System and method for establishing a d2d communication group

2:

• The method of claim 1, further comprising:
• after receiving the confirmation message, using D2D communication to communicate with the neighbour UE to be assisted with wireless communication between the target UE and the base station.

3:

• The method of claim 1, further comprising:
• prior to transmitting the request message, receiving a message indicating that the target UE is to transmit the request message.

4:

• The method of claim 3, wherein the message indicating that the target UE is to transmit the request message comprises at least one of:
• an indication of a preamble assigned by a network, and the preamble assigned by the network, and wherein the request message includes the preamble.

5:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by a network to the D2D group.

7:

• The target UE of claim 6, wherein the D2D communication module is further configured to instruct the target UE to:
• use D2D communication to communicate with the neighbour UE to be assisted with wireless communication between the target UE and the base station.

8:

• The target UE of claim 6, wherein the D2D communication module is further configured to instruct the target UE to:
• prior to transmitting the request message, receive a message indicating that the target UE is to transmit the request message.

9:

• The target UE of claim 8, wherein the message indicating that the target UE is to transmit the request message comprises at least one of:
• an indication of a preamble assigned by a network, and the preamble assigned by the network, and wherein the request message includes the preamble.

10:

• The target UE of claim 6, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by a network to the D2D group.

12:

• The method of claim 11, further comprising:
• after receiving the confirmation message:
• using D2D communication to communicate with the target UE to assist the target UE with wireless communication between the target UE and the base station.

13:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the request message includes a preamble that was assigned by a network.

15:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by a network to the D2D group.

17:

• The neighbour UE of claim 16, wherein the D2D communication module is further configured to instruct the UE to:
• after receiving the confirmation message:
• use D2D communication to communicate with the target UE to assist the target UE with wireless communication between the target UE and the base station.

18:

• The neighbour UE of claim 16, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by a network to the D2D group.

19:

• The neighbour UE of claim 16, wherein the request message includes a preamble that was assigned by a network.

21:

• A method performed by a base station of a network, the method comprising:
• receiving a report message from a neighbour UE, the report message indicating that the neighbour UE will be part of a D2D group with a target UE;
• transmitting to the target UE and to the neighbour UE a confirmation message, the confirmation message indicating that the neighbour UE is in the D2D group with the target UE.

22:

• The method of claim 21, further comprising prior to receiving the report message:
• transmitting a message indicating that the target UE is to send a request message, the request message inviting at least one UE to be part of a D2D group with the target UE.

23:

• The method of claim 22, further comprising:
• transmitting to the target UE at least one of:
• an indication of a preamble assigned by the network, and the preamble assigned by the network, to be used in the request message.

24:

• The method of claim 21, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by the network to the D2D group.

25:

• The method of claim 21, wherein transmitting the confirmation message comprises:
• transmitting a signal including both the confirmation message and another confirmation message, the other confirmation message confirming that the target UE and another neighbour UE are also in the D2D group;
• and wherein the confirmation message and the other confirmation message both include a D2D group ID assigned by the network to the D2D group.

26:

• A device-to-device (D2D) communication module configured to instruct a base station to:
• receive a report message from a neighbour UE, the report message indicating that the neighbour UE will be part of a D2D group with a target UE;
• transmit to the target UE and to the neighbour UE a confirmation message, the confirmation message indicating that the neighbour UE is in the D2D group with the target UE.

27:

• The D2D communication module of claim 26, wherein the confirmation message includes a D2D group ID assigned by the network to the D2D group.

28:

• The D2D communication module of claim 26, wherein the D2D communication module is configured to instruct the base station to transmit the confirmation message by instructing the base station to:
• transmit a signal including both the confirmation message and another confirmation message, the other confirmation message confirming that the target UE and another neighbour UE are also in the D2D group;
• and wherein the confirmation message and the other confirmation message both include a D2D group ID assigned by the network to the D2D group.

29:

• The D2D communication module of claim 26, wherein the D2D communication module is configured to instruct the base station to:
• prior to receiving the report message, transmit a message indicating that the target UE is to send a request message, the request message inviting at least one UE to be part of a D2D group with the target UE.

30:

• The D2D communication module of claim 29, wherein the D2D communication module is configured to instruct the base station to:
• transmit to the target UE at least one of:
• an indication of a preamble assigned by the network, and the preamble assigned by the network, to be used in the request message.

31:

• The D2D communication module of claim 26, wherein the D2D communication module is part of the base station.

32:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the report message to the base station indicates that the neighbour UE has decided that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.

33:

• The target UE of claim 6, wherein the report message to the base station indicates that the neighbour UE has decided that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.

34:

• The method of claim 11, wherein the neighbour UE transmits the report message in response to the neighbour UE deciding that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.

35:

• The neighbour UE of claim 16, wherein the D2D communication module is configured to instruct the neighbour UE to transmit the report message in response to the neighbour UE deciding that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.

36:

• The method of claim 21, wherein the report message indicates that the neighbour UE has decided that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.

37:

• The D2D communication module of claim 26, wherein the report message indicates that the neighbour UE has decided that the neighbour UE will be part of the D2D group with the target UE.