Wireless communication methods and apparatus supporting paging and peer to peer communications

摘要

Methods and apparatus supporting efficient paging in a wireless communications system supporting both access node based communications and peer to peer communications are described. Paging timing intervals are set aside in the timing structure such that multi-mode wireless terminals can monitor, e.g., in an infrastructure band, for pages from a base station whether the wireless terminal is operating in a base station attachment point mode or is operating in a peer to peer communications mode. Wireless terminals operating in a peer to peer mode, e.g., using a non-infrastructure band, suspends peer to peer communications during the paging intervals. The time periods, in which the wireless terminal checks pages are, in some embodiments, predetermined, so that both the wireless terminal and base station are synchronized on when a page should be delivered. This synchronization helps reduce the wastage of session time in the peer to peer sessions.

主权项

1. A communications method comprising:
operating a first wireless terminal capable of supporting peer to peer mode operations and cellular network operations, said operating a first wireless terminal including: monitoring for pages from a base station directed to said first wireless terminal during a first set of time intervals during which the first wireless terminal does not transmit peer to peer signals, said first set of time intervals being paging time intervals; synchronizing with the base station; while within communication range of said base station and synchronized with the base station, during a second set of time intervals, which do not overlap said first set of time intervals, participating in a peer to peer communications session; receiving, in a time interval in said first set of time intervals which occurs during said peer to peer communications session, a page from said base station directed to said first wireless terminal; and making a decision whether or not to terminate said peer to peer communications session based on said received page.