WO2012042296A1

WO2012042296A1 - Method and apparatus for causing a shared dataset to be shared over a secondary logical channel

Info

Publication number: WO2012042296A1
Application number: PCT/IB2010/054375
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sami-Jukka Hakola; Timo Kalevi Koskela; Vinh Van Phan
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation; Nokia, Inc.
Priority date: 2010-09-28
Filing date: 2010-09-28
Publication date: 2012-04-05

Abstract

An apparatus may include a communication mode determination module configured to cause a request for device-to-device communication to be shared. Further, a shared dataset module may be configured to cause a shared dataset comprising data of a first device and data of other devices to be shared. The shared dataset module may assemble the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on a secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted. Further, the shared dataset module may disassemble the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received. The data of the first device may be configured for transmission on a primary logical channel. A user identification module may attach a user identification to the data of each of the other devices. Additionally, or alternatively, a secondary logical channel module may assign a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel. Thereby, for example, efficiencies may be achieved using combinations of device-to-device and network communications.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAUSING A SHARED DATASET TO BE SHARED OVER A SECONDARY LOGICAL CHANNEL

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

An example embodiment of the present invention relates generally to causing a shared dataset to be shared, and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus, a method and a computer program product configured to cause a shared dataset to be shared over a secondary logical channel.

BACKGROUND

In order to provide easier or faster information transfer and convenience, telecommunication industry service providers are continually developing improvements to existing communication networks. As a result, wireless communication has become increasingly more reliable in recent years. Along with the expansion and improvement of wireless communication networks, user terminals used for wireless communication have also been continually improving. In this regard, due at least in part to reductions in size and cost, along with improvements in battery life and computing capacity, user terminals have become more capable, easier to use, and cheaper to obtain. Further, many user terminals now include a variety of sensory devices and memory which enables the user terminals to capture and record sensory information and content such as audio and video.

Due to the now ubiquitous nature of user terminals, people of all ages and education levels are utilizing user terminals to communicate with other individuals or user contacts, receive services and/or share information, media and other content. Therefore, given the proliferation of user terminals, at any given location there may be two or more user terminals which are transmitting or receiving content. Despite the relatively close proximity between the user terminals, present networking arrangements generally involve each user terminal communicating with the network directly to send and receive content. While some device-to-device communication may be available between devices with close proximity, present uses of this technology may be of limited value.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A method, apparatus and computer program product are therefore provided to cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and network device.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device. In this embodiment the primary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. The data of the other devices may be configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices. The apparatus of this embodiment may also be configured to cause the shared dataset to be shared by assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, and disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

In an additional example embodiment a method comprises causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device. In this embodiment the primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. The data of the other devices may be configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices. Further, causing the shared dataset to be shared may comprise assembling the shared dataset via a processor by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, and disassembling the shared dataset via a processor into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

In a further example embodiment a computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions for causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device. In this embodiment the primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. The data of the other devices may be configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices. Further, program code instructions for causing the shared dataset to be shared may comprise program code instructions for assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, and program code instructions for disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

In a further example embodiment an apparatus comprises means for causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device. In this embodiment the primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. The data of the other devices may be configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices.

Further, means for causing the shared dataset to be shared may comprise means for assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, and means for disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

In some embodiments the data of the first device may be assembled with data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, and the shared dataset may be disassembled into data of the first device from the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received. The data from the other devices may also be caused to be stored until data from the first device is ready for transmission. Also, a unique identifier may be assigned to the secondary logical channel. For example, a single identifier may be assigned to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel. Alternatively, a plurality of different unique identifiers may be assigned, wherein each of the unique identifiers is associated with a different one of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

In some embodiments, a user identification may be attached to the data of each of the other devices. Also, the shared dataset may be disassembled by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices. In an instance in which the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of only one of the other devices, the shared dataset may be caused to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification. Further, a request for device-to-device communication may be caused to be shared. In some embodiments, the response to the request may be based on a base station communication factor. The data of the other devices may be caused to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device. In some embodiments a plurality of primary logical channels are also established between the first device and the network device, wherein each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels is associated with a different radio bearer service.

Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may provide efficiencies by combining use of device-to-device and network communications in an improved fashion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) Having thus described embodiments of the present disclosure in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a system according to an example embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an apparatus configured to cause a shared dataset to be shared according to an example embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of the operations performed in causing a shared dataset to be shared according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the terms "data," "content," "information" and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data capable of being transmitted, received and/or stored in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, the term "exemplary", as may be used herein, is not provided to convey any qualitative assessment, but instead merely to convey an illustration of an example. Thus, use of any such terms should not be taken to limit the spirit and scope of embodiments of the present invention.

As used herein, the term 'circuitry' refers to (a) hardware-only circuit

implementations (for example, implementations in analog circuitry and/or digital circuitry); (b) combinations of circuits and computer program product(s) comprising software and/or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer readable memories that work together to cause an apparatus to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuits, such as, for example, a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that require software or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of 'circuitry' applies to all uses of this term herein, including in any claims. As a further example, as used herein, the term 'circuitry' also includes an implementation comprising one or more processors and/or portion(s) thereof and accompanying software and/or firmware. As another example, the term 'circuitry' as used herein also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or applications processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, other network device, and/or other computing device.

As indicated above, some embodiments of the present invention may be employed in methods, apparatuses and computer program products configured to cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel, which may be established between a first device and a network device. As will be explained below, in some embodiments the primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. Further, the data of the other devices may be configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices. Device-to-device communication, as used herein, may refer to communication between two or more devices (e.g. user terminals) which occurs directly without use of a network therebetween. In this regard, for example, FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system that may benefit from embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the system as illustrated and hereinafter described is merely illustrative of one system that may benefit from an example embodiment of the present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a system in accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention may include user terminals. In the illustrated embodiment, the system includes a first user terminal 10A and one or more other user terminals 10B (collectively, "user terminals 10"), which may be the same or different in various embodiments. The user terminals 10 may be any of multiple types of fixed or mobile communication and/or computing devices such as, for example, personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile televisions, mobile telephones, gaming devices, laptop computers, personal computers (PCs), cameras, camera phones, video recorders, audio/video players, radios, global positioning system (GPS) devices, or any combination of the aforementioned, which employ an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments the user terminals 10 may be capable of communicating with other devices, either directly, or via a network 30. The network 30 may include a collection of various different network devices, devices or functions that may be in communication with each other via corresponding wired and/or wireless interfaces. As such, the illustration of FIG. 1 should be understood to be an example of a broad view of certain elements of the system and not an all inclusive or detailed view of the system or the network 30. Although not necessary, in some embodiments, the network 30 may be capable of supporting communication in accordance with any one or more of a number of first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, third-generation (3G), 3.5G, 3.9G, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication protocols, Long Term Evolution (LTE),

Long Term Evolution- Advanced (LTE-A), and/or the like. Thus, the network 30 may be a cellular network, a mobile network and/or a data network, such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), and/or a wide area network (WAN), for example, the Internet. In turn, other devices such as processing elements (for example, personal computers, server computers or the like) may be included in or coupled to the network 30. By directly or indirectly connecting the user terminals 10 and the other devices to the network 30, the user terminal and/or the other devices may be enabled to communicate with each other, for example, according to numerous communication protocols including Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and/or the like, to thereby carry out various communication or other functions of the user terminal and the other devices, respectively. As such, the user terminals 10 and the other devices may be enabled to communicate with the network 30 and/or each other by any of numerous different access mechanisms. For example, mobile access mechanisms such as wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), CDMA2000, global system for mobile communications (GSM), general packet radio service (GPRS), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) (as well as other LTE and LTE-A mobile access mechanisms) and/or the like may be supported as well as wireless access mechanisms such as wireless LAN (WLAN), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), WiFi, ultra-wide band (UWB), Wibree techniques and/or the like and fixed access mechanisms such as digital subscriber line (DSL), cable modems, Ethernet and/or the like. Thus, for example, the network 30 may be a home network or other network providing local connectivity.

In some embodiments the user terminals 10 may connect to the network via a network device 40. In an example embodiment the network device 40 may comprise an evolved node B ("eNB") which may comprise a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System ("UMTS") base station. Thereby, the user terminals 10 may communicate with other devices and/or each other through network communications 42 A, 42B with the network device 40. However, the user terminals 10 may also be able to communicate with each other directly through device-to-device communications 10'. As described above, device-to-device communications 10' may not travel through the network 30. Rather, device-to-device communications 10' may occur directly between first user terminal 10A and other user terminals 10B.

As further described above, existing embodiments of device-to-device

communication may be of limited value. In this regard, existing systems may rely on time division for use of device-to-device and network communications. For example, in existing systems, when two devices are engaged in device-to-device communications, and at some point a network communication by one of the devices becomes necessary, the device-to-device communications may stop while the network communication occurs, and then restart when the network communication ends. For example, even a small data exchange with the network, such as a measurement report requested by the network, may cause the devices to stop and then restart device-to-device communications. This problem may be compounded because each device may have respective network communications occurring at differing times. Accordingly, as will be described in detail below, improved arrangements for device-to-device and network communications are provided herein.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus 50 is provided that may be employed by devices performing example embodiments of the present invention. The apparatus 50 may be embodied, for example, as any device hosting, including, controlling, comprising, or otherwise forming a portion of the first user terminal 10A and/or the other user terminals 10B. However, embodiments may also be embodied on a plurality of other devices such as for example where instances of the apparatus 50 may be embodied on the network 30. For example, the apparatus 50 may be embodied as any device hosting, including, controlling, comprising, or otherwise forming a portion of the network device 40. As such, the apparatus 50 of FIG. 2 is merely an example and may include more, or in some cases less, than the components shown in FIG. 2.

With further regard to FIG. 2, the apparatus 50 may be configured to cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel. In this regard, in some existing communications arrangements, such as those occurring in Long Term Evolution ("LTE") structures and formats, the

communications may occur over logical channels, and which are herein described as primary logical channels. However, embodiments of the apparatus 50 also communicate over secondary logical channels, which may not appear in existing communication systems for the purpose of supporting device-to-device communication. The apparatus 50 may include or otherwise be in communication with a processor 70, a user interface 72, a communication interface 74 and a memory device 76. The memory device 76 may include, for example, volatile and/or non-volatile memory. The memory device 76 may be configured to store information, data, files, applications, instructions or the like. For example, the memory device 76 could be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 70. Additionally or alternatively, the memory device 76 could be configured to store instructions for execution by the processor 70.

As mentioned above, the apparatus 50 may, in some embodiments, be a user terminal or a fixed communication device or computing device configured to employ an example embodiment of the present invention. However, in some embodiments, the apparatus 50 may be embodied as a chip or chip set. In other words, the apparatus 50 may comprise one or more physical packages (e.g., chips) including materials, components and/or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a baseboard). The structural assembly may provide physical strength, conservation of size, and/or limitation of electrical interaction for component circuitry included thereon. The apparatus 50 may therefore, in some cases, be configured to implement embodiments of the present invention on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip." As such, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute means for performing one or more operations for providing the functionalities described herein and/or for enabling user interface navigation with respect to the functionalities and/or services described herein.

The processor 70 may be embodied in a number of different ways. For example, the processor 70 may be embodied as one or more of various processing means such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), a hardware accelerator, a special- purpose computer chip, or other hardware processor. In an example embodiment, the processor 70 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory device 76 or otherwise accessible to the processor. Alternatively or additionally, the processor 70 may be configured to execute hard coded functionality. As such, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processor 70 may represent an entity (for example, physically embodied in circuitry) capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present invention while configured accordingly. Thus, for example, when the processor 70 is embodied as an ASIC, FPGA or the like, the processor 70 may be specifically configured hardware for conducting the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processor 70 is embodied as an executor of software instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor to perform the algorithms and/or operations described herein when the instructions are executed. However, in some cases, the processor 70 may be a processor of a specific device (for example, a user terminal or network device such as a server) adapted for employing embodiments of the present invention by further configuration of the processor by instructions for performing the algorithms and/or operations described herein. The processor 70 may include, among other things, a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and logic gates configured to support operation of the processor.

Meanwhile, the communication interface 74 may be any means such as a device or circuitry embodied in either hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to a network and/or any other device or module in communication with the apparatus 50. In this regard, the communication interface 74 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications with a wireless communication network (for example, network 30). In fixed environments, the communication interface 74 may alternatively or also support wired communication. As such, the communication interface 74 may include a communication modem and/or other hardware/software for supporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB), Ethernet, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) or other mechanisms. Furthermore, the communication interface 74 may include hardware and/or software for supporting communication mechanisms such as BLUETOOTH®, Infrared, UWB, WiFi, and/or the like, which are being increasingly employed in connection with providing home connectivity solutions.

The user interface 72 may be in communication with the processor 70 to receive an indication of a user input at the user interface and/or to provide an audible, visual, mechanical or other output to the user. As such, the user interface 72 may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a display, a touch screen, a microphone, a speaker, or other input/output mechanisms. The processor 70 may comprise user interface circuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or more elements of the user interface 72, such as, for example, the speaker, the ringer, the microphone, the display, and/or the like. The processor 70 and/or user interface circuitry comprising the processor 70 may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more elements of the user interface 72 through computer program instructions (for example, software and/or firmware) stored on a memory accessible to the processor 70 (for example, memory device 76, and/or the like).

In some embodiments the apparatus 50 may further include a shared dataset module 78. The processor 70 or other circuitry may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the shared dataset module 78. The shared dataset module 78 may be configured to cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel. Sharing the shared dataset may comprise sending and/or receiving the shared dataset in various embodiments, as will be described below.

The primary logical channel and the secondary logical channel may be established between a first device and a network device. For example purposes, the first device will generally be referred to as the first user terminal 1 OA, and the network device will be referred to the network device 40, although various other configurations may be possible in other embodiments as may be understood by one having skill in the art. The primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first user terminal 10A (e.g. data produced by or intended for reception by the first user terminal) between the first user terminal and the network device 40. Further, the secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices (e.g. data produced by or intended for reception by the other devices) between the first user terminal 10A and the network device 40. For example purposes, the one or more other devices will generally be referred to as the other user terminals 10B, although various other configurations may be possible in other embodiments as may be understood by one having skill in the art. The secondary logical channel may, in one embodiment, be defined on the layer 2 (L2) protocol of the access network consisting, for example, of the Media Access Control ("MAC"), Radio Link Control ("RLC"), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol

("PDCP").

The shared dataset, as used herein, may refer to a dataset which comprises data of the device embodying the apparatus 50 and/or data of the other devices, wherein the data of the other devices is configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices. Thus, for example, the shared dataset may comprise data of the first user terminal 10A, as well as data of the other user terminals 10B, which may be received by the first user terminal via device-to-device communications 10'.

In an example embodiment, the first user terminal 1 OA may embody the apparatus 50. Thus, once the data of the other user terminals 10B is received via a device-to-device communication 10', the apparatus 50 embodied on the first user terminal 10A may assemble the shared dataset. In particular, the shared dataset module 78 may assemble the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other user terminals 10B for transmission on the secondary logical channel. Then the communication interface 74 may share the shared dataset with the network device 40, for example by transmitting the shared dataset thereto. Thereby, in some embodiments the apparatus 50 may function to relay the data of the other user terminals 10B which is received via device-to-device communications 10' from the other user terminals to the network device 40 through a network communication 42A over the secondary logical channel.

However, in some embodiments, rather than just relaying the data of the other user terminals 10B in the form of the shared dataset, the shared dataset module 78 may further share data of the first user terminal 10A itself. For example, the data of the first user terminal 10A may comprise data which the apparatus 50 needs to send to the network device 40. Thereby, in some embodiments the data of the other user terminals 10B (which may be received via a device-to-device communication 10') and the data of the first user terminal 10A (which may originate in the apparatus 50 itself) may be assembled by the shared dataset module 78 into the shared dataset for transmission on separate logical channels. In particular, the shared dataset module 78 may configure the data of the other user terminals 10B for transmission on the secondary logical channel, as described above, and further configure the data of the first user terminal 10A for transmission on the primary logical channel. Thus, when data of the device which embodies the apparatus 50 is to be sent to the network device, this data may be sent via an existing primary logical channel, whereas the data of the other devices may be sent via a new secondary logical channel, as presented herein. Thus, the communication interface 74 may share the shared dataset with the network device 40 via the primary logical channel and the secondary logical channel.

Accordingly, increased efficiencies may be achieved in terms of one or both of energy and data usage. For example, rather than having all the user terminals 10 communicating with the network 30 directly, the other user terminals 10B may send their data to the first user terminal 10A, which then assembles the shared dataset and shares it with the network device 40 by transmitting the shared dataset thereto over the secondary logical channel. Thus, the other user terminals 10B may use less energy by

communicating via short-range device-to device communications 10', and data savings may result by reducing the total number of communications which occur with the network.

In some embodiments the shared dataset module 78 may further cause storage of the data of the other user terminals 10B until the data of the first user terminal 10A is ready for transmission. For example, to cause the shared dataset to include both the data of the other user terminals 10B and the data of the first user terminal 10A, rather than just the data of the other user terminals, the shared dataset module 78 may store the data of the other user terminals (e.g. in the memory device 76) until the apparatus 50 produces its own data which needs to be shared with the network 30. Thereby, in some embodiments the apparatus 50 may wait to assemble and share the shared dataset until the data of the first user terminal 10A is ready for sharing.

In some embodiments the apparatus 50 may further include a cipher module 80.

The processor 70 or other circuitry may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the cipher module 80. The cipher module 80 may be configured to apply a cipher to the shared dataset. For example, when the apparatus 50 receives the data of the other user terminals 10B, the shared dataset module 78 may assemble the data of the other user terminals with the data of the first user terminal 10A to form the shared dataset, and the cipher module 80 may apply a cipher to the shared dataset to encrypt the shared dataset.

In some embodiments the data of the other user terminals 10B may have been previously encrypted by the other user terminals prior to the device-to-device

communications 10' through which the data of the other user terminals is transmitted. Thus, the data of the other user terminals 10B may be securely transmitted to the apparatus 50. If the data of the other user terminals 10B is not intended for use by the apparatus 50, the apparatus may not be provided with a cipher useable to decrypt the data of the other user terminals. Thereby, for example, the shared dataset may be encrypted with a second cipher without first decrypting the data of the other user terminals 10B.

In some embodiments the apparatus 50 may further include a user identification module 82. The processor 70 or other circuitry may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the user identification module 82. The user identification module 82 may be configured to attach a user identification to the data of each of the other user terminals 10B. The user identifications may be assigned by the network device 40 or other part of the network 30 in some embodiments. For example, when multiple other user terminals 10 communicate with the first user terminal 10A via device-to-device communications 10', user identifications may be used to keep track of which data corresponds to which of the other user terminals. Therefore, confusion with respect to where the data of the other user terminals 10B are originating and/or destined may be avoided. In some embodiments the data of the other user terminals 10B may already include a user identification corresponding to the other user terminal from which the data is sent when received by the apparatus 50. However, in other embodiments the data of the other user terminals 10B may not include a user identification therewith. Accordingly, in such embodiments the user identification module 82 may attach a user identification to the data of each of the other user terminals 10B from which data is received in order to ensure that the data of the other user terminals are identifiable. By way of further example, when data is being sent from the network device 40 to the user terminals 10, the network device may attach user identifications to the data such that the first user terminal 10A may distribute the data to the other user terminals 10B via device-to-device communications based on the user identifications. User identifications may be attached as a control header of the shared data in some embodiments.

In some embodiments the apparatus 50 may further include a secondary logical channel module 84. The processor 70 or other circuitry may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the secondary logical channel module 84. The secondary logical channel module 84 may be configured to assign a unique identifier to each secondary logical channel used for network communications between the first user terminal 10A and the network device 40. In this regard, in some embodiments in which a single secondary logical channel is established to support transmission of the device-to-device data from all of the other user terminals 10B to the network 30, the secondary logical channel module 84 may assign a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other user terminals. In other embodiments in which multiple secondary logical channels are established with each secondary logical channel supporting the transmission of the device-to-device data from one of the other user terminals 10B to the network 30, the secondary logical channel module 84 may assign a plurality of different unique identifiers, wherein each of the unique identifiers is associated with a different one of the other user terminals with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

Thus, in some embodiments the data of all of the other user terminals 10B may be included on a single secondary logical channel. In such embodiments use of the above- described user identification module 82 may be employed to attach user identifications to the data of the other devices 10B such that disassembling the shared dataset may occur by separating data of the other devices based on the user identifications. However, in other embodiments each secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of only one of the other user terminals 1 OB, and thus causing the shared dataset to be shared may comprise causing the shared dataset to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification, and thereby a plurality of secondary logical channels may be used for the transmission of data from a respective plurality of other devices. In this embodiment, user identification is unnecessary since the pairing of a secondary logical channel with one of the other user terminals 10B effectively identifies the other device.

By way of example, as will be described in greater detail below, if there are only two (2) devices communicating via a device-to-device communication 10' then there may be no need to attach a user identification corresponding to the other user terminal 10B and existing data structures of cellular systems may be kept unchanged as only the data of the one other user terminal may be sent over the secondary logical channel. However, when two or more other user terminals 10B are involved in communications over a single secondary logical channel, user identifications corresponding to the respective user terminals may be used. In such instances, for example, the user identification may be provided by the user terminal 10 with the data itself, or assigned as a service data unit ("SDU") in the form of a control header field.

Further, in some embodiments the secondary logical channel module 84 may be configured to cause the shared dataset to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first user terminal 10A and the network device 40. For example, in one embodiment a plurality of primary logical channels may also be established between the first user terminal 10A and the network device 40. Each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels of this embodiment may be associated with a different radio bearer ("RB") service. Thus, the logical channels used may be selected based on which RB service is preferred in some embodiments.

In some embodiments the apparatus 50 may further include a communication mode determination module 86. The processor 70 or other circuitry may be embodied as, include or otherwise control the communication mode determination module 86. The communication mode determination module 86 may be configured to determine the mode in which to communicate. For example, when communication with a network (e.g. the network 30) is required, the communication mode determination module 86 may determine whether to communicate with the network directly (e.g. through a network communication 42B), or through another device (e.g. through a device-to-device communication 10'). In some embodiments the communication mode determination module 86 may cause a request for device-to-device communication to be shared. Such a request may be sent out by the network 30, for example, by the network device 40.

Thereby, when the user terminals 10 receive the request, the respective communication mode determination module 86 of each user terminal may determine which user terminal will communicate with the network directly, and which user terminals will communicate with the network via device-to-device communications with the user terminal

communicating directly with the network. After this determination is made by the communication mode determination module 86, a response will be sent to the network 30. In some embodiments the user terminals 10 will use the communication mode

determination module 86 to determine which user terminal will communicate with the network 30, and then only that user terminal which will communicate directly with the network will send the response to the network.

Further, in some embodiments the determination as to which user terminal 10 will communicate with the network 30 directly, and hence respond to the request, may be based on a base station communication factor. For example, the base station

communication factor may relate to at least one of a power level and a channel condition for each of the user terminals 10. In this regard, user terminals 10 with relatively lower battery levels may be more suited for device-to-device communications 10' due to the lower power output levels which may be used in local communications as compared to the relatively higher power output levels which may be involved in communicating with the network. Further, user terminals 10 with better signal strengths, higher throughputs, or other favorable channel conditions may be more suited for use in communicating directly with the network 30. Accordingly, the one or more communication mode determination modules 86 of the user terminals 10 may apply various rules to determine which user terminal should communicate with the network, and as described above these rules may relate to base station communication factors.

Note that the description of the apparatus 50 provided above generally relates to embodiments of the apparatus 50 which are embodied on a user terminal 10 and which are used to assemble the shared dataset for sharing by transmitting the shared dataset to a network. However, the apparatus 50 may also be configured to receive shared datasets from a network. For example, the shared dataset module 78 may be configured to disassemble the shared dataset into at least the data that is to be distributed, such as by device-to-device communication, to the other user terminals 1 OB in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received. Also, when the shared dataset includes the data of the first user terminal 1 OA, the shared dataset module 78 may further disassemble the shared dataset into the data of the first user terminal in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

Further, the cipher module 80 may also function to decrypt the shared dataset when an encrypted shared dataset is received by a user terminal 10 embodying the apparatus 50. For example, after the shared dataset is received via a network communication 42A, the shared dataset may first be decrypted by the cipher module 80 using the second cipher to produce the data of the first user terminal 10A in fully decrypted form and the data of the other user terminals 10B in partially decrypted form. This may occur at the user terminal 10 which is communicating with the network (e.g. the first user terminal 10A

communicating via the network communication 42 A). Then, after the data of the other user terminals 10B is sent to the other user terminals 10B (e.g. via device-to-device communications 10'), the data of the other user terminals may be fully decrypted by applying the respective cipher(s). Accordingly, the apparatus 50 may also function to decrypt received datasets.

Additionally, the user identification module 82 may be used to determine to which device (e.g. the first user terminal 10A or the other user terminals 10B) the received datasets comprising the shared dataset belong. For example, when the shared dataset module 78 disassembles the shared dataset, there may be data belonging to a plurality of other user terminals 10B that has been received via a single secondary logical channel. Accordingly, the user identification module 82 may determine to which user terminal each data of the other user terminals 10B corresponds based on the user identifications included with the data of the other user terminals. Alternatively, in embodiments in which the secondary logical channels are respectively assigned data of a single one of the other user terminals 10B, the secondary logical channel module 84 may determine to which user terminal the data belongs based on the unique identifiers of the secondary logical channels.

When the apparatus 50 receives the shared dataset, the communication mode module 86 may function in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to initially determining which user terminal 10 will directly communicate with the network, and which user terminal(s) will communicate first through a device-to-device communication. Thus, the operation of the communication mode determination module 86 will not be repeated. However, it should be noted that the determination as to which user terminal 10 communicates directly with the network may be updated over the course of time to ensure that the optimal user terminal communicates directly with the network, using, for example, the rules described above.

As further mentioned above, embodiments of the apparatus 50 may be embodied on the network 30. For example, the network device 40 may embody the apparatus 50. When the network device 40 embodies the apparatus 50, the functions of the various portions of the apparatus may be substantially similar to those described above with respect to embodiments of the apparatus employed with user terminals 10. However, one difference is that the communication mode determination module 86 may create the request for device-to device communication, rather than receive and respond to the request.

In terms of the particular implementation of the communications described above, examples will now be provided. In one example embodiment one or several common virtual RBs or logical channels may be configured to pair or cluster user terminals 10 for device-to-device communications of the data of the other user terminals 10B and share the shared dataset with possible Quality of Service ("QoS") control. Thus, in some embodiments unique identifiers and associated QoS parameters may be reserved and used for configuration common to all device-to-device communication. These logical channels may include, for example, at least one for c-plane messages, and the logical channels may be mapped on corresponding RBs of each user terminal 10 for both the c-plane and u- plane if so configured.

In embodiments where the device-to-device radio interface is also based on, for example, LTE structures and formats, these channels may be used by the user terminals 10 to form the device-to-device communications 10' for sharing the shared dataset with the network device 40. In the case of multiplexing (e.g. where the shared dataset includes both the data of the first user terminal 10A and the data of the other user terminals 10B), if there are only two (2) devices communicating via a device-to-device communication 10' then there may be no need to attach user identifications corresponding to the data of other user terminals and existing data structures of cellular systems may be kept unchanged. However, when two or more user terminals 10 are involved in communications over a single secondary logical channel, user identifications corresponding to the respective user terminals may be used. In such instances, for example, the user identification may be provided by the user terminal 10 with the data itself, or provided as a service data unit ("SDU") in the form of a control header field. Alternatively, as described above, the user terminal (e.g. the first user terminal 10A) receiving the data from the other user terminals 1 OB may attach user identifications corresponding to the data of the respective other user terminals.

In various embodiments communications may occur, for example, on the Packet Data Convergence Protocol ("PDCP') or the Media Access Control ("MAC") level. In embodiments in which communications occur in the MAC level, the above-described unique identifiers for the secondary logical channels may be sufficient for identifying the data of the other user terminals 10B. In such embodiments, there may be no need for the first user terminal 10A to cipher the data of the other user terminals 10B. If

communications occur on the PDCP level, exclusive RB identifiers (on which unique identifiers for the secondary logical channels may be mapped) may be used as the user identifications.

Furthermore, as described above, the network device 40 may send out a request for device-to-device communication in order to activate multiplexing or relaying of data. The response to the request may be sent from one of the user terminals 10 in the form of a hybrid automatic repeat request ("HARQ") positive/negative acknowledgement

("ACK/NACK") response indicating whether or not device-to-device communication may occur. The response, when embodied on a physical uplink control channel ("PUCCH"), may, for example, utilize PUCCH Format lb whereby one bit would be the ACK/NACK response and another bit may indicate the identification of the user terminal 10 which sent the answer. For example, the rules applied by the communication mode determination module 86 may cause the user terminal 10 with a better base station communication factor to be the responding device, and hence the device which engages in direct network communication with the network device 40.

As noted above, in one embodiment multiplexing may occur on the MAC layer. In such embodiments, communications may occur in one example embodiment as follows: From a cellular access perspective, the network device 40 may configure the first user terminal 10A with two (2) RBs: RB#1 and RB#2, mapped on two (2) logical channels: unique identifier^ and unique identifier=2. Further, the network device 40 may configure the other user terminals 10B with two (2) RBs: RB#1 and RB#2, mapped on two (2) logical channels: unique identifier^ and unique identifier=2. A logical channel with unique identifier 10 may be exclusively reserved and configured for device-to- device communication. Further, unique identifier=10 may be mapped on RB#1 of each user terminal 10, as configured based on QoS control. Note that currently in the evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network ("E-UTRAN"), one-to-one mapping between logical channels and RBs may be required. Thus, having RB#1 mapped on the primary logical channel unique identifier 1 and the secondary logical channel with unique identifier 10 may involve some minor extension of the 1:1 mapping condition.

With further regard to use of the MAC layer, when the other user terminals 10B need to send data to the network device 40 via the first user terminal 10A, the other user terminals may send data using the secondary logical channel unique identifier 10 to the first user terminal. Upon reception of the data of the other user terminals 10B via the device-to-device communication 10', the first user terminal 10A may map the data of the other user terminals and, if needed/desired, put the data of the other user terminals in a queue for the secondary logical channel unique identifier 10. Then when the first user terminal 1 OA needs to send data to the network device 40, the first user terminal may send its own data on primary logical channel unique identifier 1 and the data of the other user terminals 10B on secondary logical channel unique identifier 10, multiplexed in the same MAC protocol data unit ("PDU") or HARQ transport blocks ("TB") as in the current operation.

The network device 40 may receive the shared dataset from the first user terminal

10A and map the data of the other user terminals 10B and the data of the first user terminal to the right RB of each user terminal 10. Thus, the secondary logical channel unique identifier 10 may be used to share data of the other user terminals 10B received via a device-to-device communication 10' while allowing for the option to keep all the current E-UTRAN structures substantially unchanged. In instances in which more than two (2) user terminals 10 cluster, the network device 40 may keep track of the current number of user terminals in device-to-device communication, and the network device and the first user terminal 10A may automatically apply a new data structure sent on the secondary logical channel with unique identifier 10. In such instances, a user identification header field may be applied when sending on the secondary logical channel with the unique identifier 10 so that the data of each of the other user terminals 10B is separately identifiable.

As also noted above, in another embodiment multiplexing may occur on the PDCP layer. In such embodiments, communications may occur in one example embodiment as follows: At first it may be assumed that the network device 40 has requested a radio resource control ("RRC") response from the user terminals 10 indicating whether device- to-device communication is possible and selection of the user terminal which will directly communicate with the network (e.g. the first user terminal 10A). The other user terminals 10B may prepare and cipher a response with a first cipher, and send the ciphered data into the user plane to be sent to the first user terminal 1 OA as a device-to-device

communication 10'. The first user terminal 10A may then extract the encapsulated and ciphered data of the other user terminals 10B received as a packet. Then the first user terminal 10A may assemble the shared dataset to be sent to the network device 40 by assembling the shared dataset from its own data and the ciphered PDCP SDU data of the other user terminals 10B. The first user terminal 10A may then cipher the whole shared dataset with a second cipher, such that the data of the other user terminals 10B may still be ciphered by the first cipher and the shared dataset may be ciphered by the second cipher. The network device 40 may then decipher the shared dataset received as a PDCP packet via a network communication 42A first by applying the second cipher to determine the message content of the data of the first user terminal 10A as well as the ciphered data of the other user terminals 10B, which may then be decrypted with the first cipher. The indication of inclusion of the PDCP SDU of the data of the other user terminals 10B may be shown in reserved fields ("R fields") of the PDCP header.

In terms of methods associated with embodiments of the present invention, the above-described apparatus 50 or other embodiments of apparatuses may be employed. In this regard, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a system, method and program product according to example embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, may be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuitry and/or other device associated with execution of software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the procedures described above may be embodied by a computer program product including computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions which embody the procedures described above may be stored by a memory device and executed by a processor of an apparatus. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other

programmable apparatus (for example, hardware) to produce a machine, such that the resulting computer or other programmable apparatus embody means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture the execution of which implements the function specified in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus implement the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).

Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart support combinations of means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems which perform the specified functions, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

In this regard, one embodiment of a method includes causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device at operation 200. The primary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel may be configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device. Further, the data of the other devices may be configured for device-to- device communication between the first device and the other devices. As indicated by decision block 201, the method may vary depending on whether sharing involves receiving or providing for transmission of the shared dataset. Thus, causing the shared dataset to be shared at operation 200 may comprise disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel at operation 202 in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received. Conversely, causing the shared dataset to be shared at operation 200 may comprise assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel at operation 204 in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted.

In some embodiments, certain ones of the above-described operations (as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 3) may be modified or further amplified. In some embodiments additional operations may also be included (some examples of which are shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3). It should be appreciated that each of the modifications, optional additions or amplifications may be included with the above-described operations (200-204) either alone or in combination with any others among the features described herein. As such, each of the other operations as will be described herein may be combinable with the above-described operations (200-204) either alone or with one, more than one, or all of the additional operations in any combination.

For example, the method may further comprise disassembling the shared dataset into data of the first device from the primary logical channel at operation 206 in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received. Conversely, the method may include assembling data of the first device with the data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel at operation 208 in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted. With further regard to instances in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted, the method may also comprise causing storage of data from the other devices until data of the first device is ready for transmission at operation 210.

Additionally, the method may include attaching a user identification to the data of each of the other devices at operation 212. Thus, when the data of the other devices includes associated user identifications, disassembling the shared dataset may occur by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices at operation 214. However, in instances in which the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of the data of only one of the other devices, causing the shared dataset to be shared at operation 200 may comprise causing the data of the other devices to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification at operation 216.

Further, the method may include assigning a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel at operation 218. In one embodiment, assigning a unique identifier at operation 218 may comprise assigning a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel at operation 220. Conversely, in another embodiment assigning a unique identifier at operation 218 may comprise assigning a plurality of different unique identifiers at operation 222, wherein each of the unique identifiers is associated with a different one of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel. Also, causing the shared dataset to be shared at operation 200 may comprise causing the shared dataset to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device at operation 224. Additionally, a plurality of primary logical channels may be established between the first device and the network device, wherein each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels is associated with a different radio bearer service.

Regardless of whether the shared dataset is sent or received, the method may further comprise causing a request for device-to-device communication to be shared at operation 226. When the method is being carried out by the network device 40, for example, sharing the request at operation 226 may involve providing for transmission of the request to user terminals 10. Conversely, when the method is being carried out by the user terminals 10, sharing the request at operation 226 may comprise responding to the request based on a base station communication factor, as indicated at operation 228.

In an example embodiment, an apparatus for performing the method of FIG. 3 and other methods described above may comprise a processor (for example, the processor 70) configured to perform some or each of the operations (200-228) described above. The processor may, for example, be configured to perform the operations (200-228) by performing hardware implemented logical functions, executing stored instructions, or executing algorithms for performing each of the operations. Alternatively, the apparatus may comprise means for performing each of the operations described above. In this regard, according to an example embodiment, examples of means for performing operations 200-228 may comprise, for example, the processor 70, the user interface 72, the communication interface 74, the shared dataset module 78, the cipher module 80, the user identification module 82, the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the

communication mode determination module 86, as described above. However, the above- described portions of the apparatus 50 as they relate to the operations of the method illustrated in FIG. 3 are merely examples, and it should be understood that various other embodiments may be possible.

In some embodiments the operation 200 of causing a shared dataset to be shared may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the communication interface 74, the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the processor 70. Further, the operation 202 of disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices and the operation 206 of disassembling the shared dataset into data of the first device may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the user identification module 82, the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the processor 70. Also, the operation 204 of assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel and the operation 208 of assembling data of the first device with data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the user identification module 82, the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the processor 70.

Also, the operation 210 of causing storage of data of the other user devices until data of the first device is ready for transmission may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the memory device 76, and/or the processor 70. Additionally, the operation 212 of attaching a user identification to the data of each of the other devices may be conducted by means, such as the user identification module 82, and/or the processor 70. Further, the operation 214 of disassembling the shared dataset by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices at operation 214 may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the user identification module 82, and/or the processor 70.

Additionally, the operation 216 of causing the shared dataset to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification may be conducted by means, such as the shared dataset module 78, the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the processor 70. Further, the operation 218 of assigning a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel, the operation 220 of assigning a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel, the operation 222 of assigning a plurality of different unique identifiers wherein each of the unique identifiers is associated with a different one of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel, and the operation 224 of causing the shared dataset to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device may be conducted by means, such as the secondary logical channel module 84, and/or the processor 70. Further, the operation 226 of causing a request for device-to-device communication to be shared and the operation 228 of responding to the request based on a base station communication factor may be conducted by means, such as the communication mode determination module 86, the communication interface 74, and/or the processor 70.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

THAT WHICH IS CLAIMED:

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

cause a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device, wherein the primary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device,

wherein the data of the other devices is configured for device-to-device communication between the first device and the other devices, and

wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the shared dataset to be shared by:

assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and

disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1 , further configured to:

assemble data of the first device with data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and

disassemble the shared dataset into data of the first device from the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

3. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-2, further configured to cause storage of data from the other devices until data from the first device is ready for transmission.

4. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3, further configured to assign a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel.

5. The apparatus of Claim 4 further configured to assign the unique identifier by assigning a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

6. The apparatus of Claim 4 further configured to assign the unique identifier by assigning a plurality of different unique identifiers,

wherein each of the unique identifiers is associated with a different one of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

7. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6, further configured to attach a user identification to the data of each of the other devices.

8. The apparatus of Claim 7, further configured to disassemble the shared dataset by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices.

9. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-4 and 6, wherein the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of only one of the other devices, and wherein the apparatus is configured to cause the shared dataset to be shared by causing the shared dataset to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification.

10. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-9, further configured to cause a request for device-to-device communication to be shared.

1 1. The apparatus of Claim 10, further configured to respond to the request based on a base station communication factor.

12. The apparatus of any one of Claims 1-11, further configured to cause the shared dataset to be shared by causing the data of the other devices to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device.

13. The apparatus of Claim 12 wherein a plurality of primary logical channels are also established between the first device and the network device, and wherein each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels is associated with a different radio bearer service.

14. A method, comprising:

causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device, wherein the primary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device,

wherein causing the shared dataset to be shared comprises:

assembling the shared dataset via a processor by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and

disassembling the shared dataset via a processor into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

15. The method of Claim 14, further comprising assembling data of the first device with data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and

disassembling the shared dataset into data of the first device from the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

16. The method of any one of Claims 14-15, further comprising causing storage of data from the other devices until data from the first device is ready for transmission.

17. The method of any one of Claims 14-16, further comprising assigning a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel.

18. The method of Claim 17 wherein assigning a unique identifier comprises assigning a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

19. The method of Claim 17 wherein assigning a unique identifier comprises assigning a plurality of different unique identifiers,

20. The method of any one of Claims 14-19, further comprising attaching a user identification to the data of each of the other devices.

21. The method of Claim 20, further comprising disassembling the shared dataset by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices.

22. The method of any one of Claims 14-17 and 19, wherein the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of only one of the other devices, and wherein causing the shared dataset to be shared comprises causing the shared dataset to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification.

23. The method of any one of Claims 14-22, further comprising causing a request for device-to-device communication to be shared.

24. The method of Claim 23, further comprising responding to the request based on a base station communication factor.

25. The method of any one of Claims 14-24, wherein causing the shared dataset to be shared comprises causing the data of the other devices to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device.

26. The method of Claim 25 wherein a plurality of primary logical channels are also established between the first device and the network device, and wherein each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels is associated with a different radio bearer service.

27. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

program code instructions for causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device,

wherein the primary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of the first device between the first device and the network device and the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of one or more other devices between the first device and the network device,

wherein program code instructions for causing the shared dataset to be shared comprise:

program code instructions for assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and

program code instructions for disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

28. The computer program product of Claim 27, further comprising program code instructions for assembling data of the first device with data of the other devices to form the shared dataset by configuring data of the first device for transmission on the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and program code instructions for disassembling the shared dataset into data of the first device from the primary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.

29. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-28, further comprising program code instructions for causing storage of data from the other devices until data from the first device is ready for transmission.

30. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-29, further comprising program code instructions for assigning a unique identifier to the secondary logical channel.

31. The computer program product of Claim 30 wherein program code instructions for assigning a unique identifier comprise program code instructions for assigning a single identifier to the secondary logical channel corresponding to all of the other devices with data that is transported via the secondary logical channel.

32. The computer program product of Claim 30 wherein program code instructions for assigning a unique identifier comprise program code instructions for assigning a plurality of different unique identifiers,

33. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-32, further comprising program code instructions for attaching a user identification to the data of each of the other devices.

34. The computer program product of Claim 33, further comprising program code instructions for disassembling the shared dataset by separating data of the other devices based on the user identification of each of the other devices.

35. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-30 and 32, wherein the secondary logical channel is configured for transmission of data of only one of the other devices, and wherein program code instructions for causing the shared dataset to be shared comprise program code instructions for causing the shared dataset to be shared via the secondary logical channel without association with a user identification.

36. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-35, further comprising program code instructions for causing a request for device-to-device communication to be shared.

37. The computer program product of Claim 36, further comprising program code instructions for responding to the request based on a base station communication factor.

38. The computer program product of any one of Claims 27-37, wherein program code instructions for causing the shared dataset to be shared comprise program code instructions for causing the data of the other devices to be shared via any one of a plurality of secondary logical channels established between the first device and the network device.

39. The computer program product of Claim 38 wherein a plurality of primary logical channels are also established between the first device and the network device, and wherein each pair of primary logical channels and secondary logical channels is associated with a different radio bearer service.

40. An apparatus, comprising:

means for causing a shared dataset to be shared over at least one of a primary logical channel and a secondary logical channel established between a first device and a network device,

wherein means for causing the shared dataset to be shared comprises: means for assembling the shared dataset by configuring at least the data of the other devices for transmission on the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset is to be transmitted; and means for disassembling the shared dataset into at least the data of the other devices from the secondary logical channel in an instance in which the shared dataset has been received.