# US 2017/0290033 A1 · Method for scheduling vehicle-to-vehicle communications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0290033 A1 - Document ID: US20170290033A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/473,785 - Filed: 2017-03-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) - Inventors: Ricardo Blasco Serrano; Stefano Sorrentino; Hieu Do - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170290033A1 ## CPC - H04W 28/26: Resource reservation - H04W 72/12: Wireless traffic scheduling - H04L 49/90: Buffering arrangements - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 92/18: between terminal devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system, communication device, and method for scheduling transmissions from the communication device. The device predicts an arrival time of a next packet for transmission when a current packet arrives in a transmission buffer. The device plans a future transmission time of the next packet based on the predicted arrival time of the next packet, and books transmission resources for the planned future transmission time. If the next packet has arrived a Tdrop time period before the planned future transmission time, the device transmits the next packet. If the next packet has not arrived at that time, the device re-plans the future transmission time of the next packet. The device may then unbook the transmission resources for the planned future transmission time, book transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time, and notify other communication devices that the unbooked transmission resources are available for use by the other communication devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of scheduling transmissions from a communication device, the method comprising: predicting an arrival time of a next packet for transmission when or after a current packet arrives; planning a future transmission time of the next packet based on the predicted arrival time of the next packet; and booking transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein predicting includes predicting the arrival time of the next packet for transmission based on arrival times of N most recently received packets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein planning a future transmission time of the next packet includes utilizing a planning method selected from a group consisting of: computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet alone; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet plus a parameter providing a minimum time between the arrival time of the next packet and the actual transmission of the next packet; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the current time; and computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the transmission time of the current packet. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the next packet has arrived before the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and transmitting the next packet in response to determining that the next packet has arrived before the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, further comprising: re-planning the future transmission time of the next packet in response to determining that the next packet has not arrived before the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the next packet has arrived before a defined time period (Tdrop) prior to the planned future transmission time; and transmitting the next packet in response to determining that the next packet has arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, further comprising, in response to determining that the next packet has not arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet: re-planning the future transmission time of the next packet; unbooking the transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and booking transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising notifying other communication devices that the unbooked transmission resources are available for use by the other communication devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein notifying includes sending a control information packet at least the Tdrop time period before the planned future transmission time, the control information packet including: an indicator for booking transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet; an indicator for informing the other communication devices that the communication device will not use the booked transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and a value indicating the planned future transmission time of the unbooked transmission resources. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device. ### Claim 11 A communication device, comprising: a processor; a non-transitory memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; a transmit buffer connected to the processor; and an interface connected to the processor for transmitting packets from the communication device; wherein, when or after a current packet arrives in the transmit buffer, the processor is configured to execute the instructions in the memory, thereby causing the processor to: predict an arrival time of a next packet for transmission; plan a future transmission time of the next packet based on the predicted arrival time of the next packet; and book transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to predict the arrival time of the next packet for transmission based on arrival times of N most recently received packets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to plan a future transmission time of the next packet utilizing a planning method selected from a group consisting of: computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet alone; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet plus a parameter providing a minimum time between the arrival time of the next packet and the actual transmission of the next packet; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the current time; and computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the transmission time of the current packet. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether the next packet has arrived before a defined time period (Tdrop) prior to the planned future transmission time; and transmit the next packet in response to determining that the next packet has arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The communication device according to claim 14, wherein, in response to determining that the next packet has not arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet, the processor is further configured to: re-plan the future transmission time of the next packet; unbook the transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and book transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to notify other communication devices that the unbooked transmission resources are available for use by the other communication devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The communication device according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to notify the other communication devices by sending a control information packet at least the Tdrop time period before the planned future transmission time, the control information packet including: an indicator for booking transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet; an indicator for informing the other communication devices that the communication device will not use the booked transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and a value indicating the planned future transmission time of the unbooked transmission resources. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device. ### Claim 19 A system for scheduling transmissions from a plurality of communication devices involved in a communication using a shared medium, the system comprising: within each of the plurality of communication devices, an apparatus comprising: a processor; a non-transitory memory for storing instructions executable by the processor and for buffering packets to be transmitted; and an interface connected to the processor for transmitting packets from the communication device; wherein, when or after a current packet arrives in the memory, the processor is configured to execute the instructions in the memory, thereby causing the processor to: predict an arrival time of a next packet for transmission; plan a future transmission time of the next packet based on the predicted arrival time of the next packet; book transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and notify other communication devices of the booked transmission resources. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is further configured to predict the arrival time of the next packet for transmission based on arrival times of N most recently received packets. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is further configured to plan a future transmission time of the next packet utilizing a planning method selected from a group consisting of: computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet alone; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet plus a parameter providing a minimum time between the arrival time of the next packet and the actual transmission of the next packet; computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the current time; and computing the future transmission time as a function of the predicted arrival time of the next packet and the transmission time of the current packet. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor within each of the other communication devices is further configured to avoid transmitting at the planned future transmission time. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is further configured to: determine whether the next packet has arrived before a defined time period (Tdrop) prior to the planned future transmission time; and transmit the next packet in response to determining that the next packet has arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system according to claim 23, wherein, in response to determining that the next packet has not arrived before the Tdrop time period prior to the planned future transmission time of the next packet, the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is further configured to: re-plan the future transmission time of the next packet; unbook the transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and book transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system according to claim 24, wherein the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is further configured to notify the other communication devices that the unbooked transmission resources are available for use by the other communication devices. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system according to claim 25, wherein the processor within each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to notify the other communication devices by sending a control information packet at least the Tdrop time period before the planned future transmission time, the control information packet including: an indicator for booking transmission resources for the re-planned future transmission time of the next packet; an indicator for informing the other communication devices that the communication device will not use the booked transmission resources for the planned future transmission time of the next packet; and a value indicating the planned future transmission time of the unbooked transmission resources. ### Claim 27 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of communication devices are wireless communication devices. ### Claim 28 A communication device within a plurality of communication devices involved in a communication using a shared medium, the communication device comprising: a processor; a non-transitory memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; and an interface connected to the processor for communicating with other communication devices within the plurality of communication devices; wherein, the processor is configured to execute the instructions in the memory, thereby causing the processor to: receive information about a planned transmission time by another communication device within the plurality of communication devices; and avoid transmitting at the planned transmission time.