METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS DEVICE SYNCHRONIZATION

摘要

Systems and techniques for synchronization between in-coverage and out-of coverage user devices. A base station configures in-coverage and out-of coverage synchronization signals and configures user devices to recognize synchronization signals as in-coverage or out-of-coverage. An in-coverage device furnishes an in-coverage synchronization signal upon detection of an out-of coverage signal, and may continue to furnish the signal upon continued detection of an out-of-coverage signal that is not synchronized to the network. An out-of-coverage device may receive and synchronize to an in-coverage signal if available, or an out-of-coverage signal if available, or may generate and transmit its own out-of-coverage signal if no in-coverage or out-of-coverage signal is available. Signals may include rank information to indicate relay sequence information, and user devices may be configured to respond to signals based on the rank information - such as favoring a signal whose rank indicates that the signal represents a lower relay order number.