Relay technology for d2d or link communication

Abstract

A system is provided for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by the relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The system includes: a communication node, wherein the communication node is configured to identify a requested service; a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to identify services supported by the relay node when connected to a base station; and a capability assessment function configured to determine whether the requested service and the supported services match. The communication node is further configured to notify the capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes an identifier of the requested service; wherein the relay node is further configured to notify the capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes an identifier of the supported service; wherein the capability assessment function is configured to determine, based on a comparison of the first capability information and the relay capability information, that the communication node can use the requested service via the relay node and the base station; and wherein the communication node and the relay node are configured to operate together to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for providing services to communication nodes (also known as mobile nodes) via relay nodes in a mobile telecommunications network.

[0002] This application claims priority under the Paris Convention to European patent application EP 20189902.8, filed on August 6, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] The “background” description provided herein is intended to provide a general context for this disclosure. To the extent described in this background section, the work of the currently named inventors and aspects of the description that may not be considered prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly considered to be prior art to this invention.

[0004] Next-generation mobile telecommunications systems (e.g., mobile telecommunications systems based on the UMTS and LTE architectures defined by 3GPP) are capable of supporting a wider range of services than the simple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations of mobile telecommunications systems. For example, through the improved radio interfaces and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, users can enjoy high-data-rate applications such as mobile video streaming and mobile video conferencing, which were previously only available via fixed-line data connections. In addition to supporting these more complex types of services and devices, it is also recommended that next-generation mobile telecommunications systems support less complex services and devices that leverage the reliable and wide-area coverage of next-generation mobile telecommunications systems without relying on the high data rates available in those systems. Therefore, the demand for deploying such networks is significant, and the coverage areas (i.e., geographical locations where network access is available) are expected to increase more rapidly.

[0005] Therefore, future wireless communication networks are expected to routinely and efficiently support communication with a wider range of devices than currently optimized for, associated with a broader range of data traffic profiles and types. For example, future wireless communication networks are expected to efficiently support communication with devices including reduced-complexity devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, high-resolution video displays, virtual reality headsets, and so on. Some of these different types of devices can be deployed in large numbers, for example, low-complexity devices to support the “Internet of Things”, and can typically be associated with the transmission of smaller amounts of data with higher latency tolerance.

[0006] In view of this, it is expected that future wireless communication networks (e.g., those that may be called 5G or New Radio (NR) systems / New Radio Access Technology (RAT) systems) and future iterations / versions of existing systems will effectively support connectivity for a variety of devices associated with different applications and different data traffic profiles.

[0007] Therefore, the demand for deploying fifth-generation networks is strong, and the coverage area of ​​these networks (i.e., the geographical locations where network access is possible) is expected to increase rapidly. However, while the coverage and capacity of fifth-generation networks are expected to significantly exceed those of previous generations of communication networks, limitations remain in terms of network capacity and the geographical areas that such networks can serve. These limitations may be particularly relevant, for example, in situations where a group of terminal devices (communication devices) is expected to exchange information with each other quickly and reliably. To help address these limitations, several approaches have been proposed in which terminal devices within a wireless telecommunications system can be configured to communicate data directly with each other without requiring some or all of their communication to pass through base station elements, such as base stations. This type of communication is often referred to as device-to-device (D2D) communication. Many D2D communications can be transmitted by one device to multiple other devices in a broadcast-like manner; therefore, in this sense, the phrase "device-to-device communication" also encompasses "device-to-device communication."

[0008] Therefore, D2D communication allows sufficiently close communication devices to communicate directly with each other, both within and outside the network's coverage area (e.g., due to geographical limitations of network coverage, network failure, or network overload rendering it practically unavailable to terminal devices). By avoiding the need for user data to be relayed by network entities (e.g., base stations), D2D communication allows user data to be transmitted more efficiently and quickly between communication devices. D2D communication also allows communication devices to communicate with each other even if one or both devices may not be within the network's reliable coverage area. The ability of communication devices to operate both within and outside the coverage area makes wireless telecommunications systems incorporating D2D capabilities ideally suited for applications such as Public Protection / Safety and Disaster Relief (PPDR). For example, PPDR-related communications can benefit from high robustness, allowing devices to continue communicating with each other in congested networks and outside coverage areas. 3GPP has already developed several proposals for this public safety D2D use in LTE networks in Release 12.

[0009] In 3GPP systems, D2D communication technology can be used to provide relay deployments, in which intermediate nodes (relay nodes) can wirelessly interface with communication nodes (e.g., mobile nodes, communication equipment, terminals, UEs / MEs / WRTUs, etc.) and relay communication between communication nodes and base stations (e.g., eNBs, gNBs, etc.).

[0010] Specifically, Release 14 also includes D2D communication, involving the use of D2D devices as relays, a technology focused on public safety use cases. In some similar developments, Release 16 provides arrangements for D2D or sidelink communication involving relay devices, aimed at vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services. Therefore, existing relay technologies in 3GPP systems tend to be limited to specific types of services and are not designed to handle more complex scenarios. Thus, there is a need to provide setups and technologies that enable relay technologies to support a wider variety of services. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The invention is defined in the independent claims. Further exemplary embodiments are provided in the dependent claims.

[0012] According to a first example of this disclosure, a system is provided for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by the relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The system includes: a communication node, wherein the communication node is configured to identify a requested service; a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to identify services supported by the relay node when connected to a base station; and a capability assessment function configured to determine whether the requested service and the supported services match. The communication node is further configured to notify a capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes an identifier of the requested service; wherein the relay node is further configured to notify a capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes an identifier of the supported service; wherein the capability assessment function is configured to determine, based on a comparison of the first capability information and the relay capability information, whether the communication node can use the requested service via the relay node and the base station; and wherein the communication node and the relay node are configured to operate together to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

[0013] For example, a communication node can initiate a requested service, and if the request is successful, the communication node can use the service via relay nodes and base stations. In some examples, when the capability assessment function has determined that the communication node can use the requested service via relay nodes and base stations, the requested service is provided to the communication node.

[0014] According to a second example of this disclosure, a communication node for use in a mobile telecommunications network is provided, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The communication node is configured to: identify a requested service to be requested; notify a capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least an identifier of the requested service; and use the requested service via the relay node and the base station when the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connected to the base station.

[0015] According to a third example of this disclosure, a relay node for use in a mobile telecommunications network is provided, wherein the relay node is configured to provide a wireless interface to a communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The relay node is configured to: upon connecting to a base station, identify services supported by the relay node; notify a capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of the supported services; and when the supported services match a service requested by the communication node, provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station.

[0016] According to a fourth example of this disclosure, a method is provided for providing a service to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by the relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The method includes: the communication node identifying a requested service; upon connecting to the base station, the relay node identifying services supported by the relay node; the communication node notifying a capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes an identifier of the requested service; the relay node notifying a capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes an identifier of the supported service; the capability assessment function determining, based on a comparison of the first capability information and the relay capability information, that the communication node is capable of using the requested service via the relay node and the base station; and the communication node and the relay node operating together based on the determination to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

[0017] According to a fifth example of this disclosure, a method for operating a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network is provided, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The method includes: identifying a requested service to be requested; notifying a capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least an identifier of the requested service; and using the requested service via the relay node and the base station when the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when the relay node connects to the base station.

[0018] According to a sixth example of this disclosure, a method for operating a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network is provided, wherein the relay node is configured to provide a radio interface to a communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communications to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The method includes: identifying services supported by the relay node upon connection to the base station; notifying a capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of the supported services; and providing the requested service to the communication node via the base station when the supported service matches a service requested by the communication node.

[0019] According to a seventh example of this disclosure, a circuit is provided for a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the circuit includes a controller element and a transceiver element configured to operate together to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications for the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station. The controller element and transceiver element are also configured to operate together to: identify a requested service to be requested; notify a capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least an identifier of the requested service; and use the requested service via the relay node and the base station when the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connected to the base station.

[0020] According to an eighth example of this disclosure, a circuit for a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network is provided, wherein the circuit includes a controller element and a transceiver element, the controller element and the transceiver element being configured to operate together to provide a wireless interface for a communication node to connect to the mobile telecommunications network, and being configured to relay communication for the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to: identify services supported by the relay node when connected to a base station; notify a capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of the supported services; and provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station when the supported service matches a service requested by the communication node.

[0021] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are examples of the art and not limiting. The described exemplary devices, systems, and methods, as well as their further advantages, will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] A more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its many accompanying advantages will be readily obtained when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and by referring to the following detailed description, in which the same reference numerals denote the same or corresponding parts in several views, and:

[0023] Figure 1 This schematically illustrates some aspects of LTE-type wireless telecommunications;

[0024] Figure 2 This schematically illustrates some aspects of the new Radio Access Technology (RAT) wireless communication system;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A more detailed schematic block diagram of some components of the wireless communication system is shown below;

[0026] Figure 4 This schematically illustrates some aspects of device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of an example method according to the technology disclosed herein; and

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the protocol stack for traditional ProSe functionality. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following detailed description should not be considered limiting, and the scope of the embodiments of the invention is defined only by the claims. It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Some examples of this disclosure may not fall within the scope of the claims, but these examples are useful for understanding the technical field of the invention and the context and teachings of this disclosure.

[0030] Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless communication systems

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic diagram is provided illustrating some basic functions of a mobile telecommunications network / system 100 that typically operates according to LTE principles. However, this mobile telecommunications network / system 100 may also support other radio access technologies and may be adapted to implement examples of this disclosure, as described herein. Although this disclosure has been described in the context of NR and / or LTE, it should be understood that the teachings and techniques given herein are not limited to these technologies or 3GPP technologies and can be implemented in any suitable mobile telecommunications network. Figure 1 Certain aspects of the various components and their corresponding operating modes are well known and defined in relevant standards managed by the 3GPP (RTM) organization, and described in numerous books on the subject, such as Holma H. ​​and Toskala A[1]. It should be understood that the operational aspects of telecommunications networks not specifically described herein (e.g., regarding specific communication protocols and physical channels used for communication between different components) can be implemented according to any known technology, such as, based on relevant standards and known proposed modifications and additions to relevant standards.

[0032] Network 6 includes multiple base stations 1 connected to core network 2. Each base station provides coverage area 3 (i.e., cell) within which data can be transmitted to and from communication device 4.

[0033] Although each base station 1 is Figure 1 While shown as a single entity, those skilled in the art will understand that some functions of a base station can be performed by different, interconnected components, such as antennas (or multiple antennas), remote radio heads, amplifiers, etc. One or more base stations can collectively form a radio access network.

[0034] Data is transmitted from base station 1 to communication device 4 within its corresponding coverage area 3 via a wireless downlink. Data is transmitted from communication device 4 to base station 1 via a radio uplink. Core network 2 routes data to and from communication device 4 via corresponding base station 1 and provides functions such as authentication, mobility management, and billing. Terminal equipment may also be referred to as mobile station, user equipment (UE), user terminal, mobile radio, communication equipment, etc.

[0035] The services provided by core network 2 may include connections to the Internet or external telephone services. Core network 2 may further track the location of communication device 4 so that it can effectively contact (i.e., paging) communication device 4 for transmitting downlink data to communication device 4.

[0036] A base station is an example of a network infrastructure device and may also be referred to as a transceiver station, nodeB, e-nodeB, eNB, g-nodeB, gNB, etc. In this respect, different terms are generally associated with different generations of wireless telecommunication systems to refer to elements that provide substantially equivalent functionality. In this disclosure, the term "base station" may be used interchangeably with "network infrastructure device." However, certain examples of this disclosure can be implemented equivalently in different generations of wireless telecommunication systems, and for simplicity, certain terms may be used regardless of the underlying network architecture. That is, the use of specific terms associated with certain example implementations is not intended to indicate that these implementations are limited to a particular generation of networks to which that particular term is most relevant.

[0037] For example, it should be understood that Figure 1 Its architecture is not only applicable to LTE, but also to other mobile communication or mobile telecommunications standards or systems, such as previous or later generations of mobile telecommunications networks.

[0038] New Wireless Access Technology (5G) Wireless Communication Systems

[0039] Figure 2 An example configuration of a wireless communication network is shown, which uses some of the terminology proposed for NR and 5G. A 3GPP research project (SI) has been defined regarding new radio access technologies (NR) [2]. Figure 2 In this configuration, multiple Transmit and Receive Points (TRPs) 10 are connected to Distributed Control Units (DUs) 41, 42 via a connection interface represented as line 16. Each TRP 10 is configured to transmit and receive signals via a wireless access interface within the available radio frequency bandwidth of the wireless communication network. Thus, within the range of radio communication performed via the wireless access interface, each TRP 10 forms a cell of the wireless communication network, as shown in cell 12. In this way, wireless communication devices 14 within the radio communication range provided by cell 12 can transmit signals to and receive signals from TRPs 10 via the wireless access interface. Each distributed unit 41, 42 is connected to a Central Unit (CU) 40 (which may be referred to as a control node) via interface 46. The Central Unit 40 is then connected to a core network 20, which may contain all other functions required for data transmission to and from wireless communication devices, and the core network 20 may be connected to other networks 30.

[0040] Figure 2 The components of the wireless access network shown can be used with... Figure 1 The example describes a similar operation to the corresponding components of an LTE network. It should be understood that elements not specifically described... Figure 2 The operational aspects of the telecommunications network represented herein, as well as other operational aspects of networks discussed herein according to examples of this disclosure (e.g., specific communication protocols and physical channels for communication between different elements), can be implemented according to any known technology, such as methods currently used for implementing such operational aspects of wireless telecommunications systems, for example, according to relevant standards.

[0041] Figure 2 The TRP 10 may partially have the functionality corresponding to a base station or eNodeB in an LTE network. Similarly, the communication device 14 may have the functionality corresponding to a UE device 4 known to operate with an LTE network. Therefore, it should be understood that the operational aspects of the new RAT network (e.g., regarding the specific communication protocols and physical channels used for communication between different components) may differ from those known from LTE or other known mobile telecommunications standards. However, it should also be understood that each of the core network components, base stations, and communication devices of the new RAT network will be functionally similar to the core network components, base stations, and communication devices of an LTE wireless communication network, respectively.

[0042] In terms of top-level functionality in a broad sense, connecting to Figure 2 The core network 20 of the new RAT telecommunications system shown can be broadly considered to correspond to Figure 1 The core network 2 shown, and the corresponding central unit 40 and its associated distributed unit / TRP10 can be broadly considered to provide the same functionality as... Figure 1 The function corresponding to base station 1. The term base station / access node can be used for these elements encompassing wireless telecommunication systems and more conventional base station type elements. Depending on the application at hand, the responsibility for scheduling transmissions on the wireless interface between the various distributed units and communication devices may lie with the control node / central unit and / or distributed unit / TRP. Communication device 14 in Figure 2 The communication device 14 is represented within the coverage area of ​​the first communication cell 12. The communication device 14 can therefore exchange signaling with the first central unit 40 in the first communication cell 12 via one of the distributed units 10 associated with the first communication cell 12.

[0043] It should also be understood that Figure 2 This is merely one example of the proposed architecture of a new RAT-based telecommunications system, in which methods based on the principles described herein can be employed, and the functionality disclosed herein can also be applied to wireless telecommunications systems with different architectures.

[0044] Therefore, depending on various architectures, for example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The example architectures shown can implement some of the examples of this disclosure discussed herein in a wireless telecommunications system / network. Therefore, it should be understood that a particular wireless telecommunications architecture in any given implementation is not essential to the principles described herein. In this regard, some examples of this disclosure can be generally described in the context of communication between the base station / access node and the communication equipment, where the specific nature of the base station / access node and the communication equipment will depend on the network infrastructure to be implemented. For example, in some scenarios, the base station / access node may include a base station, such as... Figure 1 The LTE-type base station 1 shown is adapted to provide functionality according to the principles described herein, and in other examples, the base station may include... Figure 2 The control unit / control node 40 and / or TRP 10 shown are adapted to provide functionality according to the principles described herein.

[0045] Figure 3 Provided Figure 2 A more detailed schematic diagram of some components of the network is shown. Figure 3 In Chinese, as a simplified representation, Figure 2 The TRP 10 shown includes a wireless transmitter 30, a wireless receiver 32, and a controller or control processor 34, which is operable to control the transmitter 30 and the wireless receiver 32 to transmit and receive radio signals to one or more UEs 14 within the cell 12 formed by the TRP 10. Figure 3 As shown, example UE 14 is shown to include a corresponding transmitter 49, receiver 48 and controller 44, controller 44 being configured to control transmitter 49 and receiver 48 to transmit signals representing uplink data to the wireless communication network via the radio access interface formed by TRP 10, and to receive downlink data as signals transmitted by transmitter 30 and received by receiver 48 in accordance with normal operation.

[0046] Transmitters 30, 49 and receivers 32, 48 (and other transmitters, receivers, and transceivers described in the examples of this disclosure) may include radio frequency filters and amplifiers, as well as signal processing components and devices, for transmitting and receiving radio signals according to, for example, 5G / NR standards. Controllers 34, 44 (and other controllers described in the examples of this disclosure) may be, for example, microprocessors, CPUs, or dedicated chipsets, configured to execute instructions stored on a computer-readable medium (e.g., non-volatile memory). The processing steps described herein may be executed, for example, by a microprocessor in conjunction with random access memory, operating according to instructions stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, TRP 10 also includes a network interface 50 connected to DU 42 via physical interface 16. Therefore, network interface 50 provides a communication link for data and signaling traffic from TRP 10 to core network 20 via DU 42 and CU 40.

[0048] The interface 46 between DU 42 and CU 40 is referred to as the F1 interface, which can be a physical or logical interface. The F1 interface 46 between the CU and DU can operate according to specifications 3GPP TS 38.470 and 3GPP TS 38.473 and can be formed by fiber optic or other wired high-bandwidth connections. In one example, the connection 16 from TRP 10 to DU 42 is via fiber optic. The connection between TRP 10 and the core network 20 is often referred to as backhaul, which includes the network interface 50 of TRP 10 to interface 16 of DU 42 and the F1 interface 46 from DU 42 to CU 40.

[0049] Device-to-device (D2D) and sidelink communication

[0050] Device-to-device (D2D) communication is an aspect of mobile communications that establishes communication between devices directly rather than via a wireless communication network. In other words, radio signals representing data are transmitted by one device via a wireless interface and received by another device to transmit the data, rather than transmitting the signals to a base station of a wireless communication network where the base station detects and decodes the signals to recover the data and transmit it to the destination device.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown, D2D communication can take different forms. For example... Figure 4 As shown, in one example, two communication devices (UEs) 82 and 84 operate within the coverage area of ​​cell 80 provided by base station 81, which has a cell boundary 83 indicated by dashed lines. Base station 81 can be, for example, as shown below. Figure 2The TRP 10 is shown. As indicated by double arrows 85 and 86, UEs 82 and 84 can transmit and receive signals to and from base station 81 to transmit or receive data on the uplink or downlink of a radio access interface formed by a wireless communication network, where base station 81 forms part of the wireless communication network. However, within the radio coverage area of ​​cell 80, UEs 82 and 84 can communicate directly with each other via a D2D radio access interface, as indicated by double arrow 87. UEs 82 and 84 can be configured to transmit and receive signals via a D2D radio access interface, which can be independent and not shared, or overlap with the frequency band of the radio access interface provided by base station 81. Alternatively, UEs 82 and 84 can transmit and receive signals via a portion of the radio access interface provided by base station 81. The D2D radio access interface formed for one UE to transmit radio signals to another UE is called a sidelink or PC5.

[0052] Figure 4 Another example of D2D communication is also shown, where UEs fall outside the coverage area of ​​the wireless communication network and therefore communicate directly with each other. As shown by dashed lines 94, 95, and 96, three UEs 91, 92, and 93 are operable to transmit and receive signals representing data via sidelinks. These sidelinks 94, 95, and 96 can be formed by D2D radio access interfaces falling within or outside the frequency band of base station 81. However, without reference to the radio access interface, UEs 91, 92, and 93 autonomously organize access to the D2D radio access interface. In some cases, UEs 91, 92, and 93 may be pre-configured with certain parameters of the D2D radio access interface. As another example, a UE 82 within the coverage area of ​​cell 80 acts as a relay node for one or more UEs 91, 92, and 93 outside the coverage area, as indicated by sidelink 97.

[0053] Here, D2D communication in the form of side link 87 is referred to as in-coverage communication, D2D communication in the form of side link 97 is referred to as partial-coverage communication, and D2D communication in the forms of side links 94, 95, and 96 is referred to as out-of-coverage communication.

[0054] According to 3GPP standards (e.g., LTE), although downlink and uplink communications are designated for transmissions from a base station (e.g., gNB) to a UE and from a UE to a gNB, respectively, sidelink communications are designated for UE-to-UE (device-to-device (D2D)) communication, particularly for sidelink discovery between UEs, sidelink communication, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) sidelink communication. LTE sidelinks have the following characteristics, which are reproduced from [3]:

[0055] • Sidelinks include sidelink discovery, sidelink communication, and V2X sidelink communication between UEs;

[0056] The sidelink uses uplink resources and a physical channel structure similar to that of uplink transmission. However, some changes are made to the physical channel, as described below;

[0057] The sidelink / D2D radio access interface structure includes: a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) for the UE to transmit control signaling to other UEs; and a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) for transmitting data to other UEs. Control messages transmitted on the PSCCH can indicate the communication resources of the PSSCH, and the UE will transmit data to another UE via these PSSCH communication resources. The sidelink control messages are called Sidelink Control Information (SCI). Therefore, the PSCCH is mapped to sidelink control resources and indicates the resources and other transmission parameters used by the UE for the PSSCH.

[0058] Sidelink transmission uses the same basic transmission scheme as the uplink transmission scheme. However, sidelinks are limited to single-cluster transmission across all sidelink physical channels. Furthermore, sidelinks use a symbol gap at the end of each sidelink subframe. For V2X sidelink communication, the PSCCH and PSSCH are transmitted within the same subframe;

[0059] • The sidelink physical layer processing of the transport channel differs from uplink transmission in the following steps:

[0060] o Scrambling: For PSDCH and PSCCH, scrambling is not UE-specific; and

[0061] Modulation: 256QAM is not supported on the side link. 64QAM is only supported for V2X side link communication;

[0062] For PSDCH (Physical Side Link Discovery Channel), PSCCH, and PSSCH demodulation, a reference signal similar to the uplink demodulation reference signal is transmitted in the fourth symbol of the time slot in the normal cyclic prefix (CP) and in the third symbol of the time slot in the extended cyclic prefix. The length of the side link demodulation reference signal sequence is equal to the size of the allocated resources (the number of subcarriers). For V2X side link communication, in the normal CP, the reference signal is transmitted in the third and sixth symbols of the first time slot and the second and fifth symbols of the second time slot.

[0063] For PSDCH and PSCCH, the reference signal is created based on a fixed-base sequence, cyclic shift, and orthogonal overlay code. For V2X-side link communication, the cyclic shift of PSCCH is randomly selected in each transmission.

[0064] • For operations within coverage area, the eNB will affect the power spectral density of sidelink transmission; and

[0065] • For measurements on the side link, the following basic UE measurements are supported:

[0066] o-side crosslink reference signal received power (S-RSRP);

[0067] o-side crosslink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP);

[0068] o PSSCH reference signal received power (PSSCH-RSRP); and

[0069] o-side cross-link reference signal strength indicator (S-RSSI).

[0070] Currently, for 5G or new radio (NR) standards, sidelinks are specified in V2X communication version 16, with the LTE sidelink serving as the starting point for the NR sidelink. For the NR sidelink, the following sidelink physical channels are defined:

[0071] • Physical side crosslink shared channel (PSSCH);

[0072] • Physical side cross-link broadcast channel (PSBCH);

[0073] • Physical side crosslink control channel (PSCCH); and

[0074] • Physical side link feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0075] In addition, the following side link physical signals are defined:

[0076] • Demodulation reference signal (DM-RS);

[0077] • Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS);

[0078] • Phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS);

[0079] • Side link primary synchronization signal (S-PSS); and

[0080] • Lateral link secondary synchronization signal (S-SSS).

[0081] As those skilled in the art will understand, communication via a wireless access interface (e.g., uplink / downlink communication or D2D communication) can occur on one of three types of planes: the user plane carrying network user traffic, the control plane carrying network signaling traffic, or the management plane carrying operational and management traffic required for network management. Alternatively, the management plane can be considered part of the control plane. For the purposes of the following disclosure, reference to the control plane should be understood as referring only to the control plane or to the control plane and management plane together.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the wireless interface is implemented by a protocol stack. Because the control plane and the user plane carry different types of network traffic, the protocol stack implementing the same wireless access interface may differ for the control plane and the user plane.

[0083] relay equipment

[0084] The relay device UE can be used in two example scenarios (and others), namely (1) when the UE moves to or outside the radio coverage area of ​​the gNB, and (2) when the relay device enhances the coverage for the UE, wherein the UE may be within the coverage area of ​​the gNB but communicates using the relay device (e.g., if the quality or coverage is expected to be better by using the relay device compared to direct communication with the base station).

[0085] A UE connected to the network via a relay device may sometimes be referred to as a remote UE or a connected UE. For the sake of brevity, the terms UE, communication node, or mobile node will primarily be used to refer to this device, but these are interchangeable. Similarly, the term relay device will generally be used, but it will be understood that a relay device can refer to any type of relay node, such as a dedicated relay device, a UE that can be activated as a relay device, etc.

[0086] As mentioned above, the limitations of current systems include the fact that relay systems are designed to provide a single type of connectivity service to remote UEs (UEs connected to the relay node). On the other hand, there is increasing interest in providing multiple types of services through relay nodes. For example, in Release 16, further research on sidelink UE relay equipment is expected to consider more advanced use cases where many different applications / services may be deployed on the UE relay equipment and / or its associated base stations. With increased flexibility regarding service availability, the complexity of managing such systems also increases. For example, a remote UE may only want to initiate a specific service (e.g., virtual reality "VR" service) through the relay equipment, rather than all available services. It should be noted that VR is an illustrative rather than limiting example, and the same considerations apply to other services, such as communication type services, slicing services, application-based services, etc. Therefore:

[0087] (1) The UE can detect relay devices (or base stations to which relay devices are connected) that may not be able to provide the services the UE wants to initiate. It is expected that some relay devices will be provided to support certain applications or services. For example, some relay devices may support VR services, video on demand, etc., while other relay devices may support location assistance.

[0088] Currently, remote UEs typically only attempt to connect to this type of relay device when they want to initiate such a service. At this stage, the remote UE cannot determine which service(s) are provided by the relay device, and therefore must connect to the relay device and attempt to initiate the service or application before it can determine whether the relay device can support the service.

[0089] It is also worth noting that the same considerations apply to base stations: if a relay device supports the service but is connected to a base station that does not support the service, it is not expected that the relay device will be able to support the service for a remote UE. For a remote UE, understanding the base station's capabilities in this regard before initiating a service is also challenging. Due to these challenges, at least at the relay node and the base station, a UE cannot currently easily determine whether it can initiate a service when connected to a specific relay device that is itself connected to a specific base station.

[0090] (2) In addition, there are situations where a remote UE is already connected to a relay device and, upon connection, wishes to initiate a service (e.g., slicing) that cannot actually be provided by the existing remote UE-relay device association (e.g., because the relay device is configured to support those services and / or because the base station is configured to support those services). In such cases, it would be beneficial to detect the incompatibility before the UE attempts to initiate the service.

[0091] (3) From the perspective of the relay device, the relay device may want to adjust which base station it is connected to (in the case of two or more base stations within range) so that the relay device can better serve the connected UE.

[0092] Regarding items 2 and 3, and the appropriate pairing of relay equipment and base stations, for example, different parameters and constraints of the relay equipment can be considered to determine the appropriate relay equipment-base station association:

[0093] ·network

[0094] Does the network support the services the UE wants to use (e.g., network slicing)?

[0095] Radio resources

[0096] o PC5 resources: Whether the base station can allocate sufficient resources to relay equipment to handle services and maintain the required QoS.

[0097] o Uu resource: Does the base station's traffic load allow the base station to provide service and provide or maintain the relevant QoS? Or is the traffic load too high, and the base station is unable to handle the service and maintain the required QoS?

[0098] • Relay Equipment (UE) Capabilities

[0099] o Equipment capabilities: Does the relay equipment support the capabilities required to process the service? (e.g., maximum bit rate, latency, etc.)

[0100] o Service capabilities: Does the relay device support the functions required by the service? (e.g., location assistance).

[0101] • Base station capabilities

[0102] o Equipment Capabilities: Does the base station support the capabilities required to process the service? (e.g., maximum bit rate, latency, etc.) Although relay equipment is generally more limited in terms of equipment capacity compared to most base stations, and although most base stations are expected to have most of the required equipment capabilities, there may still be cases where a base station does not have the technical capabilities required to provide the service.

[0103] o Service capabilities: Does the base station support the functions required by the relay equipment for the service? (e.g., location assistance).

[0104] Therefore, new signaling and communication technologies can help overcome at least the aforementioned limitations of the current system, for example, by helping a remote UE discover relay devices capable of providing a specific service, or by assisting the UE when it is using a relay device that it cannot currently provide services through (and by helping to identify this situation). In some cases, the base station may be able to inspect service requests transmitted by a remote UE, and the behavior of the gNB or relay device UE may be unknown if it does not support the requested service.

[0105] It is also anticipated that, in most cases, the initial authentication and authorization process will most likely be performed between the remote UE and the base station, and between the relay device and the base station, as is the case in current sidelink procedures. The technology disclosed herein is compatible with this arrangement.

[0106] Experienced readers may also refer to the discussion on NR-side link relay equipment in the research project document RP-193253[4].

[0107] It should also be noted that the considerations and teachings regarding services in this disclosure also apply to network slicing, since in at least some cases, network slices are expected to be associated with services (e.g., connectivity services).

[0108] According to one example of this disclosure, a method is provided as follows: Figure 5 The method shown. It is worth noting that, in Figure 5 In this disclosure, and generally in general, method steps may be performed in any suitable order, for example, one after another or at least partially in parallel. Any order in which any steps of any method discussed herein are performed is expressly included in this disclosure, provided that such order is technically feasible. For example, in the example below, steps S501 through S504 may be performed in any suitable order before S505, and may be performed at different times or at (at least partially) overlapping times.

[0109] First, in step S501, the UE identifies the service to be requested, such as the service the UE wishes to initiate (e.g., service, network slice, application). Once identified, the UE notifies the capability assessment function of first capability information including the identifier of the requested service.

[0110] If the capability assessment function is not part of the UE, the UE may send capability information, for example, using discovery messages, such as adaptation discovery messages, radio resource control “RRC” messages, or any other suitable messages.

[0111] Similarly, when connecting to a base station, the relay device identifies the services supported by the relay device in S503, and in S504, the relay device notifies the capability assessment function of relay capability information, which includes the identifiers of the supported services.

[0112] If the capability assessment function is not part of the relay equipment, the relay equipment may use discovery messages to send capability information, such as adaptation discovery messages, Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages, broadcast system information, or any other suitable messages.

[0113] Capability assessment functions are features, nodes, or modules configured to determine whether a requested service matches a supported service in order to assess the suitability of a UE-relay pairing. One or more configurations can be used for capability assessment functions, which can be used alternately or in parallel. For example:

[0114] - In some cases, a capability assessment function will be found in the UE, in which the relay device can inform the UE of the services it can support (if any), and in which the UE can determine the suitability of the relay device.

[0115] - In other cases, a capability assessment function will be set up in the relay device, whereby the relay device can retrieve the services it supports. Local storage capacity can therefore be used to inform the relay device's service capabilities to its capability assessment function (the same reasoning applies when a capability assessment function is provided in the UE). The relay device can then also receive first / mobility capability information from the UE to determine the suitability of a pairing.

[0116] - Capability assessment functionality can also be configured in dedicated nodes, such as in the capability processing and comparison node. In this case, both the UE and the relay device are expected to send capability information.

[0117] - In some cases, a capability assessment function can also be set up as part of the base station, for example, to determine the suitability of a pairing, and if the pairing is suitable, the base station attempts to reserve resources for the service without using any additional external signaling.

[0118] Capability assessment functionality can also be distributed across two or more components. In some examples, UE-relay pairing can initially be assessed by the UE or the relay device, while one or more further UE-relay pairing assessments can be conducted at another node (e.g., a base station). For example, if a UE is already connected to a first relay device that cannot provide the desired service, the base station can assess (e.g., upon notification or request) whether one or more other relay devices are suitable for the UE to use the service. Therefore, in this example, even if the first pairing is assessed elsewhere, further pairings can be assessed at the base station.

[0119] Back Figure 5 For example, in S505, based on a comparison of first capability information and relay capability information, the capability assessment function can determine whether the UE can use the requested service via relay equipment and base station. This can be compared through a suitability test by identifying matching scores, or scores indicating a match between the first capability information and the relay capability information. The suitability test can be based on any combination of absolute tests (e.g., scores above or below a threshold) or relative tests (e.g., basic matching scores of all relays within the UE's coverage area, or basic matching scores of all relays with matching scores above or below a threshold).

[0120] It is also worth noting that in some examples, the UE will not connect to the relay device during the pairing suitability assessment; that is, the assessment is performed before the UE connects to the relay device. In other cases, the UE will already be connected to the relay device when the assessment is performed. While it is generally expected that performing the assessment before connecting to the relay device will reduce signaling traffic and potentially reduce access time before the terminal can use the service, in some situations, establishing a relay connection first may be beneficial. For example, when the UE is not within the UE's coverage area or at the UE's boundary, connecting to the relay device first may be advantageous, even if that first relay device may not actually provide the service the terminal wishes to use.

[0121] In S506, the UE (or other communication node) can then use the requested service via the relay node and the base station. For example, the UE can initiate a service, which is expected to be successful because the relay device supports the service when connected to the base station (and in some cases, because the base station is already able to reserve resources for the service).

[0122] In some cases, a base station can determine (e.g., upon request) whether there are sufficient resources available to provide the supported services via relay nodes. For example, this can be done when the relay device shares relay device capability information with the base station or another node (e.g., it can request the base station to make a determination).

[0123] Where the base station can, for example, determine whether there are sufficient resources available for the supported services to be provided via the relay equipment, the resources may be, for example, one or more of the following: radio resources for communicating with the relay equipment, radio resources of the relay equipment for communicating with the UE (e.g., where it is expected that the base station will schedule transmissions on the side link), and internal resources within the base station (e.g., if the step is necessary or helpful for maintaining the expected QoS of the service).

[0124] When sufficient resources are available, a base station can, for example, reserve a set of resources to provide the requested service.

[0125] Therefore, by introducing new types of signaling, such as RAN or discovery messages, the suitability of UE-relay pairing can be evaluated in the context of the base station connected to the relay device and the service that the UE wishes to initiate.

[0126] The illustrative arrangement based on the examples provided in this disclosure will now be discussed.

[0127] Example 1 - ProSe-based discovery

[0128] In some cases, existing ProSe features can be adapted to implement the techniques presented in this article.

[0129] In this arrangement, the services that the UE wants to participate in and / or that the relay device can provide or support (e.g., slicing) can be included in the discovery message during the discovery phase. Based on the information exchanged in the discovery message, the UE or the relay device can decide whether to establish the corresponding association.

[0130] If the ProSe function provided by the 3GPP system is reused, the discovery message is generated by the UE’s ProSe function. In the current system, different names are defined for the discovery message depending on the type of discovery process. That is, the current message includes “ProSe application code” in model A and “ProSe query code” in model B. ProSe information (e.g., information about model A and model B) can be found in 3GPP TS 23.303[5].

[0131] According to the technology disclosed herein, the discovery message currently used to detect another node using ProSe can be modified to include applications or services that the terminal wishes to use. The receiver of the discovery message can use filters to detect relevant applications of the UE from the discovery message (or, if appropriate, from the relay device).

[0132] refer to Figure 6 (corresponding to reference [5]) Figure 5 .1.1.2-1) It is worth noting that ProSe messages (e.g., ProSe discovery messages) are transparent to the access layer "AS". In traditional D2D networks, the ProSe function is responsible for generating discovery messages, where the ProSe function's protocol stack is as follows: Figure 6 As shown. Typically, ProSe control signaling between the UE and the ProSe function is transmitted on the user plane and is specified in TS 24.334[6].

[0133] Discovery messages can be generated by the ProSe function (from the "PC3 Control" layer) and sent to the UE (received by the PC3 Control layer). This message is completely transparent to any intermediate nodes, which merely carry the ProSe message and cannot access its content, as that content involves higher-level information.

[0134] According to this disclosure, if a discovery message is not sent to a relay device or base station, the relay device or base station can be configured to include one or more ProSe functions so that they can access the content of the discovery message. For example, if the UE includes slice information in the ProSe message, the relay device and / or base station on the path to the ProSe function may be able to extract the slice information from the discovery message, thereby obtaining information about the service that the UE wishes to initiate or use.

[0135] While this example uses ProSe, it should be understood that the same teachings apply to any other functionality that provides discovery messages, such as the ability for the UE to communicate with nodes outside the base station (and relay devices, if used). It should also be noted that the PC3 control layer can be implemented using one or more protocols.

[0136] In one example, a new control plane interface is established between the ProSe function and each appropriate intermediate node. For example, the new interface may be defined between one or more of the following: between the base station and the ProSe function, between the AMF and the ProSe function, between a slice-specific SMF / UPF and the ProSe function, and so on. The ProSe function can then collect information about radio resources, UE capabilities (e.g., for both remote and relay UEs), slice or service information, etc., and can use the collected information during the discovery process, for example, to generate discovery messages for remote and / or relay UEs.

[0137] In cases where a (remote) UE wishes to use network slices to indicate the relevant services, the UE can use a single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) to convey this. In a traditional network, the network sends a list of S-NSSAIs to the UE (of which the UE can currently receive a maximum of eight S-NSSAIs). The UE can then know which slices the network supports. A traditional S-NSSAI is 32 bits long, consisting of an 8-bit Slice / Service Type (SST) and a 24-bit Slice Distinguisher (SD). Further information about S-NSSAIs can be found in TS 38.331[7] (see the “S-NSSAI” section in Section 6.3.2) and TS 23.003[8] (see the “28.4.2 Format of S-NSSAI” section).

[0138] In one example, a relay device can send a discovery signal, including S-NSSAI or any other relevant service identifier that identifies the services it supports. Given the received relay capabilities, network capacity, etc., the network (e.g., ProSE or a discovery function) can reduce the list of S-NSSAIs. A customized list of S-NSSAIs can then be provided for relaying from ProSE or the discovery function via a base station. Therefore, the relay device can then announce in the future the services it can support, as well as the services it can support when connected to a base station.

[0139] However, current discovery information (e.g., ProSe discovery information) is limited to discovering the presence of other UEs in order to establish a D2D connection with them. Therefore, discovery messages are relatively small and cannot accommodate large amounts of additional data. For example, current ProSe messages may not be able to contain a list of S-NSSAIs within the discovery message, especially if the discovery message is expected to include additional information from intermediate nodes beyond S-NSSAIs requested by relay devices, base station support, or (remote) UEs.

[0140] Therefore, in some examples, a truncated version of the S-NSSAI can be sent in the discovery message. For example, the discovery signal may include information about supported (or unsupported) SSTs, rather than the entire NS-SSAI. For instance, if the UE supports URLLC, but the relay device does not, the UE will not be able to request URLLC services through that relay device. Discovery information from the relay device can, for example, enable the UE to determine whether the relay device is suitable, or to determine that the relay device is suitable as long as the UE does not intend to use URLLC.

[0141] For example, using S-NSSAI truncated at the SST level, S-NSSAI can be configured so that SSTs can help nodes distinguish different services. In an illustrative example, SST 1 identifies eMBB services, SST 2 identifies URLLC services, and SST 3 identifies large-scale MTC services. If the relay device does not support URLLC, it can send the supported SSTs (#1, #3) in the discovery signal. While using this truncated identifier may not achieve the same level of granularity as using the full identifier, it is expected to provide adequate semantic differentiation while reducing the number of signaling bits by 24 bits (from the full 32 bits of S-NSSAI to 8 bits).

[0142] In another example, instead of using S-NSSAI, the relay device announces its capabilities using a more compact identifier (which can be based on or derived from S-NSSAI). For example, if the number of services is limited to eMBB, URLLC, or large MTC, a 3-digit identifier will be sufficient to indicate capabilities. If the capability information indicates whether URLLC is supported, 1 digit is enough.

[0143] The following is an example of a modified discovery process inspired by the traditional discovery process defined in TS 23.303[5].

[0144] Example 1-A (Based on Model A D2D Discovery)

[0145] The model is based on relay devices that announce their existence.

[0146] Relay device (UE) procedures:

[0147] 1. The relay device sends the service (application ID) to the ProSe function via the base station.

[0148] 2. The ProSe function requests the base station to reserve radio resources for the service, so the ProSe function must now check whether there are enough radio resources to start the service.

[0149] 3. The base station checks whether there are sufficient radio resources available for the relay equipment to provide service.

[0150] 4. The ProSe function sends the application code back to the relay equipment via the base station (if sufficient resources are available).

[0151] 5. The relay device begins broadcasting the service discovery signal (including application code) to the remote UE.

[0152] Remote UE (“UE”) Procedure (Discovery Request / Monitoring / Matching):

[0153] 1. The UE sends the service (application ID) it is interested in to the ProSe function (via a relay device, or directly to the base station if it is within coverage).

[0154] 2. The ProSe function checks the availability of the service and the relay equipment via the base station.

[0155] 3. If the service is available, the ProSe function will send an application mask (which can be seen as a pattern indicating the service) back to the remote UE.

[0156] 4. The remote UE begins receiving discovery signals from the ProSe function and checks for the detection of the application mask.

[0157] 5. If the received discovery signal matches the application mask, the remote UE recognizes that the relay device can provide the services it is interested in.

[0158] 6. The remote UE sends the matching results of the services it is interested in to the ProSe function.

[0159] 7. The ProSe function sends further information (so-called metadata, such as a URL) to access the service.

[0160] 8. The remote UE establishes a one-to-one connection with the relay device and begins using the service.

[0161] In this scenario, once resources are reserved, the base station will determine how to provide appropriate resources to support the required services and how to broadcast the relevant reserved resources.

[0162] Example 1-B (based on model B) D2D discovery)

[0163] Remote UE (“UE”) process (discovered UE)

[0164] 1. The remote UE receives the ProSe query code (which indicates the service of interest) in advance from the ProSe function.

[0165] 2. The remote UE sends a ProSe query code to the neighboring relay device to inquire about service availability.

[0166] 3. Remote UE monitoring of ProSe query codes (responses) from relay devices capable of providing services.

[0167] 4. If the remote UE detects the service (e.g., if the ProSe query code matches any discovery query filter), the UE announces the associated ProSe response code.

[0168] 5. The remote UE begins using the service via the relay device.

[0169] Relay device UE (“Relay”) process (discoverer UE)

[0170] 1. The relay device sends a discovery request and a service request to the ProSe function in advance.

[0171] 2. The ProSe function request reserves radio resources for service with the base station.

[0172] 3. The base station checks whether there are sufficient radio resources available for the relay equipment to provide service.

[0173] 4. If resources are available, the relay device receives relevant information for discovery from the ProSe function.

[0174] 5. The relay device begins broadcasting ProSe query codes for remote UEs.

[0175] 6. The relay device monitors ProSe query codes from other remote users.

[0176] 7. If the relay device detects a discovery response filter (e.g., if a remote UE wants to use the service), the relay device initiates the service.

[0177] 8. The relay equipment requests the use of pre-reserved radio resources from the base station.

[0178] Example 1-C (based on EPC-level ProSe discovery)

[0179] This example is based on the proximity-based discovery technology used in ProSe, which was originally designed as an EPC-level ProSe discovery tool for direct Wi-Fi service. To simplify deployment, the location server can identify when two UEs are close to each other and can, for example, initiate direct Wi-Fi communication.

[0180] According to this disclosure, this can be applied to implement the techniques provided herein for service discovery in relay systems based on device-to-device communication systems.

[0181] Discovery process based on EPC:

[0182] • The relay will register the services it supports / provides to the ProSe function.

[0183] • The remote UE registers the requested services with the ProSe function.

[0184] • The proximity service is initiated in the ProSe function (location server) to check the proximity between UEs.

[0185] Both remote UEs and relay devices update their corresponding current locations.

[0186] • If a remote UE is approaching the location of a relay device, a proximity warning is sent to the remote UE.

[0187] • The ProSe function can include auxiliary information for services provided to remote UEs (e.g., available relays in their vicinity).

[0188] • The relay device sends a service request to the ProSe function via the base station.

[0189] The ProSe function requests the base station to reserve radio resources for the service.

[0190] The base station checks whether the relay device has sufficient radio resources to provide service.

[0191] According to the technology disclosed herein, the discovery message can be modified to include service capability information, for example, for discovery function comparison, wherein the service capability information may include a truncated service identifier, and wherein, before the relay device can confirm that it can provide services via the base station, it can request the base station to determine whether sufficient resources are expected to be available.

[0192] Example 2:

[0193] In this further example, the services that the relay device can support can be included in the system information broadcast by the relay device. For example, the system information can identify which services (or slices) can be supported.

[0194] The teachings and techniques discussed above regarding compatibility with base stations can also be applied to this example: the information can be derived from the base station associated with the relay device, and sometimes it can be relied upon that the base station is able to reserve resources for the relay device to provide services to the remote UE.

[0195] Based on the system information sent by the relay device, the remote UE can determine whether to establish an association with the UE relay device.

[0196] Example 3:

[0197] In this example, a new type of RRC establishment signaling can be introduced between the remote UE and the UE relay device. For example, the RRC establishment completion message or equivalent can indicate the service (or slice) that the UE wishes to use.

[0198] In this example, based on this information, the relay device can notify the base station, and the base station can select the relevant core network functions, such as which AMF or PCF the base station should connect to.

[0199] In some examples, a new information element, "IE," can be added to an existing PC5 RRC reconfiguration message. The new IE may, for example, include services or slices that the relay device can support.

[0200] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in this context, and generally according to the techniques of this disclosure, for example, if the relay device is mobile (in the sense of mobility) and performs a handover to another base station, or for example, if the base station (or relay device) is no longer able to provide the resources required to support the service, the services that the relay device can support may change over time.

[0201] Example 4:

[0202] In this example, the UE is already connected to a relay device, and we consider an example where the current relay device cannot support the service or slice that the terminal wishes to use.

[0203] In some cases, if a relay device cannot provide the desired service, it can notify the base station, for example, by sending the notification within or alongside its measurement report. Upon receiving this notification, the base station can instruct the relay device to switch to another base station that can provide such service. This type of handover instruction can be helpful if, for example, the base station directly and other relay devices on that base station do not support the UE's service.

[0204] In some cases, if a remote UE cannot find a relay device that can support its required service, the remote UE can notify the base station, for example, by sending the notification within or alongside its measurement report. Upon receiving the notification, the base station can instruct the remote UE to hand over to another base station that is expected or believed to have one or more relay devices capable of supporting the required service. Optionally, the handover command can specify the target base station and the preferred relay device associated with the target base station. Similarly, this type of instruction may be useful if the base station and its relay devices are expected to be unable to support such a service for the UE.

[0205] Another option is for the remote UE to request service via a relay device. The relay device can then forward the service request to the base station, and if the serving base station does not support the requested slice or service, but the relay device does, the base station can perform a handover for the relay device itself. In this case, it would be beneficial to send a handover instruction to the relay device if the relay device-base station pairing does not enable the UE to use the service, but pairing the same relay device with another base station would enable it. In cases where a handover to another base station by the relay device results in a loss of the remote UE / relay device association, the UE is likely to attempt to reconnect to the same relay device once the relay device connects to its new base station. This is because the relay device is typically selected to provide the best (e.g., PC5) link quality, and in many cases, it is expected to remain the best or optimal sidelink relay device after the handover. This behavior is also consistent with legacy systems, where the remote UE is expected to select a relay device based on an estimated best PC5 link quality.

[0206] If the relay equipment and / or serving base station cannot identify a neighboring candidate base station capable of supporting the required slice or service (e.g., unable to provide the required QoS), the connection to the remote UE can be released. In this case, if the remote UE is expected to be more likely to use the service on that carrier, the RRC release or sidelink resource release message may, in some cases, instruct the remote UE to perform cell selection / reselection toward a specific carrier, for example, based on frequency-specific priority or slice-specific priority.

[0207] Therefore, according to the technology of this disclosure, when the capability information of the UE and the relay device (when connected to a base station) does not match, the UE and / or the relay device can be instructed to perform a handover to another base station, or the UE can see its connection being released.

[0208] Therefore, based on the techniques discussed in this paper, telecommunications systems can handle complex situations with relay nodes, different components with different service capabilities, and resources that may limit the ability to support services.

[0209] The following numbered clauses provide further illustrative aspects and features of this technology:

[0210] Clause 1. A system for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by the relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, the system comprising:

[0211] A communication node, wherein the communication node is configured to identify the requested service;

[0212] Relay nodes, wherein the relay nodes are configured to identify services supported by the relay nodes when connecting to a base station; and

[0213] The capability assessment function is configured to determine whether the requested service matches the supported services.

[0214] The communication node is also configured to notify the capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes the identifier of the requested service.

[0215] The relay node is also configured to notify the capability assessment function of relay capability information, which includes identifiers of the supported services.

[0216] The capability assessment function is configured to determine, based on a comparison of primary capability information and relay capability information, whether a communication node can use the requested service via relay nodes and base stations; and

[0217] In this configuration, the communication node and the relay node are configured to operate together to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

[0218] Clause 2. The system pursuant to Clause 1, wherein the requested service and / or the identifier of the requested service identifies at least one of the following: network slicing, low-latency communication service, high data rate communication service, low-power communication service, emergency communication service, high-reliability communication service, and application-based service.

[0219] Clause 3. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the base station is configured to determine, upon request and based on relay capability information, whether there are sufficient resources available to provide the supported services to the communication node via the relay node, and to report the determination.

[0220] Clause 4. The system as described in Clause 3, wherein if it is determined that there are not enough resources available, the relay node is configured to update its relay capability information to remove the supported services.

[0221] Clause 5. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the supported services and / or the identifiers of the supported services identify at least one of the following: network slicing, low-latency communication services, high data communication rates, low-power communication services, high-reliability communication services, application-based services, and emergency communication services.

[0222] Clause 6. In a system pursuant to any of the preceding clauses, one or both of the identifier of the requested service and the identifier of the supported service include single network slice selection auxiliary information “S-NSSAI” for a truncated network slice associated with the requested service.

[0223] Clause 7. The system as described in Clause 6, wherein the truncated S-NSSAI is 8 bits long and includes the slice / service type “SST” for the S-NSSAI.

[0224] Clause 8. In any of the preceding clauses, the capability assessment function is included in the following:

[0225] Communication node;

[0226] Relay nodes; and

[0227] Capability nodes are configured to receive capability information from communication nodes and relay nodes.

[0228] Clause 9. The system pursuant to Clause 8, wherein the capability node comprises one or more of the following:

[0229] Base station;

[0230] Independent node;

[0231] Application nodes; and

[0232] ProSe functionality.

[0233] Clause 10. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the first capability information is transmitted at least in part in one or more of the following:

[0234] Discovery messages transmitted by communication nodes;

[0235] Capability registration messages transmitted from communication nodes to the capability assessment function; and

[0236] Radio resource control messages transmitted by communication nodes, wherein the radio resource control messages are transmitted on the uplink or sidelink.

[0237] Clause 11. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein relay capability information is transmitted at least in part in one or more of the following:

[0238] Discovery message transmitted by relay node;

[0239] Capability registration messages transmitted from relay nodes to the capability assessment function;

[0240] System information transmitted by relay nodes; and

[0241] Radio resource control messages transmitted by relay nodes, wherein the radio resource control messages are transmitted on the uplink or sidelink.

[0242] Clause 12. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein a terminal is configured to use a discovery function to transmit discovery information and communicate with a discovery function node via a base station, and wherein at least one of a relay node and a base station is configured to:

[0243] Implement at least a partial discovery function for at least one of the relay nodes and base stations to read the contents of the discovery function message;

[0244] Modify the discovery function message associated with the communication node to include relay information in the modified discovery function message.

[0245] Clause 13. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the terminal is configured to use a discovery function to transmit discovery information and communicate with the discovery function node via a base station, and wherein at least one of the relay node and the base station is configured to:

[0246] Implement at least a partial discovery function for at least one of the relay nodes and base stations to read the contents of the discovery function message;

[0247] Extract the first capability information from the discovery function message associated with the communication node.

[0248] Clause 14. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein a relay node is configured, upon connecting to a base station, to identify supported services based on a first set of one or more services supported by the base station and a second set of one or more services supported by the relay node.

[0249] Clause 15. A system according to any of the preceding clauses, wherein the base station is configured to perform one or more of the following when the first capability information and the relay capability information do not match:

[0250] Instruct the communication node to switch to another base station;

[0251] Instructing relay nodes to switch to another base station; and

[0252] Release the connection of the communication node.

[0253] Clause 16. The system according to Clause 15, wherein configuring the base station to release a connection of a communication node includes configuring the base station to transmit a connection release message to the communication node, the connection release message including frequency information indicating at least one frequency band; and

[0254] The communication node is configured to reconnect to the mobile telecommunications network using at least one frequency band.

[0255] Clause 17. A communication node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, and the communication node is configured to:

[0256] Identify the requested service;

[0257] The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service;

[0258] When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station.

[0259] Clause 18. The communication node as described in Clause 17, wherein the communication node includes a capability assessment function, and the capability assessment function is further configured to:

[0260] Receive relay capability information from the relay node, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of services supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station;

[0261] Determine if the supported services match the requested service;

[0262] When the supported services match the requested services, the requested services are requested to be used via the relay node.

[0263] Clause 19. A communication node as described in Clause 18, wherein relay capability information is received in a discovery message, system information, or radio resource control message.

[0264] Clause 20. A relay node for use in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the relay node is configured to provide a radio interface to a communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communications to the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, the relay node being configured to:

[0265] When connecting to a base station, identify the services supported by the relay node;

[0266] The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, whereby the relay capability information includes the identifiers of the supported services.

[0267] When the supported service matches the service requested by the communication node, the requested service is provided to the communication node via the base station.

[0268] Clause 21. The relay node as described in Clause 20, wherein the relay node includes a capability assessment function and is further configured to:

[0269] Receive mobility capability information from the communication node, wherein the mobility capability information includes an identifier of the service to be requested by the communication node;

[0270] Determine if the supported services match the requested service;

[0271] When the supported service matches the requested service, request the base station to reserve resources for providing the requested service to the communication node.

[0272] Upon receiving confirmation that a set of resources has been reserved by the base station to provide the requested service, the requested service is provided to the communication node using the reserved set of resources.

[0273] Clause 22. The relay node as described in Clause 21, wherein mobility capability information is received in a discovery message or a radio resource control message.

[0274] Clause 23. A relay node according to any one of Clauses 20 to 22, wherein the relay node is configured to provide the requested service when a set of resources has been reserved by the base station for providing the requested service, wherein the requested service is provided using the reserved set of resources.

[0275] Clause 24. A method for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by the relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, the method comprising:

[0276] The communication node identifies the requested service;

[0277] When connecting to a base station, the relay node identifies the services supported by the relay node;

[0278] The communication node notifies the capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes the identifier of the requested service;

[0279] The relay node notifies the capability assessment function of relay capability information, which includes identifiers of the services it supports.

[0280] The capability assessment function, based on a comparison of primary capability information and relay capability information, determines whether a communication node can use the requested service via relay nodes and base stations; and

[0281] Communication nodes and relay nodes operate together based on a determination to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and relay nodes.

[0282] Clause 25. The method according to Clause 24, wherein the method further comprises the step of, when the method is implemented, causing the communication node, relay node and capability assessment function to operate the system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 16.

[0283] Clause 26. A method of operating a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, the method comprising:

[0284] Identify the requested service;

[0285] The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service;

[0286] When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when the relay node is connected to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station.

[0287] Clause 27. The method according to Clause 26, wherein the method further comprises the step of, when the method is implemented, causing the communication node to operate according to any one of Clauses 17 to 19 or the communication node of the system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 16.

[0288] Clause 28. A method of operating a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the relay node is configured to provide a radio interface to a communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communications to the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, the method comprising:

[0289] When connecting to a base station, identify the services supported by the relay node;

[0290] The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, whereby the relay capability information includes the identifiers of the supported services.

[0291] When the supported service matches the service requested by the communication node, the requested service is provided to the communication node via the base station.

[0292] Clause 29. The method according to Clause 28, wherein the method further comprises the step of, when the method is implemented, causing the relay node to operate according to any one of Clauses 20 to 23 or the system according to any one of Clauses 1 to 16.

[0293] Clause 30. A circuit for a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the circuit includes a controller element and a transceiver element, the controller element and the transceiver element being configured to operate together to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a radio interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication for the communication node via a base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, and wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to...

[0294] Identify the requested service;

[0295] The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service;

[0296] When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station.

[0297] Clause 31. The circuit according to Clause 30, wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to implement the method according to Clause 26 or 27.

[0298] Clause 32. A circuit for a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein the circuit includes a controller element and a transceiver element, the controller element and the transceiver element being configured to operate together to provide a wireless interface for the communication node to connect to the mobile telecommunications network, and being configured to relay communication for the communication node via the base station of the mobile telecommunications network when connected to a base station, wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to...

[0299] When connecting to a base station, identify the services supported by the relay node;

[0300] The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, whereby the relay capability information includes the identifiers of the supported services.

[0301] When the supported services match the services requested by the communication node, the requested services are provided to the communication node via the base station.

[0302] Clause 33. The circuit according to Clause 32, wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to implement the method according to Clause 28 or 29.

[0303] It should be understood that, for clarity, the above description has been illustrated with reference to different functional units, circuits, and / or processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution among the different functional units, circuits, and / or processors can be used without departing from the examples.

[0304] The described examples can be implemented in any suitable form, including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. The described examples can optionally be implemented, at least partially, as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors. Elements and components of any example can be implemented physically, functionally, and logically in any suitable manner. In practice, the functionality can be implemented in a single unit, in multiple units, or as part of other functional units. Thus, the disclosed examples can be implemented in a single unit or can be physically and functionally distributed among different units, circuits, and / or processors.

[0305] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to several examples, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Furthermore, while features may appear to be described in conjunction with specific examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various features of the described examples can be combined in any manner suitable for implementing the technology.

[0306] References

[0307] [1]Holma H. ​​and Toskala A, "LTE for UMTS OFDMA and SC-FDMA based radioaccess", John Wiley and Sons, 2009.

[0308] [2]RP-161901, "Revised work item proposal: Enhancements of NB-IoT", Huawei, HiSilicon, 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #73, New Orleans, USA, September 19-22, 2016.

[0309] [3]TS 36.300,“Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access(E-UTRA)andEvolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network(E-UTRAN);Overalldescription;Stage 2(Release 16,v16.0.0)”,3GPP,January 2020.

[0310] [4]RP-193253“Study on NR Sidelink Relay”,Sitges,Spain,December09–12,2019

[0311] [5]TS 23.303“Technical Specification Group Services andSystemAspects;Proximity-based services(ProSe);Stage 2”(Release 16,v16.0.0),July 2020

[0312] [6]TS 24.334“Technical Specification Group Core Network andTerminals;Proximity-services(ProSe)User Equipment(UE)to ProSe functionprotocol aspects;Stage 3”(Release 16,v.16.0.0),July 2020

[0313] [7]TS 38.331“Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network;NR;Radio Resource Control(RRC)protocol specification”(Release 16,v.16.1.0),July2020

[0314] [8]TS 23.003“Technical Specification Group Core Network andTerminals;Numbering,addressing and identification”(Release 16,v.16.3.0),June 2020

Claims

1. A system for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to a base station of the mobile telecommunications network, the system comprising: The communication node, wherein the communication node is configured to identify the requested service; The relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to identify services supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station, and wherein the relay node determines the supported services by obtaining a set of services supported by the base station as a first set and obtaining a set of services supported by the relay node itself as a second set, and determining the intersection of the first set and the second set as the supported services; and The capability assessment function is configured to determine whether the requested service matches the supported services. The communication node is further configured to notify the capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes an identifier of the requested service. The relay node is further configured to notify the capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of the supported services. The capability assessment function is configured to determine, based on a comparison of the first capability information and the relay capability information, whether the communication node can use the requested service via the relay node and the base station; and The communication node and the relay node are configured to operate together to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The requested service and / or the identifier of the requested service identifies at least one of the following: network slicing, low-latency communication service, high data rate communication service, low-power communication service, emergency communication service, high-reliability communication service, and application-based service.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The base station is configured to determine, based on a request and the relay capability information, whether there are sufficient resources available to provide the supported services to the communication node via the relay node, and to report the determination.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein, If it is determined that there are not enough resources available, the relay node is configured to update its relay capability information to remove the supported services.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The supported services and / or the identifiers of the supported services identify at least one of the following: network slicing, low-latency communication services, high data communication rate, low-power communication services, high-reliability communication services, application-based services, and emergency communication services.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, One or both of the identifiers of the requested service and the identifiers of the supported services include single network slice selection auxiliary information "S-NSSAI" for a truncated network slice associated with the requested service.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, The truncated S-NSSAI is 8 bits long and includes the slice / service type "SST" for the S-NSSAI.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The capability assessment function includes the following: The communication node; The relay node; and Capability nodes are configured to receive capability information from the communication nodes and the relay nodes.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein, The capability node includes one or more of the following: The base station; Independent node; Application nodes; and ProSe functionality.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The first capability information is transmitted in at least one or more of the following: Discovery message transmitted by the communication node; The capability registration message transmitted from the communication node to the capability assessment function; as well as Radio resource control messages transmitted by the communication node, wherein the radio resource control messages are transmitted on the uplink or sidelink.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The relay capability information is transmitted in at least one or more of the following: Discovery message transmitted by the relay node; The capability registration message transmitted from the relay node to the capability assessment function; System information transmitted by the relay node; as well as Radio resource control messages transmitted by the relay node, wherein the radio resource control messages are transmitted on the uplink or sidelink.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The terminal is configured to use a discovery function to transmit discovery information and communicate with the discovery function node via the base station, wherein at least one of the relay node and the base station is configured to: At least a partial discovery function is implemented for at least one of the relay node and the base station to read the content of the discovery function message; Modify the discovery function message associated with the communication node to include relay information in the modified discovery function message.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The terminal is configured to use a discovery function to transmit discovery information and communicate with the discovery function node via the base station, wherein at least one of the relay node and the base station is configured to: At least a partial discovery function is implemented for at least one of the relay nodes and the base station to read the contents of the discovery function message; The first capability information is extracted from the discovery function message associated with the communication node.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The base station is configured to perform one or more of the following actions when the first capability information and the relay capability information do not match: Instruct the communication node to switch to another base station; Instructing the relay node to switch to another base station; and Release the connection of the communication node.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein, The base station being configured to release the connection of the communication node includes the base station being configured to transmit a connection release message to the communication node, the connection release message including frequency information indicating at least one frequency band; as well as The communication node is configured to reconnect to the mobile telecommunications network using one of the at least one frequency band.

16. A communication node used in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to a base station of the mobile telecommunications network, and the communication node is configured to: Identify the requested service; The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service; When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station, wherein the service set supported by the base station is obtained as a first set and the service set supported by the relay node itself is obtained as a second set, and the intersection of the first set and the second set is determined as the supported service.

17. The communication node according to claim 16, wherein, The communication node includes the capability assessment function, and the capability assessment function is further configured to: Relay capability information is received from the relay node, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of services supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station; Determine if the supported services match the requested service; When the supported services match the requested services, the requested services are requested to be used via the relay node.

18. The communication node according to claim 17, wherein, The relay capability information is received in discovery messages, system information, or radio resource control messages.

19. A relay node used in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The relay node is configured to provide a wireless interface to the communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to the base station of the mobile telecommunications network. The relay node is configured to: When connecting to the base station, the services supported by the relay node are identified, wherein the relay node obtains a set of services supported by the base station as a first set and obtains a set of services supported by the relay node itself as a second set, and determines the supported services by the intersection of the first set and the second set. The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, wherein the relay capability information includes the identifier of the supported service; When the supported service matches the service requested by the communication node, the requested service is provided to the communication node via the base station.

20. The relay node according to claim 19, wherein, The relay node includes the capability assessment function and is further configured to: Receive mobility capability information from the communication node, wherein the mobility capability information includes an identifier of a service to be requested by the communication node; Determine if the supported services match the requested service; When the supported service matches the requested service, request the base station to reserve resources for providing the requested service to the communication node; Upon receiving confirmation that a set of resources has been reserved by the base station for providing the requested service, the requested service is provided to the communication node using the reserved set of resources.

21. The relay node according to claim 20, wherein, The mobility capability information is received in a discovery message or a radio resource control message.

22. The relay node according to claim 19, wherein, The relay node is configured to provide the requested service when a set of resources has been reserved by the base station for providing the requested service, wherein the requested service is provided using the reserved set of resources.

23. A method for providing services to a communication node via a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, and wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to a base station of the mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising: The communication node identifies the requested service; When connecting to the base station, the relay node identifies the services supported by the relay node, wherein the relay node obtains the set of services supported by the base station as a first set and obtains the set of services supported by the relay node itself as a second set, and determines the supported services by the intersection of the first set and the second set. The communication node notifies the capability assessment function of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes the identifier of the requested service; The relay node notifies the capability assessment function of relay capability information, wherein the relay capability information includes identifiers of the supported services; The capability assessment function, based on a comparison of the first capability information and the relay capability information, determines that the communication node is capable of using the requested service via the relay node and the base station; and The communication node and the relay node operate together based on the determination to provide the requested service to the communication node via the base station and the relay node.

24. A method for operating a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The communication node is configured to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to a base station of the mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising: Identify the requested service; The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service; When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when the relay node is connected to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station, wherein the service set supported by the base station is obtained as a first set and the service set supported by the relay node itself is obtained as a second set, and the intersection of the first set and the second set is determined as the supported service.

25. A method for operating a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The relay node is configured to provide a wireless interface to the communication node for connection to the mobile telecommunications network, and is configured to relay communication to the communication node via the base station when connected to the mobile telecommunications network, the method comprising: When connecting to the base station, the services supported by the relay node are identified, wherein the set of services supported by the base station is obtained as a first set and the set of services supported by the relay node itself is obtained as a second set, and the intersection of the first set and the second set is determined as the supported services; The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, wherein the relay capability information includes the identifier of the supported service; When the supported service matches the service requested by the communication node, the requested service is provided to the communication node via the base station.

26. A circuit for a communication node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The circuitry includes a controller element and a transceiver element configured to operate together to connect to the mobile telecommunications network via a wireless interface provided by a relay node, wherein the relay node is configured to relay communications for communication nodes via a base station connected to the mobile telecommunications network, and wherein the controller element and the transceiver element are further configured to operate together to... Identify the requested service; The capability assessment function is notified of first capability information, wherein the first capability information includes at least the identifier of the requested service; When the requested service matches a service supported by the relay node when connecting to the base station, the requested service is used via the relay node and the base station, wherein the service set supported by the base station is obtained as a first set and the service set supported by the relay node itself is obtained as a second set, and the intersection of the first set and the second set is determined as the supported service.

27. A circuit for a relay node in a mobile telecommunications network, wherein, The circuitry includes a controller element and a transceiver element configured to operate together to provide a wireless interface for a communication node to connect to the mobile telecommunications network, and configured to relay communication to the communication node via a base station when connected to the mobile telecommunications network, wherein the controller element and transceiver element are further configured to operate together to... When connecting to the base station, the services supported by the relay node are identified, wherein the relay node obtains a set of services supported by the base station as a first set and obtains a set of services supported by the relay node itself as a second set, and determines the supported services by the intersection of the first set and the second set. The relay capability information is notified to the capability assessment function, wherein the relay capability information includes the identifier of the supported service; When the supported service matches the service requested by the communication node, the requested service is provided to the communication node via the base station.

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