transmitted to the infrastructure equipment; and   transmitting the data from the buffer to the infrastructure equipment in the indicated communications resources.   
     
     
         12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication of the allocated communications resources from the infrastructure equipment for transmitting the uplink data from the buffer of the communications device to the infrastructure equipment; and   transmitting the uplink data to the infrastructure equipment using the communications resources allocated in accordance with the aggregated buffer status report.   
     
     
         13 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 detecting that the data stored in the buffer should be transmitted to the remote communications device in accordance with one or more predetermined conditions.   
     
     
         14 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the infrastructure equipment, an indication of a quality of service with which the data is to be communicated to the remote communications device, the indication of the quality of service including whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, and one of the one or more predetermined conditions comprises whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant;   determining whether the data stored in the buffer is delay tolerant in accordance with the indication of the quality of service;   in a case that the data is delay tolerant, waiting for a predetermined time before transmitting the buffer status report message; and   in a case that the data is non-delay tolerant, transmitting the buffer status report message to the remote communications device without delay.   
     
     
         15 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the infrastructure equipment, an indication of a quality of service with which the data is to be communicated to the remote communications device, the indication of the quality of service including whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, and one of the one or more predetermined conditions comprises whether the data is delay tolerant or non-delay tolerant, determine whether the data stored in the buffer is delay tolerant in accordance with the indication of the quality of service;   in a case that the data is delay tolerant, waiting for a predetermined time before transmitting the data; and   in a case that the data is non-delay tolerant, transmitting the data to the remote communications device without delay.   
     
     
         16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving data for transmission to the remote communications from the infrastructure equipment during the waiting for the predetermined time;   storing the data in the buffer; and   transmitting the data received during the predetermined time in the indicated communications resources from the buffer to the remote communications device.   
     
     
         17 . The method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 monitoring a quantity of the data stored in the buffer; and   in a case that the quality of data stored in the buffer exceeds a predetermined maximum amount, transmitting the data received in the indicated communications resources from the buffer to the remote communications device before the end of the predetermined time.   
     
     
         18 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 waiting for a predetermined time to receive the scheduling request message from the remote communications device, for allowing the remote communications device to receive the data in a case that predetermined conditions have been satisfied; and   in a case that the scheduling request message has not been received within the predetermined time, re-transmitting the buffer status report message.   
     
     
         19 . A method of transmitting data received by a communications device acting as a relay device from an infrastructure equipment of a mobile communications network to a remote communications device, the method comprising:
 receiving signals representing data from the infrastructure equipment for transmission to the remote communications device;   storing the data for transmission to the remote communications device in a buffer; and   transmitting signals representing the received data to the remote communications device, the transmitting the signals includes:
 detecting that data stored in the buffer should be transmitted to the remote communications device; 
 transmitting to the remote communications device a buffer status report message indicating that the communications device acting as a relay node has data for transmission to the remote communications device; 
 receiving in response to the buffer status response message a scheduling request message from the remote communications device; 
 transmitting an indication of communications resource to the remote communications device in which the data is to be transmitted; and 
 transmitting the data from the buffer to the remote communications device in the indicated communications resources. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 transmitting an indication of the allocated communications resources to the infrastructure equipment for transmitting the uplink data from the buffer of the communications device to the infrastructure equipment; and   receiving the uplink data from the infrastructure equipment using the communications resources allocated in accordance with the aggregated buffer status report.   
     
     
         21 . The method as claimed in  claim 19 , the data stored in the buffer is to be received from the remote communications device in accordance with one or more predetermined conditions.