Method and apparatus for establishing and maintaining peer-to-peer (P2P) communication on unlicensed spectrum

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• means for receiving a proximity detection signal by a first user equipment (UE) from at least one other UE;
• means for sending a request to a wide area network (WAN) by the first UE to establish peer-to-peer (P2P) communication with the at least one other UE on a first frequency band not licensed to the WAN, in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE;
• means for receiving a query from the WAN for determining capabilities of the first UE, the capabilities comprising whether the first UE is able to detect other UEs on the first frequency band;
• means for determining at least a first frequency channel in the first frequency band available for peer-to-peer communication, based on the capabilities of the first UE;
• and means for communicating peer-to-peer with the at least one other UE on the first frequency band by the first UE.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one processor to receive a proximity detection signal by a first user equipment (UE) from at least one other UE;
• code for causing the at least one processor to send a request to a wide area network (WAN) by the first UE to establish peer-to-peer (P2P) communication with the at least one other UE on a first frequency band not licensed to the WAN, in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE,
• code for causing the at least one processor to receive a query from the WAN for determining capabilities of the UE, the capabilities comprising whether the first UE is able to detect other UEs on the first frequency band;
• code for causing the at least one processor to determine at least one frequency channel in the first frequency band available for peer-to-peer communication, based on the capabilities of the first UE, and
• code for causing the at least one processor to communicate peer-to-peer with the at least one other UE on the first frequency band by the first UE.

A method for wireless communication, comprising:

• receiving a proximity detection signal by a first user equipment (UE) from at least one other UE;
• communicating peer-to-peer (P2P) by the first UE with the at least one other UE on at least one frequency channel in a frequency band not licensed to a wide area network (WAN), in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE;
• monitoring the at least one frequency channel by the first UE to detect usage of the at least one frequency channel by at least one licensed user of the frequency band;
• and
• performing at least one of:
• (1) handing over from the at least one frequency channel or to at least one other frequency channel in the frequency band or (2) switching from P2P communication to communication via the WAN, when usage of the at least one frequency channel by the at least one licensed user is detected or when performance degradation is detected on the at least one frequency channel.

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• means for receiving a proximity detection signal by a first user equipment (UE) from at least one other UE;
• means for sending capabilities of the first UE to a wide area network (WAN), the capabilities comprising whether the first UE is able to detect other UEs on the first frequency band;
• means for communicating peer-to-peer (P2P) by the first UE with the at least one other UE on at least one frequency channel in a frequency band not licensed to a wide area network (WAN), in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE;
• means for monitoring the at least one frequency channel by the first UE to detect usage of the at least one frequency channel by at least one licensed user of the frequency band;
• and
• means for performing at least one of:
• (1) handing over from the at least one frequency channel or to at least one other frequency channel in the frequency band or (2) switching from P2P communication to communication via the WAN, when usage of the at least one frequency channel by the at least one licensed user is detected or when performance degradation is detected on the at least one frequency channel.

An apparatus A first user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• receive a proximity detection signal from at least one other UE;
• send capabilities of the first UE to a wide area network (WAN), the capabilities comprising whether the first UE is able to detect other UEs on the first frequency band;
• communicate peer-to-peer (P2P) with the at least one other UE on at least one frequency channel in a frequency band not licensed to a wide area network (WAN), in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE
• monitor the at least one frequency channel by the first UE to detect usage of the at least one frequency channel by at least one licensed user of the frequency band;
• and
• perform at least one of:
• (1) handing over from the at least one frequency channel or to at least one other frequency channel in the frequency band or (2) switching from P2P communication to communication via the WAN, when usage of the at least one frequency channel by the at least one licensed user is detected or when performance degradation is detected on the at least one frequency channel.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one processor to receive a proximity detection signal by a first user equipment (UE) from at least one other UE;
• code for causing the at least one processor to send capabilities of the first UE to a wide area network (WAN), the capabilities comprising whether the first UE is able to detect other UEs on the first frequency band;
• code for causing the at least one processor to communicate peer-to-peer (P2P) by the first UE with the at least one other UE on at least one frequency channel in a frequency band not licensed to a wide area network (WAN), in response to receiving the proximity detection signal from the at least one other UE,
• code for causing the at least one processor to monitor the at least one frequency channel by the first UE to detect usage of the at least one frequency channel by at least one licensed user of the frequency band, and
• code for causing the at least one processor to perform at least one of:
• (1) handing over from the at least one frequency channel or to at least one other frequency channel in the frequency band or (2) switching from P2P communication to communication via the WAN, when usage of the at least one frequency channel by the at least one licensed user is detected or when performance degradation is detected on the at least one frequency channel.