Providing data forwarding configuration for wireless devices

Abstract

This disclosure relates to techniques for providing bearer configuration information for relay communication by a relay wireless device communicating with one or more remote wireless devices in a wireless communication system. The network can provide the wireless device with bearer configuration information to establish one or more bearers for data forwarding. Based on this bearer configuration information, the relay wireless device can use the bearers to forward data to / from remote wireless devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication, including data forwarding processes for relay wireless devices, remote wireless devices, base stations, and network elements in wireless communication systems. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. Furthermore, wireless communication technology has evolved from solely voice communication to also include the transmission of data such as the internet and multimedia content.

[0003] Mobile electronic devices can take the form of smartphones or tablets that users typically carry. Wearable devices (also known as accessory devices) are a newer form of mobile electronic device, an example being a smartwatch. Additionally, low-cost, low-complexity wireless devices designed for static or dynamic deployment are rapidly increasing as part of the development of the “Internet of Things”. In other words, the required devices are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of complexity, capabilities, traffic patterns, and other characteristics. Generally, there is a desire to recognize and provide improved support for a wide range of desired wireless communication features. Therefore, improvements in this field are expected. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This article presents implementation schemes for systems, apparatuses, and methods, particularly for performing radio resource control connection processes on remote wireless devices in wireless communication systems.

[0005] As mentioned above, the number of use cases for different types of wireless devices with broad variability and usage expectations is increasing. One direction for expanding the potential use cases supported by wireless communication technologies could include increasing the use and number of low-cost and / or low-power wireless devices. The ability to enable such wireless devices to exchange data via intermediate relay wireless devices and gain access to cellular networks could increase the practicality of such low-cost and / or low-power wireless devices.

[0006] Therefore, the techniques described herein include those for forwarding data between remote devices and cellular networks via relay devices, forwarding data between remote devices and relay devices, and forwarding data between multiple remote devices and relay devices. The network can provide bearer configuration information to wireless devices to establish one or more bearers for data forwarding.

[0007] The technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhones). TM Based on Android TM Phones), tablets (e.g., iPads) TM Samsung GalaxyTM ), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM Any of the following: wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), laptops, PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, vehicles, automobiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., drones) and unmanned flight controllers, other cellular network infrastructure equipment, servers, and various other computing devices.

[0008] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0009] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following specific description of the implementation scheme in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system including accessory devices according to some embodiments is shown;

[0011] Figure 2 An exemplary wireless communication system is shown, according to some embodiments, in which two wireless devices are capable of performing direct device-to-device communication;

[0012] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless device according to some implementation schemes;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary base station according to some implementation schemes;

[0014] Figure 5 This is a communication flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for performing relay communication in a wireless communication system according to some implementation schemes;

[0015] Figure 6 Aspects of possible wireless communication relay between a remote UE, a relay UE, and a gNB according to some implementation schemes are illustrated;

[0016] Figures 7 to 8Exemplary aspects of a possible protocol stack architecture for user plane and control plane communication in a 3GPP-based UE-to-network relay framework are shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0017] Figure 9 A possible aspect of wireless communication relay between two remote UEs, a relay UE, and a gNB according to some implementation schemes is illustrated;

[0018] Figures 10 to 12 Aspects of the normal forwarding pattern according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0019] Figures 13 to 15 Aspects of local path patterns according to some implementation schemes are shown; and

[0020] Figures 16 to 17 Aspects of local forwarding patterns according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0021] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0022] acronym

[0023] The following acronyms are used in this disclosure.

[0024] 3GPP: Third Generation Partnership Project

[0025] 3GPP2: Third Generation Partnership Project 2

[0026] GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

[0027] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunication System

[0028] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0029] IoT: Internet of Things

[0030] NB: Narrowband

[0031] D2D: Device to Device

[0032] OOC: Outside of coverage area

[0033] the term

[0034] The following are definitions of the terms used in this disclosure:

[0035] Memory media—any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, e.g., hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems connected via a network, for example. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0036] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0037] Programmable hardware elements—including a variety of hardware devices comprising multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as “configurable logic units.”

[0038] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0039] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of various types of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). TM Based on Android TM Phones), tablets (e.g., iPads) TM Samsung Galaxy TM ), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM Wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), laptops, PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, vehicles, automobiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (e.g., drones), and unmanned flight controllers, etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined as any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or a combination of these devices) that is easily transportable by the user and capable of wireless communication.

[0040] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0041] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0042] Base station—The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless communication system.

[0043] Link budget constrained—encompassing the full range of its general meaning, and at least including the characteristics of a wireless device (e.g., a UE) that exhibits limited communication capabilities or limited power relative to devices that are not link budget constrained or relative to devices for which a Radio Access Technology (RAT) standard has been developed. Link budget constrained wireless devices may suffer from relatively limited receiving and / or transmitting capabilities, which may be due to one or more factors such as device design, device size, battery size, antenna size or design, transmit power, receive power, current transmission medium conditions, and / or other factors. Such devices may be referred to herein as “link budget constrained” (or “link budget limited”) devices. Devices may be inherently link budget constrained due to their size, battery power, and / or transmit / receive power. For example, a smartwatch communicating with a base station via LTE or LTE-A may be inherently link budget constrained due to its reduced transmit / receive power and / or reduced antenna. Wearable devices such as smartwatches are generally link budget constrained devices. Alternatively, the device may not be inherently link budget limited, for example, it may have sufficient size, battery power, and / or transmit / receive power for normal communication via LTE or LTE-A, but may be temporarily link budget limited due to current communication conditions, such as a smartphone at the cell edge. It should be noted that the term "link budget limited" includes or encompasses power limitations, and therefore a link-limited device can be considered a link budget-limited device.

[0044] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device (such as a user equipment device or a cellular network device). A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a single processor, a processor array, circuitry such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware components such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0045] Automatic—means an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform that action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with an action performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform that action. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input to specify information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0046] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0047] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions shall be interpreted as including the phrase “configured to”. The statement that a component is configured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke the interpretation of paragraph 6 of section 112 of title 35 of the United States Code.

[0048] Figures 1 to 2 —Wireless communication system

[0049] Figure 1 An example of a wireless cellular communication system is illustrated. It should be noted that... Figure 1This represents one of many possibilities, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of various systems as needed. For example, the embodiments described herein can be implemented in any type of wireless device.

[0050] As shown in the figure, an exemplary wireless communication system includes a cellular base station 102 that communicates with one or more wireless devices 106A, 106B, etc., and an accessory device 107 via a transmission medium. Wireless devices 106A, 106B, and 107 may be user equipment, which may be referred to herein as "user equipment" (UE) or UE device.

[0051] Base station 102 may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site and may include hardware and / or software for enabling wireless communication with UE device 106A, UE device 106B, and UE device 107. If base station 102 is implemented in the context of LTE, it may be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". If base station 102 is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB". Base station 102 may also be equipped to communicate with network 100 (e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, and various other possible networks). Therefore, base station 102 may facilitate communication between UE device 106 and UE device 107 and / or communication between UE device 106 / 107 and network 100. Also as used herein, in relation to the UE, sometimes a base station may be considered to represent the network, taking into account both uplink and downlink communication of the UE. Therefore, a UE that communicates with one or more base stations in the network can also be understood as a UE that communicates with the network.

[0052] In other specific implementations, base station 102 may be configured to provide communication via one or more other wireless technologies, such as an access point that supports one or more WLAN protocols (such as 802.11a, b, g, n, ac, ad and / or ax, or LTE in an unlicensed frequency band (LAA)).

[0053] The communication area (or coverage area) of base station 102 may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102 and UE 106 / 107 may be configured to communicate using any of the following technologies via a transmission medium: Radio Access Technology (RAT), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, etc.

[0054] Therefore, base station 102 and other similar base stations (not shown) operating according to one or more cellular communication technologies can be provided as a cell network that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping services to UE devices 106A-106N and UE device 107 and similar devices within a geographical area via one or more cellular communication technologies.

[0055] It should be noted that, at least in some cases, UE devices 106 / 107 may be able to communicate using any of a variety of wireless communication technologies. For example, UE devices 106 / 107 may be configured to communicate using one or more of the following: GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, LTE, LTE-A, NR, WLAN, Bluetooth, one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H). Other combinations of wireless communication technologies (including more than two wireless communication technologies) are also possible. Similarly, in some cases, UE devices 106 / 107 may be configured to communicate using only a single wireless communication technology.

[0056] UE 106A and UE 106B may include handheld devices such as smartphones or tablets, and / or may include any of a variety of devices with cellular communication capabilities. For example, one or more of UE 106A and UE 106B may be wireless devices designed for static or dynamic deployment, such as home appliances, measuring devices, control devices, etc. UE 106B may be configured to communicate with UE device 107, which may be referred to as accessory device 107. Accessory device 107 may be any of a variety of wireless devices, which may typically be a wearable device with a small form factor and limited battery, output power, and / or communication capabilities relative to UE 106. As a common example, UE 106B may be a smartphone carried by a user, and accessory device 107 may be a smartwatch worn by the same user. UE 106B and accessory device 107 may communicate using any of a variety of short-range communication protocols such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. In some cases, UE 106B and accessory device 107 may utilize ProSe technology, for example, in a manner supported by a cellular base station, to perform direct peer-to-peer communication. For instance, such ProSe communication may be performed as part of a relay link to support a radio resource control connection between accessory device 107 and BS 102, as described in the various embodiments herein.

[0057] UE 106B can also be configured to communicate with UE 106A. For example, UE 106A and UE 106B may be able to perform direct device-to-device (D2D) communication. D2D communication may be supported by cellular base station 102 (e.g., easily discovered by BS 102, and with various possible forms of assistance), or may be performed in ways not supported by BS 102. For example, it is possible that UE 106A and UE 106B can deploy and perform D2D communication (e.g., including discovery communication) even when BS 102 and other cellular base stations have no coverage.

[0058] Figure 2 An exemplary BS 102 is shown communicating with UE device 106, which in turn communicates with accessory device 107. UE device 106 and accessory device 107 can be any of a mobile phone, tablet or any other type of handheld device, smartwatch or other wearable device, media player, computer, laptop, UAV, unmanned flight controller, vehicle, or virtually any type of wireless device. In some embodiments, the accessory device may be a wireless device designed to have low cost and / or low power consumption and may support communication with BS 102 thanks to a relay link with UE device 106 (and / or another companion device). For example, in Figure 2 In the exemplary scenarios described herein, the device that communicates with a cellular base station using a relay link with another wireless device may also be referred to herein as a remote wireless device, a remote device, or a remote UE device, and the wireless device providing such a relay link may also be referred to herein as a relay wireless device, a relay device, or a relay UE device. According to some implementations, such BS 102, UE 106, and accessory device 107 may be configured to perform radio resource control procedures on the remote wireless device according to the various techniques described herein.

[0059] Both UE 106 and accessory device 107 may include a device or integrated circuit, referred to as a cellular modem, for facilitating cellular communication. The cellular modem may include one or more processors (processing elements) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory and / or various hardware components described herein. UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may each execute any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), integrated circuits, and / or various other possible hardware components, configured (e.g., individually or in combination) to perform any of or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein. The cellular modem described herein can be used in UE devices as defined herein, wireless devices as defined herein, or communication devices as defined herein. The cellular modem described herein can also be used in base stations or other similar network-side devices.

[0060] UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include one or more antennas for communicating according to one or more RAT standards using one or more wireless communication protocols. In some embodiments, one or both of UE 106 or accessory device 107 may be configured to communicate using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains.

[0061] Alternatively, UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include two or more radio components. For example, in some embodiments, UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol for which it is configured to communicate. As another possibility, UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 and / or accessory device 107 may include shared radio components for communication using either LTE or CDMA2000 1xRTT (or LTE or NR, or LTE or GSM), and for communication using Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH. TM Each component communicates with a separate radio unit. Other configurations are also possible.

[0062] Figure 3 —Block diagram of UE device

[0063] Figure 3 A possible block diagram of a UE device, such as UE device 106 or UE device 107, is shown. As shown, UE device 106 / 107 may include a System-on-Chip (SOC) 300, which may include components for various purposes. For example, as shown, SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and display circuitry 304, the processor executing program instructions for UE device 106 / 107, and the display circuitry performing graphics processing and providing display signals to a display 360. SOC 300 may also include motion sensing circuitry 370, which may detect motion of UE 106, for example, using a gyroscope, accelerometer, and / or any of various other motion sensing components. Processor 302 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, flash memory 310) and / or other circuitry or devices, such as display circuitry 304, radio components 330, I / F 320, and / or display 360. MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 340 may be included as part of processor 302.

[0064] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106 / 107. For example, the UE 106 / 107 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), connector interface 320 (e.g., for coupling to computer systems, docking stations, charging stations, etc.), display 360, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.).

[0065] UE device 106 / 107 may include at least one antenna and, in some embodiments, may include multiple antennas 335a and 335b for performing wireless communication with a base station and / or other devices. For example, UE device 106 / 107 may use antennas 335a and 335b to perform wireless communication. As described above, UE device 106 / 107 may be configured in some embodiments to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards or radio access technologies (RATs).

[0066] The wireless communication circuitry 330 may include a Wi-Fi logic component 332, a cellular modem 334, and a Bluetooth logic component 336. The Wi-Fi logic component 332 enables the UE device 106 / 107 to perform Wi-Fi communication over an 802.11 network. The Bluetooth logic component 336 enables the UE device 106 / 107 to perform Bluetooth communication. The cellular modem 334 may be a low-power cellular modem capable of performing cellular communication according to one or more cellular communication technologies.

[0067] As described herein, UE 106 / 107 may include hardware and software components for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), the processor 302 of UE device 106 / 107 may be configured to implement part or all of the methods described herein. In other embodiments, processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, processor 302 may be coupled to, for example, Figure 3Other components shown and / or interoperable with said other components are used to perform radio resource control procedures for remote wireless devices according to various embodiments disclosed herein. Processor 302 may also implement various other applications and / or end-user applications running on UE 106. Alternatively or additionally, one or more components of the wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., cellular modem 334) of UE device 106 / 107 may be configured, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), a processor configured as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and / or a processor using dedicated hardware components that may include ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) to implement part or all of the methods described herein.

[0068] Figure 4 —Block diagram of a base station

[0069] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some embodiments is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0070] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. (As mentioned above...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As described herein, network port 470 can be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access to multiple devices, such as UE devices 106 / 107, that have access to the telephone network.

[0071] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. This core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE devices 106 / 107. For example, the core network may include, for instance, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) for providing mobility management services, a Serving Gateway (SGW) and / or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) for providing external data connections such as to the Internet, and so on. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., between other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0072] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. One or more antennas 434 may be configured to operate as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 / 107 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to LTE, LTE-A, NR, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0073] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio for performing communication according to LTE and a Wi-Fi radio for performing communication according to Wi-Fi. In such a case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a Wi-Fi access point. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., LTE and NR, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0074] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. According to some embodiments, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein, for example by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, 470, the processor 404 of BS 102 may be configured to implement or support radio resource control procedures for remote wireless devices according to the various embodiments described herein, and / or any of the various other features of the features described herein.

[0075] Figure 5 —Communication Flowchart

[0076] Figure 5This is a communication flowchart illustrating a method for performing a data forwarding process for a remote wireless device in a wireless communication system, according to some embodiments. In various embodiments, some elements of the method shown may be performed simultaneously in a different order than shown, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as needed.

[0077] Figure 5 The aspects of the method can be implemented by wireless devices and / or cellular base stations (such as UEs 106A-106B or 107 and / or BS 102 shown in the figures and described relative to the figures), or more generally, as needed, in combination with any of the computer systems, circuits, elements, components, or devices shown in the figures, among other devices. For example, one or more processors (or processing elements) (in various possibilities, e.g., processors 302, 404, baseband processors, processors associated with communication circuits such as 330, 430, or 432, processors associated with various core network elements, etc.) can cause the UE, network elements, and / or BS to perform some or all of the illustrated method elements. It should be noted that while described in a manner involving the use of communication technologies and / or features associated with LTE, NR, and / or 3GPP specification documents, Figure 5 This description describes at least some elements of the method, but it is not intended to limit this disclosure and can be used in any suitable wireless communication system as needed. Figure 5 The method can be described in several aspects. As shown in the figure, the method can be operated as follows.

[0078] In 502, according to some implementations, network 100 (e.g., via cellular base station 102) can establish communication with one or more wireless devices 106 and / or 107.

[0079] In the illustrated example, the one or more wireless devices may include a UE configured to perform relay transmission (e.g., a "relay UE," which may be, for example, wireless device 106) and two remote UEs associated with the relay UE (e.g., "remote UEs," which may be, for example, accessory wireless device 107). It should be understood that any number of relay UEs and / or remote UEs may be included, and the relay UEs and / or remote UEs may be any of a variety of types of wireless devices. For example, a remote UE may be any type of wireless device capable of performing wireless communication with a cellular base station indirectly via an intermediate relay UE or other wireless device (but it may also be configured to communicate directly with a cellular base station). As one possibility, a remote UE may be an accessory device, such as a smartwatch or other wearable device configured as a low-cost and / or low-power wireless device. As another example, a relay UE may be any of a variety of wireless devices capable of supporting wireless communication between a remote UE or other wireless device and a cellular base station by acting as an intermediate relay wireless device. As one possibility, a relay UE may be a smartphone capable of acting as a companion device to a remote wireless device. Many other types of wireless devices may also serve as remote UEs and / or relay UEs. A cellular base station can be any type of base station capable of indirectly performing wireless communication with remote wireless devices via intermediate relay wireless equipment and providing access to the cellular network. As an option, a cellular base station can be a 3GPP 5G NR gNB. Alternatively (or otherwise), a cellular base station may be capable of operating according to any of a variety of other possible cellular communication standards.

[0080] In scenario 504, according to some embodiments, network 100 (e.g., via cellular base station 102) may provide control information (e.g., “bearer configuration information”) to one or more wireless devices (e.g., relay UE 106 and / or remote UEs 107a and 107b). The bearer configuration information may include configurations for communication between the respective wireless devices among the one or more wireless devices 106 and / or 107. In some embodiments, the bearer configuration information may also include configurations for communication between any of the one or more wireless devices 106 and / or 107 and base station 102.

[0081] The bearer configuration information can configure one or more radio devices, such as relay UE 106 and / or remote UEs 107a and 107b, to perform data forwarding according to one or more modes. According to the normal forwarding mode, the relay UE can forward data between the base station and one or more remote UEs. According to the local path mode, the relay UE can directly exchange data with remote UEs (e.g., without forwarding to the base station, etc.). According to the local forwarding mode, the relay UE can forward data between multiple remote UEs (e.g., which may be linked to or connected to the relay UE).

[0082] Bearer configuration information can configure one or more bearers according to the mode used for forwarding data. The bearer can be a Data Radio Bearer (DRB). Different DRBs can be configured for different segments of the connection. For example, a remote UE can connect to a relay UE via a remote DRB, and the relay UE can connect to the base station using a relay DRB (e.g., via a Uu interface). Therefore, in normal forwarding mode, a combination of a remote DRB and a relay DRB can be used to exchange data between the remote UE and the base station.

[0083] In some implementations, some or all of the bearers in the bearer may operate as sidelink (SL) communication (e.g., partially or entirely), such as according to cellular communication standards such as NR, but other standards (or combinations thereof) are also contemplated, such as other cellular standards, Bluetooth, etc. TM Wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0084] In some implementations, the relay DRB can reuse / reapply Uu link configuration information. For example, a first portion of the bearer configuration information can be provided at a first time to configure the Uu link between the relay UE and the base station. A second portion of the bearer configuration information can be provided at a second time, for example, to configure the remote DRB between the relay UE and a remote UE. The relay UE can apply (e.g., reuse) the first portion of the bearer configuration information to relay communication between the remote UE and the base station. In some implementations, the second portion of the bearer configuration information can (e.g., explicitly or implicitly) indicate to the relay UE that the first portion of the bearer configuration information should be applied to relay communication between the remote UE and the base station.

[0085] Any bearer can be configured to operate in Acknowledgment (AM) or Unacknowledged (UM) mode. In AM, acknowledgments (ACK) and negative acknowledgments (NACK) can be used to indicate whether a transmission has been received, for example, whether a retransmission is requested. In Unacknowledged mode, such feedback may not be used.

[0086] Bearer configuration information can identify peer entities at various layers in various devices (e.g., remote UEs, relay UEs, base stations, and / or various core network entities). A pair of corresponding peer entities can perform corresponding functions for the transmitting and receiving devices. For example, a PHY entity at a transmitter can have a peer entity that is a PHY entity at a receiver. For example, bearer configuration information can identify that the lower-layer (e.g., layer 1 and / or 2) peer entities of a remote UE are in a relay UE, and the upper-layer (e.g., layer 3) peer entities of the remote UE are in potentially different devices (e.g., a base station for normal forwarding mode, a different remote UE for local forwarding mode, or a relay device for local path mode). For example, a remote DRB can connect to a lower-layer peer entity, and a remote DRB combined with a relay DRB can connect to an upper-layer peer entity.

[0087] In normal forwarding mode, one or more upper-layer peer entities of a remote UE can be associated with a base station, and lower-layer peer entities of a remote UE can be associated with a relay UE. The relay UE and the base station can perform routing of packets to / from the remote UE based on the remote UE's identifier (e.g., remote UE-ID), which can be appended to or associated with the packet. Packet scheduling can be performed according to a first-in-first-out (FIFO) or priority-based scheme.

[0088] In local path mode, upper and lower layer peer entities of a remote UE can be associated with a relay UE. Bearer IDs (e.g., and / or Logical Channel (LCH) IDs) can be used to route packets. Bearer IDs can be associated with remote DRBs.

[0089] In local forwarding mode, the upper-layer peer entity of the first remote UE (e.g., radio device 107a) can be associated with the second remote UE (e.g., radio device 107b), and the lower-layer peer entity of the first remote UE can be associated with the relay UE. The bearer can be configured with remote UE-IDs for the first and second remote UEs.

[0090] It should be understood that multiple data forwarding modes (e.g., and / or multiple bearers) can be configured simultaneously (e.g., within the same bearer configuration information or subsequent bearer configuration information). For example, bearer configuration information can configure a first data forwarding mode associated with a first service, application, data type, stream, etc., and a second data forwarding mode associated with a second service, application, data type, stream, etc. For example, bearer configuration information can configure a relay UE to route or otherwise process packets to / from a specific remote UE differently based on the service, application, data type, stream, etc. of the packets (e.g., to different destinations and / or using different bearers). Similarly, bearer configuration information can configure a remote UE to process packets associated with different services differently, for example by associating packets with different destination IDs, bearer IDs, LCH IDs, etc. Thus, routing and processing can be specific to the device and / or service associated with each packet. Furthermore, it should be understood that, according to some embodiments, a remote UE can be configured to operate in a non-forwarding mode for some services and can directly transmit packets associated with such services to the base station. For example, a remote UE can be configured to use a local path mode bearer to transmit fitness application data to a relay UE, and use a normal forwarding mode bearer to transmit game application data to the network; the relay UE can process / forward these different types of data differently based on the bearer configuration information associated with the bearer. As another example, a first remote UE can transmit audio data to a second remote UE (e.g., using a first local forwarding mode DRB), and can transmit data related to the location or movement of the first UE to a third remote UE (e.g., using a second local forwarding mode DRB). Again, the relay UE can process / forward these different types of data differently based on the bearer configuration information associated with the different bearers.

[0091] For example, a remote UE operating in normal forwarding mode can have multiple remote DRBs configured for different modes. For instance, remote UE DRB#1 can be configured for normal forwarding mode, and remote UE DRB#2 can be configured for local path mode. The network can configure relay UEs to forward these different DRBs differently, for example, based on different DRB IDs of the different DRBs, allowing the relay UE to forward according to different modes.

[0092] Bearer configuration information can be provided by upper-layer signaling. For example, in various possibilities, bearer configuration information can be provided by one or more RRC messages (such as one or more RRC reconfiguration messages).

[0093] In some implementations, the bearer configuration information provided to different UEs in a relay UE and / or remote UE can be different; for example, the bearer configuration information can be specific to each individual UE. For instance, a base station or network can provide supplementary bearer configuration information to different UEs. For example, the bearer configuration information for a relay UE can specify that a particular remote UE (or potentially multiple remote UEs) identified by a remote UE-ID can transmit using a specific DRB (identified by the bearer ID or LCH ID, etc.) for a specific forwarding mode, and can identify the destination (e.g., a specific tier within the relay UE or another device used for data). Similarly, the bearer configuration information for a relay UE can specify corresponding information for transmitting to a specific remote UE (e.g., identified by the remote UE-ID) using a specific DRB for a specific forwarding mode.

[0094] In some implementations, bearer configuration information can be based on data identification, for example, replacing or supplementing DRB identification. For instance, a relay UE can identify different types of data based on QoS flow information and / or IP flow information, and can use this information to route data on various bearers. Such data identification information can be used in place of or supplement to the DRB ID.

[0095] It should be understood that the bearer configuration information of 504 may differ from various other types of control information transmitted by the base station. For example, the UE-specific bearer configuration information of 504 may differ from broadcast control information, such as that used for device-to-device (D2D) discovery communication, and may not be UE-specific.

[0096] In 506, according to some embodiments, one or more wireless devices 106 and / or 107 and / or network 100 (e.g., via cellular base station 102) can exchange data based on bearer configuration information. The three data forwarding modes discussed above are shown separately; however, as mentioned above, these three modes can operate individually, simultaneously, or sequentially.

[0097] Figure 506a illustrates the normal forwarding mode. As shown, wireless device 107a (e.g., a remote UE) can exchange data with network 100 / base station 102 via wireless device 106 (e.g., a relay UE). The relay UE can use bearers configured by the base station to relay data between the remote UE and the base station. Packets to / from the remote UE can be identified by the remote UE-ID.

[0098] Figure 506b illustrates a local path mode. As shown, wireless device 107a (e.g., a remote UE) can exchange data with wireless device 106 (e.g., a relay UE). Data can be exchanged between the two wireless devices according to the local path mode without exchanging data with the base station. It should be noted that, according to some implementations, other data (e.g., data from different services) may be exchanged with the base station according to different data forwarding modes.

[0099] Figure 506c illustrates a local forwarding mode. As shown, radio device 107a (e.g., a first remote UE) can exchange data with radio device 107b (e.g., a second remote UE) via radio device 106 (e.g., a relay UE). Solid arrows can indicate two remote UEs as endpoints of data exchange, and dashed arrows can indicate the data path via the relay UE. Data can be exchanged between the two remote UEs according to the local forwarding mode without exchanging data with the base station. Note that, according to some embodiments, other data (e.g., data from different services) can be exchanged with the base station according to different data forwarding modes.

[0100] It should be understood that remote wireless devices and relay wireless devices can establish a connection at any time (e.g., a direct connection between a remote UE and a relay UE). For example, a remote UE and a relay UE can connect before or simultaneously with establishing a connection with a base station (e.g., before or simultaneously with 502), after establishing a connection with a base station (e.g., between 502 and 504), or after receiving bearer configuration information (e.g., after 504). In some implementations, a connection between wireless devices can be established in response to bearer configuration information. In some implementations, an existing connection between wireless devices can be modified based on bearer configuration information. For example, a cellular connection can replace a previous non-cellular connection based on the bearer configuration information of a cellular DRB used for relay communication.

[0101] Figures 6 to 17 and additional information

[0102] supply Figures 6 to 17 And the additional information below, which illustrates the relevant Figure 5 Further considerations and possible specific implementation details of the method are provided, and are not intended to limit this disclosure in general. Various variations and alternatives to the details provided below are possible and should be considered to fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0103] 3GPP 5G NR cellular communication technologies are being developed for a variety of applications, including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine-type communication (mMTC). mMTC use cases can include the widespread deployment of wireless devices designed to have relatively low cost and / or low power consumption. Such devices can include any of wearable devices, equipment, process control equipment, measurement equipment, and / or a variety of other types of devices. In at least some implementations (e.g., in some cases, wearable devices), it is possible that such devices are typically located relatively close to another wireless device (e.g., in some cases, a smartphone) that can be used as a relay for communicating with the cellular network. Therefore, in at least some implementations, it is advantageous to support UE-to-NW communication relay frameworks, for example, to help support the operation of low-cost and / or low-power wireless devices that can benefit from such frameworks. For example, Figure 6 An aspect of a possible exemplary wireless communication relay between a remote UE 602, a relay UE 604, and a cellular base station 606 is illustrated. As shown, in the illustrated scenario, the remote UE 602 can communicate with the cellular base station 606 via a relay link between the remote UE 606 and the relay UE 602, and via a Uu link between the relay UE 604 and the cellular base station 604. In some embodiments, the remote UE 602 can also be connected to the base station 606 using a direct connection (not shown).

[0104] Depending on the implementation scheme, several possible types of UE-to-NW relay frameworks may exist. As one possibility, at least in some cases, Layer 3 (L3) relay, which can be implemented without affecting the access layer communication layer, can be used. As another possibility, among various possibilities, Layer 2 (L2) relay can be used, for example, by establishing and maintaining a terminated radio resource control connection between the remote UE and the cellular base station. Figures 7 to 8 An exemplary aspect of a possible protocol stack architecture for user plane and control plane communication in a 3GPP-based UE-to-network relay framework is shown according to some implementations, wherein the communication relay is implemented at layer 2.

[0105] More specifically, Figure 7 A user plane radio protocol stack for a Layer 2 UE to a network relay is illustrated. This network relay utilizes the PC5 interface between the remote UE 702 and the relay UE 704 to provide a communication link between the remote UE 702 and the base station 706, and provides a communication link to the core network (CN) 708 that provides access to the base station 706. It should be noted that different layers can have peer entities in different devices. For example, the peer entity for the remote UE's RLC layer is in the relay UE, the peer entity for the remote UE's PDCP layer is in the base station, and the peer entity for the remote UE's IP layer is in the core network.

[0106] Similarly, Figure 8 The control plane radio protocol stack for Layer 2 UE to network relay is illustrated. This network relay utilizes the PC5 interface between remote UE 802 and relay UE 804 to provide a communication link between remote UE 802 and base station 806, and provides a communication link to the core network 808 that provides access to base station 806. As shown, the relay can operate above the RLC sublayer. Uu PDCP and RRC links can terminate between the remote UE and the base station, while RLC, MAC and PHY, and non-3GPP transport layers terminate in each link (e.g., the link between the remote UE and the relay UE, and the link between the relay UE and the base station).

[0107] In some implementations, RRC connection procedures can be performed between the UE and the network via a direct connection on the Uu interface, for example, according to 3GPP-based cellular communications. For RRC connection procedures between remote UEs, where the peer RRC entity terminates at both the remote UE and the network, RRC message transmission can be forwarded via a relay UE, for example, allowing an additional relay link to exist between the relay UE and the remote UE in addition to the Uu link between the relay UE and the network. Since the Uu link and the relay link can be maintained independently, remote RRC procedures may fail due to the interruption of either the relay link or the Uu link. Therefore, carefully designing the RRC procedure framework to support the ability of remote UEs to perform RRC procedures may be important.

[0108] According to some implementation schemes, RRC message delivery for remote UEs via the Uu link can be performed via a relay signaling radio bearer (SRB) established between the network and the relay UE. The network may be able to establish one or more relay SRBs. It is possible that all relay SRBs are configured in Radio Link Control (RLC) Acknowledged Mode (AM).

[0109] In some implementations, relay UEs can support data forwarding functions, such as forwarding data from remote UEs to / from the network via a Uu link through a relay link. The network can establish one or more relay data radio bearers (DRBs). Such relay DRBs can be configured in RLC AM mode or UM mode. The network can provide Uu link scheduling; for example, the network can perform scheduling at the relay DRB level. For instance, the network can use Uu links (e.g., relay DRBs) to schedule relay services. Remote UEs and relay UEs can use remote DRBs to schedule relay services.

[0110] In some implementations, a relay DRB can carry data from / to multiple remote UEs. To distinguish data from different remote UEs within a relay DRB, each data packet from a remote UE can be transmitted along with the remote UE's identifier (e.g., remote UE-ID). The remote UE-ID can be included in the packet header, for example, in an Adaptation Layer (AL) header, or otherwise appended to or associated with the packet. The remote UE-ID can be identified using indexes such as Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), Cell RNTI (C-RNTI), Temporary RNTI (T-RNTI), or other naming conventions.

[0111] Normal forwarding mode

[0112] Among various possibilities, the remote UE-ID is useful in normal forwarding mode. In normal forwarding mode, depending on some implementations, the relay UE can forward data between one or more remote UEs and the base station, for example... Figure 9 As shown in the figure, base station 102 can establish connections with two (e.g., or any number) remote UEs via a relay UE. A first DRB (e.g., having a first identifier, such as DRB#1) can connect the base station and the first remote UE; a second DRB (e.g., DRB#2) can connect the base station and the second remote UE. The two DRBs can use a link (910, such as the Uu interface) between the relay UE and the base station. The DRBs can use a link (e.g., 902, 904, respectively) between the remote UE and the relay UE. Links 902 and 904 can be sidelink (SL) links and / or can operate according to cellular standards such as NR. Packets associated with different remote UEs (e.g., to or from different remote UEs) can be associated with the corresponding remote UE-ID.

[0113] In some implementations, lower-layer peer entities may correspond to the relationship between a relay UE and a remote UE, and upper-layer peer entities may correspond to the relationship between a base station and a remote UE. For example, peer entities for the Serving Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) for the remote UE may reside in the base station. The RLC layer, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, and Physical (PHY or L1) layer of the remote UE may have peer entities within the relay UE.

[0114] In normal forwarding mode, when the network provides bearer configuration information (e.g., in 504), the network can provide the remote UE with bearer configurations (e.g., relay DRBs and / or one or more remote DRBs). The bearer configuration information can be provided to the remote UE directly (e.g., via a direct link from the base station) and / or via the relay UE (e.g., using a relay SRB). The network can also provide the relay UE with the remote UE's DRB and the relay UE's DRB mapping configuration. The network can provide the relay UE with the remote UE's bearer forwarding mode. For example, the bearer configuration information can indicate to the relay UE the DRB configuration, the remote UE-ID of the remote UE, and that the remote UE is configured (e.g., via the relay UE and the DRB) to use the normal forwarding mode for its data.

[0115] Figure 10 An exemplary bearer configuration for normal forwarding mode is shown according to some implementation schemes. Figure 10 It shows, for example, the use of Figure 9 The normal forwarding mode DRB configuration of the wireless communication system includes protocol stack information.

[0116] As shown in the figure, a bearer with corresponding bearer / DRBID values ​​can be established between a remote UE and the network (e.g., via a relay UE). For 3GPP SL connections 902 and 904, the bearer configuration can reuse Uu information. For example, DRB#1 and #2 can have separate SL components (902 and 904) but share Uu information (e.g., connecting the relay UE to base station 102 and core network 100).

[0117] For example, to transmit packets using DRB#1, remote UE#1 can generate data at the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, which may have peer entities in core network 100. The SDAP and PDCP layers of remote UE#1 can process data for peer entities in base station 102. Data can be mapped to DRB#1 by the SDAP layer. The RLC layer of the remote UE can form the data into Serving Data Units (SDUs), such as RLC SDUs#1 and #2 for peer entities (e.g., SL) in the relay UE. The MAC and PHY layers of the remote UE can transmit SDUs#1 and #2 to the relay UE via link 902.

[0118] The relay UE's PHY layer (e.g., the SL portion of the PHY layer) can receive SDUs #1 and #2 via link 902. The MAC layer and RLC layer (e.g., the SL portion) can process the SDUs. The relay UE's intermediate layer (e.g., the adaptation layer) can determine that the SDUs are mapped to the DRB #1 of the remote UE #1. In response, the intermediate layer can determine to relay SDUs #1 and #2 together with the remote UE-ID of the remote UE #1 to base station 102 (e.g., instead of providing the SDUs to the upper layer of the relay UE). Therefore, the relay UE's RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer (e.g., the Uu portion) can process SDUs #1 and #2 and transmit them to base station 102 along with the attached remote UE-ID via (e.g., the Uu) interface 910. It should be understood that the RLC SDUs can be ordered based on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) system or a priority system. These systems are further described below. An illustrative example shows FIFO ordering (1016).

[0119] The base station can receive SDU#1 and SDU#2 and provide them to the core network 100. Although this example has been described in the uplink direction, it should be understood that a similar process can be applied in the downlink direction. For example, data from remote UE#1 can be provided by network 100 to base station 102 in the form of one or more SDUs addressed to remote UE#1. The base station can append the remote UE-ID of remote UE#1, map the SDU to DRB#1, and transmit the SDU to the relay UE via the mapped relay DRB. The relay UE can receive the SDU through an interface. The relay UE can (e.g., at the adaptation layer or other intermediate layers) determine to relay the SDU to the remote UE based on the remote UE ID. The relay UE can transmit the SDU to remote UE#1 via link 902.

[0120] Therefore, a relay UE can forward RLC SDUs from a relay link to a link with a base station (e.g., Uu) and from a link with a base station (e.g., Uu) to a relay link. For SDUs from a relay link to a Uu link, the relay UE can include the remote UE-ID along with the remote UE's RLC SDU in the RLC Protocol Data Unit (PDU) and transmit it to the base station via the mapped relay DRB. For SDUs from a base station (e.g., Uu link) to a remote UE (e.g., a relay link), the relay UE can identify the owner of the RLC SDU via the remote UE-ID and forward it to the appropriate remote UE (e.g., using the appropriate relay link, such as 902 or 904).

[0121] Figure 11This is a communication flowchart providing more details about FIFO processing based on some implementation schemes. In 1110, the base station and the relay UE can establish an RRC connection and the relay DRB can be configured. The relay DRB can be used for data services of remote UEs #1 and #2. In some implementations, the relay DRB can also be used for data services of the relay UE. The base station can also provide the relay UE with bearer configuration information of the remote DRB associated with the remote UE.

[0122] The bearer configuration information provided by the base station to the relay UE (and possibly the remote UE) can indicate the FIFO ordering scheme to be used for relay data, such as on the remote DRB and / or the relay DRB. In 1112, remote UE#1 can transmit two RLC SDUs to the relay UE. The relay UE can add the SDUs to its buffer for transmission to the base station on the relay DRB. In 1114, remote UE#2 can transmit two RLC SDUs to the relay UE. The relay UE can add the SDUs to its buffer for transmission to the base station on the relay DRB. The SDUs of remote UE#1 may be in buffer 1126 first, as they are received by the relay UE before the SDUs of remote UE#2. In 1116, the base station can transmit grants to the relay UE. Grants can be transmitted on the SRB. Grants may include uplink and / or downlink resources that can be applied to the relay DRB.

[0123] In 1118, in response to available uplink resources, the relay UE can transmit the RLC SDUs of remote UEs #1 and #2 to the base station via the relay DRB. The SDUs can be transmitted in the order in which the relay UEs receive them (e.g., FIFO). Each SDU can be transmitted along with its corresponding remote UE-ID from the remote UE from which it was received.

[0124] In 1120, the base station can transmit downlink SDUs to the relay UEs for relay transmission to remote UEs #1 and #2. The respective SDUs can be transmitted together with the remote UE-ID of the remote UE to which they are intended to be received, and the relay UE can forward the SDUs on the corresponding remote DRB according to the UE-ID. The relay UE can relay the SDUs to the remote UEs in the order they are received from the base station (e.g., FIFO). Therefore, when the SDUs of remote UE #1 are received first, they can be transmitted first (1122). The SDUs of remote UE #2 can be transmitted second (1124).

[0125] Figure 12This is a communication flowchart providing more details about prioritization processing based on some implementation schemes. In 1210, the base station and the relay UE can establish an RRC connection and configure the relay DRB and possible remote DRBs, for example, as discussed above regarding 1110. Bearer configuration information provided from the base station to the relay UE (and possible remote UEs) can indicate the prioritization scheme to be used for relay transmission. Furthermore, the bearer configuration information can indicate the relative priority of the remote UEs. For example, in various possibilities, the bearer configuration information can indicate that remote UE#1 has a lower priority than remote UE#2. In 1212, remote UE#1 can transmit two RLC SDUs to the relay UE. The relay UE can add the SDUs to its buffer for transmission to the base station on the relay DRB. In 1214, remote UE#2 can transmit two RLC SDUs to the relay UE. The relay UE can add the SDUs to its buffer for transmission to the base station on the relay DRB. Because remote UE#2 has a higher priority than remote UE#1, the SDU of remote UE#2 can be stored first in buffer 1226. In 1216, the base station can transmit authorization to the relay UE. The authorization can be transmitted on the SRB. The authorization can include uplink and / or downlink resources that can be applied to the relay DRB.

[0126] In 1218, in response to available uplink resources, the relay UE can transmit RLC SDUs for remote UEs #1 and #2 on the relay DRB. The SDUs can be transmitted in the order they are stored in the buffer by the relay UE (e.g., based on a priority scheme). Each corresponding SDU can be transmitted along with the remote UE-ID of the remote UE from which it is received.

[0127] In 1220, the base station can transmit downlink SDUs to the relay UE for relay transmission to remote UEs #1 and #2. The respective SDUs can be transmitted together with the remote UE-ID of their intended destination remote UE, and the relay UE can forward these SDUs according to the UE-ID, for example, on the corresponding remote DRB. The relay UE can relay the SDUs to the remote UEs in a priority order (1221). Therefore, since the SDUs for remote UE #2 have higher priority, they can be transmitted first (1222), even if they are received by the relay UE after the packet for remote UE #1. The SDUs for remote UE #1 can be transmitted second (1224).

[0128] In some implementations, the SDU of a remote UE can be transmitted together with the SDU of a relay UE (in the uplink and / or downlink directions). In a FIFO system, all SDUs can be ordered for transmission according to the order in which they are received (e.g., by the RLC of the relay UE in the case of uplink packets or by the base station in the case of downlink packets). In a priority ordering system, packets can be ordered for transmission according to, for example, packet priority or the priority of the UE associated with the packet.

[0129] In some implementations, bearer configuration information may explicitly or implicitly indicate the sequencing scheme to be used (e.g., FIFO, prioritization, etc.). In some implementations, the relay UE may, for example, autonomously select the sequencing scheme.

[0130] It should be understood that, although Figure 11 and Figure 12 The example illustrates uplink transmission buffering, but downlink transmission buffering can also occur. For instance, a relay UE can receive multiple downlink data packets for one or more remote UEs and store these downlink data packets in a buffer until resources become available for transmission to the remote UEs. The scheduling of such downlink packets can be based on FIFO and / or priority ordering.

[0131] Local path mode

[0132] Figure 13 The local path mode is illustrated. In local path mode, a relay UE (e.g., UE 106) can terminate data from a remote UE (e.g., accessory device 107) and may not forward that data to the network (e.g., or base station 102). For example, data to / from a remote UE may not be transmitted to / from the network via the relay UE; instead, the remote UE and the relay UE can exchange data between them. It should be understood that a crossedout path (e.g., Uu link) between the relay UE and the base station indicates that no relay data is transmitted. The relay UE can still communicate with the base station for various purposes. For example, the base station can provide bearer configuration information configuring the local path mode DRB between the remote UE and the relay UE. Similarly, bearer configuration information can be relayed by the relay UE to / from the remote UE, for example, using an SRB. It should be noted that, according to some embodiments, either or both of the relay UE and / or the remote UE can exchange data separately with the base station / network using a direct connection.

[0133] Figure 14 This illustrates more details about the protocol stack according to some implementation schemes. Figure 13The communication system. The peer entities of both the upper and lower layers of a remote UE can be in the relay UE. For example, the SDAP layer and PDCP layer of a remote UE can have peer entities in the relay UE. Furthermore, the RLC layer, MAC layer, and L1 (e.g., PHY) layer peer entities of the remote UE can be in the relay UE.

[0134] For user plane operations of the local path DRB, data in the local path DRB typically follows the path indicated by 1410 within the relay UE. For example, the relay UE can (e.g., at the adaptation layer or other intermediate layers) identify the remote UE and bearer in local path mode. For example, data received from a remote UE on the local path DRB can be forwarded by the application layer to the linked PDCP entity (e.g., within the relay UE, for example, based on bearer configuration information). Similarly, the relay UE's adaptation layer or other intermediate layers can transfer data from the PDCP entity in local path mode to the RLC entity (e.g., SL RLC entity) within its relay link protocol stack.

[0135] During operations by a relay UE on a bearer of a remote UE in local path mode, when the relay UE receives data from the remote UE via the relay link, the relay UE can identify the bearer in the local path mode based on the corresponding RLC bearer ID / LCH ID. Based on the identification that the data is associated with the local path, the relay UE can forward the data of that bearer to the corresponding PDCP layer based on the RLC bearer ID. When the relay UE transmits data (e.g., from the relay UE's application layer or other upper layers) to the remote UE via the relay link, the relay UE's PDCP layer can deliver its data to the corresponding RLC entity in the relay link and forward the data via the relay link.

[0136] Figure 15 This illustrates some implementation schemes. Figure 14The communication flowchart for the operation of the local path DRB is shown below. The base station can provide the relay UE with configuration (e.g., control plane) information related to the local path mode (1508). For example, the network can provide bearer configuration information regarding the DRB configuration of the relay UE in the local path mode (e.g., in 504). The bearer configuration information can identify the corresponding PDCP entity (e.g., PDCP Uu entity) in the remote UE and the relay UE. The network can configure the relay UE to implement the bearer in the local path mode and can optionally configure the mapped relay DRB in the Uu link. The network can utilize information about the mapped RLC bearer ID or logical channel (LCH) ID, or other mapping information, to configure the PDCP / SDAP layer of the relay UE. For example, the bearer configuration information can indicate that bearer ID DRB#1 corresponds to local path mode data transmission with remote UE#1 and that PDCP instance #1 of the relay UE (e.g., Uu) can be used. Similarly, the bearer configuration information can indicate that SDAP instance #1 can also be used for the local path (e.g., DRB#1).

[0137] The network can provide bearer configuration (1510) to remote UEs. Bearer configuration information can be provided by RRC messages (e.g., RRC reconfiguration) or other higher-layer signaling. It should be understood that the illustrated sequence of 1508 and 1510 is exemplary. Bearer configuration information can be provided to the UE in any order or simultaneously.

[0138] A remote UE can transmit data (e.g., two RLC SDUs) to a relay UE via the DRB (1512). The relay UE can determine the association of data with a local path pattern based on data received from DRB#1 (1514). Therefore, as shown in 1516, the relay UE can transmit data via the SL instance at the lower layer. The adaptation layer or other intermediate layer of the relay UE can route data based on the local path on the upper layer (e.g., PDCP and SDAP Uu instances and higher) within the relay UE.

[0139] Similarly, for data from the upper layer of a relay UE, the adaptation layer or other intermediate layer can route the data (1518) through the SL instance at the lower layer to transmit it to the remote UE (1520).

[0140] Local forwarding mode

[0141] Figure 16A local forwarding mode according to some embodiments is illustrated. In local forwarding mode, a relay UE (e.g., UE 106) can relay data between two remote UEs (e.g., two accessory devices 107) and may not forward data to the network (e.g., or base station 102). It should be understood that either or both of the relay UE and / or remote UEs can still communicate with the base station for various purposes. For example, the base station can provide bearer configuration information configuring the local forwarding mode DRB between the remote UE and the relay UE. Similarly, bearer configuration information can be relayed by the relay UE to / from a remote UE, for example, using one or more SRBs. It should be noted that, according to some embodiments, either or both of the relay UE and / or remote UEs can exchange data independently with the base station / network using a direct connection.

[0142] The lower-layer peer entity of each remote UE can be in the relay UE, while the upper-layer peer entity can be in another remote UE. For example, for a remote UE, the SDAP layer and PDCP layer peer entities can be in other remote UEs. The RLC layer, MAC layer, and L1 (PHY) layer peer entities of the remote UE can be in the relay UE. As shown in the figure, one bearer (DRB#1) can correspond to the transmission between remote UE 1 and the relay UE (1606). A second bearer (DRB#2) can correspond to the transmission between remote UE 2 and the relay UE (1608). Therefore, packets transmitted from one UE to another can, for example, use two bearers sequentially. In some implementations, a single DRB can be used for transmissions in both directions.

[0143] Figure 17 This illustrates some implementation schemes. Figure 16 The communication flowchart illustrates the operation of a locally forwarded DRB. The base station can provide the relay UE with configuration (e.g., control plane) information related to the locally forwarded mode (1710). For example, the network can provide the relay UE with bearer configuration information (e.g., in 504) that configures the relay UE with respect to the DRB used in the locally forwarded mode. For example, the bearer configuration information can identify the source and target peer remote UE-IDs of the mapped bearer, such as the remote DRB between the relay UE and the corresponding remote DRB. According to some implementations, the network can configure the mapped relay DRB in the Uu link.

[0144] The base station can further configure the remote UE to use the corresponding DRB. For example, remote UE#1 can be configured to transmit data to remote UE#2 using DRB#1 (in 1712), and remote UE#2 can be configured to transmit data to remote UE#1 using DRB#2 (in 1714). Bearer configuration information can be provided by RRC messages (e.g., RRC reconfiguration) or other higher-layer signaling. It should be understood that the example sequence of 1710-1714 is exemplary. Bearer configuration information can be provided to the UE in any order or simultaneously.

[0145] In 1716, remote UE#1 can use DRB#1 to transmit data (e.g., RLC SDU). The relay UE can receive data at a lower-layer entity (e.g., the PHY entity associated with the SL function). An intermediate layer (e.g., the adaptation layer) can determine (e.g., based on the bearer ID, LCH ID, or other indication that the data is mapped to DRB#1) that data is associated with DRB#1 for local forwarding to remote UE#2 (1718). In response, the intermediate layer may not provide data to any upper layer of the relay UE and may enable the lower layer to transmit data to remote UE#2 on DRB#1 (1720).

[0146] Similarly, in 1722, remote UE#2 can use DRB#1 to transmit data (e.g., RLC SDU). Relay UE can receive data at a lower-layer entity (e.g., the PHY entity associated with the SL function). An intermediate layer (e.g., the adaptation layer) can determine (e.g., based on the bearer ID, LCH ID, or other indication that data is mapped to DRB#2) that data is associated with DRB#2 for local forwarding to remote UE#1 (1724). In response, the intermediate layer may not provide data to any upper layer of the relay UE and may enable the lower layer to transmit data to remote UE#1 on DRB#2 (1726).

[0147] Therefore, the operation of a relay UE (e.g., user plane) for a bearer of a remote UE in local forwarding mode can be described as follows. When the relay UE receives data from the source UE (e.g., remote UE #1) via a relay link, the relay UE can determine that the bearer is in local forwarding mode. The relay UE can then forward the data of the bearer to the corresponding target remote UE (e.g., remote UE #2). Similar operations can be applied in the opposite direction.

[0148] It should be understood that transmissions in different directions between remote UEs can occur in any sequence and / or simultaneously. In some implementations, more than two remote UEs can be connected via a relay UE. For example, multiple remote UEs can use unicast, multicast, groupcast, and / or broadcast messaging techniques to transmit to each other.

[0149] In some implementations, FIFO-based and / or priority-based sorting schemes can be applied individually or in combination to any of the aforementioned modes. For example, a relay UE can be configured to prioritize local forwarding transmissions from one UE over other forwardings (e.g., based on local path mode and / or normal forwarding mode). Furthermore, a relay UE can be configured to use FIFO sorting within each priority group (e.g., FIFO can be applied in a group of local forwarding transmissions, and similarly, in a group of local path mode and / or normal forwarding mode transmissions, FIFO can be applied when there is no local forwarding transmission to be transmitted in the buffer).

[0150] In some implementations, a relay UE may maintain any number of transmission buffers associated with pending transmissions to a base station and / or to various remote UEs. FIFO and / or priority systems may be applied to schedule the transmission of packets from any buffer or any combination of buffers.

[0151] In some implementations, the cellular base station may, for example, use sidelink cellular communication to perform resource allocation (e.g., granting authorization) for transmissions between a relay UE and one or more remote UEs.

[0152] Another exemplary implementation may include a method comprising: a wireless device performing any or all of the foregoing examples.

[0153] Another exemplary embodiment may include a wireless device comprising: an antenna; a radio component coupled to the antenna; and a processing element operatively coupled to the radio component, wherein the device is configured to implement any or all of the foregoing examples.

[0154] Another exemplary embodiment may include an apparatus comprising a processing element configured to cause a wireless device to implement any or all of the foregoing examples.

[0155] Another set of exemplary embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions that, when executed at the device, cause the device to implement any or all of the portions of any of the foregoing examples.

[0156] Another exemplary set of implementations may include a computer program comprising instructions for performing any or all portions of any of the examples described above.

[0157] Another exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatus that includes means for performing any or all elements of any of the examples described above.

[0158] By interpreting each message / signal X received by the user equipment (UE) in the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station, and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE in the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station, any method described herein for operating the UE can serve as the basis for a corresponding method for operating the base station.

[0159] In addition to the exemplary embodiments described above, further embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0160] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any method embodiment of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of method embodiments described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method embodiments described herein.

[0161] In some implementations, a device (e.g., UE 106 or 107) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from the memory medium and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions can be executed to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method implementations described herein). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0162] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0163] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to enable the cellular base station to: Establish a connection with the relay user equipment (UE); as well as The bearer configuration information is transmitted to the relay UE, wherein the bearer configuration information is: This includes the configuration of the remote bearer connecting the relay UE and the remote UE; This includes a configuration for connecting the relay UE to a second remote bearer of the second remote UE; Configure the remote UE to exchange first data with the cellular base station via the remote bearer through the relay UE; as well as The remote UE and the second remote UE are configured to exchange second data via the relay UE using the remote bearer and the second remote bearer, wherein when transmitted by the relay UE from the buffer, the second data is configured to take precedence over the first data in the ordering.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the remote bearer further connects the remote UE to the cellular base station via the relay UE and the relay bearer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to exchange data with the remote UE via the relay UE and the relay bearer using the remote bearer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for the first data or the second data, the bearer configuration information indicates a first-in-first-out (FIFO) system for ordering transmissions of the relay UE associated with the remote bearer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for the first data and the second data, the bearer configuration information indicates a priority system for ordering transmissions of the relay UE associated with the remote bearer.

6. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: By cellular base stations: Establish a connection with the relay user equipment (UE); as well as The bearer configuration information is transmitted to the relay UE, wherein the bearer configuration information is: This includes the configuration of the remote bearer connecting the relay UE and the remote UE; This includes a configuration for connecting the relay UE to a second remote bearer of the second remote UE; Configure the remote UE to exchange first data with the cellular base station via the remote bearer through the relay UE; as well as The remote UE and the second remote UE are configured to exchange second data via the relay UE using the remote bearer and the second remote bearer, wherein when transmitted by the relay UE from the buffer, the second data is configured to take precedence over the first data in the ordering.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the remote bearer further connects the remote UE to the cellular base station via the relay UE and the relay bearer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising exchanging data with the remote UE via the remote bearer using the relay UE and the relay bearer.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, for the first data or the second data, the bearer configuration information indicates a first-in-first-out (FIFO) system for ordering transmissions of the relay UE associated with the remote bearer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, for the first data and the second data, the bearer configuration information indicates a priority system for ordering transmissions of the relay UE associated with the remote bearer.

11. A non-transitory memory medium for wireless communication, comprising: Program instructions configured to cause a cellular base station to perform the method according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

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