Patent ID: 9210730
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of communicating with a first user equipment (UE) and a second UE, wherein at least one of the first UE and the second UE is communicating on a first cellular link, the method comprising: establishing by a communications controller, a second cellular link between the first UE and the communications controller, and a third cellular link between the second UE and the communications controller; requesting, by the communications controller after establishing the second and third cellular links, at least one of the first UE and the second UE to participate in an evaluation procedure for a direct communications (DMC) link between the first UE and the second UE; transmitting, by the communications controller to at least the second UE, resource information of a first network resource location; transmitting, by the communications controller to the first UE, a first beacon request requesting that the first UE transmit a first beacon at the first network resource location; receiving, by the communications controller, a report from at least the second UE indicating discovery information comprising proximity-indicative information about the first UE and at least one other UE; and maintaining, by the communications controller, at least one of the second cellular link or the third cellular link in response to a potential quality of the DMC link exceeding a predetermined threshold.