Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for management of sidelink-based relaying

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for management of sidelink-based relaying are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method includes obtaining information of sidelink resource pools related to sidelink communications in a wireless communication network; determining one or more priority resource pools from the obtained information of sidelink resource pools; obtaining information of candidate relay user equipments for the sidelink communications from the determined one or more priority resource pools; prioritizing at least one of the candidate relay user equipments based on the determined one or more priority resource pools; and reporting the prioritized at least one candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the management of sidelink-based relays. Background Technology

[0002] This section is intended to provide background or context for the invention as described in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that may be pursued, but are not necessarily concepts that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise stated herein, the content described in this section is not prior art to the specification and claims of this application, and is not acknowledged as prior art by virtue of its inclusion in this section.

[0003] 3GPP has been developing standards for sidelinks (SL) as a tool for direct communication (UE-UE communication) between user equipment in various use cases. In some use cases, solutions including New Radio (NR) sidelinks are primarily used for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), while they can also be used for public safety where service requirements can be met.

[0004] Some commercial use cases related to NR sidelinks are, for example, Network Control Interaction Service (NCIS), gap analysis for railways, Enhanced Relay for Energy Efficiency and Wide Coverage (REFEC), and Audiovisual Service Production (AVPROD). Summary of the Invention

[0005] A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for managing sidelink-based relays, i.e., using a relay device for communication between two other devices, such as between a remote user equipment (UE) and a network node or between two remote user equipments, such that data is transmitted via the relay device (e.g., a relay user equipment).

[0006] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the present invention is defined by the independent claims. Embodiments, examples, and features (if any) described in this specification that are not within the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0007] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided according to several aspects. Additional aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Embodiments not falling within the scope of the claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding this disclosure.

[0008] In some embodiments, a remote user equipment (UE) prioritizes certain candidate relay UEs based on a resource pool (RP), for example, when a discovery message transmitted by a candidate relay UE has been received from the resource pool from which it was received. The remote UE can prioritize candidate relay UEs, such as those in an RRC-connected state and / or in a cell and a PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network). The remote UE can then send information about the prioritized candidate relay UEs to the network (NW). This information may be, for example, a measurement report of signals received and measured by the remote UE from the candidate relay UEs. In some embodiments, the report includes measurement reports of the prioritized relay UEs, and in some other embodiments, the report may also include measurement reports of non-priority relay UEs. In other words, prioritization is performed at the remote UE based on the discovery message of the candidate relay UE being received from the resource pool (RP). Therefore, it is not necessary to carry additional information about, for example, RRC status, in the discovery message. The solution can be summarized as follows:

[0009] - The remote UE determines the priority list of resource pools (RPs) to facilitate the selection of preferred candidate relay UEs based on received discovery messages.

[0010] - In one embodiment, the remote UE may determine the list of priority RPs based on its own sidelink resource pool (SL RP) configuration. The remote UE may regard at least one of its sidelink transport resource pools (SL TX RPs) as a high-priority resource pool.

[0011] - In another embodiment, the remote UE can be configured with a list, for example, via a network or via pre-configuration.

[0012] - The remote UE monitors and receives discovery messages transmitted by nearby candidate relay UEs. For example, the remote UE can monitor discovery messages from all configured SL RX RPs, including the determined priority RP, or the remote UE can preferentially monitor discovery messages only from the determined priority RP.

[0013] - The remote UE selects (multiple) preferred candidate relay UEs, whose discovery messages are received from the preferred RP.

[0014] - The remote UE reports to the network (multiple) selected preferred candidate relay UEs.

[0015] - In one embodiment, the remote UE reports the preferred candidate relay before reporting other non-priority candidate relay UEs.

[0016] - In one embodiment, a remote UE may only report the preferred candidate relay UE.

[0017] - Alternatively or alternatively, remote UEs can use tags to distinguish preferred candidate relay UEs from other discovered non-preferred candidate relay UEs.

[0018] - Alternatively, remote UEs can add priority values ​​for candidate relay UEs to be reported to the NW.

[0019] According to a first aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for:

[0020] Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network;

[0021] Determine one or more priority resource pools from the obtained sidelink resource pool information;

[0022] Obtain information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication from one or more identified priority resource pools;

[0023] Based on one or more identified priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment (LTU) is reported first among the candidate LTUs; and

[0024] Report at least one preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

[0025] According to the second aspect, a method for managing side-link-based relays is provided, comprising:

[0026] The user equipment obtains information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network;

[0027] Determine one or more priority resource pools from the obtained sidelink resource pool information;

[0028] Obtain information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication from one or more identified priority resource pools;

[0029] Based on one or more identified priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment (LTU) is reported first among the candidate LTUs; and

[0030] Report at least one preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

[0031] According to a third aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to:

[0032] Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network;

[0033] Determine one or more priority resource pools from the obtained sidelink resource pool information;

[0034] Obtain information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication from one or more identified priority resource pools;

[0035] Based on one or more identified priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment (LTU) is reported first among the candidate LTUs; and

[0036] Report at least one preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

[0037] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising computer-readable program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause a device to perform at least the following:

[0038] Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network;

[0039] Determine one or more priority resource pools from the obtained sidelink resource pool information;

[0040] Obtain information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication from one or more identified priority resource pools;

[0041] Based on one or more identified priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment (LTU) is reported first among the candidate LTUs; and

[0042] Report at least one preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To gain a more complete understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0044] Figure 1 A portion of an exemplary wireless communication access network according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0045] Figure 2 Examples of communication configurations in which some embodiments can be implemented are shown;

[0046] Figure 3 A signaling diagram depicting a process for a remote UE to switch from a direct path to an indirect path via a relay UE, according to a method;

[0047] Figure 4 A signaling diagram of the method according to an embodiment is depicted;

[0048] Figure 5A flowchart of the method according to an embodiment is depicted; and

[0049] Figure 6 An apparatus according to an embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an," "one," or "some" embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference points to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature applies only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0051] A wireless device can be a device configured to communicate over radio waves via a radio link (i.e., a wireless link). Communication can include user traffic and / or signaling. User traffic can include data, voice, video, and / or audio. Examples of wireless links include point-to-point wireless links and point-to-multipoint wireless links. A wireless link can be provided between two wireless devices. It should be understood that wireless devices can vary. For example, wireless devices connected via a wireless link can include one or more of user equipment (UE), access nodes, access points, relay nodes, user terminals, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

[0052] Radio equipment can be a radio access device configured to serve multiple other radio devices, user radio devices, and provide radio access to a communication system for user radio devices. Radio equipment can also be a radio station used as a relay node or to provide wireless backhaul for one or more radio access nodes. Examples of radio access devices include at least access nodes, access points, base stations, and (e / g) NodeBs. Examples of user radio devices include at least user terminals and user equipment (UEs). Radio equipment can be airborne radio equipment and / or extraterrestrial radio equipment configured to operate above the ground without being fixed at a specific altitude. Examples of extraterrestrial radio equipment include at least satellites and spacecraft configured for radio communications in a communication system that may include both terrestrial and extraterrestrial radio equipment. Examples of airborne radio equipment include at least High Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as drones. Radio access equipment can have one or more cells that user radio devices can connect to in order to access the services of the communication system via the radio access equipment. Cells can include cells of different sizes, such as macrocells, microcells, picocells, and femtocells. A macro cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over a large coverage area within the service area of ​​a communication system, such as in rural areas or along highways. A micro cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over a smaller coverage area than a macro cell, such as in densely populated urban areas. A pico cell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over an area smaller than a micro cell, such as in a large office, shopping mall, or train station. A femtocell can be a cell configured to provide coverage over an area smaller than a pico cell, such as in a home or small office. For example, a macro cell provides coverage for user radio equipment in a city via a fast lane / highway, and a local cell (e.g., a micro cell or a smaller cell) provides coverage for user radio equipment within the city. In another example, a macro cell provides coverage for airborne and / or grounded radio equipment, and a local cell (e.g., a micro cell or a smaller cell) provides coverage for airborne and / or grounded radio equipment located at a higher position relative to one or more radio access devices of the communication system. Therefore, airborne or extraterrestrial radio equipment can connect to a microcell of a radio access device, and when the airborne or extraterrestrial radio equipment is at a certain altitude above the ground, it can switch to a macrocell, for example, through a handover process.

[0053] Figure 1 An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted, showing only some components and functional entities, which are all logical units, and their implementation may differ from that shown. Figure 1The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may differ. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the system typically includes, in addition to... Figure 1 Other functions and structures besides those shown.

[0054] Figure 1 The example shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0055] Figure 1 User equipment 100 and 102 are shown, configured to wirelessly connect to an access node (e.g., (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels within the cell. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g)NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the user equipment is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB, or its functionality, can be implemented using any entity suitable for this purpose, such as a node, host, server, or access point. The access node provides access via radio frequency (RF) signal communication and may be referred to as a radio access node. It should be understood that a radio access network may include more than one access node, whereby a handover of the user equipment's wireless connection from one cell of an access node (e.g., the source cell of the source access node) to another cell of another node (e.g., the target cell of the target access node) can be performed.

[0056] A communication system typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB. In this case, the (e / g)NodeBs can also be configured to communicate with each other using wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links can be used for signaling purposes. The (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB can also be referred to as a base station, access point, or any other type of interface device, including relay stations capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. A connection is provided from the (e / g)NodeB's transceiver to an antenna element, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to the user equipment. The antenna element may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is also connected to the core network 110 (CN or Next Generation Core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side can be a Serving Gateway (S-GW, which routes and forwards user data packets), a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW) for providing connectivity to external packet data networks for user equipment (UE), or a Mobility Management Entity (MME), etc.

[0057] A user device (also known as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal equipment, wireless equipment, communication equipment, etc.) illustrates a type of apparatus to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, so any feature of the user device described herein can be implemented by a corresponding apparatus, such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node is a Layer 3 relay (self-backhaul relay) toward a base station.

[0058] User equipment (UE) generally refers to portable computing devices, including wireless mobile communication devices with or without a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, devices using wireless modems (such as alarm or measuring devices), laptops and / or touchscreen computers, tablets, game consoles, laptops, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that UE can also be a virtually exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or camcorder that loads images or video clips onto a network. UE can also be a device capable of operating in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data over a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. UE can also utilize the cloud. In some applications, UE may include small portable devices with radio components (such as watches, headphones, or glasses), and computation is performed in the cloud. UE (or in some embodiments, a Layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more UE functions. User equipment can also be called subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), to name just a few.

[0059] The various techniques described in this article can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems where collaborative computing elements control physical entities). CPS can realize and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems (physical systems discussed therein that are inherently mobile) are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0060] Furthermore, although the device is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors, and / or memory units can be implemented (not all of them are in the same container). Figure 1 (as shown in the image).

[0061] 5G supports the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, far more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including cooperative operation with smaller stations and the use of various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases, and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different data sharing methods, and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC)), including vehicle safety, various sensors, and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces: sub-6 GHz, centimeter wave (cmWave), and millimeter wave (mmWave), and will also be able to integrate with existing legacy radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, integration with LTE can be implemented as a single system where macro coverage is provided by LTE, and the 5G radio interface originates from the small cell via aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT interoperability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI interoperability (inter-radio interface interoperability, such as sub-6 GHz - cmWave, sub-6 GHz - cmWave - mmWave). One of the concepts believed to be used in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual sub-networks (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0062] The current architecture in LTE networks is entirely distributed across radios and entirely centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G require content to be closer to the radio, leading to local bursts and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires leveraging resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for hosting applications and services. It also enables the storage and processing of content closer to cellular subscribers to accelerate response times. Edge computing encompasses a wide range of technologies, such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data acquisition, mobile signature analytics, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / mesh computing, exposed computing, mobile edge computing, thin cloud, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, the Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), and critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0063] The communication system can also communicate with other networks (such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112) or utilize services provided by them. The communication network may also be able to support the use of cloud services; for example, at least a portion of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in...). Figure 1 (Depicted by “Cloud” 114). The communication system may also include a central control entity, operations and maintenance managers, etc., providing facilities for different operators’ networks to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0064] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean that access node operations are performed at least partially within servers, hosts, or nodes operatively coupled to remote radio heads or base stations, including radio components. Node operations may also be distributed across multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. The application of a cloud RAN architecture enables real-time RAN functions to be executed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104), while non-real-time functions can be executed centrally (in the centralized unit CU108).

[0065] It should also be understood that the workforce allocation between core network operations and base station operations may differ from, or even not exist, compared to LTE. Some other technological advancements that may be used are big data and all-IP, which could change the way networks are being built and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and base stations or NodeBs (gNBs). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0066] 5G can also leverage satellite communications to enhance or supplement 5G service coverage, for example, by providing backhaul. Possible use cases include providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or passengers on board vehicles, or ensuring service availability for critical communications and future rail / maritime / aviation communications. Satellite communications can utilize geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite systems or low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, particularly mega-constellations (systems in which hundreds of (nano) satellites are deployed). Each satellite 106 in a mega-constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create ground cells. Ground cells can be created via ground relay nodes 104 or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0067] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the depicted system is merely an example of a portion of a radio access system, and in practice, the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, user equipment may have access to multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. Alternatively, at least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. Furthermore, multiple different types of radio cells and multiple radio cells may be provided within the geographical area of ​​the radio communication system. Radio cells may be macrocells (or umbrella cells), which are large areas typically having diameters of up to tens of kilometers, or smaller cells such as microcells, femtocells, or picocells. Figure 1 The (e / g)NodeB can provide any type of these cells. Cellular radio systems can be implemented as multi-layer networks comprising several types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more types of cells, thus requiring multiple (e / g)NodeBs to provide such a network structure.

[0068] To meet the needs of improved communication system deployment and performance, the concept of "plug-and-play" (e / g) NodeB has been introduced. Typically, networks capable of using "plug-and-play" (e / g) NodeBs include not only home (e / g) NodeBs (H(e / g) NodeBs), but also home NodeB gateways or HNB-GWs. Figure 1 (Not shown in the image). HNB gateways (HNB-GWs), typically installed in the operator's network, can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0069] However, the embodiments are not limited to the system given as an example, but those skilled in the art can apply the solution to other communication systems that provide the necessary properties.

[0070] Sidelink (SL) is UE-driven, where receiving UEs (RxUEs) may need to continuously monitor all possible PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel) instances to receive sidelink transmissions on one or more (pre)configured resource pools (RPs). There are at least two allocation modes for sidelink transmissions. The first mode (Mode 1) is a base station (BS) scheduling mode, where the serving base station allocates resources for sidelink transmissions to UEs, and the second mode (Mode 2) is an autonomous UE selection mode, where UEs can select resources for sidelink transmissions without base station intervention. These modes are indistinguishable for receiving UEs (RxUEs) regarding sidelink reception, regardless of whether the sidelink is used for broadcast, multicast, or unicast. Sidelinks can be applied both in-coverage and out-of-coverage scenarios with multi-PLMN support (TxUEs and RxUEs from different serving PLMNs).

[0071] In public safety or road safety use cases, sidelink communication is typically used for multicast or broadcast in a connectionless manner. Therefore, a receiving user equipment (Rx UE) may need to listen to various nearby transmitting user equipment (Tx UEs) without prior knowledge of which transmitting user equipment might be present. Consequently, possible discontinuous reception (DRX) operation for the receiving user equipment needs to address the presence of various random transmitting user equipment in the vicinity.

[0072] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 3 This illustration describes a switch from direct-path communication to indirect-path communication according to an example of this disclosure. In this example, the remote UE 312 first communicates directly with the base station 316 (e.g., gNB) of the communication network (i.e., via the direct path). This is in Figure 3 The image is shown in dashed line 300. The remote UE 312 has been configured by base station 316, for example, to detect and measure signals transmitted by the candidate relay UE, such as... Figure 3 The remote UE 312 sends one or more reports to the base station 316 regarding the measured candidate relay UEs, including relay UE 314 and other potentially nearby relay UEs. The report may include information about received signal strength, such as SL-RSRP (Sidelink Reference Received Power) and / or other signal strength and / or quality-related values. This is indicated by arrow 301.

[0073] Base station 316 can examine (multiple) reception reports and determine which indirect path communication should be initiated for remote UE 312. Therefore, base station 316 can determine which candidate relay UE will be selected for indirect path communication. Figure 3The target relay UE 314 is shown in box 302. The handover decision and the corresponding configuration for the target relay UE 314 can be transmitted from the base station 316 to the target relay UE 314 (arrow 303).

[0074] Base station 316 also sends the handover decision and corresponding configuration as a reconfiguration message (such as a Radio Resource Control Reconfiguration (RRC Reconfiguration) message) to remote UE 312 (arrow 304). The reconfiguration message may include, for example, the following information: 1) the identity of the target relay UE; 2) the target Uu and PC5 configuration.

[0075] After receiving the reconfiguration message and checking its contents, if the connection has not yet been established, the remote UE 312 establishes a PC5 connection with the target relay UE 314 (arrow 305).

[0076] The remote UE 312 sends feedback (arrow 306) to the base station 316 regarding the establishment of the target indirect path by using the target indirect path (i.e. via the relay UE 314) and sending an RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the base station 316 with the target configuration provided by the base station 316 in the RRCReconfigurationComplete message.

[0077] The data path is then switched to an indirect path (arrow 307) for transmitting data between remote UE 312 and base station 316 via relay UE 314.

[0078] According to one method, a user equipment (UE) can use one of two modes to transmit via a side link: mode 1 or mode 2.

[0079] In Mode 1, the network (NW) (e.g., base station 316) allocates sidelink transmission resources (SL TX resources) to the transmission user equipment for transmission. Therefore, Mode 1 requires the transmission user equipment (SL TX UE) to be in the RRC_Connected state to receive NW scheduling.

[0080] In Mode 2, the transmission user equipment autonomously selects its sidelink transmission resources from the sidelink transmission resource pool (SL TX RP).

[0081] The SL TX RP is a resource pool from which the transmitting UE can select or be allocated sidelink resources for its sidelink transmission. Correspondingly, the receiving user equipment (RX UE) is also configured with a sidelink receive pool (SL RX RP) to monitor and receive from peer SL TX UEs.

[0082] Note that different transmitting UEs can be configured with different sidelink transmission resource pools. Therefore, the sidelink receive pool configured for receiving UEs can contain one or more configured sidelink transmission resource pools to receive from another transmitting UE through the same(s) configured sidelink transmission resource pools(s). Additionally, the sidelink receive pool configured for a receiving UE can also contain additional resource pools relative to its(s) configured sidelink transmission pools(s) to avoid missing SL reception from peer SL UEs whose configured sidelink transmission pools are different from those of the receiving UE. Table 1 shows an example of resource pools configured at a user equipment (referred to as SL UE in the table) utilizing sidelink communication. In this example, the SL UE is configured with RP#1 and #2 as sidelink transmission resource pools SL TX RP, while all RP#1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 are configured as sidelink receive resource pools SL RX RP. In this case, if another SL UE is configured with a different SL TX RP, for example due to a different RRC state or a different PLMN, the SL UE in question can still receive from the other SL UE.

[0083] Table 1 shows an example of SL RP configured at the SL UE.

[0084]

[0085] In the process of switching a remote UE to an indirect relay UE according to a method, the remote UE will need to report the discovered candidate relay UEs to the serving gNB, for example, such as Figure 3 As shown in step 301. Subsequently, based on the report received from the remote UE, the serving gNB can decide to switch the remote UE to a specific relay UE among the discovered candidate relay UEs.

[0086] Figure 3 The relay discovery process is not shown. Two discovery models can be used, namely discovery model A and discovery model B, depending on the approach.

[0087] - In discovery model A, one or more candidate relay UEs send one or more announcement messages, and remote UEs monitor the announcement messages(s).

[0088] - In discovery model B, the remote UE sends a solicitation message, and one or more candidate relay UEs send a response message back to the remote UE after receiving the solicitation message.

[0089] If there is no UE nearby that can act as a candidate relay UE, the remote UE may not receive any announcement messages (in discovery model A) or any response messages (in discovery model B). However, in the following text, it is assumed that at least one UE can be selected as a candidate relay UE and that it sends a response message to the remote UE.

[0090] Note that during the discovery process, a remote UE can discover many candidate relay UEs that meet the access layer (AS) criteria and / or higher-layer criteria for being a relay. This can introduce significant signaling overhead; therefore, to save signaling effort, step 301 may need to be optimized to allow the remote UE to prioritize and report only a limited set of candidate relay UEs to the serving gNB. Furthermore, reporting many candidate relay UEs to the NW may introduce more work at the NW to select the best relay UE.

[0091] According to one method, the SL Reference Signal Received Power (SL-RSRP) measured at a remote UE is considered as an AS layer criterion in relay (re)selection. It is possible that many candidate relay UEs meeting the configured SL-RSRP threshold may be discovered.

[0092] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 4 The signaling flowchart described herein, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, illustrates some details of how the amount of information can be reduced during the reporting of candidate relay UEs. For simplicity, only two candidate relay UEs are shown in the diagram. Figure 4 The process is aimed at Figure 3 In step 301, the remote UE 312 determines and reports to the network a set of candidate relay UEs 314 that are preferred (e.g., to base station 316).

[0093] The remote UE 312 obtains a list of configured sidelink receive resource pools SL RX RP and a list of configured sidelink transmit resource pools SL TX RP. These lists may have been received from the network via 401 and / or pre-configured in the remote UE 312.

[0094] Once the remote UE 312 has obtained a list of configured sidelink receive resource pools and possibly also a list of configured sidelink transmit resource pools (SL TX RPs), the remote UE 312 attempts to determine a priority list of 402 resource pools (RPs) from all configured SL RX RPs. The determined priority RPs are then used by the remote UE 312 to prioritize candidate relay UEs for reporting to the network based on certain criteria.

[0095] In one embodiment, the remote UE 312 may determine the preferred RP based on its own SL TX RP configured by the network (via, for example, dedicated RRC signaling and / or System Information Block (SIB)).

[0096] In one example, if the remote UE is in the RRC_Connected state, the remote UE 312 can determine the 402 sidelink transmission resource pool as follows: The remote UE receives an information element (IE) called the sl-TxPoolScheduling information element via dedicated RRC signaling. This information element contains information specifically configured for the remote UE 312 in Mode 1 TX RP. As previously described, the first mode (Mode 1) is a base station (BS) scheduling mode, in which the serving base station allocates resources for sidelink transmissions to the user equipment, and the second mode (Mode 2) is an autonomous UE selection mode, in which the user equipment can allocate resources for sidelink transmissions without base station intervention.

[0097] In one embodiment, after determining the preferred RP, the remote UE 312 can begin monitoring and receiving 403 discovery messages from different resource pools.

[0098] The Mode 1 TX RP can be considered a high-priority resource pool by remote UE 312. In this case, since the Mode 1 TX RP is not shared with any Mode 2 TX UE, the candidate relay UE transmitting the discovery message in the determined Mode 1 TX RP is in the RRC_Connected state. For example, candidate relay UE 1 (in Figure 4 (Illustrated by reference numeral 314a) In a Mode 1TX RP of a remote UE, its discovery message is transmitted ( Figure 4 (arrow 407 in the image). Therefore, since mode 1 can only be used by user equipment that can communicate via (multiple) side links (SL UEs) in the RRC_Connected state, the candidate relay UE 1 314a that transmits its discovery message in one of the mode 1 Tx RPs of the remote UE should be in the RRC_Connected state.

[0099] In one example, if the remote UE is in the RRC_Connected state, the remote UE 312 receives an information element (IE) called sl-TxPoolSelectedNormal via dedicated RRC signaling and / or in a System Information Block (SIB). This information element or SIB contains information specifically configured for the Mode 2TX RP for the remote UE 312. The remote UE can then treat the Mode 2TX RP contained in the IE / SIB as a high-priority RP.

[0100] In one embodiment, the network NW or the base station gNB of the network can also ensure that its Mode 2 TXRP configured for a remote UE does not overlap with TX RPs configured by other potentially adjacent wireless communication networks (PLMNs) and / or base station gNBs. This can be done, for example, by exchanging / negotiating information about the configured Mode 2 TX RPs or through a regulatory / licensing agreement for (spectrum) resource usage. Therefore, only candidate relay UEs within the same PLMN / gNB use the same Mode 2 TX RP to send discovery messages. For example, according to one embodiment, if Figure 4 Candidate relay UE 1 comes from the same PLMN / cell as the remote UE, but candidate relay UE 2 (in...) Figure 4 If not (as indicated by reference numeral 314b), then candidate relay UE 1 can be configured with the same Mode 2TX RP as the remote UE for transmitting SL including discovery messages. In this case, candidate relay UE 1 will be prioritized by the remote UE compared to candidate relay UE 2.

[0101] The remote UE 312 can also receive discovery messages(multiple) on one or more non-priority resource pools (examples are shown in...). Figure 4 (Indicated by arrow 404).

[0102] In one embodiment, a remote UE may treat abnormal TXRPs it configures to receive from dedicated RRC signaling and / or SIB as deprioritized RPs, and the remote UE may deprioritize candidate relay UEs that report their discovery messages received from abnormal TXRPs, because relay UEs can only use abnormal TXRPs under certain abnormal conditions that may negatively impact the execution of SL relay, such as during RRC rebuilding, during handover, etc. In this case, the remote UE excludes RPs included in IE sl-TxPoolExceptional received from dedicated RRC signaling and / or SIB from the list of priority RPs. Alternatively, the remote UE may treat RPs included in IE sl-TxPoolExceptional as deprioritized RPs compared to other configured RPs.

[0103] In one embodiment, a remote UE can be configured (e.g., via NW or pre-configured) to have a list of (multiple) preferred RPs.

[0104] The configuration can be indicated to the remote UE 312 in the System Information Block (SIB) and / or by the network via dedicated RRC signaling, for example... Figure 3 As shown in step 301.

[0105] In one embodiment, the configuration can also be provided to one or more other UEs, including candidate relay UEs 314a and 314b, for example, via the SIB. In one option, the candidate relay UE may have, or can be configured to have, the flexibility to determine whether it transmits a discovery message in the preferred RP, for example, based on its local conditions. In another option, the candidate relay UE may be configured by the network, for example, after candidate relay UE 314 has requested resources from the network. Figure 4 Arrow 405 in the image indicates the transmission of discovery messages in the preferred RP, for example... Figure 4 Candidate relay UE 1 in step 406.

[0106] In one embodiment, the configured priority RP can be a Mode 1 TX RP, meaning that the candidate relay UE transmitting discovery messages in the priority RP is in the RRC_Connected state. It should be noted that the configured priority list can include more Mode 1 RPs than the configured Mode 1 TX RPs, which can be used by remote UEs to perform their own Mode 1 sidelink transmissions. In one example, if sidelink relay operations between different wireless communication networks (inter-PLMN SL) are supported, the configured priority RPs can include Mode 1 RPs from different PLMNs.

[0107] In one embodiment, the configured priority RP can be a TX RP in the same PLMN / cell used by a relay UE to transmit discovery messages. In this case, the candidate relay UE transmitting discovery messages in the priority RP is in the same PLMN / cell as the remote UE.

[0108] In one embodiment, the serving base station 316 of the remote UE 312 may exchange / negotiate with neighboring base stations to obtain / derive a preferred RP.

[0109] In one embodiment, the serving base station and neighboring base stations may decide to use different TX RPs to send discovery messages. Therefore, if the serving base station gNB 316 of the remote UE 312 configures its SL TX RP as the preferred RP for the remote UE, this method can ensure that the relay candidate transmitting the discovery message in the preferred RP comes from the same cell as the remote UE.

[0110] In another embodiment, the preferred RP can be a TX RP, which is / will be used by the (RRC_Connected) relay UE served by the neighboring gNB to transmit discovery messages. As an example, if the serving base station gNB316 of remote UE 312 is under high load, this embodiment enables the network to control remote UE 312 to prioritize reporting candidate relay UEs in neighboring cells, where the neighboring cells have lower traffic loads than the serving network. Therefore, in the next step, for example in... Figure 4 In step 404, the serving base station gNB 316 can command the remote UE 312 to switch to the relay UE served by the neighboring cell for traffic offloading purposes.

[0111] After negotiation, neighboring base stations can schedule / configure service candidate relays to perform sidelink transmissions in the negotiated RP, for example, such as Figure 4 As shown in step 406. For example, resource configuration / allocation can be provided to the serving candidate relay UE via dedicated signaling or SIB.

[0112] The remote UE 312 can discover nearby candidate relay UEs by receiving discovery messages (e.g., discovery response messages in discovery model B, or discovery announcement messages in discovery model A) transmitted by nearby candidate relay UEs.

[0113] If a remote UE 312 receives discovery messages from multiple configured SL RX RPs, the remote UE 312 can store resource pool information about which (preferred) resource pool the candidate relay UE's discovery message was received from.

[0114] Remote UE 312 can preferentially receive discovery messages from the priority resource pool. In this case, as an example, if the number of candidate relay UEs discovered from the priority RP is lower than a configured threshold, discovery messages can be triggered to be received from the remaining resource pools of the configured sidelink receive resource pool.

[0115] The remote UE 312 can determine the preferred candidate relay UEs based on a defined list of priority resource pools and the resource pools on which discovery messages of candidate relay UEs are received. In one example, if the priority resource pools contain SL RX RP#1 and SL RX RP#2, then the candidate relay UE (whose discovery messages are received by the remote UE 312 from SL RX RP#1 and SL RX RP#2) is determined as the preferred candidate relay UE. It should be noted that the remote UE 312 can also consider other criteria to determine which candidate relay UEs can be selected as preferred candidate relay UEs, rather than those described above.

[0116] In one example, in addition to the defined list of priority resource pools and the resource pools on which discovery messages of candidate relay UEs are received, the remote UE 312 can be configured with features or rules to further consider the measured signal strength (SL-RSRP) of the discovery messages received from candidate relay UEs. For example, among candidate relay UEs whose discovery messages are received on priority resource pools, the relay UE can further prioritize candidate relay UEs whose discovery messages are received with a higher SL-RSRP. If a candidate relay UE's discovery message is received on a priority RP, but has a much lower SL-RSRP (e.g., below a configured threshold) compared to another candidate relay UE's discovery message on a non-priority RP, the remote UE can still prioritize candidate relay UEs whose discovery messages are received with a much higher SL-RSRP, even though that candidate relay UE can transmit discovery messages on a non-priority RP.

[0117] In one embodiment, different SL-RSRP thresholds can be configured to select candidate relay UEs that transmit discovery messages on a preferred RP, wherein the configured SL-RSRP threshold is lower than the SL-RSRP threshold used to select candidate relay UEs that transmit discovery messages on a non-preferred RP.

[0118] Once the remote UE 312 has collected information on candidate relay UEs, it selects the preferred candidate relay UE (408) based on the determined resource pool. The remote UE 312 can create a list of preferred candidate relay UEs and may also create a list of non-preferred candidate relay UEs. The remote UE 312 reports the preferred candidate relay UEs (409) to the network.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the remote UE 312 reports the preferred candidate relay before reporting other non-priority candidate relay UEs.

[0120] According to another embodiment, the remote UE 312 may only report the preferred candidate relays.

[0121] According to one embodiment, multiple levels of priority resource pools may exist, determined by the remote UE 312. As an example, the first-level priority resource pool may contain transport resource pools for RRC connection relays within the same or a given wireless network and / or within the same or a given cell, while the second-level priority resource pool may contain transport resource pools used by candidate relay UEs that are in the same wireless network / cell but may not be in the RRC_Connected state. In this case, the remote UE 312 may determine that it first reports its discovery message as being received from the first-level priority resource pool, then from the second-level priority resource pool, and finally, if there are other candidate relays, receives its discovery message from the remainder of the resource pools.

[0122] In some embodiments, the remote UE uses tags to distinguish preferred candidate relay UEs from other discovered non-preferred candidate relay UEs.

[0123] In some embodiments, the remote UE 312 adds a priority value (instead of a tag) for candidate relay UEs to report to the NW.

[0124] In some embodiments, the remote UE 312 uses tags and attaches priority values ​​to the tags, and reports discovered candidate relays with different tags indicating the corresponding priority levels.

[0125] In one embodiment, multiple levels of the priority resource pool can be determined by the remote UE 312 based on its own configured SLTX RP, NW configuration, and / or pre-configuration, as described above.

[0126] In one embodiment, the remainder of the resource pool can be considered as the level of the lowest priority RP.

[0127] In one embodiment, the remote UE can be configured to activate / deactivate all configured resource pools or prioritize monitoring of only resource pools based on the estimated / detected number of candidate relay UEs near the remote UE 312, for example based on historical information associated with the (previous) relay discovery process and stored in the remote UE 312.

[0128] In one embodiment, the determination of a priority resource pool may depend on further aspects, such as the release label indicated in the resource pool configuration and / or the configuration of advanced features, or the lack of advanced features, such as support for sidelink DRX. In one example, the remote UE 312 may determine a resource pool with a label indicating a later version as the priority resource pool compared to resource pools from earlier versions.

[0129] If the network configures a list of priority resource pools, for example via SIB and / or dedicated signaling, the priority resource pools can be configured as either priority receive resource pools or priority transport resource pools. In the case of priority receive resource pools, if the priority receive resource pool is included in its transport resource pool configuration, the candidate relay UE 314 can determine whether to transmit discovery messages on the priority receive resource pool by considering the candidate relay UE's own conditions (e.g., RRC state). In the case of priority transport resource pools, the candidate relay UE 314 can determine whether to transmit discovery messages on the priority transport resource pool, and the remote UE 312 can consider the priority transport resource pool as a receive resource pool to prioritize the candidate relay UE 314 (from which its discovery messages are received).

[0130] When the remote UE 312 has determined the preferred candidate resource pool and the network 316 has received a report from the remote UE 312, the network 316 selects a relay UE from the reported candidate relay UEs.

[0131] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating a method according to an embodiment is provided. User equipment 312 obtains 502 information about sidelink resource pools related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network NW. Then, based on the obtained sidelink resource pool information, user equipment 312 determines 504 which one or more resource pools among the configured sidelink resource pools can be classified as priority resource pools for reporting to the network. User equipment 312 also obtains 506 information about candidate relay user equipments for sidelink communication. Then, user equipment 312 prioritizes 508 which candidate relay user equipment(s) the remote user equipment 312 should report corresponding measurements for. Prioritization is based on the determined one or more priority resource pools. The remote user equipment 312 sends 510 a measurement report to the wireless communication network NW regarding the selected at least one candidate relay user equipment.

[0132] Figure 2 An example of a communication setup in which some embodiments can be implemented is shown. A base station 200 exists, which can operate as an access point from user equipment 204, 206, 208 to communication network 202. User equipment 204, 206, 208 has wireless communication capabilities with other user equipment and / or base stations. For example, in Figure 2 In this setup, one user equipment 204 acts as a relay between some other user equipments 206, 208 and base station 200. However, some user equipments 204, 206, and 208 can also have direct, mutual communication connections without any relay user equipment or base station. Figure 2In the example, the second user equipment 206 and the third user equipment 208 are communicating with each other, while the first user equipment 204 is communicating with the base station 200, the second user equipment 206 and the third user equipment 208.

[0133] For example, user equipment that has a direct connection to each other can use a side link connection 210.

[0134] exist Figure 2 In the illustration, User Equipment 204 is communicating with Base Station 200 using both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), while User Equipment 206 is communicating with two other User Equipments 204 and 208 via a sidelink using only the downlink (DL), i.e., receiving signals only from Base Station 200. User Equipment 208 is communicating with User Equipments 204 and 206 only via a sidelink. However, User Equipment 204, which can communicate with Base Station 200, can forward messages from other User Equipments 206 and 208 to Base Station 200, and can also forward messages from Base Station 200 to other User Equipments 206 and 208. Therefore, User Equipment 204 operates as a relay UE for other User Equipments 206 and 208 and Base Station 200.

[0135] The user equipment (UE) may be able to receive signals from the base station, but the signals transmitted by the UE may not be received by the base station. This could be due to the base station having a higher transmission power than the UE can transmit. For example, in this case, the UE might receive control information from the base station (via downlink DL) and transmit replies and data to the relay UE using sidelink communication with the relay UE.

[0136] Figure 6 Examples of apparatuses according to at least some embodiments of the present invention are shown. The apparatus may be a wireless device, such as a user wireless device. The apparatus may perform one or more functions according to the examples described herein.

[0137] The device includes a processor 602 and a transceiver 604. The processor is operatively connected to the transceiver for controlling the transceiver. The device may include a memory 606. The memory is operatively connected to the processor. It should be understood that the memory may be a separate memory or included in the processor and / or the transceiver.

[0138] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to control the transceiver to perform one or more functions as described in the embodiment.

[0139] The memory can be a non-transient computer-readable medium. The memory can be of any type suitable for the local technological environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The data processor can be of any type suitable for the local technological environment and, as a non-limiting example, can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures.

[0140] Implementations may be carried out in software, hardware, application logic, or a combination of software, hardware, and application logic. The software, application logic, and / or hardware may reside in memory or any computer medium. In example embodiments, the application logic, software, or instruction set is maintained on any of a variety of conventional computer-readable media. In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" can be any medium or component that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0141] In relevant contexts, references to “computer-readable storage medium,” “computer program product,” “tangible computer program,” or “processor” or “processing circuit system” should be understood to include not only computers with different architectures (such as single / multiprocessor architectures and sequencer / parallel architectures) but also special-purpose circuits (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), signal processing devices, and other devices). References to computer-readable program code components, computer programs, computer instructions, computer code, etc., should be understood to refer to software used in programmable processor firmware, such as programmable content of hardware devices as instructions for a processor, or configuration or configuration settings for fixed-function devices, gate arrays, programmable logic devices, etc.

[0142] While the examples above describe embodiments of the invention operating within a user radio equipment, UE, radio access equipment, or gNB, it should be understood that the invention described above can be implemented as part of any apparatus including a circuit system in which radio frequency signals are transmitted and / or received. Therefore, for example, embodiments of the invention can be implemented in a mobile phone, in a base station, in a radio station, in a user radio equipment, or in a computer (such as a desktop computer or a tablet computer including radio frequency communication components (e.g., wireless LAN, cellular radio, etc.)).

[0143] Generally, various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry or any combination thereof. Although various aspects of the invention may be illustrated and described as block diagrams or using some other graphical representation, it is well understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0144] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0145] (a) Pure hardware circuit implementation (such as implementations only in analog and / or digital circuit systems) and

[0146] (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable):

[0147] (i) A combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0148] (ii) Any part of (multiple) hardware processors, together with software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0149] (c) (Multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a portion thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may not exist when operation does not require software.

[0150] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also covers only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of hardware circuitry or a processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also covers baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0151] According to one embodiment, an apparatus is provided, including at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus.

[0152] Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network;

[0153] Determine one or more priority resource pools from the obtained sidelink resource pool information;

[0154] Obtain information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication from one or more priority resource pools;

[0155] Based on one or more identified priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment is selected from the candidate trunk user equipment for reporting; and

[0156] Report information obtained from at least one selected candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured, together with at least one processor, to cause the device to: receive from a wireless communication network information of a selected relay user equipment from at least one preferred and reported candidate relay user equipment, the selected relay user equipment being used by the user equipment in sidelink communication.

[0158] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the device to: receive discovery messages on one or more priority resource pools; and select candidate relay user equipment to be reported based on the discovery messages received on the one or more priority resource pools.

[0159] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured, together with at least one processor, to cause the device to: receive discovery messages on one or more non-priority resource pools; and determine whether to also report the candidate relay user equipment from which the discovery message was received on one or more non-priority resource pools.

[0160] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, enable the device to: obtain information about a sidelink resource pool dedicated to the device.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, enable the device to: determine a priority resource pool based on a sidelink resource pool configuration dedicated to the device.

[0162] According to one embodiment, a sidelink resource pool configuration includes at least one sidelink transport resource pool, wherein the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the means to: determine at least one sidelink transport resource pool as a high-priority resource pool.

[0163] According to one embodiment, a sidelink resource pool configuration includes a plurality of sidelink receive resource pools, wherein the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the means to: determine one or more priority resource pools among the plurality of sidelink receive resource pools.

[0164] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the device to: monitor discovery messages from a resource pool received from all configurations of a sidelink that includes a determined priority resource pool; or monitor discovery messages only from the determined priority resource pool.

[0165] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured, together with at least one processor, to enable the device to: use tags to distinguish preferred candidate relay user equipment from other discovered non-preferred relay user equipment; and to report tags with the acquired information from the selected at least one candidate relay user equipment.

[0166] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured to, together with at least one processor, cause the device to: add priority values ​​for preferred candidate relay user equipment; and report the priority values ​​using information obtained from the selected at least one candidate relay user equipment.

[0167] According to one embodiment, the at least one memory includes computer program code configured, together with at least one processor, to enable the device to: use tags to distinguish preferred candidate relay user equipment from other non-preferred candidate relay user equipment discovered and measured; add priority values ​​using tags; and report tags having information obtained from the selected at least one candidate relay user equipment, wherein the tags indicate the corresponding priority values.

[0168] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the invention by way of exemplary and non-limiting examples. However, various modifications and adaptations may become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims, given the foregoing description. Nevertheless, all such modifications and similar alterations taught in this invention will still fall within the scope of this invention.

[0169] A list of abbreviations is provided below:

[0170] AS Access Layer

[0171] IE Information Unit

[0172] NW: Network

[0173] PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network

[0174] RP: Resource Pool

[0175] RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0176] RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0177] RX receiver / receiver

[0178] SI Research Items

[0179] SIB System Information Block

[0180] SL: Side Link

[0181] TX Transmitter / Transmission

[0182] U2U: UE to UE

[0183] UE: User Equipment

[0184] WI work items

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising components for: Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network; One or more priority resource pools are determined from the obtained information of the sidelink resource pools; Information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication is obtained from the identified one or more priority resource pools; Based on the determined one or more priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment among the candidate trunk user equipment is reported first. as well as Report the preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising components for: Information is received from the wireless communication network regarding a selected relay user equipment from among the at least one preferred and reported candidate relay user equipment, the selected relay user equipment being used by the user equipment in the sidelink communication.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The components for obtaining information about candidate relay user equipment include: components for receiving discovery messages on the one or more priority resource pools; and The component for reporting at least one candidate relay user equipment is configured to select the candidate relay user equipment to be reported based on discovery messages received on the one or more priority resource pools.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: The component for obtaining information about candidate relay user equipment further includes: a component for receiving discovery messages on one or more non-priority resource pools; and The component for reporting at least one candidate relay user equipment is also configured to: determine whether to also report the candidate relay user equipment from which the discovery message was received on the one or more non-priority resource pools.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising components for: The priority resource pool is determined based on the sidelink resource pool configuration dedicated to the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sidelink resource pool configuration includes at least one sidelink transmission resource pool, and wherein the apparatus further includes components for: At least one configured sidelink transport resource pool is designated as a high-priority resource pool.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sidelink resource pool configuration includes a version tag, wherein The component used for priority reporting is configured to use the version tag to determine priority.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the component for priority reporting is configured as follows: Determine whether the sidelink resource pool configuration includes advanced features, and Priority is determined based on the presence or absence of advanced features in the sidelink resource pool configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sidelink resource pool configuration includes a plurality of sidelink receive resource pools, and wherein the apparatus further includes components for: One or more priority resource pools are determined from the plurality of sidelink receive resource pools.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one component for: Messages are detected from the sidelinks of all configurations that include the identified priority resource pools; or Messages are detected only from the identified priority resource pool.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to: activate and / or deactivate monitoring of all configured resource pools or only priority resource pools based on an estimated or detected number of candidate relay user equipment in the vicinity of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising components for: The preferred candidate trunk user equipment is distinguished from other non-preferred candidate trunk user equipment by using tags; The component used for reporting is configured to report the label.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising components for: Add a priority value to the candidate relay user equipment that has priority; The component used for reporting is configured to report the priority value.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising components for: The preferred candidate trunk user equipment is distinguished from other non-preferred candidate trunk user equipment by using tags; Add priority values ​​using the aforementioned tags; The component used for reporting is configured to report the tag, wherein the tag indicates a corresponding priority value.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the component for determining one or more priority resource pools is configured to determine priority based on one of the following: Radio resource control status of candidate user equipment; The serving cell of the candidate relay user equipment; The candidate relay user equipment is communicating with a public terrestrial mobile network.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the component for determining one or more priority resource pools is configured to determine priority based on whether one or more of the following criteria are considered: Radio resource control status of candidate user equipment; The serving cell of the candidate relay user equipment; The candidate relay user equipment is communicating with a public terrestrial mobile network.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the number of detections is based on historical information related to the relay discovery process.

18. A method of communication, comprising: The user equipment obtains information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network; One or more priority resource pools are determined from the obtained information of the sidelink resource pools; Information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication is obtained from the identified one or more priority resource pools; Based on the determined one or more priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment among the candidate trunk user equipment is reported first. as well as Report the preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising: Information is received from the wireless communication network regarding a selected relay user equipment from at least one preferred and reported candidate relay user equipment, the selected relay user equipment being used by the user equipment in the sidelink communication.

20. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; said at least one memory and said computer program code being configured, together with said at least one processor, to enable the apparatus to: Obtain information about the sidelink resource pool related to sidelink communication in the wireless communication network; One or more priority resource pools are determined from the obtained information of the sidelink resource pools; Information on candidate relay user equipment for sidelink communication is obtained from the identified one or more priority resource pools; Based on the determined one or more priority resource pools, at least one candidate trunk user equipment among the candidate trunk user equipment is reported first. as well as Report the preferred candidate relay user equipment to the wireless communication network.

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