U.S. patent application number 15/939109 was filed with the patent office on 2019-10-03 for wireless communication via a mobile relay.
This patent application is currently assigned to Google LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Google LLC. Invention is credited to Aamir Akram, Erik Richard Stauffer, Jibing Wang.
Application Number | 20190305828 15/939109 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65276277 |
Filed Date | 2019-10-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190305828 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wang; Jibing ; et
al. |
October 3, 2019 |
Wireless Communication via a Mobile Relay
Abstract
The present disclosure describes techniques and systems for
wireless communication via a mobile relay. These techniques may
include a user device that determines that a transceiver is
unavailable for communicating with a base station via a wireless
connection. The user device then uses a mobile relay to communicate
with the base station while the transceiver is unavailable. The
mobile relay may be used for transmitting or receiving data from
the base station. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile relay
may participate in the wireless connection as an external resource
of the mobile device or may establish an independent wireless
connection with the base station.
Inventors: |
Wang; Jibing; (Saratoga,
CA) ; Stauffer; Erik Richard; (Sunnyvale, CA)
; Akram; Aamir; (San Jose, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Google LLC |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Google LLC
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
65276277 |
Appl. No.: |
15/939109 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 88/04 20130101;
H04W 84/08 20130101; H04B 1/005 20130101; H04W 84/18 20130101; H04W
84/005 20130101; H04B 5/0043 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04B 5/00 20060101
H04B005/00 |
Claims
1. A method performed by a user device for wireless communication
via a mobile relay, the method comprising: establishing, via a
transceiver of the user device, a wireless connection with a base
station; determine, by the user device, that the transceiver is
unavailable for receiving data from the base station, the
determination based at least in part on the transceiver being
scheduled for communicating other data; establishing, by the user
device, another wireless connection with the mobile relay;
transmitting, to the mobile relay via the other wireless
connection, a request to receive the data from the base station;
and receiving, from the mobile relay via the other wireless
connection, the data from the base station.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless
connection with the base station operates over millimeter
waves.
3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the other wireless
connection operates according to a device-to-device protocol.
4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the device-to-device
protocol includes one or more of a personal area network protocol
or a side-link protocol.
5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is
determined to be unavailable further based on a signal strength of
the wireless connection being below a threshold.
6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the signal strength of
the wireless connection is below the threshold because of an object
obstructing a signal from the base station.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is
determined to be unavailable further based on a power level of the
user device being below a threshold power level.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is
determined to be unavailable further based on a temperature of the
user device exceeding a temperature threshold.
9. (canceled)
10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is
determined to be unavailable further based on a conflicting
procedure within the user device operating at an interfering
frequency.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user device
receives the data from the base station as decoded data, the data
from the base station having been decoded by the mobile relay.
12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user device
receives, via another transceiver of the user device, the data over
a down-converted signal transmitted from the mobile relay.
13. A user device comprising: a processor; a first hardware-based
transceiver and a second hardware-based transceiver; and a
computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions
that, responsive to execution by the processor, cause the processor
to perform operations comprising: establishing, via the first
hardware-based transceiver, a wireless connection with a base
station; determine, by the user device, that the first
hardware-based transceiver is unavailable for transmitting data to
the base station, the determination based at least in part on the
first hardware transceiver being scheduled for communicating other
data; establishing, via the second hardware-based transceiver,
another wireless connection with a mobile relay; and transmitting,
to the mobile relay via the other wireless connection, the data to
be transmitted to the base station and instructions for
transmitting the data to the base station.
14. The user device as recited in claim 13, wherein: the user
device establishes the wireless connection with the base station
over a first frequency bandwidth; the user device establishes the
other wireless connection with the mobile relay over a second
frequency bandwidth; and the first frequency bandwidth is distinct
from the second frequency bandwidth.
15. The user device as recited in claim 13, wherein: the user
device receives an uplink grant for transmitting the data to the
base station, the uplink grant identifying resources of the
wireless connection for transmitting the data; and the instructions
direct the mobile relay to transmit the data over the identified
resources of the wireless connection.
16-20. (canceled)
21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request to
receive the data from the base station includes instructions for
receiving the data.
22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the instructions
include one or more of: an identification of communication
resources over which the base station has scheduled transmission of
the data to the wireless device; an indication of spatial layers of
communication resources over which the base station has scheduled
transmission of the data to the wireless device; a demodulation
scheme; or a request to modify the data.
23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the instructions
include the request to modify the data and the request to modify
the data includes one or more of a request to: decode the data;
partially decode the data; or down-convert the data.
24. The user device as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless
connection with the base station operates over millimeter
waves.
25. The user device as recited in claim 13, wherein the other
wireless connection operates according to a device-to-device
protocol.
26. The user device as recited in claim 13, wherein the
instructions for transmitting the data to the base station include
one or more of: an identification of the user device as a source of
the data; an identification of resources of the wireless connection
over which the data is scheduled for transmission; or a protocol of
the wireless connection.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Wireless communication has become a leading medium for
accessing and uploading data. With advances in wireless protocols,
which facilitate improved upload and download speeds, wireless
network providers are beginning to operate over signal waves at
higher frequencies. The higher-frequency signal waves have an
increased capacity for communicating data over a time interval
based on an increased quantity of signal waves that can be
communicated with a wireless device during the time interval.
However, higher-frequency wireless networks, such as a 5.sup.th
generation new radio (5G NR) wireless network, are more susceptible
to fading, reflection off of an object, and signal distortion. This
can lead to a decreased signal quality when compared with other
wireless networks, such as a 4.sup.th generation long-term
evolution (4G LTE) wireless network. For example, when a user's
hand covers an antenna of a wireless device, a signal strength of a
higher-frequency signal can be dramatically reduced.
SUMMARY
[0002] This document describes techniques for, and systems that
enable, wireless communication via a mobile relay. Based on a
transceiver being unavailable, a user device can use the mobile
relay to transmit or receive data from a base station of a wireless
network. The transceiver may be unavailable based on, for example,
detecting a low signal strength of a wireless connection with the
base station, being occupied for another transmission or reception,
a high temperature of the user device, or a low power level of the
user device. When using the mobile relay for communicating with a
base station, the user device may provide instructions for
transmitting or receiving the data. To facilitate communication
between the user device and the mobile relay, the user device may
establish a wireless connection with the mobile relay that operates
at a different frequency or under a different protocol than the
wireless network. By using the mobile relay for communication with
the base station, the user device is able to improve communication
via the wireless connection. For example, communication may be
improved by increasing an effective signal quality of the wireless
connection, gaining access to another transceiver, or decreasing a
power consumption and a heat output for transmitting the data by
transmitting the data over a shorter distance.
[0003] In some aspects, a user device establishes, via a
transceiver of the user device, a wireless connection with a base
station. The user device determines that the transceiver is
unavailable for receiving data from the base station. The user
device also establishes another wireless connection with a mobile
relay. For example, the other wireless connection may include a
side-link connection or a personal area network connection such as
Bluetooth.TM. or Wireless USB.TM.. The user device transmits, to
the mobile relay, a request to receive the data from the base
station. The request may include instructions for receiving the
data from the base station, such as an identification of
communication resources over which the base station is scheduled to
transmit the data. The user device then receives the data, via the
mobile relay, from the base station.
[0004] In other aspects, a user device performs wireless
communication via a mobile relay. The user device includes a
processor, a first hardware-based transceiver, a second
hardware-based transceiver, and a computer-readable storage medium
storing instructions that can be executed by the processor to
perform operations for wireless communication via a mobile relay.
When performing the operations, the user device establishes a
wireless connection with a base station via the first
hardware-based transceiver. The user device then determines that
the first hardware-based transceiver is unavailable for
transmitting data to the base station. Before, during, or after
establishing the wireless connection with the base station or
determining that the first hardware-based transceiver is
unavailable, the user device establishes another wireless
connection with the mobile relay. The user device transmits, via
the second hardware-based transceiver and over the other wireless
connection, the data and instructions for transmitting the data to
the base station. The instructions may include one or more of an
identification of the user device, resources of the wireless
connection over which the data is scheduled for transmission, or a
protocol of the wireless connection.
[0005] In further aspects, a mobile relay establishes, via a first
transceiver, a wireless connection with a user device. The mobile
relay receives, from the user device, a request to receive data
from a base station. The request includes instructions for
receiving the data, such as one or more of an identification of
resources over which the data is scheduled to be transmitted, a
spatial layer over which the data is scheduled to be transmitted,
or decoding instructions. The mobile relay establishes, via a
second transceiver, another wireless connection with the base
station. The mobile relay then receives the data from the base
station via the other wireless connection. The mobile relay may
modify the data by, for example, decoding the data, down-converting
the data, or sampling in-phase and quadrature components (IQ
sampling). The mobile relay then transmits, to the user device, the
data from the base station, which data may have been modified by
the mobile relay.
[0006] The details of one or more implementations are set forth in
the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other
features and advantages will be apparent from the description and
drawings, and from the claims. This summary is provided to
introduce subject matter that is further described in the Detailed
Description and Drawings. Accordingly, this summary should not be
considered to describe essential features nor used to limit the
scope of the claimed subject matter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The details of one or more aspects of wireless communication
via a mobile relay are described below. The use of the same
reference numbers in different instances in the description and the
figures may indicate like elements:
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates example device configurations of a
wireless device and a base station in accordance with one or more
aspects of wireless communication via a mobile relay.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an example networking environment in
which a user device, a mobile relay, and a base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates another example networking environment in
which the user device, the mobile relay, and the base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates another example networking environment in
which the user device, the mobile relay, and the base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates another example networking environment in
which the user device, the mobile relay, and the base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay.
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface of the user
device through which a user may provide input in accordance with
one or more aspects of wireless communication via a mobile
relay.
[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates an example method performed by the user
device for wireless communication via a mobile relay.
[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates another example method performed by the
user device for wireless communication via a mobile relay.
[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates another example method performed by the
mobile relay for wireless communication via a mobile relay.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Higher-frequency signal waves have an increased capacity for
communicating data over a time interval, but are more susceptible
to fading, reflection off of an object, and signal distortion. For
example, a hand placed in a path of the higher-frequency signal
waves has been measured to reduce a signal strength by as much as
40 decibels. Additionally, when compared with lower-frequency
signal waves, higher-frequency signal waves are higher-energy
signal waves, transmission of which consumes an increased amount of
battery power and radiates additional heat within the user
device.
[0018] This document describes techniques and systems for wireless
communication via a mobile relay. These techniques may include a
user device that determines that a transceiver is unavailable for
communicating with a base station via a wireless connection. The
user device then uses a mobile relay to communicate with the base
station while the transceiver is unavailable. The mobile relay may
be used for transmitting or receiving data from the base station.
Additionally or alternatively, the mobile relay may participate in
the wireless connection as an external resource of the mobile
device or may establish an independent wireless connection with the
base station.
[0019] In an illustrative example, a user device receives a
downlink grant that identifies resources of a wireless connection
over which the base station has scheduled for transmission of data
to the user device. The user device detects that a signal quality
of the wireless connection is below a threshold signal quality.
This may be caused, for example, by a user's hand being placed over
an antenna of the user device. In this example, the user device is
wirelessly connected to a smart watch equipped with a transceiver
that is usable to communicate with the base station. The user
device transmits, to the smart watch, a request to receive the data
from the base station. The smart watch receives the data from the
base station and down-converts the data for transmitting to the
user device over a different frequency than the wireless connection
with the base station. For example, the smart watch transmits the
down-converted data over an LTE-side-link connection operating at a
frequency below 3 GHz.
[0020] The following discussion describes an operating environment
and techniques that may be employed in the operating environment
and/or network environment. In the context of the present
disclosure, reference is made to the operating environment or
networking environment by way of example only.
[0021] Operating Environment
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates an example operating environment 100 in
which wireless communication via a mobile relay can be implemented.
In this example, the operating environment includes a wireless
device 102 and a base station 104 that are respectively configured
to communicate over a wireless connection 106 of a wireless
network. Generally, the wireless connection 106 includes an uplink
108 by which the wireless device 102 transmits data to the base
station 104 and a downlink 110 by which the base station 104
transmits other data to the wireless device 102, such as grants for
further communications. Although shown or described with reference
to a separate uplink 108 or downlink 110, communication between the
wireless device 102 and the base station 104 may also be referenced
as a wireless association, a frame exchange, a wireless link, or a
communication link.
[0023] The wireless connection 106 may be implemented in accordance
with any suitable protocol or standard, such as a Global System for
Mobile Communications (GSM), Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access (WiMax), a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA),
Evolved HSPA (HSPA+) protocol, an LTE protocol, an LTE Advanced
protocol, a 5G NR protocol, or a future advanced protocol. The
protocol may operate based on frequency division duplexing (FDD) or
time division duplexing (TDD). The wireless connection 106 may
operate over a high bandwidth, such as a bandwidth greater than 1
GHz. Further, the wireless connection 106 may be configured to
allow for operation at high frequencies, such as frequencies
between 3 GHz and 30 GHz or between 30 GHz and 300 GHz (millimeter
waves), as well as lower frequencies, such as those between 0.5 GHz
and 3 GHz.
[0024] The wireless device 102 includes a processor 112;
computer-readable storage media (CRM) 114 having one or more of a
transceiver availability module 116, a communication scheduler 118,
and a data modifier 120; and a communication module 122. The
wireless device 102 is illustrated as a smart phone, however the
wireless device 102 may instead be implemented as any device with
wireless communication capabilities, such as a wearable
smart-device, a mobile gaming console, a tablet, a laptop, an
advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), a point-of-sale (POS)
terminal, a health monitoring device, an unmanned aircraft, a
camera, a media-streaming dongle, an internet-of-things (IoT)
device, a personal media device, a navigation device, a
mobile-internet device (MID), a wireless hotspot, a femtocell, a
smart vehicle, or a broadband router.
[0025] The processor 112 of the wireless device 102 can execute
processor-executable instructions or code stored by the CRM 114 to
cause the wireless device 102 to perform operations or implement
various device functionalities. In some cases, the processor 112 is
implemented as an application processor (e.g., multicore processor)
or a system-on-chip with other components of the wireless device
integrated therein. The CRM 114 may include any suitable type of
memory media or storage media, such as read-only memory (ROM),
programmable ROM (PROM), random access memory (RAM), static RAM
(SRAM), or Flash memory. In the context of this discussion, the CRM
114 of the wireless device 102 is implemented as hardware-based
storage media, which does not include transitory signals or carrier
waves. In some cases, the CRM 114 stores one or more of firmware,
an operating system, or applications of the wireless device 102 as
instructions, code, or information. The instructions or code can be
executed by the processor 112 to implement various functionalities
of the wireless device 102, such as those related to network access
or audio encoding features. In this example, the CRM 114 also
stores processor-executable code or instructions for implementing
one or more of the transceiver availability module 116, the
communication scheduler 118, or the data modifier 120 of the
wireless device 102.
[0026] In some aspects, the transceiver availability module 116
determines whether a transceiver of the communication module 122 is
available for communicating with the base station 104 over the
wireless connection 106. The transceiver availability module 116
may determine that a transceiver is unavailable based on one or
more of a signal strength of the wireless connection 106 being
below a threshold signal strength, another scheduled transmission
by the transceiver causing a conflict, a temperature of the
wireless device 102 exceeding a temperature threshold, a power
level of the wireless device 102 being below a power threshold, a
conflicting procedure within the wireless device 102 operating at
an interfering frequency, or a malfunction of the transceiver. A
signal strength of the wireless connection 106 may be below a
threshold signal strength based on an object obstructing a signal
from the base station 104. In some implementations, the transceiver
availability module 116 determines that all antennas of the
transceiver or all transceivers of the wireless device 102 are
unavailable for communicating with the base station 104.
[0027] The communication scheduler 118 determines how to utilize
another wireless device for wireless communication via a mobile
relay. For example, the communication scheduler 118 may determine
that data should be transmitted to a mobile relay for transmission
to the base station 104. The communication scheduler 118 determines
which data should be transmitted to the mobile relay and what
instructions, if any, to provide to the mobile relay for
transmitting the data to the base station 104. For example, the
instructions may identify resources over which the base station 104
has scheduled for the wireless device 102 to transmit the data.
Additionally or alternatively, the instructions may identify the
wireless device 102 as a source of the data.
[0028] The communication scheduler 118 may also be used to schedule
receptions of data by the mobile relay. The communication scheduler
118 may transmit a request to receive data from the base station
104 and may also transmit instructions for receiving the data. For
example, the request may identify resources over which the base
station 104 has scheduled for transmission of data to the wireless
device 102. The instructions may further include one or more of a
demodulation scheme, a schedule for transmitting the data from the
mobile relay to the wireless device 102, or a request to modify the
data via, for example, decoding the data, partially decoding the
data, or down-converting the data.
[0029] The data modifier 120 can be used to modify data from one
device before transmitting to another device. For example, if the
wireless device 102 is a mobile relay, the wireless device 102 may
receive a request to modify the data. The wireless device 102 may
decode, partially decode, or down-convert the data. If decoding the
data, the wireless device 102 processes and may reformat the data
to reduce an amount of decoding to be performed by a receiving user
device. If partially decoding, the wireless device 102 may perform
some processing of the data such as IQ sampling to reduce an amount
of decoding to be performed by the receiving user device. If
down-converting, the wireless device 102 converts the data from a
configuration for being carried over signals transmitted by the
base station 104 at a relatively high frequency bandwidth to
signals at a relatively low frequency bandwidth for transmission to
the receiving user device. For example, the wireless device 102
receives the data from the base station 104 on signals at
frequencies over 3 GHz and converts the data to be forwarded to the
receiving user device over an LTE side-link connection on signals
under 2 GHz.
[0030] The wireless device 102 uses the communication module 122 to
communicate with the base station 104 and another wireless device.
The communication module 122 of the wireless device 102 includes at
least one hardware-based transceiver and associated circuitry or
other components for communicating with the base station 104 via a
wireless medium. At least one of the hardware-based transceivers
includes one or more antennas. For example, the communication
module 122 may transmit, via a first transmitter of the
transceiver, data to the base station 104 via one or more channels
of the uplink 108. The data transmitted to the base station 104 may
include any suitable type of framed or packetized information, such
as a device location, a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical
random access channel (PRACH) communication, device status
information, wireless connection status information, wireless
connection control information, data requests, application data, or
network access requests. The communication module 122 may also
receive, via a first receiver of the transceiver, other data from
the base station 104, such as application data, downlink pilots,
primary or secondary synchronization signals (PSSs or SSSs), a
master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), a
downlink grant, an uplink grant, wireless connection configuration
settings, network control information, or a communication mode
selection.
[0031] The communication module 122 may also communicate, via a
second transmitter and a second receiver of the transceiver or
another transceiver, with another wireless device. For example, the
second transmitter transmits data according to device-to-device
protocol, such as a personal area network protocol or a side-link
protocol with the other wireless device. This data can be
transmitted at a frequency bandwidth that is different from a
frequency bandwidth over which the first transmitter communicates
with the base station 104.
[0032] In this example, the base station 104 is shown generally as
a cellular base station of a wireless network. The base station 104
may be implemented to manage a cell of a wireless network that
includes multiple other base stations that each manage another
respective cell of the wireless network. As such, the base station
104 may communicate with a network management entity or others of
the multiple base stations to coordinate connectivity or hand-offs
of mobile stations within or across the cells of the wireless
network.
[0033] The base station 104 can be configured as any suitable type
of base station or network management node, such as a GSM base
station, a node base (Node B) transceiver station (e.g., for UMTS),
an evolved NodeB (eNB, e.g., for LTE), or a next generation Node B
(gNB, e.g., for 5G NR). As such, the base station 104 may control
or configure parameters of the uplink 108 or the downlink 110 in
accordance with one or more of the wireless standards or protocols
described herein.
[0034] The base station 104 includes a processor 124, a
computer-readable storage media (CRM) 126 having a resource manager
128, and a communication module 130. The processor 124 can execute
processor-executable instructions or code stored by the CRM 126 to
perform operations or implement various base station
functionalities. In some cases, the processor 124 is implemented as
multiple processor cores or a multicore processor configured to
execute firmware or an operating system of the base station 104.
The CRM 126 may include any suitable type of memory media or
storage media, such as ROM, PROM, RAM, SRAM, or Flash memory. In
the context of this discussion, the CRM 126 is implemented as
hardware-based storage media, which does not include transitory
signals or carrier waves. The CRM 126 of the base station 104 may
store firmware, an operating system, or applications of the base
station 104 as instructions, code, or other information. The
instructions or code can be executed by the processor 124 to
implement various functionalities of the base station 104, such as
to manage connectivity or parameters of the wireless connection 106
with the wireless device 102. In this example, the CRM 126 also
stores processor-executable code or instructions for implementing
the resource manager 128 of the base station 104.
[0035] In some aspects, the resource manager 128 of the base
station 104 is implemented to perform various functions associated
with allocating physical access (e.g., resource blocks) or
communication resources available to the base station 104. The
physical access, such as an air interface of the base station 104,
may be partitioned or divided into various units (e.g., frames) of
one or more of bandwidth, time, symbols, or spatial layers. For
example, within a framework of a 5G NR protocol, the resource
manager 128 can allocate bandwidth and time intervals of access in
resource blocks, each of which may be allocated in whole, or in
part, to one or more channels for communicating with the wireless
device 102. The resource blocks may include multiple subcarriers,
each of which spans a portion of a frequency domain of the resource
blocks. The subcarriers may be further divided into resource
elements, or orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)
symbols, each of which spans a portion of a time domain of the
subcarriers. Consequently, a resource block includes multiple OFDM
symbols that can be grouped into subcarriers with other OFDM
symbols having a common frequency.
[0036] The base station 104 communicates with the wireless device
102 via the communication module 130. The communication module 130
includes a receiver, a transmitter, and associated circuitry or
other components for communicating with the wireless device 102 via
the wireless medium. The communication module 130 may be configured
to communicate over a frequency range of the wireless medium and
over multiple spatial layers. In some cases, the communication
module 130 includes, or is coupled with, multiple hardware-based
transceivers and antenna arrays that are configured to establish
and manage wireless connections with multiple wireless devices. The
base station 104 may transmit any suitable data or information to
the wireless device 102 through the downlink 110, such as a
schedule of allocated communication resources, downlink pilots,
application data, wireless connection status information, or
wireless connection control information.
[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates an example networking environment 200 in
which a user device, a mobile relay, and a base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay can be implemented. The networking
environment 200 includes respective instances of the wireless
device 102, as a user device 202 and a mobile relay 204, and the
base station 104, which provides a wireless network with which the
user device 202, the mobile relay 204, and other wireless devices
may associate. The mobile relay 204 may be any type of wireless
device 102, such as a wearable smart-device, a smart phone, or a
mobile hotspot. Further, the mobile relay 204 may include multiple
devices, such as two or more of a wearable smart-device, a tablet
computing device, a laptop computing device, a mobile hotspot, or a
network access point for a local area network. When the mobile
relay 204 includes multiple devices, the multiple devices may
include additional wired or wireless connections for communicating
within the mobile relay 204. Through the wireless network, the base
station 104 may enable or provide access to other networks or
resources, such as a network 206 (e.g., the Internet) connected via
a backhaul link (e.g., fiber network). Additionally or
alternatively, the networking environment 200 may include other
base stations or a mobility manager 208, such as a mobility
management entity (MME) or an access and mobility management
function (AMF), to provide an area wide wireless network, such as a
5G NR network and associated data services.
[0038] The user device 202, the mobile relay 204, and the base
station 104 may communicate through any suitable type or
combination of channels, message exchanges, or network management
procedures, and may operate according to communication protocols,
such as those described herein. For example, the user device 202
and the base station 104 may communicate via one or more of a
physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical hybrid
automatic repeat request (HARQ) indicator channel (PHICH), a PRACH,
a physical uplink share channel (PUSCH), a physical downlink
control channel (PDCCH), or a physical downlink share channel
(PDSCH).
[0039] The user device 202 may request communication with the base
station 104 by transmitting a resource request 210 to the base
station 104. Upon receiving the resource request 210, the base
station 104 determines a schedule of communication resources for
one or more channels to be used to communicate with the user device
202. After determining the schedule, the base station 104 transmits
a resource grant 212 to the user device 202. The resource grant 212
identifies communication resources that are allocated for receiving
the downlink data 216 via the downlink 110 of the wireless
connection 106. The resource grant 212 may specifically identify
communication resources allocated to various channels of the
wireless connection 106 for receiving data, according to the
resource request 210. Although illustrated as directly communicated
between the user device 202 and the base station 104, one or more
of the resource request 210 or the resource grant 212 can be
relayed through another device, such as the mobile relay 204.
[0040] The user device 202 may determine that a transceiver of the
user device 202 is unavailable for communication with the base
station 104 during the scheduled communication resources. In
response to this determination, the user device 202 transmits, via
a wireless connection, a request to receive data 214 to the mobile
relay 204. As discussed herein, the request to receive data 214 may
also include instructions for receiving the data including, for
example, an identification of the scheduled communication
resources, spatial layers of the scheduled communication resources,
or decoding instructions for decoding the data. Based on the
request to receive data 214, the mobile relay 204 configures a
transceiver to receive downlink data 216, including the data, from
the base station 104. The mobile relay 204 then processes the data
including one or more of down-converting, partially decoding, or
decoding the downlink data 216. The mobile relay 204 transmits the
downlink data 216 to the user device 202 over the wireless
connection with the user device 202.
[0041] The wireless connection between the user device 202 and the
mobile relay 204 may include one or more of a personal area
network, a Wi-Fi network, or a side-link connection. The wireless
connection may operate at one or more frequencies that are
different from the wireless connection 106 with the base station
104. Additionally or alternatively, one or both of the user device
202 or the mobile relay 204 may use a different transceiver for
communication with each other than a transceiver used for the
wireless connection 106. In some of these implementations, the
transceiver used in communication between the user device 202 and
the mobile relay 204 and the transceiver used for the wireless
connection 106 include some common components. In other
implementations, the user device 202 and the mobile relay 204 may
communicate via a wired connection over a bus, such as a universal
serial bus (USB) or Lightning.TM. bus.
[0042] In the example networking environment 200, one or more
transceivers of the mobile relay 204 may function as one or more
external transceivers of the user device 202. As such, the base
station 104 establishes a single wireless connection 106 with what
is effectively defined by the base station 104 as the wireless
device 102, which includes both of the user device 202 and the
mobile relay 204.
[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates another example networking environment
300 in which a user device, a mobile relay, and a base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay can be implemented. The networking
environment 300 includes respective instances of the wireless
device 102, as the user device 202 and the mobile relay 204, and
the base station 104, which provides a wireless network with which
the user device 202, the mobile relay 204, and other wireless
devices may associate. Through the wireless network, the base
station 104 may enable or provide access to other networks or
resources, such as the network 206 (e.g., the Internet) connected
via a backhaul link (e.g., fiber network). Additionally or
alternatively, the networking environment 200 may include other
base stations or the mobility manager 208 to provide an area wide
wireless network.
[0044] The user device 202 determines data to request from the base
station 104 and that a transceiver of the user device 202 is
unavailable for communication with the base station 104. In
response to this determination, the user device 202 transmits, via
a wireless connection, the request to receive data 214 to the
mobile relay 204. As discussed herein, the request to receive data
214 may also include instructions for receiving the data including,
for example, an identification of the scheduled communication
resources, spatial layers of the scheduled communication resources,
or decoding instructions for decoding the data. Based on the
request to receive data 214, the mobile relay 204 transmits the
resource request 210 to the base station 104 to schedule
communication resources for receiving the data. The base station
104 transmits the resource grant 212 to the mobile relay 204, which
is used by the mobile relay 204 to configure a transceiver for
receiving the data. Upon receiving the data, the mobile relay 204
processes the data including one or more of down-converting,
partially decoding, or decoding the downlink data 216. The mobile
relay 204 transmits the downlink data 216 to the user device 202
over the wireless connection with the user device 202.
[0045] In the example networking environment 300, one or more
transceivers of the mobile relay 204 may function as one or more
external transceivers of the user device 202. As such, the base
station 104 establishes a single wireless connection 106 with what
is effectively defined by the base station 104 as the wireless
device 102, which includes both of the user device 202 and the
mobile relay 204. Alternatively, the mobile relay 204 may have a
wireless connection with the base station 104 that is independent
from a wireless connection between the user device 202 and the base
station 104.
[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates another example networking environment
400 in which a user device, a mobile relay, and a base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay can be implemented. The networking
environment 400 includes respective instances of the wireless
device 102, as the user device 202 and the mobile relay 204, and
the base station 104, which provides a wireless network with which
the user device 202, the mobile relay 204, and other wireless
devices may associate. Through the wireless network, the base
station 104 may enable or provide access to other networks or
resources, such as the network 206 (e.g., the Internet) connected
via a backhaul link (e.g., fiber network). Additionally or
alternatively, the networking environment 200 may include other
base stations or the mobility manager 208 to provide an area wide
wireless network.
[0047] The user device 202 determines data to transmit to the base
station 104 and transmits the resource request 210 to the base
station 104. Upon receiving the resource request 210, the base
station 104 determines a schedule of communication resources for
one or more channels to be used to communicate with the user device
202. After determining the schedule, the base station 104 transmits
the resource grant 212 to the user device 202. The resource grant
212 identifies communication resources that are allocated for
transmission of the data via the uplink 108 of the wireless
connection 106. Although illustrated as directly communicated
between the user device 202 and the base station 104, one or more
of the resource request 210 or the resource grant 212 can be
relayed through another device, such as the mobile relay 204.
[0048] The user device 202 may determine that a transceiver of the
user device 202 is unavailable for communication with the base
station 104 during the scheduled communication resources. In
response to this determination, the user device 202 transmits, via
a wireless connection, instructions 402 to the mobile relay 204.
The instructions 402 include data 404 for transmitting to the base
station 104 and transmission (Tx) instructions 406. The
transmission instructions 406 may include, for example, an
identification of the scheduled communication resources, spatial
layers of the scheduled communication resources, or instructions
for identifying the user device 202 as a source of the data 404.
The instructions may further direct the mobile relay 204 to
transmit the data 404 over the identified communication resources
of the wireless connection between the user device 202 and the base
station 104. Based on the instructions 402, the mobile relay 204
transmits the data 404 to the base station 104. The mobile relay
204 may convert the data 404 into another format before
transmitting to base station 404 according to a protocol of a
wireless connection between the base station 104 and the mobile
relay 204.
[0049] In the example networking environment 400, one or more
transceivers of the mobile relay 204 may function as one or more
external transceivers of the user device 202. As such, the base
station 104 establishes a single wireless connection 106 with what
is effectively defined by the base station 104 as the wireless
device 102, which includes both of the user device 202 and the
mobile relay 204.
[0050] FIG. 5 illustrates another example networking environment
500 in which a user device, a mobile relay, and a base station may
communicate in accordance with one or more aspects of wireless
communication via a mobile relay can be implemented. The networking
environment 500 includes respective instances of the wireless
device 102, as the user device 202 and the mobile relay 204, and
the base station 104, which provides a wireless network with which
the user device 202, the mobile relay 204, and other wireless
devices may associate. Through the wireless network, the base
station 104 may enable or provide access to other networks or
resources, such as the network 206 (e.g., the Internet) connected
via a backhaul link (e.g., fiber network). Additionally or
alternatively, the networking environment 200 may include other
base stations or the mobility manager 208 to provide an area wide
wireless network.
[0051] The user device 202 determines data to transmit to the base
station 104 and that a transceiver of the user device 202 is
unavailable for communication with the base station 104. In
response to this determination, the user device 202 transmits, via
a wireless connection, the instructions 402 to the mobile relay
204. The instructions 402 include the data 404 and may also include
the transmission instructions 406, such as instructions for
identifying the user device 202 as a source of the data 404.
[0052] Based on the instructions 402, the mobile relay 204
transmits the resource request 210 to the base station 104 to
request an allocation of resources over which the mobile relay 204
can transmit the data 404. Upon receiving the resource request 210,
the base station 104 determines a schedule of communication
resources for one or more channels to be used to communicate with
the mobile relay 204. After determining the schedule, the base
station 104 transmits the resource grant 212 to the mobile relay
204. The resource grant 212 identifies communication resources that
are allocated for transmission of the data 404 via the uplink 108
of the wireless connection 106. The mobile relay 204 then
transmits, according to the resource grant 212, the data 404 to the
base station 104. The mobile relay 204 may identify either the
mobile relay 204 or the user device 202 as a source of the data 404
in the transmission.
[0053] In the example networking environment 500, one or more
transceivers of the mobile relay 204 may function as one or more
external transceivers of the user device 202. As such, the base
station 104 establishes a single wireless connection 106 with what
is effectively defined by the base station 104 as the wireless
device 102, which includes both the user device 202 and the mobile
relay 204. Alternatively, the mobile relay 204 may have a wireless
connection with the base station 104 that is independent from a
wireless connection between the user device 202 and the base
station 104.
[0054] FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface 600 of the
wireless device 102, which may represent one or both of the user
device 202 or the mobile relay 204, through which one or more
aspects of wireless communication via a mobile relay can be
implemented. In this example, the user interface 600 is presented
through a visible portion of a display 602 for providing output to
a user. The display 602 may also include, or be integrated with, a
touch screen or touch-sensitive overlay for receiving touch input
from the user. The display 602 may also display one or more of a
signal-quality indicator 604 of a wireless connection with a relay,
a signal quality indicator 606 of a wireless connection with the
base station 104 (shown as 5G NR), or an power level indicator 608
of the wireless device 102. In some cases, the display 602 provides
or makes accessible a settings menu 610 through which the user
interface 600 can receive input 612 to use a mobile relay for
communication with the base station 104. The settings menu 610 can
receive a further input 614 to request one or more modes, such as a
connection mode for communicating with the mobile relay 204.
[0055] Additionally or alternatively, the wireless device 102 may
provide a notification 616 via the user interface 600 to indicate
that the user device 202 is entering the multi-carrier mode, based
on a receipt of a resource grant for additional resources. The
notification 616 is illustrated in this example as a pop-up
notification in the display 602, however, other forms of
notification 616 may be implemented in addition or in alternative
to the pop-up notification. For example, the user device 202 may
provide an audible notification, a visible notification via a light
emitting diode (LED) indicator that is separate from the display
602, or a motion-based notification such as a vibration of the
wireless device 102.
[0056] The user interface 600 is but one of many possible user
interfaces for implementing inter-RAT spectrum sharing. Although
the wireless device 102 is illustrated as a smart phone with a
touch screen, alternative user interfaces may be implemented by the
wireless device 102. For example, the wireless device 102 may be
implemented as a laptop with a user interface including one or more
of a mouse, a track pad, a keyboard, a microphone, a monitor, a
projector screen, or speakers. In some implementations, the user
interface 600 does not include the settings menu 610 for receiving
the inputs 612 or 614, but rather, the wireless device 102 enters
the mobile relay mode automatically and without receiving user
input.
[0057] Techniques for Wireless Communication via a Mobile Relay
[0058] FIGS. 7-9 depict methods for implementing wireless
communication via a mobile relay. These methods are shown as sets
of blocks that specify operations performed but are not necessarily
limited to the order or combinations shown for performing the
operations by the respective blocks. For example, operations of
different methods may be combined, in any order, to implement
alternate methods without departing from the concepts described
herein. In portions of the following discussion, the techniques may
be described in reference to FIGS. 1-6, reference to which is made
for example only. The techniques are not limited to performance by
one entity or multiple entities operating on one device, or those
described in these figures.
[0059] FIG. 7 illustrates an example method 700 performed by a user
device for wireless communication via a mobile relay. The method
700 includes operations that may be performed by an antenna
availability module, such as the transceiver availability module
116, a communication scheduler, such as the communication scheduler
118, and a communication module, such as the communication module
122. In some aspects, operations of the method 700 may allow for
the user device to receive data from a base station via a mobile
relay when a transceiver of the user device is unavailable.
[0060] At optional operation 702, the user device establishes a
wireless connection with a base station. For example, the user
device 202 establishes the wireless connection 106 with the base
station 104. This may be performed via a transceiver of the user
device 202 based on a protocol of a radio access technology
associated with the wireless connection 106. For example, the user
device 202 may request, via a PRACH of the wireless connection 106,
access to a wireless network provided by the base station 104. The
base station 104 may then transmit a communication schedule via a
PDCCH.
[0061] At operation 704, the user device determines that the
transceiver of the user device is unavailable for receiving data
from the base station. For example, the user device 202 determines
that a first transceiver is unavailable for receiving the downlink
data 216 from the base station 104. As discussed herein, the first
transceiver may be unavailable based on, for example, detecting a
low signal strength of a wireless connection with the base station
104, being occupied for another transmission or reception, a high
temperature of the user device, or a low power level of the user
device.
[0062] At operation 706, the user device establishes another
wireless connection with a mobile relay. For example, the user
device 202 establishes another wireless connection with the mobile
relay 204 over one of a personal area network or an LTE side-link.
The other wireless connection may operate over a frequency
bandwidth that is distinct from the wireless connection with the
base station 104. Further, the user device 202 may establish the
other wireless connection with the mobile relay 204 before, during,
or in response to operation 704.
[0063] At operation 708, the user device transmits, to the mobile
relay via the other wireless connection, a request to receive the
data from the base station. For example, the user device 202
transmits the request to receive data 214 to the mobile relay 204
over the other wireless connection.
[0064] At operation 710, the user device receives, from the mobile
relay, the data from the base station. For example, the user device
202 receives the downlink data 216 from the mobile relay 204, which
the mobile relay 204 received from the base station 104. In some
implementations, the mobile relay 204 modifies the downlink data
216 received from the base station 104 before transmitting the
downlink data 216 to the user device 202.
[0065] FIG. 8 illustrates an example method 800 performed by a user
device for wireless communication via a mobile relay. The method
800 includes operations that may be performed by an antenna
availability module, such as the transceiver availability module
116, a communication scheduler, such as the communication scheduler
118, and a communication module, such as the communication module
122. In some aspects, operations of the method 800 may allow for
the user device to transmit data to a base station via a mobile
relay when a transceiver of the user device is unavailable.
[0066] At optional operation 802, the user device establishes a
wireless connection with a base station. For example, the user
device 202 establishes the wireless connection 106 with the base
station 104. This may be performed via a hardware-based transceiver
of the user device 202 based on a protocol of a radio access
technology associated with the wireless connection 106. For
example, the user device 202 may request, via a PRACH of the
wireless connection 106, access to a wireless network provided by
the base station 104. The base station 104 may then transmit a
communication schedule via a PDCCH.
[0067] At operation 804, the user device determines that the
hardware-based transceiver of the user device is unavailable for
transmitting data from the base station. For example, the user
device 202 determines that a first transceiver is unavailable for
transmitting the data 404 to the base station 104. As discussed
herein, the first transceiver may be unavailable based on, for
example, detecting a low signal strength of a wireless connection
with the base station 104, being occupied for another transmission
or reception, a high temperature of the user device, or a low power
level of the user device.
[0068] At operation 806, the user device establishes another
wireless connection with a mobile relay. For example, the user
device 202 establishes another wireless connection with the mobile
relay 204 over one of a personal area network or an LTE side-link.
The other wireless connection may operate over a frequency
bandwidth that is distinct from the wireless connection with the
base station 104. Further, the user device 202 may establish the
other wireless connection with the mobile relay 204 before, during,
or in response to operation 804.
[0069] At operation 808, the user device 202 transmits, to the
mobile relay via the other wireless connection, the data and
instructions for transmitting the data to the base station. For
example, the user device 202 transmits the instructions 402
including the data 404 and the transmission instructions 406 to the
mobile relay 204 over the other wireless connection.
[0070] FIG. 9 illustrates an example method 900 performed by a
mobile relay for wireless communication by a user device via the
mobile relay. The method 900 includes operations that may be
performed by a data modifier, such as the data modifier 120, and a
communication module, such as the communication module 122. In some
aspects, operations of the method 900 may allow the mobile relay to
receive data from a base station and then transmit the data to a
user device when a transceiver of the user device is unavailable
for direct communication with the base station.
[0071] At operation 902, the mobile relay device establishes a
wireless connection with a user device. For example, the mobile
relay 204 establishes a wireless connection with the user device
202 over one of a personal area network or an LTE side-link. This
may be performed via a first transceiver of the mobile relay 204
based on a protocol of a radio access technology associated with
the wireless connection with the user device 202.
[0072] At operation 904, the mobile relay receives, from the user
device, a request to receive data from a base station. The request
may include instructions for the mobile relay to receive the data
from the base station. For example, the mobile relay 204 receives
the request to receive data 214 including instructions 402
identifying resources over which the downlink data 216 is to be
transmitted by the base station 104. Additionally or alternatively,
the request may include instructions for modifying the data by
decoding or partially decoding the data.
[0073] At optional operation 906, the mobile relay establishes, via
a second transceiver, another wireless connection with the base
station. For example, the mobile relay 204 establishes another
wireless connection with the base station 104 that is distinct from
a wireless connection between the base station 104 and the user
device 202. Alternatively, the mobile relay 204 identifies the
wireless connection between the base station 104 and the user
device 202 to function as an external transceiver of the user
device 202. The other wireless connection may operate over a
frequency bandwidth that is distinct from the wireless connection
with the user device 202. Further, the user device 202 may
establish the other wireless connection with the base station 104
before, during, or in response to operation 904.
[0074] At operation 908, the mobile relay receives, via the other
wireless connection, the data from the base station. For example,
the mobile relay 204 receives the downlink data 216 from the base
station 104 over the other wireless connection.
[0075] At operation 910, the mobile relay transmits, to the user
device via the wireless connection, the data from the base station.
For example, the mobile relay 204 transmits the downlink data 216
to the user device 202. In some implementations, the mobile relay
204 modifies the downlink data 216 before transmitting the downlink
data 216 to the user device 202.
[0076] Although techniques using, and apparatuses for implementing,
wireless communication via a mobile relay have been described in
language specific to features and/or methods, it is to be
understood that the subject of the appended claims is not
necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described.
Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as example
ways in which wireless communication via a mobile relay can be
implemented.
* * * * *