A relay determination method and apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a relay determination method and apparatus, relating to the field of wireless communication technologies. By determining the relay determination strategy of a terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device, and determining the relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the determined relay determination strategy, the terminal device can select different relay determination strategies according to different statuses to determine different relay terminal devices, thereby improving the communication performance of the terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of mobile communications, and particularly to a relay determination method and apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Relay technology means that a terminal device does not directly communicate with a network device, but instead communicates with the network device through the relay of another terminal device. Through relay technology, the coverage of a wireless network can be extended, communication blind spots can be eliminated or reduced, and higher link capacity can be obtained. Among them, the terminal device connected to the network device through another terminal device is called a remote terminal device, and the terminal device providing the relay function is called a relay terminal device.

[0003] In related technologies, in order to ensure service continuity when a remote terminal device moves in different cells, the remote terminal device generally selects a relay terminal device through its serving cell. When the remote terminal device is in a disconnected state and service continuity is not required, the relay terminal device is still selected according to its serving cell, resulting in a decline in communication performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of the first aspect of the present disclosure provides a relay determination method, which is executed by a terminal device. The method includes: determining a relay determination strategy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device; and determining a relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the relay determination strategy.

[0005] Optionally, the determining a relay determination strategy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determining the relay determination strategy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determining the relay determination strategy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0006] Optionally, determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is connected to a network device through a relay device, determining the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is a remote terminal device, determining the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal device with a serving cell corresponding to and the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0007] Optionally, determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is not connected to a network device through a relay device, determining the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0008] Optionally, determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a non-active state, determining the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device are in the same RAN area, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a non-active state, determining the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the second preference criterion, where the second preference criterion indicates that a terminal device with a serving cell corresponding to and in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0009] Optionally, determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an idle state, determining the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0010] Optionally, determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device includes: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an RRC reconstruction process or an RRC resume process, determining the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an RRC reconstruction process or an RRC resume process, determining the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion indicates preferentially selecting a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0011] Optionally, the relay determination policy is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and the first preference criterion. According to the relay determination policy, determining the relay terminal device of the terminal device includes: obtaining candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criterion; in response to there being a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, determining the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to there being no target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, using any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0012] Optionally, the relay determination policy is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a second preference criterion. According to the relay determination policy, determining the relay terminal device of the terminal device includes: obtaining candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criterion; in response to there being a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, determining the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to there being no target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, using any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0013] Optionally, the specified criterion includes at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold; the public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0014] Optionally, the method is executed by the terminal device at the access stratum; or, the method is executed by the terminal device at the non-access stratum according to the transfer information of the access stratum; where the transfer information includes at least one of the following information: the status information, the serving cell of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0015] An embodiment of the second aspect of the present disclosure provides a relay determination device, which is executed by a terminal device. The device includes: a processing unit, configured to determine a relay determination policy for the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device; the processing unit is further configured to determine a relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the relay determination policy.

[0016] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0017] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is connected to a network device through a relay device, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is a remote terminal device, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0018] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is not connected to a network device through a relay device, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion.

[0019] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an inactive state, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device are in the same RAN area, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an inactive state, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the second preferred criteria, where the second preferred criteria indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0020] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an idle state, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0021] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the RRC reconstruction process or the RRC restoration process, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the RRC reconstruction process or the RRC restoration process, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria, where the first preferred criteria indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0022] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria; in response to the existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, determine the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to the non-existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, use any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0023] Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to: obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria; in response to the existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, determine the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to the non-existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, use any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0024] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold; the public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0025] Optionally, the processing unit executes the process of determining the relay terminal device at the access stratum; or, the processing unit executes the process of determining the relay terminal device at the non-access stratum according to the transfer information of the access stratum; wherein, the transfer information includes at least one of the following information: the status information, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0026] An embodiment of the third aspect of the present disclosure provides a relay determination device, including: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit is configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; the processor is configured to run the code instructions to execute the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0027] An embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a communication device, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and a computer program stored on the memory, and the processor runs the computer program to implement the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect.

[0028] An embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and when the instructions are executed, the method described in the embodiment of the first aspect is implemented.

[0029] A relay determination method and device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure determine a relay determination strategy for a terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device, and determine a relay terminal device for the terminal device according to the determined relay determination strategy, so that the terminal device can select different relay determination strategies according to different statuses and determine different relay terminal devices, improving the communication link quality and the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0030] Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will be given in part in the following description, become apparent in part from the following description, or be learned by practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent and be readily understood from the following description of embodiments in conjunction with the drawings, where:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart of a relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another relay determination method provided for an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a relay determination device proposed by the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device proposed by the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, and examples thereof are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the embodiments of the present disclosure. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "a" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0042] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in the embodiments of the present disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the words "if" and "when" as used herein may be interpreted as "when" or "while" or "in response to determining".

[0043] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to explain the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0044] In the related art, when the link of the remote terminal device fails to connect or the remote terminal device receives a signaling indication, it is necessary to reselect a suitable relay terminal device to restore the connection with the network device. The communication link between the remote terminal device and the relay terminal device is called a sidelink. To ensure the service continuity of the remote terminal device when moving in different cells, the remote terminal device selects the relay terminal device according to the serving cell to which it belongs. When the remote terminal device is in a non-connected state, service continuity is not required. At this time, the relay terminal device is still selected according to the serving cell to which the remote terminal device belongs, making it difficult to ensure the link quality from the remote terminal device to the network device and resulting in a decline in communication performance.

[0045] Figure 1A flowchart showing the process of a relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the relay determination method of the embodiment of the present disclosure is executed by a terminal device. The terminal device in the embodiments of the present application is an entity on the user side for receiving or transmitting signals, such as a mobile phone. The terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal device (terminal), user equipment (UE), mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal device can be an automobile with communication functions, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer (Pad), a computer with wireless transceiver functions, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, a wireless terminal device in a smart home, and so on.

[0046] As Figure 1 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0047] Step 101, determine the relay determination strategy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device.

[0048] Among them, the status information of the terminal device refers to the state in which the terminal device is located, and can be any one of the following states: connected state (connected), inactive state (inactive), idle state (idle), being in the radio resource control RRC (Radio Resource Control) re-establishment process or being in the RRC recovery process, etc. The terminal device enters different states by receiving and sending different RRC messages according to the protocol.

[0049] In the 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology) NR (New Radio) system, an inactive state is introduced. In the inactive state, both the terminal device side and the network device side retain the Access Stratum (AS) context and security information. The terminal device can quickly enter the connected state through the RRC resume procedure.

[0050] In some embodiments, the relay determination policy can be a policy selected by the terminal device according to at least one of the serving cell to which the terminal device belongs, the RAN (Radio Access Network) area where the serving cell is located, the radio channel quality, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell.

[0051] Step 102, determine the relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the relay determination policy.

[0052] According to the determined relay determination policy, select a terminal device that meets the conditions from the terminal devices as the relay terminal device.

[0053] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the terminal device can execute the relay determination method shown in each embodiment in the Access Stratum (AS), and in some embodiments, the terminal device can execute the relay determination method shown in each embodiment in the Non-Access Stratum (NAS).

[0054] In addition, it should be noted that when executing the relay determination method in the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the status information of the terminal device, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0055] In this embodiment, by determining the relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device, and determining the relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the determined relay determination policy, the terminal device can select different relay determination policies and determine different relay terminal devices according to different statuses, so as to improve the communication link quality and the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0056] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of another relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device.

[0057] As Figure 2 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0058] Step 201, in response to the status information of the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and is connected to the network device through a relay device, or the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction / recovery, determine that the relay determination policy for the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0059] In a first possible implementation manner, when the terminal device is in a connected state, determine that the relay determination policy for the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0060] In a second possible implementation manner, when the terminal device is in a connected state and is connected to the network device through a relay device, determine that the relay determination policy for the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0061] In a third possible implementation manner, when the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction, determine that the relay determination policy for the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0062] In a fourth possible implementation manner, when the terminal device is in the process of RRC recovery, determine that the relay determination policy for the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0063] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0064] Optionally, the radio channel quality between the relay terminal device and the terminal device includes Sidelink Discovery Reference Signal Receiving Power (SD-RSRP) or Sidelink Reference Signal Receiving Power (SL-RSRP).

[0065] Optionally, different thresholds can be set according to different measurement types of the wireless channel quality of the sidelink, or different thresholds can be set according to different requirements of the terminal device. According to different requirements for the channel quality, the preset threshold can be set to -95dBm, -90dBm, -85dBm, etc. according to different needs.

[0066] Step 202: Obtain a terminal device that is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device as a candidate terminal device.

[0067] Optionally, by obtaining the serving cell identifiers of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device, it is determined whether the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device are the same.

[0068] Step 203: Use the candidate terminal device that meets the specified criteria as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0069] In the first possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than the preset threshold, the relay determination device can calculate the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal device and the terminal device, and use the candidate terminal device with a wireless channel quality higher than the preset threshold as the relay terminal device.

[0070] Optionally, sort the candidate terminal devices according to the calculated wireless channel quality, and select the candidate terminal device with the highest wireless channel quality as the relay terminal device.

[0071] In the second possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device, and use the candidate terminal device with the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0072] In the third possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than the preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, calculate the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal device and the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device, and use the candidate terminal device with a wireless channel quality higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0073] It can be understood that the above steps do not limit the order of implementation of the steps. In this embodiment, it is also possible to obtain a terminal device that meets the specified criteria as a candidate terminal device, and use the candidate terminal device whose serving cell is the same as that of the terminal device as a relay terminal device.

[0074] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiment at the AS layer, and in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiment at the NAS layer.

[0075] In addition, it should be noted that when executing the relay determination method at the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the status information of the terminal device, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0076] In this embodiment, in response to the status information of the terminal device being that the terminal device is in a connected state, the status information being that the terminal device is in a connected state and connected to the network device through a relay device, or the status information being that the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction / recovery, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as that of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria. According to the determined relay determination policy, the relay terminal device of the terminal device is determined, so that the terminal device can select a terminal device with the same serving cell and better channel quality as the relay terminal device, ensuring service continuity, improving the communication link quality, and enhancing the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0077] Figure 3 It is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device.

[0078] As Figure 3 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0079] Step 301, in response to the status information of the terminal device being that the terminal device is in a connected state, the status information being that the terminal device is in a connected state and connected to the network device through a relay device, or the status information being that the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction / recovery, determine that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preference criterion.

[0080] Among them, the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as that of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0081] In the first possible implementation, the terminal device is in a connected state, and it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria.

[0082] In the second possible implementation, the terminal device is in a connected state and is connected to the network device through a relay device, and it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria.

[0083] In the third possible implementation, the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction, and it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria.

[0084] In the fourth possible implementation, the terminal device is in the process of RRC restoration, and it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria.

[0085] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0086] Optionally, the radio channel quality between the relay terminal device and the terminal device includes the sidelink discovery reference signal received power SD-RSRP or the sidelink reference signal received power SL-RSRP.

[0087] Optionally, different thresholds can be set according to different measurement types of the radio channel quality of the sidelink, or different thresholds can be set according to different requirements of the terminal device. According to different requirements for the channel quality, the preset threshold can be set to -95dBm, -90dBm, -85dBm, etc. according to different needs.

[0088] Step 302, obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria.

[0089] In the first possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal device and the terminal device, and use the terminal device with a radio channel quality higher than the preset threshold as a candidate terminal device.

[0090] In a second possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device whose serving cell's PLMN identifier is the same as that of the serving cell of the terminal device as a candidate terminal device.

[0091] In a third possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal device and the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and whose serving cell's PLMN identifier is the same as that of the serving cell of the terminal device as a candidate terminal device.

[0092] Step 303, determine whether there is a target candidate terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device. If so, execute Step 304; if not, execute Step 305.

[0093] Optionally, determine whether the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device are the same by obtaining the serving cell identifiers of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device.

[0094] Step 304, determine the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0095] Step 305, use any one of the candidate terminal devices determined in Step 302 as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0096] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the AS layer. In some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the NAS layer.

[0097] In addition, it should be noted that when executing the relay determination method at the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the following: the status information of the terminal device, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0098] In this embodiment, in response to the status information of the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, in a connected state and connected to a network device through a relay device, or the terminal device is in the process of RRC reconstruction / resumption, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria. Candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria are obtained, and it is determined whether there is a target candidate terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device. If there is, the target candidate terminal device is determined as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; if not, any candidate terminal device is used as the relay terminal device of the terminal device, so that the terminal device can preferentially select a terminal device with better channel quality and the same serving cell as the relay terminal device, ensuring service continuity, improving the flexibility of relay determination, enhancing the communication link quality, and improving the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0099] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device.

[0100] As Figure 4 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0101] Step 401, in response to the status information of the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in an inactive state, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0102] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0103] Optionally, the radio channel quality between the relay terminal device and the terminal device includes the sidelink discovery reference signal received power SD-RSRP or the sidelink reference signal received power SL-RSRP.

[0104] Optionally, different thresholds can be set according to different measurement types of the radio channel quality of the sidelink, or different thresholds can be set according to different requirements of the terminal device. According to different requirements for the channel quality, the preset threshold can be set to -95 dBm, -90 dBm, -85 dBm, etc. according to different needs.

[0105] Step 402, obtain terminal devices in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device as candidate terminal devices.

[0106] Optionally, determine the RAN area of the serving cell by obtaining the cell list carried in the RRC release message.

[0107] Step 403: Use the candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria as the relay terminal devices of the terminal device.

[0108] In the first possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal device and the terminal device, and use the candidate terminal devices with a radio channel quality higher than the preset threshold as the relay terminal devices.

[0109] Optionally, sort the candidate terminal devices according to the calculated radio channel quality, and select the candidate terminal device with the highest radio channel quality as the relay terminal device.

[0110] In the second possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal devices, and use the candidate terminal devices with the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as that of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal devices.

[0111] In the third possible implementation, when the specified criteria are that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal device and the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal devices, and use the candidate terminal devices with a radio channel quality higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as that of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal devices.

[0112] It can be understood that the above steps do not limit the order of implementation of the steps. In this embodiment, it is also possible to obtain the terminal devices that meet the specified criteria as candidate terminal devices, and use the candidate terminal devices with the same serving cell as the terminal device as the relay terminal devices.

[0113] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiment at the AS layer, and in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiment at the NAS layer.

[0114] In addition, it should be noted that when the relay determination method is executed at the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the status information of the terminal device, the serving cell of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0115] In this embodiment, by responding to the status information of the terminal device that the terminal device is in the inactive state, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria. According to the determined relay determination policy, the relay terminal device of the terminal device is determined, so that the terminal device can select a terminal device with a serving cell in the same RAN area and better channel quality as the relay terminal device. Because when the inactive terminal device moves between cells in the RAN area, it does not need to report, which not only ensures the continuity of the service, but also improves the communication link quality and the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0116] Figure 5 It is a flowchart of another relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device.

[0117] As Figure 5 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0118] Step 501, in response to the status information of the terminal device that the terminal device is in the inactive state, determine that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the second preferred criteria.

[0119] Among them, the second preferred criterion indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0120] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0121] Optionally, the radio channel quality between the relay terminal device and the terminal device includes the sidelink discovery reference signal received power SD-RSRP or the sidelink reference signal received power SL-RSRP.

[0122] Optionally, different thresholds can be set according to different measurement types of the wireless channel quality of the sidelink, or different thresholds can be set according to different requirements of the terminal device. According to different requirements for the channel quality, the preset threshold can be set to -95 dBm, -90 dBm, -85 dBm, etc. according to different needs.

[0123] Step 502, obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria.

[0124] In the first possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than the preset threshold, calculate the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal device and this terminal device, and use the terminal device with a wireless channel quality higher than the preset threshold as the candidate terminal device.

[0125] In the second possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of this terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device with the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of this terminal device as the candidate terminal device.

[0126] In the third possible implementation manner, when the specified criterion is that the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than the preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, calculate the wireless channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal device and this terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of this terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device with a wireless channel quality higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of this terminal device as the candidate terminal device.

[0127] Step 503, determine whether there is a target candidate terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device. If so, execute Step 504; if not, execute Step 505.

[0128] Optionally, determine the RAN area of the serving cell by obtaining the cell list carried in the RRC release message.

[0129] Optionally, determine whether the serving cells of the terminal device and the candidate terminal device are in the same RAN area through the serving cell identifier.

[0130] Step 504, determine this target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0131] Step 505: Use any one of the candidate terminal devices determined in step 502 as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0132] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the AS layer, and in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the NAS layer.

[0133] In addition, it should be noted that when executing the relay determination method at the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the status information of the terminal device, the serving cell of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0134] In this embodiment, in response to the status information of the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in the inactive state, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the second preferred criteria. Candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria are obtained, and it is determined whether there is a target candidate terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device. If so, the target candidate terminal device is determined as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; if not, any one of the determined candidate terminal devices is used as the relay terminal device of the terminal device. This enables the inactive terminal device to preferentially select, among terminal devices with better channel quality, those whose serving cells are in the same RAN area as its own serving cell as the relay terminal device, ensuring service continuity, improving the flexibility of relay determination, enhancing the communication link quality, and improving the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0135] Figure 6 It is a schematic flowchart of another relay determination method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, which is executed by a terminal device.

[0136] As Figure 6 shown, the relay determination method includes the following steps:

[0137] Step 601: In response to the status information of the terminal device indicating that the terminal device is in the connected state and the terminal device is not connected to the network device through a relay device, or the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the idle state, determine that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0138] In a first possible implementation manner, when the terminal device is in the connected state and not connected to the network device through a relay device, it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0139] In a second possible implementation, the terminal device is in the idle state, and it is determined that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0140] Optionally, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0141] Optionally, the radio channel quality between the relay terminal device and the terminal device includes the sidelink discovery reference signal received power SD-RSRP or the sidelink reference signal received power SL-RSRP.

[0142] Optionally, different thresholds can be set according to different measurement types of the radio channel quality of the sidelink, or different thresholds can be set according to different requirements of the terminal device. According to different requirements for the channel quality, the preset threshold can be set to -95dBm, -90dBm, -85dBm, etc. according to different needs.

[0143] Step 602, use the terminal device that meets the specified criteria as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0144] In a first possible implementation, when the specified criteria is that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal device and the terminal device, and use the terminal device with a radio channel quality higher than the preset threshold as the relay terminal device.

[0145] Optionally, sort the terminal devices according to the calculated radio channel quality, and select the terminal device with the highest radio channel quality as the relay terminal device.

[0146] In a second possible implementation, when the specified criteria is that the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device with the PLMN identifier of the serving cell the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0147] In a third possible implementation, when the specified criterion is that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold, and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device, calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the terminal devices, obtain the PLMN identifiers of the terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device, and use the terminal device whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0148] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the AS layer. In some embodiments, the terminal device may execute the relay determination method shown in the embodiments at the NAS layer.

[0149] In addition, it should be noted that when executing the relay determination method at the NAS layer, the terminal device executes the method according to the information transmitted by the AS layer. Among them, the transmitted information may include at least one of the status information of the terminal device, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0150] In this embodiment, by determining that the relay determination policy of the terminal device is that the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion in response to the status information of the terminal device being that the terminal device is in the connected state and the terminal device is not connected to the network device through a relay device or the terminal device is in the idle state, and using the terminal device that meets the specified criterion as the relay terminal device of the terminal device, the terminal device can lift the restriction of consistent serving cells, select a terminal device with better radio channel quality as the relay terminal device, improve the flexibility of relay determination, enhance the communication link quality, and improve the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0151] Corresponding to the data transmission methods provided in the above several embodiments, the present disclosure also provides a relay determination device. Since the relay determination device provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure corresponds to the methods provided in the above several embodiments, the implementation manners of the relay determination method are also applicable to the relay determination device provided in this embodiment, and will not be described in detail in this embodiment. Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a relay determination device proposed according to the present disclosure.

[0152] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of a relay determination device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the device is executed by a terminal device.

[0153] As Figure 7 shown, the relay determination device 700 includes: a processing unit 710, where:

[0154] A processing unit 710, configured to determine a relay determination policy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device;

[0155] The processing unit 710 is further configured to determine a relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the relay determination policy.

[0156] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determine that the relay determination policy is: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state, determine that the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion represents preferentially selecting a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0157] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is connected to a network device through a relay device, determine that the relay determination policy is: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets a specified criterion; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is a remote terminal device, determine that the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion and a first preference criterion, where the first preference criterion represents preferentially selecting a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device as the relay terminal device.

[0158] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in a connected state and the terminal device is not connected to a network device through a relay device, determine that the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal device meets the specified criterion.

[0159] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an inactive state, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device and the serving cell of the terminal device are in the same RAN area, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an inactive state, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the second preferred criteria, where the second preferred criteria indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0160] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in an idle state, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria.

[0161] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the RRC reconstruction process or the RRC recovery process, determine the relay determination policy as: the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, and the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria; or, in response to the status information indicating that the terminal device is in the RRC reconstruction process or the RRC recovery process, determine the relay determination policy as: the relay terminal device meets the specified criteria and the first preferred criteria, where the first preferred criteria indicates that a terminal device whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device is preferentially selected as the relay terminal device.

[0162] As an implementation manner of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria; in response to the existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, determine the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to the non-existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal device, use any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0163] As an implementation manner of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 is specifically configured to: obtain candidate terminal devices that meet the specified criteria; in response to the existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, determine the target candidate terminal device as the relay terminal device of the terminal device; or, in response to the non-existence of a target candidate terminal device among the candidate terminal devices whose corresponding serving cell is in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal device, use any one of the candidate terminal devices as the relay terminal device of the terminal device.

[0164] As an implementation manner of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the specified criteria include at least one of the following criteria: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal device and the terminal device is higher than a preset threshold; the public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal device is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal device.

[0165] As an implementation manner of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing unit 710 executes the determination process of the relay terminal device at the access stratum; or, the processing unit executes the determination process of the relay terminal device at the non-access stratum according to the transfer information at the access stratum; where the transfer information includes at least one of the following information: the status information, the serving cells of each terminal device, and the serving cell list of each terminal device.

[0166] The relay determination device of this embodiment can determine the relay determination strategy of the terminal device according to the status information of the terminal device, and determine the relay terminal device of the terminal device according to the determined relay determination strategy, so that the terminal device can select different relay determination strategies according to different statuses, determine different relay terminal devices, improve the communication link quality, and improve the communication performance of the terminal device.

[0167] To implement the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present disclosure also propose another relay determination device, including: a processor and an interface circuit, where the interface circuit is configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor, and the processor is configured to run the code instructions to execute Figures 1 to 6 the method shown in the embodiments.

[0168] To implement the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present disclosure also propose a computer-readable storage medium, which is used to store instructions, and when the instructions are executed, Figures 1 to 6 the method shown in the embodiments is implemented.

[0169] To implement the above embodiments, the present disclosure also proposes a computer program product, which, when running on a computer, causes the computer to execute the present disclosure Figures 1 to 6 the method shown in the embodiments.

[0170] Figure 8 The block diagram of a communication device 800 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the communication device 800 may be a mobile phone, a computer, a digital broadcast user device, a messaging device, a game console, a tablet device, a medical device, a fitness device, a personal digital assistant, etc.

[0171] Referring to Figure 8 , the communication device 800 may include at least one of the following components: a processing component 802, a memory 804, a power component 806, a multimedia component 808, an audio component 810, an input / output (I / O) interface 812, a sensor component 814, and a communication component 816.

[0172] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operation of the communication device 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 802 may include at least one processor 820 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above methods. In addition, the processing component 802 may include at least one module to facilitate the interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0173] The memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support the operation of the communication device 800. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the communication device 800, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 804 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0174] The power component 806 provides power to various components of the communication device 800. The power component 806 may include a power management system, at least one power source, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the communication device 800.

[0175] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the communication device 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen can be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes at least one touch sensor to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor can sense not only the boundaries of the touch or swipe action but also detect the wake-up time and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the 800 is in an operation mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each of the front camera and the rear camera can be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0176] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC) that is configured to receive external audio signals when the communication device 800 is in an operation mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a voice recognition mode. The received audio signals can be further stored in the memory 804 or transmitted via the communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0177] The I / O interface 812 provides an interface between the processing component 802 and a peripheral interface module, which can be a keyboard, a click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons can include, but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a power button, and a lock button.

[0178] The sensor component 814 includes at least one sensor for providing an assessment of the various aspects of the state of the communication device 800. For example, the sensor component 814 can detect the on / off state of the communication device 800, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and the keypad of the communication device 800. The sensor component 814 can also detect a change in the position of the communication device 800 or a component of the communication device 800, the presence or absence of user contact with the communication device 800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the communication device 800, and the temperature change of the communication device 800. The sensor component 814 can include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor component 814 can also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or a CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 814 can further include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0179] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate communication, in a wired or wireless manner, between the communication device 800 and other devices. The communication device 800 may access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0180] In an exemplary embodiment, the communication device 800 may be implemented by at least one Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Digital Signal Processing Device (DSPD), Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or other electronic components for performing the methods of any of the above embodiments.

[0181] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions, such as a memory 804 including instructions, is also provided. The above instructions may be executed by a processor 820 of the communication device 800 to complete the above methods. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, Random Access Memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device, etc.

[0182] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention, which follow the general principles of the invention and include common general knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the following claims.

[0183] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is only limited by the appended claims.

[0184] To implement the above embodiments, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a communication device. The communication device may be a network device, a terminal device, a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the network device to implement the above method, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the terminal device to implement the above method. The device can be used to implement the methods described in any of the above method embodiments. For specific details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0185] Among them, the communication device may include one or more processors. The processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute computer programs, and process the data of the computer programs.

[0186] Optionally, the communication device may further include one or more memories, on which computer programs may be stored. The processor executes the computer programs to enable the communication device to execute the methods described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, data may also be stored in the memory. The communication device and the memory may be provided separately or integrated together.

[0187] Optionally, the communication device may further include a transceiver and an antenna. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver unit, a transceiver, or a transceiver circuit, etc., and is used to implement the transceiver function. The transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver may be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is used to implement the receiving function; the transmitter may be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is used to implement the transmitting function.

[0188] Optionally, the communication device may further include one or more interface circuits. The interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor. The processor runs the code instructions to enable the communication device to execute the methods described in any of the above method embodiments.

[0189] In one implementation, the processor may include a transceiver for implementing the receiving and sending functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transceiver circuit, an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit for implementing the receiving and sending functions may be separate or integrated together. The above transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for reading and writing code / data, or the above transceiver circuit, interface, or interface circuit may be used for signal transmission or transfer.

[0190] In one implementation, the processor may store a computer program, which runs on the processor and enables the communication device to perform the method described in any of the above method embodiments. The computer program may be fixed in the processor, in which case the processor may be implemented by hardware.

[0191] In one implementation, the communication device may include a circuit that can implement the functions of sending or receiving or communicating in the aforementioned method embodiment. The processor and transceiver described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an IC (Integrated Circuit), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit RFIC, a mixed signal IC, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), an electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies, such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), NMOS (nMetal-Oxide-Semiconductor), PMOS (Positive Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor), BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0192] The communication device described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal device, but the scope of the communication device described in the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be:

[0193] (1) Independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem;

[0194] (2) having a set of one or more ICs, and optionally, the IC set may also include a storage component for storing data and computer programs;

[0195] (3) ASIC, such as modem;

[0196] (4) Modules that can be embedded in other devices;

[0197] (5) Receivers, terminal devices, intelligent terminal devices, cellular phones, wireless devices, handheld devices, mobile units, vehicle-mounted devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc.;

[0198] (6) Others, etc.

[0199] For the case where the communication device can be a chip or a chip system, the chip may include a processor and an interface. Among them, the number of processors can be one or more, and the number of interfaces can be multiple.

[0200] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory for storing necessary computer programs and data.

[0201] Those skilled in the art can also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps listed in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such a function is implemented by hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design requirements of the entire system. For each specific application, those skilled in the art can use various methods to implement the described function, but such implementation should not be construed as exceeding the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0202] After considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present invention. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention, which follow the general principles of the present invention and include known common knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and embodiments are only regarded as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the following claims.

[0203] It should be understood that various forms of the processes shown above can be used, reordering, adding, or deleting steps. For example, the steps recited in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in a different order, as long as the desired results of the technical solutions disclosed in the present invention can be achieved. There is no limitation herein.

[0204] The above specific embodiments do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0205] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is only limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A relay determination method, characterized in that Executed by a terminal, the method includes: Determine a relay determination policy of the terminal according to the status information of the terminal; Determine a relay terminal of the terminal according to the relay determination policy; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in a connected state and is connected to a network device through a relay device, the terminal is in an RRC resume process; the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal meets a specified criterion and a first preference criterion; the first preference criterion characterizes preferentially selecting a terminal whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal as the relay terminal; the method further includes: obtaining candidate terminals that meet the specified criterion; in response to there being a target candidate terminal among the candidate terminals whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal, determining the target candidate terminal as the relay terminal of the terminal; in response to there being no target candidate terminal among the candidate terminals whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal, taking any one of the candidate terminals as the relay terminal of the terminal; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in an inactive state; the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal meets the specified criterion, and the serving cell of the relay terminal and the serving cell of the terminal are in the same RAN area; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in an idle state; the relay determination policy is: the relay terminal meets the specified criterion; The specified criterion includes: the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal and the terminal is higher than a preset threshold and the public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal; The method is executed by the terminal at the non-access stratum according to the transfer information of the access stratum; the transfer information includes a serving cell list of each terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein In response to the terminal being in an inactive state, the method further includes: Obtain terminals in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal as candidate terminals; Take the candidate terminals that meet the specified criterion as the relay terminals of the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein The taking the candidate terminals that meet the specified criterion as the relay terminals of the terminal includes: Calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal and the terminal; Obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal and the candidate terminal; Take the candidate terminals whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal as the relay terminals.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein In response to the terminal being in an idle state, the method further includes: Calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal and the terminal; Obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal and the candidate terminal; Take the candidate terminals whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal as the relay terminals.

5. A relay determination device, characterized in that, The apparatus includes: A processing unit, configured to determine a relay determination policy of the terminal according to the status information of the terminal; and further configured to determine a relay terminal of the terminal according to the relay determination policy; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in the connected state and is connected to the network device through a relay device, the terminal is in the RRC resume process; the relay determination policy is that the relay terminal meets the specified criteria and the first preference criterion; the first preference criterion indicates that a terminal whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal is preferentially selected as the relay terminal; the processing unit is further configured to: obtain candidate terminals that meet the specified criteria; in response to the existence of a target candidate terminal among the candidate terminals whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal, determine the target candidate terminal as the relay terminal of the terminal; in response to the non-existence of a target candidate terminal among the candidate terminals whose corresponding serving cell is the same as the serving cell of the terminal, use any one of the candidate terminals as the relay terminal of the terminal; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in the inactive state; the relay determination policy is that the relay terminal meets the specified criteria, and the serving cell of the relay terminal and the serving cell of the terminal are in the same RAN area; In response to the status information indicating that the terminal is in the idle state; the relay determination policy is that the relay terminal meets the specified criteria; The specified criteria include that the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the relay terminal and the terminal is higher than a preset threshold and the public land mobile network (PLMN) identifier of the serving cell of the relay terminal is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal; The processing unit executes in the non-access stratum according to the transfer information in the access stratum; the transfer information includes the serving cell list of each terminal.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that In response to the terminal being in the inactive state, the processing unit is further configured to: Obtain terminals in the same RAN area as the serving cell of the terminal as candidate terminals; Use the candidate terminals that meet the specified criteria as the relay terminals of the terminal.

7. The device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processing unit is configured to: Calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal and the terminal; Obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal and the candidate terminal; Use the candidate terminals whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal as the relay terminals.

8. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, In response to the terminal being in the idle state, the processing unit is further configured to: Calculate the radio channel quality of the sidelink between the candidate terminal and the terminal; Obtain the PLMN identifiers of the serving cells of the terminal and the candidate terminal; Use the candidate terminals whose radio channel quality is higher than the preset threshold and the PLMN identifier of the serving cell is the same as the PLMN identifier of the serving cell of the terminal as the relay terminals.

9. A relay determination device, characterized in that, Includes: A processor and an interface circuit; The interface circuit is configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; The processor is configured to run the code instructions to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and a computer program stored on the memory, and the processor runs the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 - 4.

11. A computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions that, when executed, cause the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 to be implemented.

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