US 8,787,305 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for scheduling peer-to-peer communication links

AssigneeMotorola Solutions, Inc.

InventorsJames P. Michels, Michael H. Baker

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Abstract

An evolved Node B creates or updates peer sets from measured performance information received from one or more stations. The measured performance information includes at least one quality metric associated with a downlink signal sent from the evolved Node B to the one or more stations. The evolved Node B determines excluded timeslots and preferred timeslots based on current resource assignments in each timeslot and based on the peer sets, marks potential resources in an uplink portion of a resource allocation map, and allocates one of the potential resources for peer-to-peer communication between a transmitter station and one or more receiver stations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method in a network node for allocating resources for peer-to-peer communications, the method comprising:

creating or updating peer sets, in the network node, from measured performance information received from one or more stations, wherein the measured performance information includes at least one quality metric associated with a downlink signal sent from the network node to the one or more stations;
determining, based on the measured performance information, whether the network node is a high impact peer of a low impact peer of a peer-to-peer communication transmit station;
determining, in the network node, a preferred timeslot for both a peer-to-peer communication among medium or high impact peer stations and a downlink communication by the network node based on current resource assignments in each timeslot, the peer sets, and the determination of whether the network node is a high impact peer or a low impact peer of each station associated with the peer-to-peer communication;
marking, in the network node, potential resources in a peer-to-peer portion of a resource allocation map based on the determination of the preferred timeslot;
and
allocating, in the network node, one of the potential resources for peer-to-peer communication between a transmitter station and one or more receiver stations.

3 more elements

A node configured to allocate resources for peer-to-peer communications, the node comprising:

a creating unit configured to create or update peer sets from measured performance information received from one or more stations, wherein the measured performance information includes at least one quality metric associated with a downlink signal sent from a node to the one or more stations;
a determining unit configured to determine, based on the measured performance information, whether the network node is a high impact peer of a low impact peer of a peer-to-peer communication transmit station and determine a preferred timeslot for both a peer-to-peer communication among medium or high impact peer stations and a downlink communication by the network node based on current resource assignments in each timeslot, the peer sets, and the determination of whether the network node is a high impact peer or a low impact peer of each station associated with the peer-to-peer communication;
a marking unit configured to mark potential resources in a peer-to-peer portion of a resource allocation map based on the determination of the preferred timeslot;
and
an allocating unit configured to allocate one of the potential resources for peer-to-peer communication between a transmitter station and one or more receiver stations.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.