Network-Assisted Device-to-Device Scheduling in LTE

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is a new feature being introduced to LTE in 3GPP Release 12. This feature will provide proximity services including support for public safety applications. For D2D communication within the network coverage area, network assistance is very beneficial for interference management purpose to ensure reliable communication. In this case, a simple algorithm can be used wherein the network manages the number and selection of simultaneous D2D transmissions within its cell. This will help manage interference from D2D transmission in case of time-frequency reuse to ensure that minimum performance requirement can be satisfied. In this paper, we outline a method for determining the maximum number of simultaneous D2D transmitters in a given cell. In addition, a method for selecting D2D pairs for simultaneous transmission is also provided. It is shown that, with network assistance, the percentage of reliable D2D communication links can be improved significantly.