Base Station Discovery Frame Identifier Broadcast for LTE D2D

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE systems, terminals cannot obtain a frequency-time pattern of a discovery time period when the interval between two consecutive discovery time periods is long, hindering effective device-to-device communication.

Innovation Solution

A base station broadcasts an identifier of the current discovery frame, calculated using the sequence number and cycle period of the discovery frame, allowing terminals to acquire and use the frequency-time pattern for sending or receiving discovery signals, thereby enabling successful detection by other terminals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the interval between two discovery time periods is long, then the impact on cellular communication is reduced, but the terminal cannot obtain the frequency-time pattern of the discovery time period

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecellular communication stabilityVSAvoidfrequency-time pattern information
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The base station sends the identifier of the current discovery frame in advance through broadcast information before the discovery time period occurs. This allows the terminal to obtain the frequency-time pattern information beforehand, ensuring that even with long intervals between discovery time periods, the terminal is fully prepared and can correctly receive or send discovery signals when the discovery time period arrives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If the discovery time period is inserted frequently, then the terminal can obtain frequency-time pattern information timely, but the burden on the macro network increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency-time pattern information availabilityVSAvoidmacro network capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifier information (which indicates the frequency-time pattern) from the complete discovery frame data and transmits it through broadcast information. This minimal information extraction approach allows terminals to obtain necessary frequency-time pattern information without requiring frequent or lengthy discovery time periods, thereby reducing the burden on the macro network while ensuring terminals have the needed information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If the discovery time period interval is long, then cellular communication is less affected, but the discovery signal transmission timing cannot be determined

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecellular communication stabilityVSAvoiddiscovery signal transmission timing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The base station provides the identifier of the current discovery frame through broadcast information in advance, enabling terminals to calculate and determine the frequency-time pattern before the discovery time period occurs. This preliminary provision of timing information ensures that even with long intervals between discovery time periods, terminals can accurately determine when to transmit or receive discovery signals without timing uncertainty.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3048844B1Communications method, base station, and terminal
Publication Date: 2020.04.08 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3048844B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3048844B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP3048844B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a communication method, a base station, and a terminal, which are applied to the communications field, to resolve a problem in the prior art that the terminal cannot obtain a frequency-time pattern of a discovery time period when an interval between two consecutive discovery time periods is long. The method includes: generating, by a base station, an identifier of a current discovery frame of a current discovery time period; and broadcasting, by the base station, the identifier of the current discovery frame of the current discovery time period, so that a terminal that receives the broadcast sent by the base station acquires, according to the identifier, in the broadcast, of the current discovery frame of the current discovery time period, a frequency-time pattern of the current discovery time period or a frequency-time pattern of a discovery time period that is after the current discovery time period. The embodiments of the present invention are applicable to the communication method.