Group Discovery Signal Tier Management in Wireless UE Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, such as 3GPP LTE, face challenges in efficiently performing group communication due to limitations in direct device-to-device communication, particularly in managing tier counts and signal quality for group discovery signals.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for performing group communication in a wireless communication system that involves detecting and generating group discovery signals with specific tier counts, ensuring signal quality meets a predetermined threshold, and transmitting these signals between User Equipments (UEs) to facilitate efficient group communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If group discovery signals are transmitted frequently to maintain group communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device battery consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic transmission of group discovery signals at predetermined intervals rather than continuous transmission. The transmitting UE sends group discovery signals periodically, and the receiving UE periodically monitors for these signals. This periodic action maintains group communication reliability by ensuring regular signal exchange while significantly reducing battery consumption compared to continuous transmission and monitoring modes.
2Area of stationary object
If tier count management is implemented for multi-hop communication, then communication coverage is expanded, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication network into hierarchical tiers based on hop count from the group leader. Each UE is assigned a specific tier count (0 for group leader, 1 for direct neighbors, 2 for neighbors of neighbors, etc.). This segmentation approach expands communication coverage by enabling multi-hop relay communication while managing device complexity through a simple, standardized tier assignment algorithm that UEs can implement autonomously without complex centralized coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary tier count assignment when UEs first join the group or when group topology changes. The receiving UE determines its tier count based on received group discovery signals before engaging in full group communication. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent communication operations by pre-establishing the UE's position in the hierarchical structure, avoiding the need for complex real-time tier calculations during active communication.
3Reliability
If signal quality thresholds are enforced for group discovery, then communication quality is improved, but the number of successful group formations decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a configurable signal quality threshold parameter that can be adjusted based on deployment scenarios and requirements. The receiving UE measures the quality of received group discovery signals and compares it against this threshold to determine whether to join the group. By making this parameter changeable rather than fixed, the system can optimize for either high signal quality (stricter threshold) or high group formation rate (more lenient threshold) depending on the specific application needs, thus resolving the contradiction between these two objectives.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application discloses a method of performing group communication using user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. In particular, the method includes: detecting a first group of discovery signals having a first tier counter value; generating a second group of discovery signals having a second tier counter value by using the first value; and transmitting the second group of discovery signals to another UE, wherein the tier counter indicates a tier value to which the UE belongs based on an initially activated UE or base station in the group communication.