Application Layer D2D Discovery for Signaling Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current D2D communication in LTE cellular networks requires a third-party server deployment, increases network signaling overhead, and lacks precise positioning methods, leading to high deployment complexity and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing D2D communication discovery at the application layer, where user equipment acquires and shares location information to establish communication links without additional infrastructure, using methods like GPS, cell, or cloud positioning, reducing network signaling and improving precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If D2D communication is established in LTE cellular network using prior art methods, then communication can be achieved, but third-party servers need to be deployed and message interfaces need to be deployed for different operators, which increases deployment difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the D2D communication discovery function from the network infrastructure and relocates it to the application layer. Specifically, the ProSe function is moved from the core network to the application server, allowing user equipment to perform autonomous proximity discovery without requiring complex network deployment. This extraction eliminates the need for dedicated ProSe servers and message interfaces while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables user equipment to perform self-service for D2D discovery by allowing devices to autonomously obtain location information, calculate distances, and determine D2D communication opportunities without network intervention. The application layer implementation allows devices to self-manage the discovery process, eliminating the need for network-deployed ProSe servers and reducing deployment complexity.
2Measurement precision
If network elements support positioning for D2D communication, then positioning function is achieved, but network signaling overheads are high, which increases burden of the cellular network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the positioning function from the network layer to the application layer, changing the dimensional plane where location information is processed. Instead of network elements performing positioning and signaling, the application layer directly accesses location information from device sensors (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope) and performs distance calculations locally. This dimensional shift eliminates positioning-related signaling overhead while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the network-based positioning mechanism with a device-based autonomous positioning mechanism. Instead of relying on network signaling for location determination, the system substitutes network positioning with direct access to device sensors and local computation, eliminating the mechanical signaling overhead while preserving positioning accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If OTDOA positioning method is used in LTE cellular network, then positioning can be achieved, but positioning precision is far lower than GPS positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal positioning solution at the application layer that can accommodate multiple positioning methods simultaneously. The system is designed to work with GPS, OTDOA, cell tower triangulation, and sensor-based positioning (accelerometer, gyroscope), allowing the application to select and combine methods based on availability and precision requirements. This multi-functional approach eliminates the limitation of single-method positioning while maintaining adaptability across different network environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic parameter changes in positioning methodology by allowing the application layer to adjust positioning precision and method selection based on real-time conditions. The system can switch between high-precision GPS and network-based methods, or combine multiple methods with different weights, changing the positioning parameters adaptively rather than being constrained to a fixed method like OTDOA.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a D2D communication discovery method, apparatus, and system. D2D communication discovery can be automatically implemented at an application layer, and D2D communication discovery may be implemented by an application server and user equipment, or D2D communication discovery may be implemented by two user equipments, without deploying another device or an additional interface, which reduces network signaling overheads and reduces power consumption. In addition, location information of the user equipment is acquired at the application layer, for example, the location information may be acquired in one or a combination of multiple manners such as GPS positioning, cell positioning, or cloud positioning. Multiple positioning manners can be supported, which improves positioning precision and can optimize network performance.