Client device for exchanging sidelink configuration

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a first client device for exchanging assistance information and sidelink configuration with a network entity and one or more second client devices with which the first client device is in sidelink communication. The first client device obtains assistance information from the one or more second client devices and sends the assistance information to the network entity. In response to the sending the assistance information, the first client device receives an updated sidelink configuration from the network entity and sends at least a portion of the updated sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices. Thus, the network entity is enabled to update the sidelink configuration of the one or more second client devices through the first client device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a first client device for exchanging sidelink configuration with a network entity and one or more second client devices. Furthermore, the present disclosure also relates to corresponding methods and computer programs. BACKGROUND

[0002] Vehicle-to-anything (V2X) communication is one of the key enablers for future cooperative intelligent transportation systems (C-ITS). The term V2X collectively refers to vehicle communication with anything on or along the road. There are two modes of operation for V2X communication, one is the communication named PC5 or sidelink (SL), which is a direct device-to-device (D2D) communication, and the other is the communication over the Uu interface, which is the interface between a user equipment (UE) and a base station. These modes can be used independently by a UE or jointly by a UE. V2X communication over Uu is supported by evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA) in long term evolution (LTE) connected to a 5G core network (5GC) and / or in new radio (NR) connected to a 5GC. Interworking between 5GS V2X and evolved packet system (EPS) V2X does not require any new interface between the 5GS V2X and EPS V2X architectures and does not impact the existing network function entities in the evolved packet core (EPC) and 5GC. V2X SL is introduced in LTE, supporting direct communication between UEs, in the dedicated ITS spectrum for V2X traffic, mainly in the 5.9 GHz band. SL is specifically designed to meet the requirements of advanced safety applications. Compared with LTE supporting broadcast mode, NR SL should also support unicast, groupcast and broadcast communication. NR SL supports carriers for direct SL communication are both licensed spectrum (which can also be used for NR Uu / LTE Uu operation) and dedicated ITS spectrum two working scenarios.

[0003] The configuration of parameters for V2X communication over PC5 or SL can be provided to a UE in multiple ways. If the UE is camped in a cell, the parameters can be provided / updated from a next generation node B (gNB), a network node (e.g. policy control function (PCF), session management function (SMF), etc.) through radio resource control (RRC) messages, or from a V2X application server (AS) through V1 interface. Some of the parameters can be pre-configured in a mobile equipment (ME) or configured in a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) for out-of-coverage or partial coverage operation. SUMMARY

[0004] It is an object of embodiments of the application to provide a solution to reduce or solve the drawbacks and problems of conventional solutions.

[0005] The above and other objects are achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the application are provided in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the application, the above and other objects are achieved by a first client device for a communication system, the first client device being configured to perform a sidelink communication with one or more second client devices based on a first sidelink configuration, the first client device being further configured to:

[0007] obtain, from the one or more second client devices, assistance information associated with the sidelink communication;

[0008] send, to a network entity, the assistance information;

[0009] in response to the sending of the assistance information, receive, from the network entity, a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication;

[0010] send, to the one or more second client devices, at least a part of the second sidelink configuration.

[0011] The assistance information associated with the sidelink communication can be any information that can help to determine a sidelink configuration for the sidelink communication.

[0012] According to the first aspect, it is an advantage of the first client device that assistance information associated with the sidelink communication, e.g. assistance information about the second client device not being in network coverage, is provided to the network entity. The assistance information can then be used for determining a sidelink configuration in order to improve robustness and reliability of the system. For example, the assistance information can be used for determining resources needed for efficient and reliable sidelink communication. Thereby, system performance can be optimized.

[0013] According to the first aspect, in one implementation form of the first client device, obtaining the assistance information from the one or more second client devices comprises:

[0014] receiving the assistance information from the one or more second client devices in one or more direct link setup messages or one or more application layer messages.

[0015] It is an advantage of this implementation form that the assistance information can be obtained by the first client device in various ways, improving robustness of obtaining information from the one or more second client devices. The received information can then be used by the first client device or transmitted to the network entity for determining a new sidelink configuration for efficient and reliable sidelink communication.

[0016] According to the first aspect, in one implementation form of the first client device, after receiving the second sidelink configuration, performing the sidelink communication with the one or more second client devices based on the second sidelink configuration.

[0017] It is an advantage of this implementation form that system performance can be optimized in terms of robustness and reliability.

[0018] According to the first aspect, in one implementation form of the first client device, after determining that the first client device is in coverage of the cell, transmitting the assistance information to the network entity.

[0019] In this disclosure, the first client device being in coverage can be understood to mean that the first client device is connected to the cell and / or registered in the cell. In this disclosure, the cell can be understood to mean a cell supporting sidelink functionality.

[0020] It is an advantage of this implementation form that the first client device being in coverage is beneficial and plays a key role by transmitting the assistance information to the network entity, which enables the network to be aware of the one or more second client devices that can be out of coverage and not be able to connect to the network.

[0021] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the assistance information is transmitted to the network entity upon determining that the first client device is within coverage of the cell and determining that the one or more second client devices are outside coverage of the cell.

[0022] In the present disclosure, the one or more second client devices being outside coverage can be understood to mean that the one or more second client devices are not connected to the cell and / or are not registered in the cell.

[0023] The advantage of this implementation form is that the information transmitted by the first client device is about the second client devices that are not connected to the network and thus unknown to the network. After the information is received by the network, the network can use the information to optimize the system performance and determine the resources needed for efficient and reliable sidelink communication.

[0024] According to the first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the first client device is configured to:

[0025] transmit a measurement report to the network entity;

[0026] receive an anchor configuration from the network entity in response to the transmitting the measurement report;

[0027] configure to be an anchor client device based on the anchor configuration before transmitting the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices.

[0028] The advantage of this implementation form is that the first client device can be configured to act as an anchor point for the network entity and there can be multiple anchor devices connected to the cell at the same time. The anchor devices configured and / or managed by the network can help to reduce the signaling overhead and minimize the interference.

[0029] According to the first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the measurement report is associated with at least one of: a signal strength, a channel busy ratio in the sidelink, a guaranteed sidelink quality-of-service (QoS), and a priority vehicle information.

[0030] The advantage of this implementation form is that these parameters are generic enough and are well-defined metrics for determining whether the system state is reliable and robust.

[0031] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the assistance information is at least one of: client device capabilities, subscription information, vehicle to anything, V2X, service type, sidelink QoS parameters, special priority information, application layer information, network layer protocol of the sidelink, and sidelink group information.

[0032] An advantage of this implementation form is that these parameters summarize the necessary information that can be required on the network to understand the system requirements and to determine the sidelink configuration in order to achieve a reliable robust system according to time limitations.

[0033] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the assistance information is group assistance information of the first client device and the one or more second client devices or individual assistance information of individual client devices.

[0034] An advantage of this implementation form is that the first client device, being part of a group or communicating with individual second client devices, receives relevant information from one or more second client devices out of coverage. This information can thus be shared comprehensively to the network for different use cases, reducing complexity of the client device implementation.

[0035] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the first sidelink configuration and the second sidelink configuration are at least one of: radio bearer configuration, resource configuration, per-area resource configuration, and area configuration.

[0036] An advantage of this implementation form is that a well-defined container is used to provide or update the sidelink configuration, reducing interference and enabling optimal resource selection for sidelink communication in a well-defined and deterministic way.

[0037] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the second sidelink configuration is received in any of a radio resource control message, a non-access stratum signaling, or an application message.

[0038] An advantage of this implementation form is that it covers many possible known options for information exchange, reducing complexity of the client device implementation.

[0039] According to a first aspect, in an implementation form of the first client device, the network entity is at least one of: a road side unit, a base station, an access and mobility management function, a policy control function, a unified data management, a V2X control function, a V2X application server, a V2X network function, or a V2X application function.

[0040] An advantage of this implementation is that it covers many possible options for the network entity, thereby reducing the complexity of the client device implementation.

[0041] According to a second aspect of the application, the above mentioned and other objectives are achieved with a method for a first client device for sidelink communication with one or more second client devices based on a first sidelink configuration, the method comprising:

[0042] obtaining, from the one or more second client devices, assistance information associated with the sidelink communication;

[0043] sending, to a network entity, the assistance information;

[0044] receiving, from the network entity, in response to the sending of the assistance information, a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication;

[0045] sending, to the one or more second client devices, at least a part of the second sidelink configuration.

[0046] The method according to the second aspect can be extended to implementation manners corresponding to the implementation manners of the first client device according to the first aspect. Thus, one implementation manner of the method comprises the features of the corresponding implementation manner of the first client device.

[0047] The advantages of the method according to the second aspect are the same as those of the corresponding implementation manner of the first client device according to the first aspect.

[0048] Embodiments of the application also relate to a computer program having a program code which, when the computer program is executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to carry out any of the methods provided by embodiments of the application. Furthermore, embodiments of the application also relate to a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium and the computer program, wherein the computer program is included in the computer readable medium and comprises one or more of the following group: read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), flash memory, electrically EPROM (EEPROM) and hard disk drive.

[0049] Other applications and advantages of embodiments of the application will be apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0050] The accompanying drawings are intended to clarify and explain embodiments of the application. In the drawings:

[0051] Figure 1 A first client device is shown provided by embodiments of the invention;

[0052] Figure 2 A method for a first client device is shown provided by embodiments of the invention;

[0053] Figures 3a to 3b A communication system is shown provided by embodiments of the invention;

[0054] Figure 4 An interface between a first client device, a second client device and a network entity is shown provided by embodiments of the invention;

[0055] Figure 5 A method for a first client device is shown provided by embodiments of the invention;

[0056] Figure 6 A method for a first client device is shown provided by embodiments of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] In the Rel-16 3GPP NR V2X work item, at least two SL resource allocation modes, mode 1 and mode 2, are defined. In mode 1, the node B (NB) schedules SL resources, in mode 2, the UE determines SL transmission resources within NB and / or network configured SL resources or within pre-configured SL resources. Here, NB means evolved node B (eNB) or gNB, as both can control NR SL.

[0058] In the work item, four sub-categories are allocated for SL resource allocation mode 2:

[0059] In mode 2a, the UE autonomously selects SL resources for transmission.

[0060] In mode 2b, the UE assists other UEs to select SL resources.

[0061] In mode 2c, the UE is configured with NR configured grant (e.g. Type 1) for SL transmission.

[0062] In mode 2d, the UE schedules SL transmission for other UEs.

[0063] Mode 1, mode 2a and mode 2c have been considered for the Rel. 16 work item, but mode 2b and mode 2d, where a UE can assist or schedule SL transmission resources for other UEs, are left for future releases.

[0064] For Mode 1 and Mode 2, the NB can directly provide SL resource configuration to the UE when the UE is in coverage. For Mode 2, a transmission pool can also be pre-configured for the UE. Mode 2b and Mode 2d provide enhancements for resource allocation mechanism for V2X and non-V2X cases. Key aspects related to these modes are:

[0065] (1) UE relays resource configuration from gNB to another UE, and

[0066] (2) Scheduling UE determines SL resources for other UEs (e.g. a group of UEs).

[0067] The benefits of UE assisting or scheduling resources for other UEs are mainly to improve packet transmission reliability, resource optimization and reduce communication overhead. The UE assisting or scheduling resources for other UEs can be referred to as scheduling UE, relay UE or anchor UE.

[0068] In 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #96, it was agreed that NR V2X in the context of Mode 2d for groupcast communication supports the following functionalities: UE informs the NB about the information of group members and the NB provides individual resource configuration to each group member UE within the same group via that UE, e.g. by RRC signaling. It does not require a connection between each member UE and the NB. However, the UE cannot modify the configuration provided by the NB. In addition, higher layer (L2, L3) signaling will be used to provide the configuration.

[0069] Therefore, in the context of groupcast communication, it is proposed that the NB can provide individual resource configuration to each group member, referred to as member UE, via an anchor UE, but the details are yet to be specified. This concept provides additional benefits, especially in the case where the group members are out of coverage and the anchor UE is in coverage.

[0070] A UE out of coverage (OoC UE) can also establish a unicast link with a UE in coverage. Then, the UE in coverage can establish a Uu link with the network. However, the UE in coverage can not have enough information from the OoC UE to transmit to the network, such as the capabilities of other UEs belonging to the same group as the OoC UE, subscription information of the OoC UE and its group members, etc.

[0071] From the above proposals, at least the following problems are found:

[0072] The anchor UE does not provide the required information about the OoC UE or member UEs to the network so that the resources and the provision of configuration can be determined.

[0073] All information needed for UE subscription authorization, grant service request, and resource estimation can or can not be available to the anchor UE. The anchor UE obtains the information needed by the network from the member UEs through sidelink communication or determines it by itself from previously obtained information and then passes it to the network.

[0074] There is no need for a connection between the member UEs and the NB, which means that all the needed information has to be exchanged through the anchor UE and high layer signaling will be used to provide the configuration. Details about how the procedure proceeds, which high layers are involved, are not clear.

[0075] There is no mechanism to include the needed information in the unicast link establishment when an OoC UE wants to send information to the network through a relay UE.

[0076] Therefore, there is a need for a solution that addresses the above-mentioned drawbacks. It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to identify and specify the information content and parameters in the signaling from the anchor UE to the network entity to enable different types of sidelink communication. It is a further object to provide methods of exchanging information between an OoC UE and an anchor UE and between the anchor UE and a network entity, in particular when the anchor UE is in coverage and is scheduling resources or assisting in the relay resource configuration for at least one UE that is out of coverage and not connected to a NB.

[0077] Figure 1 A first client device 100 provided by an embodiment of the invention is shown. In Figure 1 In the shown embodiment, the first client device 100 comprises a processor 102, a transceiver 104, and a memory 106. The processor 102 can be coupled to the transceiver 104 and the memory 106 by a communication module 108 known in the art. The first client device 100 can further comprise an antenna or an array of antennas 110 coupled to the transceiver 104, which means that the first client device 100 can be used for communication in a communication system.

[0078] That the first client device 100 can be used for performing certain actions can in this disclosure be understood to mean that the first client device 100 comprises suitable modules, e.g. the processor 102 and the transceiver 104, for performing said actions.

[0079] The processor 102 of the first client device 100 can be referred to as one or more general central processing units (CPUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more programmable logic devices, one or more discrete gates or one or more chips.

[0080] The memory 106 of the first client device 100 can be read-only memory, random access memory, or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM).

[0081] The transceiver 104 of the first client device 100 can be a transceiver circuit, a power controller, an antenna, or an interface to communicate with other modules or devices.

[0082] In embodiments, the transceiver 104 of the first client device 100 can be a separate chip set, or it is integrated with the processor 102 in one chip set. While in some embodiments, the processor 102, the transceiver 104, and the memory 106 of the first client device 100 are integrated in one chip set.

[0083] According to embodiments of the present application, the first client device 100 is configured to perform sidelink communication with one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on a first sidelink configuration. The first client device 100 is further configured to obtain assistance information associated with the sidelink communication from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The first client device 100 is further configured to transmit the assistance information to a network entity 300; receive, in response to transmitting the assistance information, a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication from the network entity 300; and transmit at least a portion of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n.

[0084] Figure 2 It is shown that the first client device 100 (as Figure 1A flowchart of a corresponding method 200 executed by the first client device 100 is shown. The first client device 100 is configured to perform sidelink communication with one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on a first sidelink configuration. The method 200 comprises obtaining 202 assistance information associated with the sidelink communication from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The method 200 further comprises transmitting 204 the assistance information to the network entity 300, receiving 206 a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication from the network entity 300 in response to transmitting the assistance information, and transmitting 208 at least a part of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n.

[0085] Figures 3a to 3b A communication system 500 provided by embodiments of the application is shown. The communication system 500 comprises the network entity 300, the first client device 100 and one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, all configured to operate in the communication system 500. In Figures 3a to 3b In the shown embodiment, the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n are configured to perform groupcast sidelink communication with each other over a PC5 interface. However, the sidelink communication can also be unicast or broadcast communication. In embodiments, the sidelink communication can be V2X communication for V2X services or applications. Further, the sidelink communication can be based on NR or LTE radio access technology (RAT), but is not limited thereto.

[0086] In Figure 3a In the shown embodiment, the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n are configured to perform groupcast sidelink communication with each other over a PC5 interface. However, the sidelink communication can also be unicast or broadcast communication. In embodiments, the sidelink communication can be V2X communication for V2X services or applications. Further, the sidelink communication can be based on NR or LTE radio access technology (RAT), but is not limited thereto.

[0087] In Figure 3b In the shown embodiment, the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n are configured to perform groupcast sidelink communication with each other over a PC5 interface. However, the sidelink communication can also be unicast or broadcast communication. In embodiments, the sidelink communication can be V2X communication for V2X services or applications. Further, the sidelink communication can be based on NR or LTE radio access technology (RAT), but is not limited thereto. Figures 3a to 3bIn the illustrated embodiment, the network entity 300 is a base station and the Uu interface is established between the first client device 100 and the network entity 300. However, in embodiments, the network entity 300 can alternatively be at least one of a road side unit, a base station, an access and mobility management function, a policy control function, a unified data management, a V2X control function, a V2X application server, a V2X network function, or a V2X application function.

[0088] The connection between the first client device 100 and the network node 300 enables the network entity 300 to exchange information with one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n via the first client device 100, i.e. the first client device 100 can act as an anchor and / or relay client device. If the network entity 300 wishes to provide separate resource pool configurations and / or separate resource configurations to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n via the first client device 100, the network entity 300 needs certain information about the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n and their present status. Embodiments of the present application provide methods of exchanging such information between the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, and between the first client device 100 and the network entity 300. This information can be assistance information which can assist in determining a sidelink configuration for sidelink communication.

[0089] According to embodiments of the present application, the exchange of assistance information and sidelink configuration can take place on different interfaces. Figure 4 Examples of interfaces between the first client device 100 and one second client device 600n, and between the first client device 100 and the network entity 300 (illustrated in Figure 4 with arrows) are shown, on which assistance information and sidelink configuration can be transmitted. The network entity 300 can be any of a base station (NB) in Figure 4 , an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a core network (CN), and an application (APP) server in a data network (DN).

[0090] Figure 5A flowchart of a method 400 for exchanging assistance information and sidelink configuration provided by embodiments of the application is shown. The method 400 can be performed by a first client device 100 when the first client device 100 is configured to perform sidelink communication with one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on a first sidelink configuration. The first sidelink configuration can be at least one of a radio bearer configuration, a resource configuration, a per-area resource configuration, and an area configuration.

[0091] The sidelink communication between the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on the first sidelink configuration can be unicast, groupcast, and / or broadcast communication and can be performed, for example, over a PC5 interface. The sidelink communication can be performed to exchange information, such as safety messages (e.g., cooperative awareness messages (CAMs), decentralized environmental notification messages (DENMs)), or non-safety messages received at an upper layer (e.g., an application layer in the client devices 100, 600a, 600b,..., 600n). Some of the information can be further forwarded to a lower layer.

[0092] In step 402, the first client device 100 obtains assistance information associated with the sidelink communication from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The first client device 100 can obtain the assistance information from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n during sidelink establishment or after sidelink establishment (i.e., during sidelink communication). In an embodiment, the first client device 100 can obtain the assistance information by receiving the assistance information from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n in one or more direct link establishment messages or in one or more application layer messages.

[0093] When the first client device 100 receives the assistance information from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600nin one or more direct link setup messages, the assistance information can be included in one or more containers in the one or more direct link setup messages, e.g. as one or more information elements. In a V2X scenario, the direct link setup message can be a direct link setup request message defined in 3GPP technical specification 24.587. The direct link setup request message can be transmitted from the second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n to the first client device 100 during unicast sidelink establishment. The direct link setup request message can be extended / enhanced with a new V2X information container including the assistance information. Table 1 shows the content of such an extended direct link setup request message including the V2X information container.

[0094]

[0095] Table 1

[0096] Similar V2X information containers can also be included in setup messages for broadcast and groupcast communication.

[0097] As mentioned above, the assistance information can also be received from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600nin one or more application layer messages. The one or more application layer messages can be, for example, messages exchanged between the V2X applications in the first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, respectively, over the V5 interface, see Figure 4 .

[0098] According to embodiments of the present application, the assistance information can be at least one of: a client device capability, subscription information, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) service type, a sidelink QoS parameter, special priority information, application layer information, a network layer protocol for sidelink, and sidelink group information. In non-limiting embodiments:

[0099] The client device capability can include a V2X capability parameter.

[0100] The subscription information can include data related to a subscription or policy of the client device.

[0101] The V2X service type can include a V2X application provider service identifier (PSI) / intelligent transportation system (ITS) application ID.

[0102] The sidelink QoS parameters can include QoS parameters associated with V2X traffic, such as PC5 flow ID (PFI), PC5 5G QoS indication (PQI), range, packet priority, etc.

[0103] The special priority information can include information about special vehicles, such as rescue vehicles, ambulance vehicles or security vehicles, which can require dedicated resources to ensure certain QoS. This information can include vehicle role, vehicle type, single vehicle or group of vehicles moving in a platoon and other geographical situation data.

[0104] The application layer information can include an application layer ID of the client device. The application layer ID can be used at a low layer for dynamic group formation and the application does not inform the V2X layer about the group ID. Rather, the V2X layer passes the mapping of the application ID and the group ID and the 5QI and range parameters to the access layer for group formation.

[0105] The network layer protocol of the sidelink can differ for different stacks and implementations, such as GeoNetworking, WSMP, IPv6, etc.

[0106] The sidelink group information can include:

[0107] - general group related information, such as group size in terms of number of vehicles, size of each vehicle, total weight including weight of containers if applicable, distance between vehicles, position of vehicles in the platoon, platooning level or automation level.

[0108] - the group's destination layer 2 ID, also referred to as group ID, when the first client device 100 is not part of the group.

[0109] - the UE layer 2 ID of the group leader when the group leader leads the groupcast communication.

[0110] - the UE layer 2 ID of the group members; to make the network aware of each group member. So that the network has a better picture of the situation, as the group members will also participate in other groupcast or unicast communication.

[0111] - the respective coverage status of the member client devices, i.e. in coverage or out of coverage.

[0112] Further, the assistance information can be group assistance information for the first client device 100 and one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n or individual assistance information for an individual client device. In this way, the assistance information can be adapted according to different use cases. For example, the group assistance information can be related to a group of client devices which are configured for groupcast communication over the sidelink for use cases such as platooning. In this case, the group assistance information can comprise information about the group size, the number of members, the direction, the capabilities, the type and size of the vehicles in the group, etc.

[0113] In Figure 4 In step 404, the first client device 100 sends the assistance information to the network entity 300. The sent assistance information can comprise all or part of the assistance information acquired by the first client device 100 in step 402. The assistance information informs the network entity 300 about the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n participating in the sidelink communication with the first client device 100 and assists the network entity 300 in determining whether to change and / or update the first sidelink configuration. In embodiments, the first client device 100 can send the assistance information to the network entity 300 in an existing RRC message, in a new container in an existing RRC message or in a new RRC message. Examples of existing RRC messages which can be used are the SidelinkUEInformation message or the UE AssistanceInformation message specified for EUTRA.

[0114] In embodiments, the first client device 100 can send the assistance information to the network entity 300 upon determining that the first client device 100 is within the coverage of the cell. Being within the coverage of the cell can be understood to mean that the first client device 100 is connected to the cell and / or registered in the cell, e.g. the first client device 100 camps on the cell. Thus, in embodiments, the sending of the assistance information to the network entity 300 can be triggered when the first client device 100 moves from outside the coverage of the cell to within the coverage, i.e. when it is connected to the cell and / or registered in the cell.

[0115] Furthermore, after determining that the first client device 100 is within the coverage of the cell and that the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n are outside the coverage of the cell, the first client device 100 can send assistance information to the network entity 300. In this way, the assistance information can be sent to the network entity 300 to inform the network entity 300 about information about the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n participating in the sidelink communication with the first client device 100, which are outside the coverage and thus do not communicate directly with the network entity 300.

[0116] In step 406, in response to sending the assistance information, the first client device 100 receives a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication from the network entity 300. The received second sidelink configuration can be determined by the network entity 300 based on the assistance information received from the first client device 100, and optionally based on additional information obtained by the network entity 300 from other client devices or network entities. For example, when the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n are within the coverage, the assistance information can be provided directly from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n to the network entity 300. In a V2X scenario, a V2X application in the second client device 600a, 600b,..., 600n can provide the assistance information to a V2X application server in the network through a V1 interface, and a V2X control function can interact with the V2X application server through a V2 interface. When the network entity 300 is a core network node, the assistance information can also be sent to the network entity 300 in non access stratum (NAS) signaling. The network entity 300 can also receive configuration updates from the core network and application server. The second sidelink configuration can also be determined by the network entity 300 in cooperation with one or more other network nodes.

[0117] The first client device 100 can receive the second sidelink configuration in any of a radio resource control message, non-access stratum signaling, or an application message. In the same way as the first sidelink configuration, the second sidelink configuration can be at least one of a radio bearer configuration, a resource configuration, a per-zone resource configuration, and a zone configuration. The radio bearer configuration can include physical information and / or configuration, such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) and channel state information (CSI). For example, the resource configuration can be a resource pool or dedicated resources per V2X service per QoS flow, where the resources can be time and / or frequency resources. The per-zone resource configuration can include one or more resource pools per zone configured by the network, and the mapping can be sent through an RRC message in one of the containers, such as one of v2x-CommTxPoolNormalCommon, v2x-CommTxPoolNormalDedicated, v2x-CommTxPoolNormal, and the like. Further, the zone configuration can indicate a zone configuration specific to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n out of coverage of the cell, which can be sent through an RRC message in one of the containers, such as ZoneConfig, and the like.

[0118] In step 408, the first client device 100 sends at least a part of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The first client device 100 can send at least a part of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n in many different ways, such as on an application layer, using RRC signaling, or using other lower layer control signaling.

[0119] Depending on the content of the second sidelink configuration and its applicability to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, the first client device 100 can transmit the complete second sidelink configuration or a subset of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The first client device 100 can also determine and allocate specific resources for the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on the second sidelink configuration. For example, in a platooning use case, the first client device 100 can be a platoon leader leading a platoon of vehicles. The first client device 100 can then determine and allocate resources for each member in the group based on the second sidelink configuration. In this case, the first client device 100 can also take into account assistance information from members in the group when determining and allocating resources.

[0120] In step 410, after receiving the second sidelink configuration, the first client device 100 can perform sidelink communication with the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n based on the second sidelink configuration. Step 410 is performed when the second sidelink configuration is applicable to the first client device 100, e.g., when the first client device 100 is part of a unicast or groupcast sidelink communication for which the network has allocated a new resource configuration with the second sidelink configuration. When the second sidelink configuration is not applicable to the first client device 100, the first client device 100 relays in step 408 only the second sidelink configuration received from the network entity 300 in step 406 to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, which can then perform sidelink communication based on the second sidelink configuration.

[0121] According to embodiments of the present application, the first client device 100 can be configured to act as an anchor client device for one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n. The first client device 100 can be in coverage and configured to act as an anchor client device for one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n that are out of coverage. In this way, the first client device 100, which is in coverage and thus able to communicate directly with the network entity 300, can relay information to the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n.

[0122] Figure 6A flowchart illustrating a method 600 for configuring a first client device 100 as an anchor client device is shown. The method 600 can be performed in the first client device 100 and can be initiated by the first client device 100, for example, when the first client device 100 moves within the coverage of a cell and establishes communication with a network entity 300.

[0123] In step 602, the first client device 100 can indicate to the network entity 300 that the first client device 100 is communicating sidelink with one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n that are out of coverage. The indication can include very basic or limited information about the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n.

[0124] Once the network entity 300 has identified the one or more out-of-coverage second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n, the network entity 300 can want to assist the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n with resource configuration. To this end, the network entity 300 can request the first client device 100 to perform measurements and report the measurement results.

[0125] Accordingly, the first client device 100 can perform measurements and monitor the measurement results in step 604, wherein the measurement results can be monitored based on a threshold value and / or a triggering condition received from the network entity 300.

[0126] In step 606, the first client device 100 sends a measurement report to the network entity 300. The measurement report can be sent upon detecting that the threshold value and / or the triggering condition is met. The measurement report can be associated with at least one of: a signal strength, a channel busy ratio in sidelink, a guaranteed sidelink quality of service (QoS), and priority vehicle information.

[0127] In response to sending the measurement report, the first client device 100 receives an anchor configuration from the network entity 300 in step 608. The anchor configuration can include information for at least one of: enabling the first client device 100 to obtain information from the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n; enabling the first client device 100 to send the obtained information and assistance information to the network entity 300; and enabling the first client device 100 to schedule resources for the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n by processing the obtained information and determining suitable resources.

[0128] In step 610, the first client device 100 configures to be an anchor client device based on the anchor configuration. For example, the first client device 100 acting as an anchor client device can assist relaying resource configuration from the network entity 300 to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n that are out of coverage. For example, the first client device 100 as an anchor client device can relay the second sidelink configuration to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n as referred to in step 408 of method 400. In this case, the first client device 100 configures to be an anchor client device based on the anchor configuration before sending the second sidelink configuration to one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n, i.e., before step 408 in method 400. In an embodiment, method 600 can be performed before method 400, such that the first client device 100 receives assistance information from one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n after the first client device 100 has been configured to act as an anchor client device. Figure 5 In an embodiment, method 600 can be performed before method 400, such that the first client device 100 receives assistance information from one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n after the first client device 100 has been configured to act as an anchor client device.

[0129] The assistance information from one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n to the first client device 100 acting as an anchor client device can be application-specific for certain use cases. Below are some examples of possible assistance information from one or more second client devices 600a, 600b, …, 600n (hereinafter referred to as out-of-coverage (OoC) UEs) to the first client device 100 when the first client device 100 acts as an anchor client device:

[0130] Client device capability: The OoC UE can indicate its V2X capability parameters, e.g., a UE supporting LTE or NR (v2x-EUTRA), to the first client device 100. There are two options depending on whether the OoC UE is pre-configured with radio access parameters, e.g., radio frequency, physical layer, or layer 2 parameters:

[0131] - Pre-configuration: In this case, it is enough for the network entity 300 to know whether the OoC UE supports LTE or NR.

[0132] Thus, the first client device 100 collects this information and can send to the network entity 300, for example, the number of OoC UEs supporting LTE and the number of OoC UEs supporting NR.

[0133] - Not pre-configured: In this case, the first client device 100 needs to collect the capabilities of the OoC UE and send them to the network entity 300. The first client device 100 can collect the capability information of the OoC UE by extending existing mechanisms, e.g. receiving the capability information from the OoC UE in the "PC5 UE Capability Enquiry" or the "PC5 RRC Message". The first client device 100 can ask the OoC UE for the UE capability information in the "PC5 UE Capability Enquiry" or the OoC UE can announce the capability information to the first client device 100. Once the information is collected by the first client device 100, the information can be sent to the network entity 300 in the UE-EUTRA-Capability and / or UE-NR-Capability information elements, e.g.:

[0134]

[0135]

[0136] The existing RRC message (e.g. SidelinkUEInformation) can be extended to carry the new information elements or a new message can be defined.

[0137] V2X service type and associated PC5 QoS parameters: In case of groupcast communication, all group members know these parameters when the group is established, the same is true in case of unicast. However, if the first client device 100 is scheduling resources for unicast or groupcast sidelink communication, where the first client device 100 is not part of the unicast or groupcast communication, the first client device 100 does not know these parameters. Therefore, the group members have to provide the parameters, e.g. V2X service type, e.g. provider service identifier (PSI) / ITS application ID of the V2X application, and for each V2X service type, the associated QoS parameters, e.g. PC5 flow ID (PFI), PC5 5G QoS indicator (PQI), range, packet priority, etc., to the first client device 100 as assistance information.

[0138] In an embodiment, the first client device 100 acting as an anchor client device can be a road side unit (RSU) in a V2X application and the communication between the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n and the RSU can be a sidelink communication or a Uu communication, depending on whether the RSU is of UE type or gNB type. The RSU unit can be any device / node deployed along the road to improve the vehicle network performance as well as to extend the coverage. The RSU unit can be a standalone device / node or can be integrated with e.g. a network access node.

[0139] ​The first client device 100 and the one or more second client devices 600a, 600b,..., 600n in this disclosure include, but are not limited to, a UE, such as a smart phone, a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device having communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, such as a mobile car or a device installed in a car, a drone, a device-to-device (D2D) device, a wireless camera, a mobile station, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a wireless device, a wireless local access network (WLAN) station, a tablet computer with wireless capability, a laptop-embedded equipment, a universal serial bus (USB) dongle, a wireless customer-premises equipment (CPE), and / or a chipset. In an Internet of things (IOT) scenario, the first client device 100 can represent a machine or another device or chipset that communicates with another wireless device and / or network device.

[0140] The UE can also be referred to as a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a tablet computer or a laptop computer with wireless capability. In this context, the UE can be, for example, a portable, pocket-storable, hand-held, computer-comprised, or vehicle-mounted mobile device, enabled to communicate voice and / or data, with another entity, such as another receiver or server, through a radio access network. The UE can be a station (STA), which is any device that contains an IEEE 802.11 -conformant media access control (MAC) and physical layer (PHY) interface to the wireless medium (WM). The UE can also be used to communicate in 3GPP-related LTE and LTE-Advanced, in WiMAX and its evolutions, and in fifth generation wireless technologies, such as NR.

[0141] Further, any method according to embodiments of the application can be implemented in a computer program for running on a processing module. Such a computer program can be stored in a computer program product, which can be a non-transitory computer readable medium. The medium can comprise a memory, such as the memory of a computer or other electronic device. The medium might alternatively or additionally be a storage medium such as a floppy disk, a Blu-ray or DVD, or a hard disk drive. The medium might alternatively or additionally be a transmission medium such as a communication network, a cellular telephone link, or the Internet.

[0142] Further, the skilled person realizes that embodiments of the first client device 100 comprise the necessary communication capabilities in the form of e.g. functions, modules, units, elements etc. for performing the schemes. Examples of other such modules, units, elements and functions are: processors, memories, buffers, control logic, encoders, decoders, rate matchers, de-rate matchers, mapping units, multipliers, decision units, selection units, switches, interleavers, de-interleavers, modulators, demodulators, inputs, outputs, antennas, amplifiers, receiving units, transmitting units, DSPs, MSDs, TCM encoders, TCM decoders, power supply units, power feeders, communication interfaces, communication protocols, etc. which are suitably arranged together to perform the schemes.

[0143] In particular, the processor of the first client device 100 can comprise, e.g., one or more instances of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a processing unit, a processing circuit, a processor, a microprocessor, a programmable logic device (PLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller, or other processing logic that can interpret and execute instructions. The expression “processor” can thus represent a processing circuitry comprising a plurality of processing circuits, such as, e.g., any, some or all of the above-listed items. The processing circuitry can further perform data processing functions for inputting, outputting, and processing of data comprising data buffering and device control functions, such as call processing control, user interface control, or the like.

[0144] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the embodiments described above, but also relate to all embodiments within the scope of the appended independent claims.

Claims

1. A first client device (100) for a communication system (500), characterized in that The first client device (100) is configured to communicate sidelink with one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) based on a first sidelink configuration, the first client device (100) is further configured to: obtain assistance information associated with the sidelink communication from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n); send the assistance information to a network entity (300); receive a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication from the network entity (300) in response to the sending the assistance information; send at least a portion of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n); wherein the obtaining the assistance information from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) comprises: receiving the assistance information from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) in one or more direct link setup messages or one or more application layer messages.

2. The first client device (100) according to claim 1, characterized by configured to: communicate sidelink with the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) based on the second sidelink configuration after receiving the second sidelink configuration.

3. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, configured to: send the assistance information to the network entity (300) upon determining that the first client device (100) is within a coverage of a cell.

4. The first client device (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that configured to: send the assistance information to the network entity (300) upon determining that the first client device (100) is within the coverage of the cell and determining that the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) are outside the coverage of the cell.

5. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, configured to: send a measurement report to the network entity (300); receive an anchor configuration from the network entity (300) in response to the sending the measurement report; configure to be an anchor client device based on the anchor configuration before sending the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n).

6. The first client device (100) according to claim 5, characterized by The measurement report is associated with at least one of: signal strength, channel busy ratio in sidelink, guaranteed sidelink quality of service (QoS), and priority vehicle information.

7. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by The assistance information is at least one of: client device capability, subscription information, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) service type, sidelink QoS parameter, special priority information, application layer information, network layer protocol of sidelink, and sidelink group information.

8. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The assistance information is group assistance information of the first client device (100) and the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) or individual assistance information of individual client devices.

9. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first sidelink configuration and the second sidelink configuration are at least one of: a radio bearer configuration, a resource configuration, a per-area resource configuration, and an area configuration.

10. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, For: receiving the second sidelink configuration in any of a radio resource control message, a non-access stratum signaling, or an application message.

11. The first client device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The network entity (300) is at least one of: a road side unit, a base station, an access and mobility management function, a policy control function, a unified data management, a V2X control function, a V2X application server, a V2X network function, or a V2X application function.

12. A method (200) for a first client device (100), characterized in that, The first client device (100) is configured to perform a sidelink communication with one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) based on a first sidelink configuration, the method (200) comprising: obtaining (202) assistance information associated with the sidelink communication from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n); sending (204) the assistance information to a network entity (300); receiving (206) a second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication from the network entity (300) in response to the sending the assistance information; sending (208) at least a part of the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n); wherein the obtaining the assistance information from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) comprises: receiving the assistance information from the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) in one or more direct link establishment messages or one or more application layer messages.

13. The method (200) according to claim 12, characterized by Further comprising: performing a sidelink communication with the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) based on the second sidelink configuration after receiving the second sidelink configuration.

14. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The sending (204) the assistance information to the network entity (300) comprises: sending the assistance information to the network entity (300) upon determining that the first client device (100) is within a coverage of a cell.

15. The method (200) according to claim 14, characterized by The sending (204) the assistance information to the network entity (300) upon determining that the first client device (100) is within a coverage of a cell comprises: sending the assistance information to the network entity (300) upon determining that the first client device (100) is within a coverage of a cell and determining that the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) are outside the coverage of the cell.

16. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by Further comprising: sending a measurement report to the network entity (300); receiving an anchor point configuration from the network entity (300) in response to the sending the measurement report; before transmitting the second sidelink configuration to the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n), the first client device (100) is configured to be an anchor client device based on the anchor configuration.

17. The method (200) according to claim 16, characterized by The measurement report is associated with at least one of: a signal strength, a channel busy ratio in sidelink, a guaranteed sidelink quality of service (QoS), and a priority vehicle information.

18. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The assistance information is at least one of: a client device capability, a subscription information, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) service type, a sidelink QoS parameter, a special priority information, an application layer information, a network layer protocol of sidelink, and a sidelink group information.

19. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The assistance information is group assistance information of the first client device (100) and the one or more second client devices (600a, 600b,..., 600n) or individual assistance information of individual client devices.

20. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The first sidelink configuration and the second sidelink configuration are at least one of: a radio bearer configuration, a resource configuration, a per-zone resource configuration, and a zone configuration.

21. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The receiving the second sidelink configuration associated with the sidelink communication comprises: The receiving the second sidelink configuration in any one of: a radio resource control message, a non-access stratum signaling, or an application message.

22. The method (200) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized by, The network entity (300) is at least one of: a road side unit, a base station, an access and mobility management function, a policy control function, a unified data management, a V2X control function, a V2X application server, a V2X network function, or a V2X application function.

23. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program having a program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 12-22 when the computer program runs on a computer. The computer readable storage medium stores a computer program having a program code for performing the method according to any one of claims 12-22 when the computer program runs on a computer.

Images