Methods and devices for communications in device-to-device networks

A wireless device comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive, from a synchronization provider of a synchronization cluster, first synchronization signals and synchronization quality information that indicates a synchronization quality of the first synchronization signals;
• a sync controller configured to compare the synchronization quality information to reference synchronization quality information that indicates a potential synchronization quality of the wireless device, and to trigger, based on the comparing, a handover of a synchronization provider role from the synchronization provider to the wireless device;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit second synchronization signals for the synchronization cluster after the handover.

A communication device comprising:

• a test controller configured to receive one or more test control commands and configure one or more other components of the communication device to execute one or more sequences according to the one or more test control commands;
• a test loop generator configured to receive instructions from the test controller and command one or more signal processors to generate reference measurement channels and IQ samples for transmission, wherein the test loop generator is further configured to store the IQ samples;
• and
• an in-channel signal analyzer configured to perform received characteristic measurements and compare the received characteristic measurements with the stored IQ samples.

A wireless device comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive data on a common frequency shared by multiple wireless devices of a device-to-device network;
• and
• a controller configured to identify a scheduling request in the data from the common frequency, identify a transmitting device of the scheduling request, and identify a user-specific frequency based on the transmitting device,
• the receiver further configured to receive a reference signal on the user-specific frequency and receive a data transmission from the candidate device on the user-specific frequency.

A wireless device comprising:

• a synchronization signal memory configured to store a synchronization signal comprising a plurality of slots that are respectively modified by different slot-specific codes;
• a timing controller configured to identify a first frame scheduled for synchronization signal broadcast;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the synchronization signal in the first frame.

A wireless device comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit synchronization signals for a synchronization cluster comprising multiple synchronization tiers of wireless devices;
• and
• a sync controller configured to detect a condition that indicates that the transmitting of the synchronization signals will be interrupted,
• the transmitter further configured to transmit a beacon that indicates a synchronization tier of the wireless device, and
• the sync controller configured to perform a handover of the transmitting of synchronization signals to a second wireless device.

A wireless device comprising:

• a satellite acquisition processor configured to perform acquisition on a navigational satellite system;
• an internal device clock configured to align its timing with the navigational satellite system based on the acquisition and to monitor one or more timing accuracy parameters of the timing;
• and
• a satellite tracker configured to periodically track the navigational satellite system based on the internal device clock to update the timing,
• wherein the satellite acquisition processor is configured to perform reacquisition on the navigational satellite system if the one or more timing accuracy parameters are greater than one or more accuracy thresholds.

A wireless device comprising:

• a sync controller configured to maintain synchronization with a synchronization cluster based on a main synchronization signal from the synchronization cluster, and to determine whether a triggering condition is met for broadcasting a supporting synchronization signal;
• a transmitter configured to, if the triggering condition is met, broadcast the supporting synchronization signal;
• and
• a receiver configured to, if the triggering condition is met, receive a response signal from a second wireless device that is synchronized with the supporting synchronization signal.