Information processing methods and apparatus, communication equipment and storage media

Abstract

This disclosure provides an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium. The method, performed by a source user equipment (UE), includes broadcasting relay information, wherein the relay information indicates whether the source UE can serve as a target UE for UE-to-UE U2U relay communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to, but is not limited to, the field of wireless communication technology, and particularly to an information processing method and apparatus, communication equipment and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] User equipment (UE) can communicate with other UEs via relay equipment, whether it is within or outside the 3Gpp network coverage area. A UE providing this relay communication is called a UE-to-UE (U2U) relay.

[0003] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a U2U relay communication between a source UE and a target UE. Thus, even if a direct sidelink (SL) communication cannot be established between the source UE and the target UE, they can communicate using other UEs (i.e., U2U relays). Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device and a storage medium.

[0005] A first aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing method, wherein the method is executed by a source UE, the method comprising:

[0006] Broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0007] A second aspect of this public embodiment provides an information processing method, wherein the information is processed by a user equipment to user equipment U2U relay, the method comprising:

[0008] Receive relay information sent by the source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0009] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0010] The 0010 transmitting module is configured to broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source user equipment (UE) can serve as the target UE for user equipment-to-user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0011] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0012] The receiving module is configured to receive relay information sent by the source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0013] A fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a communication device, including a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor executes the information processing method as provided in the first or second aspect above when running the executable program.

[0014] A sixth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer storage medium storing an executable program; the executable program, when executed by a processor, can implement the information processing method provided in the first or second aspect described above.

[0015] The technical solution provided in this disclosure allows the source UE to actively broadcast its own relay information when there is a U2U relay requirement. In this way, U2U relays located around the source UE will receive the relay information, thereby determining whether the source UE can be used as the target UE of other U2U relays without relying on broadcast announcement messages. This reduces the target UE identification errors caused by the sending of U2U relay announcement messages and the receiving of response messages in related technologies, and also reduces the signaling overhead caused by U2U relay broadcast announcement messages.

[0016] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the invention.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a U2U relay communication according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0027] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with those of the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the embodiments disclosed herein. The singular forms "a," "say," and "this" as used herein are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms used herein refer to and / or include any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0031] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various information in embodiments of this disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, first information may also be referred to as second information without departing from the scope of embodiments of this disclosure, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, words used herein may be interpreted as meaning "when," "when," or "in response to a determination."

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2The figure shows a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology, and the wireless communication system may include: a plurality of terminals 11 and a plurality of access devices 12.

[0033] Terminal 11 can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user. Terminal 11 can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN). Terminal 11 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or cellular phone), or a computer with an IoT terminal. For example, it can be a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted device. Examples include a station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment. Alternatively, Terminal 11 can also be a device from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Alternatively, Terminal 11 can also be a vehicle-mounted device, such as a vehicle computer with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device connected to an external vehicle computer. Alternatively, terminal 11 can also be a roadside device, such as a street light, traffic light, or other roadside device with wireless communication capabilities.

[0034] Access device 12 can be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. This wireless communication system can be a 4G system (also known as Long Term Evolution, LTE); or it can be a 5G system (also known as a New Radio, NR, or 5G NR system). Alternatively, it can be the next generation after 5G. In this case, the access network in the 5G system can be called NG-RAN (New Generation-Radio Access Network). Alternatively, it can be an MTC system.

[0035] The access device 12 can be an evolved NB (eNB) used in a 4G system. Alternatively, the access device 12 can also be a gNB (gNB) using a centralized-distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the access device 12 adopts a centralized-distributed architecture, it typically includes a central unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DUs). The central unit is equipped with a protocol stack of the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Media Access Control (MAC) layer; the distributed units are equipped with a physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. This disclosure does not limit the specific implementation of the access device 12.

[0036] Access device 12 and terminal 11 can establish a wireless connection via a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fourth-generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard; or, the wireless air interface is a wireless air interface based on the fifth-generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, such as a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface can also be a wireless air interface based on a next-generation mobile communication network technology standard based on 5G.

[0037] Based on the configuration policy, the UE can determine whether it can become a U2U relay. The U2U relay will determine the User Info ID and the Layer 2 identifier of the target UE. The U2U relay will broadcast an announcement message. For example, the U2U relay will perform a discovery process based on Model A and Model B, and announce the information of the target UE discovered based on the discovery process to the source UE.

[0038] In order to update the target UE, the U2U relay will periodically perform the discovery process and periodically broadcast announcement messages.

[0039] The source UE will listen for announcement messages and select a U2U relay to communicate with the target UE based on the listened announcement messages.

[0040] If Model A is used to discover the target UE, then the U2U relay needs to send different announcement messages. After receiving the announcement message, the target UE needs to return a response message to the U2U relay.

[0041] like Figure 3 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a source UE. The method includes:

[0042] S1110: Broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0043] The source UE here refers to any UE that initiates U2U relay communication, that is, the initiator of U2U relay communication. The name of this UE is not limited to the source UE, and can also be called the first UE, etc.

[0044] The source UE can be a communication terminal such as a mobile UE or a fixed UE. Specifically, the source UE includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, smart home devices, and / or smart office devices.

[0045] The target UE is the receiving end of the U2U relay communication, and the name of the UE is not limited to the target UE, but can also be called the second UE, etc.

[0046] The source UE broadcast relay information may include:

[0047] Transmit relay information on the SL broadcast channel.

[0048] The source UE broadcasts its own relay information on the broadcast channel. For example, the source UE broadcasts the relay information during the process of discovering a U2U relay or establishing a relay link with a U2U relay. In this way, the U2U relay can determine whether the source UE can be the target UE of the U2U relay based on the broadcast relay information.

[0049] For example, the relay information of the source UE indicating that the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication can be understood as at least one of the following:

[0050] The source UE can serve as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0051] The source UE is willing to be the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0052] The source UE intends to be the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0053] The source UE can be used as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0054] The source UE serves as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0055] The source UE supports being the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0056] It is worth noting that the U2U relay communication here is not the current U2U relay communication initiated by the source UE, but rather the subsequent U2U relay communication.

[0057] In summary, in this embodiment, the source UE actively broadcasts its own relay information. When the source UE has a communication need, it can use this information to determine whether it can be used as a target UE for other U2U relay communication. In this way, without the U2U relay sending announcement messages and receiving response messages, it can clearly identify the target UEs around the U2U relay that can participate in U2U relay communication. This has the characteristics of low signaling overhead and high accuracy.

[0058] In some embodiments, the relay information includes:

[0059] Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0060] And / or,

[0061] Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0062] In one embodiment, the relay information may include relay hop count information separately, which indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE of the current U2U relay communication is the target UE of the U2U relay communication. In this case, if the source UE supports being the target UE of the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count is at least 1. If the source UE does not support being the target UE of the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count is 0 or NULL. Thus, even if the relay information includes relay hop count information separately, the U2U relay can easily determine whether the source UE supports being the target UE of the U2U relay, and simultaneously know the number of relay hops supported when the source UE is the target UE of the U2U relay communication.

[0063] In another embodiment, the relay information may include a relay indication, which may directly indicate whether the source UE supports being the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0064] For example, the relay indication may be carried by a single bit, the two bit values ​​of which may respectively represent whether the source UE supports being the target UE for U2U relay communication or not.

[0065] In another embodiment, the relay information includes both relay hop count information and relay indication.

[0066] The relay hop count information indicates the number of hops supported by the source UE when it is the target UE for U2U relay communication. This relay indication can be used by the U2U relay to quickly determine whether the source UE can be the target UE for U2U relay communication. In some cases, the relay indication can also be used by the U2U relay to determine whether further decoding of the relay hop count information is necessary. If the relay indication indicates that the source UE does not support being the target UE for U2U relay communication, then the U2U relay does not need to decode the relay hop count information, thereby reducing unnecessary decoding.

[0067] In some cases, the source UE has the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication, but according to user instructions, the UE does not wish to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication. In other cases, the source UE does not have the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication. For example, if the source UE has not obtained network authorization to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication, this is one manifestation of the source UE not having the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0068] In some embodiments, the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count greater than 0; or, the source UE does not wish to serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count equal to 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

[0069] In other embodiments, the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or, the source UE does not wish to serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a second value.

[0070] The second value is different from the first value.

[0071] like Figure 4 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a source UE. The method includes:

[0072] S1210: Broadcast an announcement message containing the relay information.

[0073] This announcement message can be sent by the source UE when it has a U2U relay communication need. In this way, when the U2U relay listens to the announcement message, it will not only know that the UE has a U2U relay communication need, but also know that the source UE can be used as the target UE for U2U relay.

[0074] like Figure 5As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, wherein the method is executed by a U2U relay, and the method includes:

[0075] S2110: Receive relay information sent by the source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0076] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the U2U relay will receive relay information and can determine whether the source UE can be used as the target UE for subsequent U2U relay communication based on the relay information provided by the source UE.

[0077] For example, a U2U relay listens to relay information, and can then add this relay information to the target UE's information. For instance, a U2U relay listens to the broadcast channel of the SL (Server Streaming Channel) to obtain the U2U relay's relay information.

[0078] The information of the target UE may include: the target UE's user information ID and / or tier 2 ID.

[0079] The U2U relay can be various communication devices. For example, the U2U relay communication can be various mobile UEs.

[0080] The mobile UE includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, smart home devices and / or smart office devices.

[0081] The U2U relay can be a network device certified to provide U2U relay services. For example, the U2U relay can be a UE device and / or a wireless device deployed or designated by a telecommunications operator. As another example, the U2U relay can be a device located within or outside the 3Gpp network coverage area.

[0082] For example, S2110 may include: receiving relay information sent by the source UE by listening to the SL broadcast channel.

[0083] The source UE actively broadcasts relay information only when the UE itself supports and / or intends to be the target UE of the U2U relay. This results in higher accuracy compared to the relay information broadcast by the U2U relay itself. Furthermore, the U2U relay does not need to broadcast announcement messages again, which also reduces the process of the U2U relay discovering the target UE.

[0084] like Figure 6 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, wherein the information is processed via a user equipment to user equipment U2U relay, and the method includes:

[0085] S2210: Receive relay information sent by the source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0086] S2220: Update the information of the target UE maintained by the U2U relay according to the relay information.

[0087] After receiving relay information from the source UE transmitter, if the U2U relay finds that the source UE's information has not been added to the target UE's information, it will add the newly detected source UE's information to the target UE's information maintained by the U2U relay.

[0088] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0089] Determine whether the information of the target UE has expired;

[0090] If the information of the target UE expires, the expired information in the target UE's information will be deleted.

[0091] In other embodiments, the method further includes:

[0092] When it is determined from the relay information that information has already been added to the target UE, the valid timer corresponding to the source UE indicated by the relay information is updated. If no relay information indicating that the source UE can act as the target UE is received within the time range of this valid timer, the information of the source UE is deleted from the target UE's information.

[0093] For example, the U2U relay maintains a list containing information about the target UE.

[0094] In some embodiments, the relay information includes:

[0095] Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0096] And / or,

[0097] Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0098] In one embodiment, the relay information may include relay hop count information separately, which indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE of the current U2U relay communication is the target UE of the U2U relay communication. In this case, if the source UE supports being the target UE of the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count is at least 1. If the source UE does not support being the target UE of the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count is 0 or NULL. Thus, even if the relay information includes relay hop count information separately, the U2U relay can easily determine whether the source UE supports being the target UE of the U2U relay, and simultaneously know the number of relay hops supported when the source UE is the target UE of the U2U relay communication.

[0099] In another embodiment, the relay information may include a relay indication, which may directly indicate whether the source UE supports being the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0100] For example, the relay indication may be carried by a single bit, the two bit values ​​of which may respectively represent whether the source UE supports being the target UE for U2U relay communication or not.

[0101] In another embodiment, the relay information includes both relay hop count information and relay indication.

[0102] The relay hop count information indicates the number of hops supported by the source UE when it is the target UE for U2U relay communication. This relay indication can be used by the U2U relay to quickly determine whether the source UE can be the target UE for U2U relay communication. In some cases, the relay indication can also be used by the U2U relay to determine whether further decoding of the relay hop count information is necessary. If the relay indication indicates that the source UE does not support being the target UE for U2U relay communication, then the U2U relay does not need to decode the relay hop count information, thereby reducing unnecessary decoding.

[0103] In some cases, the source UE has the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication, but according to user instructions, the UE does not wish to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication. In other cases, the source UE does not have the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication. For example, if the source UE has not obtained network authorization to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication, this is one manifestation of the source UE not having the capability to act as the target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0104] In some embodiments, updating the target UE information maintained by the U2U relay based on the relay information includes:

[0105] In some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0106] The relay indication is a first value, and the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE;

[0107] or,

[0108] The relay indication is the second value, and the relay information is ignored.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first value and the second value are different. For example, if the relay indication corresponds to 1 bit, then the two bit values ​​(the first value and the second value) of that bit can be "0" and "1" respectively.

[0110] Of course, the above are just examples of relay information, and the actual implementation is not limited to the examples above.

[0111] like Figure 7 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing method, which may include: 0. The U2U relay has collected a list of target UEs, for example, it has been pre-configured or previously discovered, or there is communication or previous communication between the UE2UE relay and the target UE.

[0112] 1. The source UE periodically sends announcement messages. These messages include the announcement message type, the target UE's Layer 2 ID, the source UE's Layer 2 ID, and relay information. The source UE's Layer 2 ID is assigned automatically by the U2U relay, while the target UE's Layer 2 ID is selected by a configured policy. This policy can be a pre-configured policy by the operator, etc. The target UE's Layer 2 ID actually includes candidate devices for the target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0113] 2a. When a U2U relay receives an announcement message containing relay information, the U2U relay updates the target UE's information.

[0114] For example, if the hop count indicated by the relay information is 0, then the relay UE will not broadcast the announcement message.

[0115] If the hop count indicated by the relay information is 1, then the source UE of this U2U relay communication is allowed to be the target UE of subsequent U2U relay communication.

[0116] Optionally, if necessary, an L2 link can be further established between the source UE and the U2U relay.

[0117] 2b. When other listening UEs hear the announcement message, if they have the permission to act as U2U relays, they should update the information of the target UE.

[0118] like Figure 8 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0119] The transmitting module 110 is configured to broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source user equipment (UE) can serve as the target UE for user equipment-to-user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0120] The information processing device may be included in the source UE.

[0121] The transmitting module may include transceiver antennas, etc.

[0122] The information processing device may also include a storage module; the storage module may be connected to the sending module 110 and may be used to store relay information.

[0123] In some embodiments, the relay information includes:

[0124] Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0125] And / or,

[0126] Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0127] In some embodiments, the source UE is willing to act as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count greater than 0;

[0128] or,

[0129] If the source UE is unwilling to be the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count of 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

[0130] In some embodiments, the source UE is willing to act as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value;

[0131] or,

[0132] The source UE is unwilling to be the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a second value;

[0133] The second value is different from the first value.

[0134] In some embodiments, the sending module 110 is configured to broadcast an announcement message containing the relay information.

[0135] like Figure 9 As shown, this disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, wherein the apparatus includes:

[0136] The receiving module 210 is configured to receive relay information sent by the source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment to user equipment U2U relay communication.

[0137] In some embodiments, the information processing device may be a source UE. The source UE also includes a storage module connected to the receiving module 210, which can be used to store relay information.

[0138] The receiving module 210 can correspond to a transceiver antenna, etc.

[0139] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0140] The processing module is configured to update the target UE information maintained by the U2U relay based on the relay information.

[0141] This processing module can be various processors, including but not limited to microprocessors, embedded processors, central processing units, and / or digital signal processors.

[0142] In some embodiments, the relay information includes:

[0143] Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication;

[0144] And / or,

[0145] Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0146] In some embodiments, updating the target UE information maintained by the U2U relay based on the relay information includes:

[0147] If the relay hop count information indicates a relay hop count greater than 0, the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE.

[0148] or,

[0149] If the relay hop count information indicates that the relay hop count is equal to 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty, the relay information is ignored.

[0150] In some embodiments, the apparatus further includes:

[0151] The processing module is configured to add the information of the source UE to the information of the target UE when the relay indication is set to the first value;

[0152] Alternatively, the relay indication may be a second value, in which case the relay information may be ignored.

[0153] This disclosure provides a communication device, including:

[0154] Memory used to store processor-executable instructions;

[0155] The processor is connected to the memory.

[0156] The processor is configured to execute the information processing method provided by any of the aforementioned technical solutions.

[0157] The processor may include various types of storage media, which are non-transitory computer storage media that can continue to store information after the communication device loses power.

[0158] Here, the communication equipment includes: the aforementioned source UE and / or U2U relay.

[0159] The processor can be connected to the memory via a bus or similar means to read executable programs stored in the memory, for example, such as... Figures 3 to 7 At least one of the methods shown.

[0160] Figure 10 This is a block diagram illustrating a terminal 800 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, terminal 800 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcast user equipment, messaging device, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness equipment, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0161] Reference Figure 10 Terminal 800 may include one or more of the following components: processing component 802, memory 804, power supply component 806, multimedia component 808, audio component 810, input / output (I / O) interface 812, sensor component 814, and communication component 816.

[0162] Processing component 802 typically controls the overall operation of terminal 800, such as operations associated with display, telephone calls, data communication, camera operation, and recording. Processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 to execute instructions to generate all or part of the steps of the methods described above. Furthermore, processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between processing component 802 and other components. For example, processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between multimedia component 808 and processing component 802.

[0163] Memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on terminal 800. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method operating on terminal 800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 804 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0164] Power supply component 806 provides power to various components of terminal 800. Power supply component 806 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power to terminal 800.

[0165] Multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the terminal 800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touches, swipes, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may sense not only the boundaries of the touch or swipe action but also the duration and pressure associated with the touch or swipe operation. In some embodiments, multimedia component 808 includes a front-facing camera and / or a rear-facing camera. When the terminal 800 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front-facing camera and / or the rear-facing camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front-facing camera and rear-facing camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have focal length and optical zoom capabilities.

[0166] Audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, audio component 810 includes a microphone (MIC) configured to receive external audio signals when terminal 800 is in an operating mode, such as call mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode. The received audio signals may be further stored in memory 804 or transmitted via communication component 816. In some embodiments, audio component 810 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0167] I / O interface 812 provides an interface between processing component 802 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, home buttons, volume buttons, power buttons, and lock buttons.

[0168] Sensor assembly 814 includes one or more sensors for providing state assessments of various aspects of terminal 800. For example, sensor assembly 814 can detect the on / off state of terminal 800, the relative positioning of components such as the display and keypad of terminal 800, changes in position of terminal 800 or one of its components, the presence or absence of user contact with terminal 800, orientation or acceleration / deceleration of terminal 800, and temperature changes of terminal 800. Sensor assembly 814 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. Sensor assembly 814 may also include a light sensor, such as a CMOS or CCD image sensor, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, sensor assembly 814 may also include an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pressure sensor, or temperature sensor.

[0169] Communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between terminal 800 and other devices. Terminal 800 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G, or 3G, or combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, communication component 816 also includes a near-field communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module may be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0170] In an exemplary embodiment, terminal 800 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components to perform the methods described above.

[0171] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions is also provided, such as a memory 804 including instructions that can be executed by a processor 820 of a terminal 800 to generate the above-described method. For example, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, or optical data storage device, etc.

[0172] like Figure 11 As shown in the illustration, one embodiment of this disclosure illustrates the structure of an access device. For example, communication device 900 may be provided as a network-side device. This communication device is a source UE and / or a U2U relay.

[0173] Reference Figure 11 The communication device 900 includes a processing component 922, which further includes one or more processors, and memory resources represented by a memory 932 for storing instructions executable by the processing component 922, such as application programs. The application programs stored in the memory 932 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. Furthermore, the processing component 922 is configured to execute instructions to perform any of the methods described above applied to the access device, such as... Figures 3 to 7 Any of the methods shown.

[0174] The communication device 900 may also include a power supply component 1926 configured to perform power management of the communication device 900, a wired or wireless network interface 950 configured to connect the communication device 900 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 958. The communication device 900 can operate on an operating system stored in memory 932, such as Windows Server™, Mac OS X™, Unix™, Linux™, FreeBSD™, or similar.

[0175] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0176] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An information processing method, wherein, Performed by the source user equipment (UE), the method includes: Broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment-to-user equipment U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is the second value.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The broadcast relay information includes: The broadcast includes an announcement message containing the relay information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The source UE is willing to act as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count greater than 0; or, If the source UE is unwilling to be the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count of 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, When the relay indication is a first value, the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE; or... The relay indication is the second value, and the relay information is ignored.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, If, based on the relay information, it is determined that information has been added to the target UE, the valid timer corresponding to the source UE indicated by the relay information is updated; if, within the timing range of the valid timer and the relay information indicating that the source UE can be the target UE is not received by the U2U relay, the information of the source UE in the information of the target UE is deleted.

7. An information processing method, wherein, Executed by a U2U relay, the method includes: The system receives relay information sent by a source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for user equipment-to-user equipment U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is the second value.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The relay information received from the source UE includes: Receive the announcement message containing the relay information broadcast by the source UE.

10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The method further includes: Based on the relay information, update the information of the target UE maintained by the U2U relay.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The step of updating the target UE information maintained by the U2U relay based on the relay information includes: If the relay hop count information indicates a relay hop count greater than 0, the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE; or... If the relay hop count information indicates that the relay hop count is equal to 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty, the relay information is ignored.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The method further includes: The relay indication is set to a first value, in which case the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE; or... The relay indication is the second value, and the relay information is ignored.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The method further includes: If it is determined from the relay information that there is information that has been added to the target UE, update the valid timer corresponding to the source UE indicated by the relay information; If, within the effective timer's timing range, no information indicating that the source UE can act as a relay for the target UE is received, the information of the source UE is deleted from the target UE's information.

14. An information processing apparatus, wherein, The device includes: The transmitting module is configured to broadcast relay information, wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The source UE is willing to act as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE is unwilling to be the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a second value.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, The sending module is also configured to broadcast an announcement message containing the relay information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count greater than 0; or, The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the source UE supports a relay hop count of 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

18. The method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein, When the relay indication is a first value, the information of the source UE is added to the information of the target UE; or... The relay indication is the second value, and the relay information is ignored.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein, If, based on the relay information, it is determined that information has been added to the target UE, the valid timer corresponding to the source UE indicated by the relay information is updated; if, within the timing range of the valid timer and the relay information indicating that the source UE can be the target UE is not received by the U2U relay, the information of the source UE in the information of the target UE is deleted.

20. An information processing apparatus, wherein, The device includes: A receiving module is configured to receive relay information sent by a source UE; wherein the relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as a target UE for user equipment-to-user equipment U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is the second value.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The receiving module is further configured to receive an announcement message containing the relay information broadcast by the source UE.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, The device further includes: The processing module is configured to update the information of the target UE maintained by the U2U relay based on the relay information.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The device further includes: The processing module is configured to: add the information of the source UE to the information of the target UE if the relay hop count indicated by the relay hop count information is greater than 0; or ignore the relay information if the relay hop count indicated by the relay hop count information is equal to 0 or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The device further includes: The processing module is configured to add the information of the source UE to the information of the target UE when the relay indication is a first value; or, when the relay indication is a second value, ignore the relay information.

26. The method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein, The processing module is also configured to: If it is determined from the relay information that there is information that has been added to the target UE, update the valid timer corresponding to the source UE indicated by the relay information; If, within the effective timer's timing range, no information indicating that the source UE can act as a relay for the target UE is received, the information of the source UE is deleted from the target UE's information.

27. A communication method applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a source UE, a U2U relay, and network equipment; the method comprising: The source UE broadcasts relay information; The U2U relay receives relay information broadcast by the source UE; The relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is the second value.

29. The method according to claim 27 or 28, wherein, The source UE broadcast relay information includes: The source UE broadcasts an announcement message containing relay information.

30. The method according to claim 27 or 28, wherein, The method further includes: The relay indication is a first value, and the U2U relay adds the information of the source UE to the information of the target UE; or... The relay indication is the second value, and the U2U relay ignores the relay information.

31. A communication system comprising a source UE and a U2U relay; The source UE is used to broadcast relay information; The U2U relay is used to receive relay information broadcast by the source UE; wherein, The relay information is used to indicate whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication; the relay information includes at least one of the following: Relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE acts as the target UE in U2U relay communication; Relay indication, indicating whether the source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

32. The communication system according to claim 31, wherein, The source UE can serve as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is a first value; or... The source UE cannot be used as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay indication is the second value.

33. The communication system according to claim 31 or 32, wherein, The source UE is also used to broadcast announcement messages containing relay information.

34. The communication system according to claim 31 or 32, wherein, The relay indication is a first value, and the U2U relay is also used to add the information of the source UE to the information of the target UE; or... The relay indication is a second value, and the U2U relay is also used to ignore the relay information.

35. A communication device comprising a processor, a transceiver, a memory, and an executable program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein, When the processor runs the executable program, it performs the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6 or 7 to 13.

36. A computer storage medium storing an executable program; the executable program, when executed by a processor, is capable of implementing the method provided in any one of claims 1 to 6 or 7 to 13.

37. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions, when executed by a communication device, implement the communication method of any one of claims 1 to 6 or 7 to 13.

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