CLAIMS
1. A method performed at a user equipment (50a) of requesting resource from a
network node (20) within a wireless network for transmitting uplink data, said uplink
data being data that is to be transmitted as a direct communication directly between
said user equipment (50a) and user equipment (50, 52) within at least one of a plurality
of groups of user equipment of which said user equipment is a member, said method
comprising:
generating a status report said status report providing an indication of an amount of said uplink data and an indication of at least one group to which said uplink data is to be transmitted;
transmitting an indication of a priority of said at least one group towards said network node; and
transmitting said status report towards said network node.
2. A method according to claim 1, comprising prior to performing said generating step, determining a current priority of at least some of said plurality of groups of user equipment.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 1, wherein said step of transmitting said status report and said indication of said priority are a same transmitting step.
4. A method according to claim 3, wherein, said user equipment comprises pending uplink data to be transmitted to a plurality of said groups and said method comprises:
determining a priority of said plurality of groups to which said pending uplink
data is to be transmitted; and
generating a status report for each of said pending uplink data; and transmitting said status reports in an order determined by said determined
priority such that said status report related to uplink data to be transmitted to said
highest priority group is transmitted first.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of status reports are transmitted in a sequence depending on said determined priority.
6. A method according to claim 5, comprising prior to transmitting said status reports, transmitting a scheduling request and in response to receipt of a resource grant

granting resource for transmitting said status report, transmitting as many of said status reports in said sequence as will fit within said resource grant.
7. A method according to claim 4, comprising transmitting a scheduling request and receiving a resource grant prior to transmitting each of said status reports.
8. A method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising transmitting said status report related to uplink data of said highest priority group and transmitting an indication that said user equipment comprises further uplink data awaiting transmission to said further lower priority groups.
9. A method according to claim 3, wherein in response to pending uplink data to be transmitted to a plurality of groups, said method comprising generating said status report for said pending uplink data, said status report comprising a predetermined format comprising an indication of a priority of each of said plurality of groups for which there is pending uplink data and an indicator of a size of said corresponding uplink data.
10. A method according to claim 9, said status report comprising a group identifier for each of said plurality of groups, an order in which said group identifiers appear in said status report providing said indication of said priority of said group.
11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined format is such that a priority indicator for each of said plurality of groups for which there is pending uplink data are arranged adjacent to each other in a predetermined order, and an indicator of a size of said corresponding uplink data are arranged in a further portion of said status report.
12. A user equipment (50a) comprising:
a status report generator operable to generate a status report, said status report providing an indication of an amount of uplink data that is awaiting transmission as a direct transmission directly to user equipment (50, 52) within at least one of a plurality of groups of user equipment of which said user equipment is a member, and an indication of at least one group to which said uplink data is to be transmitted; and
a transmitter operable to transmit said status report and to transmit an indication of a priority of said at least one group towards said network node.

13- A method performed at a network node (20) for allocating resources to a user equipment (50a) for transmitting uplink data, said uplink data being data that is to be transmitted as a direct communication directly between said user equipment (50a) and user equipment (50,52) within at least one of a plurality of groups of user equipment of which said user equipment is a member, said method comprising:
receiving from said user equipment (50a) at least one status report said at least one status report providing an indication of an amount of said uplink data pending at said user equipment and an indication of at least one group to which said uplink data is to be transmitted;
receiving from said user equipment (50a) an indication of a priority of said at least one group; and
allocating resource for transmission of said uplink data to said user equipment (50a) in dependence upon said at least one status report.
14. A network node (20) comprising:
a receiver operable to receive from said user equipment (50a) at least one status report, said at least one status report providing an indication of an amount of uplink data pending at said user equipment said uplink data being data that is to be transmitted as a direct communication directly between said user equipment (50a) and user equipment (50, 52) within at least one of a plurality of groups of user equipment of which said user equipment is a member and an indication of at least one group to which said uplink data is to be transmitted, said receiver being further operable to receive an indication of a priority of said at least one group; and
resource allocating logic operable to allocate resources to said user equipment for transmitting said uplink data in dependence upon said at least one status report.
15. A computer program which when executed by a computer is operable to control
said computer to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and 13.