Wireless communication method and device, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a wireless communication method and device, equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: a second terminal device sends a first message; correspondingly, the first terminal device receives a first message sent by the second terminal device (610); the first terminal device determines, according to the first message, whether the second terminal device can be discovered by the U2U relay device (620). Whether the terminal equipment can be found through the U2U relay equipment or not is indicated through the message sent by the terminal equipment, so that the U2U relay equipment can add the identification information of the terminal equipment willing to be found through the U2U relay equipment to the target UE list in the U2U relay scene, and the success rate and efficiency of connection establishment in the U2U relay scene can be improved.

Description

Wireless communication method, device, equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a wireless communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] U2U (UE-to-UE) relay refers to communication between two UEs (User Equipment) via one or more other UEs. Further research is needed on U2U relay communication.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a wireless communication method, apparatus, device, and storage medium. The technical solution is as follows:

[0005] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a wireless communication method is provided, the method being performed by a first terminal device, the method including:

[0006] receiving a first message sent by a second terminal device;

[0007] Determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the first message.

[0008] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a wireless communication method is provided, the method being performed by a second terminal device, the method including:

[0009] A first message is sent, where the first message is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device.

[0010] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a wireless communication device is provided, the device including:

[0011] A receiving module, configured to receive a first message sent by a second terminal device;

[0012] A processing module is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device based on the first message.

[0013] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a wireless communication device is provided, the device including:

[0014] A sending module is used to send a first message, where the first message is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device.

[0015] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a terminal device is provided, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or implements the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0016] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0017] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip is running, it is used to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0018] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a computer program product is provided, which includes a computer program, and the computer program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0019] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a communication system is provided, which includes a first terminal device and a second terminal device, wherein the first terminal device is used to execute the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, and the second terminal device is used to execute the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0020] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The message sent by the terminal device is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. In this way, after the U2U relay device receives the message sent by the terminal device, it can determine whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the message; using the technical solution of the present application, the terminal device can clearly express its willingness to be discovered through the U2U relay device, and the U2U relay device can also clearly know whether the terminal device is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device, so that the U2U relay device can add the identification information of the terminal device that is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device to the target UE list in the U2U relay scenario, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of connection establishment in the U2U relay scenario. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a U2U relay scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a U2N (UE-to-Network) relay scenario provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG4 is a flowchart of a U2N relay discovery process based on mode B provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG5 is a flowchart of a U2U relay discovery process based on mode A provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG6 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG7 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG8 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG9 is a flowchart of a wireless communication method provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG10 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device provided by one embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG11 is a block diagram of a wireless communication device provided by another embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that, with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are equally applicable to similar technical problems.

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wireless Fidelity) system. Fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5th-Generation, 5G) system or other communication systems, etc.

[0037] Generally speaking, traditional communication systems support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communications, but will also support, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, etc. The embodiments of the present application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0038] The communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, and a standalone (SA) networking scenario.

[0039] The communication system in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to an unlicensed spectrum, where the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as a shared spectrum; or, the communication system in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an authorized spectrum, where the authorized spectrum can also be considered as an unshared spectrum or an exclusive spectrum.

[0040] The embodiments of the present application can be applied to terrestrial communication networks (TN) systems, and can also be applied to non-terrestrial communication networks (NTN) systems.

[0041] Please refer to FIG1 , which shows a schematic diagram of a network architecture 100 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The network architecture 100 may include: a terminal device 10 , an access network device 20 , and a core network device 30 .

[0042] The terminal device 10 may refer to a UE (User Equipment), an access terminal, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile station, a remote station, a remote terminal, a mobile device, a wireless communication device, a user agent, or a user apparatus. Optionally, the terminal device 10 may also be a cellular phone, a cordless phone, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) phone, a WLL (Wireless Local Loop) station, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a handheld device with wireless communication capabilities, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, an in-vehicle device, a wearable device, a terminal device in a 5GS (5th Generation System) or a terminal device in a future-evolved PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network), etc., but the embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. For ease of description, the above-mentioned devices are collectively referred to as terminal devices. The number of terminal devices 10 is generally multiple, and one or more terminal devices 10 may be distributed in each cell managed by an access network device 20. In the embodiments of the present application, “terminal device” and “UE” are often used interchangeably. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the two generally convey the same meaning.

[0043] Access network equipment 20 is a device deployed in an access network to provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal device 10. Access network equipment 20 may include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations, relay stations, access points, and the like. In systems employing different wireless access technologies, the names of devices that provide access network equipment functions may vary. For example, in 5G NR systems, they are referred to as gNodeBs or gNBs. As communication technologies evolve, the term "access network equipment" may change. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the aforementioned devices that provide wireless communication capabilities for terminal device 10 are collectively referred to as access network equipment. Optionally, a communication relationship can be established between terminal device 10 and core network equipment 30 through access network equipment 20. For example, in an LTE (Long Term Evolution) system, access network equipment 20 may be an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) or one or more eNodeBs within EUTRAN. In a 5G NR system, access network equipment 20 may be a Radio Access Network (RAN) or one or more gNBs within the RAN. In the embodiment of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the "network device" refers to the access network device 20, such as a base station.

[0044] The core network device 30 is a device deployed in the core network. The functions of the core network device 30 are mainly to provide user connections, user management, and service bearer, and to provide an interface to the external network as a bearer network. For example, the core network devices in the 5G NR system may include devices such as the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) entity, the UPF (User Plane Function) entity, and the SMF (Session Management Function) entity.

[0045] In some embodiments, the access network device 20 and the core network device 30 communicate with each other via an air interface technology, such as the NG interface in the 5G NR system. The access network device 20 and the terminal device 10 communicate with each other via an air interface technology, such as the Uu interface.

[0046] The "5G NR system" in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as a 5G system or an NR system, but those skilled in the art will understand its meaning. The technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present application may be applicable to LTE systems, 5G NR systems, subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR systems, and other communication systems such as NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) systems, and this application does not limit this.

[0047] Before introducing the technical solution of this application, some related technical knowledge involved in this application is first introduced and explained. The following related technologies can be combined with the technical solution of the embodiment of this application as optional solutions, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiment of this application.

[0048] 1.U2U relay

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, in a U2U relay scenario, a source UE (Source UE) communicates with a target UE (Target UE) via a U2U relay device (UE-to-UE Relay), where the U2U relay device can be a UE.

[0050] In addition, the number of U2U relay devices can be one or more.

[0051] Exemplarily, in the case where the source UE communicates with the target UE through a U2U relay device, the relay communication between the source UE and the target UE may be referred to as single-hop U2U relay communication.

[0052] Exemplarily, when a source UE communicates with a target UE via multiple U2U relay devices, the relay communication between the source UE and the target UE can be referred to as multi-hop U2U relay communication. The multiple U2U relay devices are connected one by one in sequence. For example, the source UE is connected to a first U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device is connected to a second U2U relay device, and the second U2U relay device is connected to the target UE, thereby achieving two-hop U2U relay communication between the source UE and the target UE.

[0053] 2.U2N relay

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, in a U2N relay scenario, a remote UE (Remote UE) communicates with a network device (such as a base station) through a U2N relay device (UE-to-Network Relay), where the U2N relay device can be a UE.

[0055] In addition, the number of U2N relay devices can be one or more.

[0056] Exemplarily, in the case where a remote UE communicates with a network device through a U2N relay device, the relay communication between the remote UE and the network device may be referred to as single-hop U2N relay communication.

[0057] Exemplarily, when a remote UE communicates with a network device via multiple U2N relay devices, the relay communication between the remote UE and the network device can be referred to as multi-hop U2N relay communication. The multiple U2N relay devices are connected one by one in sequence. For example, the remote UE is connected to a first U2N relay device, the first U2N relay device is connected to a second U2N relay device, and the second U2N relay device is connected to the network device, thereby achieving two-hop U2N relay communication between the remote UE and the network device.

[0058] 3. 5G ProSe U2N Relay Discovery Process Based on Mode B

[0059] As shown in Figure 4, it exemplarily shows a flowchart of the 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery process based on Mode B. In Figure 4, a remote UE and three different U2N relay devices are involved, and the three different U2N relay devices are represented by U2N Relay-1, U2N Relay-2 and U2N Relay-3 respectively.

[0060] The process may include the following steps:

[0061] 1. The remote UE sends a UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Solicitation message.

[0062] 2a, U2N Relay-1 sends a U2N Relay Discovery Response message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message) to the remote UE;

[0063] 2b, U2N Relay-2 sends a U2N Relay Discovery Response message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message) to the remote UE.

[0064] In step 1, the 5G ProSe remote UE sends a 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery request message. The U2N relay discovery request message can be sent in a broadcast form, that is, the 5G ProSe remote UE sends a U2N relay discovery request message to U2N relay-1, U2N relay-2 and U2N relay-3 as shown in Figure 4, respectively. Each device in U2N relay-1, U2N relay-2 and U2N relay-3 can receive the U2N relay discovery request message. The U2N relay discovery request message may include one or more of the following information: the type of discovery message (Type of Discovery Message), discoverer information (Discoverer Info) and RSC (Relay Service Code, relay service code). Optionally, the U2N relay discovery request message may also include target information (Target Info). The discoverer information may be identification information of the remote UE, such as the application layer identification information of the remote UE (i.e., User Info ID). Furthermore, the U2N Relay Discovery Request message is sent using a Source Layer-2 ID and a Destination Layer-2 ID. The RSC included in the U2N Relay Discovery Request message is the RSC associated with the connection service desired by the remote UE.

[0065] In step 2 (including steps 2a and 2b), the U2N relays (U2N Relay-1 and U2N Relay-2, as shown in FIG4 ) that match the values ​​of the RSC and target information (if any) included in the U2N Relay Discovery Request message may respond to the remote UE via a U2N Relay Discovery Response message. That is, the U2N relay corresponding to the U2N Relay Discovery Request message may send a U2N Relay Discovery Response message to the remote UE. The U2N Relay Discovery Response message may include one or more of the following information: a discovery message type (Type of Discovery Message), discoveree information (Discoveree Info), and an RSC. The discoveree information may be identification information of the U2N relay sending the response message, such as the application layer identification information (i.e., User Info ID) of the U2N relay. Furthermore, the U2N Relay Discovery Response message is sent using a Source Layer-2 ID (Source Layer-2 ID) and a Destination Layer-2 ID (Destination Layer-2 ID).

[0066] For a 5G ProSe layer 3 U2N relay, when the S-NSSAI (Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information) associated with the RSC belongs to the allowed NSSAI of the 5G ProSe U2N relay, the 5G ProSe U2N relay will only respond to the matching RSC in the U2N Relay Discovery Request message. The remote UE selects the appropriate U2N relay based on the information received in step 2.

[0067] 4. U2U relay discovery process based on mode A

[0068] As shown in Figure 5 , it exemplarily shows a flow chart of a U2U relay discovery process based on Mode A. In Figure 5 , a source UE, a U2U relay and a target UE are involved.

[0069] The process may include the following steps:

[0070] 1. A previous discovery has been performed, or there is an existing or previous communication between the U2U relay and the target UE;

[0071] 2. The U2U relay sends a notification message (type of discovery message, User Info ID of the U2U relay, RSC, User Info ID of the target UE and a list of Layer 2 IDs);

[0072] 3. The source UE selects a U2U relay.

[0073] In step 1, the U2U relay determines that it can act as a U2U relay based on the configured policy, and the U2U relay determines a list of User Info IDs and Layer 2 IDs of target UEs that it can advertise (this list may be referred to as a target UE list) based on previous discovery or based on existing or previous communications between the U2U relay and the target UEs. For example, the U2U relay may perform a Group Member Discovery procedure (regardless of Mode A or Mode B) or a Direct Discovery procedure (regardless of Mode A or Mode B) together with the RSC it supports to discover the target UEs that it can advertise.

[0074] It should be noted that in order to maintain an up-to-date target UE list, a UE that wishes to be discovered by other UEs via the U2U relay periodically performs a discovery process or responds to a U2U relay announcement. The U2U relay may also remove specific target UE information from the target UE list, such as when the specific target UE information expires.

[0075] In step 2, the U2U relay periodically sends an announcement message (the U2U relay announcement described above). The announcement message may include one or more of the following information: the type of discovery message, the U2U relay's User Info ID, the RSC, the target UE's User Info ID, and a list of Layer 2 IDs. The source Layer 2 ID of the announcement message is self-assigned by the U2U relay, and the destination Layer 2 ID is selected based on the configured policy.

[0076] In step 3, the source UE monitors the notification message using the RSC and the User Info ID of the target UE. The source UE selects the U2U relay and obtains the layer 2 ID of the target UE based on the information received in step 2.

[0077] In a U2U relay scenario, the remote UE relies heavily on the target UE list provided by the U2U relay when selecting a target UE. As previously explained, how the U2U relay collects target UE information to generate the target UE list can be implemented in two scenarios: 1) the UE periodically performs discovery, and 2) responds to U2U relay announcements (i.e., the announcement messages described above). However, the periodic execution of discovery between a source or target UE and a U2U relay does not necessarily mean that the UE intends to be discovered by other UEs via the U2U relay.

[0078] For example, when there is frequent data communication between the U2U relay and the target UE, but the target UE does not want to be discovered by other UEs through the U2U relay, according to current specifications, the target UE will be added to the target UE list maintained by the U2U relay.

[0079] Therefore, a clear indication is needed to allow the UE to express whether it can be discovered by other UEs through the U2U relay. Based on this, in the technical solution provided by the present application, a message sent by the terminal device is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. In this way, after the U2U relay device receives the message sent by the terminal device, it can determine whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the message; using the technical solution of the present application, the terminal device can clearly express its willingness to be discovered through the U2U relay device, and the U2U relay device can also clearly know whether the terminal device is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device, so that the U2U relay device can add the identification information of the terminal device that is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device to the target UE list in the U2U relay scenario, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of connection establishment in the U2U relay scenario.

[0080] Please refer to Figure 6, which shows a flowchart of a wireless communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to the network architecture shown in any of Figures 1 to 3 above. The method may include at least one of the following steps:

[0081] Step 610: The second terminal device sends a first message; accordingly, the first terminal device receives the first message sent by the second terminal device.

[0082] Step 620: The first terminal device determines, based on the first message, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, the first terminal device may be any terminal device, the second terminal device may also be any terminal device, and the first terminal device and the second terminal device are different. That is, the first terminal device and the second terminal device are two different terminal devices. For any terminal device in the communication system, it may act as the first terminal device in this application in certain scenarios and execute the steps performed by the first terminal device; it may also act as the second terminal device in this application in certain scenarios and execute the steps performed by the second terminal device; or, it may also act as the first terminal device in certain scenarios to communicate with another terminal device that acts as the second terminal device and also act as the second terminal device to communicate with another terminal device that acts as the first terminal device.

[0084] For example, for any terminal device in the communication system (denoted as UE 1), the UE 1 can, in certain scenarios, act as the first terminal device in this application, execute the steps performed by the first terminal device, and communicate with another terminal device (such as UE 2) that acts as the second terminal device; the UE 1 can also, in certain scenarios, act as the second terminal device in this application, execute the steps performed by the second terminal device, and communicate with another terminal device (such as UE 3) that acts as the first terminal device; or, in certain scenarios, the UE 1 can also act as the first terminal device to communicate with another terminal device (such as UE 2) that acts as the second terminal device, and at the same time, the UE 1 can also act as the second terminal device to communicate with another terminal device (such as UE 3) that acts as the first terminal device.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first message may be sent in a broadcast, multicast, or unicast manner, which is not limited in this application. In addition, the first message may be any message sent by the second terminal device, for example, the message may be a message defined in an existing standard protocol, or a message newly added and extended based on an existing standard protocol.

[0086] In some embodiments, an indication information (such as called Relay Indication) is designed to indicate whether the terminal device sending the message can be discovered through the U2U relay device. In this way, after the U2U relay device receives the message sent by the terminal device, it can determine whether the terminal device sending the message can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on whether the message includes the above indication information or the value of the above indication information included in the message.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terminal device described above (such as the second terminal device) can be discovered through the U2U relay device, which can be understood as the terminal device allowing the terminal device to be discovered through the U2U relay device, or it can also be understood as the terminal device is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device, or it can also be understood as the terminal device expects to be discovered through the U2U relay device, and this application does not limit this. Accordingly, the terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, which can be understood as the terminal device does not allow the terminal device to be discovered through the U2U relay device, or it can also be understood as the terminal device has no intention to be discovered through the U2U relay device, or it can also be understood as the terminal device does not expect to be discovered through the U2U relay device, and this application does not limit this. In short, the second terminal device can send a first message to indicate that the discovery of the second terminal device is possible through the U2U relay device.

[0088] In some embodiments, the indication information mentioned above is taken as the first indication information as an example. The second terminal device can indicate whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device by including or not including the first indication information in the first message sent. Accordingly, in the case where the first terminal device is a U2U relay device, after receiving the first message sent by the second terminal device, it can determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on whether the first indication information is included in the first message. Optionally, if the second terminal does not send a first message including the first indication information (for example, the first message is not sent, or the first message is sent but does not include the first indication information), it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0089] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned indication information is taken as the first indication information as an example. The second terminal device can include the first indication information in the first message sent, and use the value of the first indication information to indicate whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. For example, being able to be discovered through the U2U relay device and not being able to be discovered through the U2U relay device correspond to different values ​​of the first indication information. Accordingly, in the case where the first terminal device is a U2U relay device, after receiving the first message sent by the second terminal device, it can determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the value of the first indication information included in the first message.

[0090] In some embodiments, after determining whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first terminal device determines whether to add the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list, where the first list is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario. The above-mentioned first list may also be referred to as a target terminal list or a target UE list. For a certain terminal device, if the first list includes the identification information of the terminal device, it means that the terminal device is able or willing to serve as a candidate target terminal device in the U2U relay scenario.

[0091] Exemplarily, the first terminal device is a first U2U relay device, which can be understood as any U2U relay device in the communication system. When it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device adds the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list, which is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario. Optionally, when it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list.

[0092] In some embodiments, the identification information of the terminal device includes an application layer ID and / or a layer 2 ID, wherein the application layer ID can be understood as the User Info ID introduced above. For example, when it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device adds the User Info ID and / or layer 2 ID of the second terminal device to the target UE list, which is used to store the identification information of the candidate target UEs in the U2U relay scenario. Optionally, when it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the User Info ID and / or layer 2 ID of the second terminal device to the target UE list.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first U2U relay device sends an announcement message (i.e., the Announcement message described above), which may include the first list. Optionally, the announcement message sent by the first U2U relay device includes one or more of the following information: the type of discovery message, the User Info ID of the first U2U relay device, the RSC, the User Info ID of the target UE, and a list of Layer 2 IDs (i.e., the target UE list described above). Optionally, the source Layer 2 ID of the announcement message is self-assigned by the first U2U relay device, and the destination Layer 2 ID is selected based on a configured policy.

[0094] The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application indicates whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device through a message sent by the terminal device. In this way, after the U2U relay device receives the message sent by the terminal device, it can determine whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the message; using the technical solution of the present application, the terminal device can clearly express its willingness to be discovered through the U2U relay device, and the U2U relay device can also clearly know whether the terminal device is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device, so that the U2U relay device can add the identification information of the terminal device that is willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device to the target UE list in the U2U relay scenario, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of connection establishment in the U2U relay scenario.

[0095] In addition, by designing an indication information (such as called Relay Indication), the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device sending the message can be discovered through the U2U relay device. In this way, after the U2U relay device receives the message sent by the terminal device, it can determine whether the terminal device sending the message can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on whether the message includes the above indication information, or based on the value of the above indication information included in the message.

[0096] Next, possible implementation forms of the first message are described.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery request message (i.e., the UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Solicitation message described above). The U2N relay discovery request message is used to request the discovery of a U2N relay device. Exemplarily, the U2N relay discovery request message is sent in a broadcast format. For example, the second terminal device sends the U2N relay discovery request message in a broadcast format. For information included in the U2N relay discovery request message, please refer to the description above and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In an embodiment of the present application, for a U2N relay discovery request message sent by a second terminal device, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device can be indicated by adding or not adding first indication information in the U2N relay discovery request message; or, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device can be indicated by adding first indication information in the U2N relay discovery request message and using the value of the first indication information. After the first terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the second terminal device, it can determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device based on whether the U2N relay discovery request message includes the first indication information, or based on the value of the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery request message. It then decides whether to add the identification information of the second terminal device to the target UE list.

[0099] For example, as shown in FIG7 , the 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery process based on mode B may include the following steps:

[0100] 1. The remote UE sends a U2N relay discovery request message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Solicitation message), where the U2N relay discovery request message includes first indication information (such as Relay Indication) for indicating that the remote UE can be discovered through the U2U relay device;

[0101] 2. U2N Relay-1 sends a U2N Relay Discovery Response message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message) to the remote UE;

[0102] 3. When it is determined, based on the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the remote UE, that the remote UE can be discovered through the U2U relay, the U2U relay adds the identification information of the remote UE to the target UE list.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery response message (i.e., the UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message introduced above), and the U2N relay discovery response message is used to respond to the U2N relay discovery request message. Exemplarily, the U2N relay discovery response message is sent in a broadcast form, or it can also be sent in a unicast form. For example, after the second terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the third terminal device, the second terminal device sends a U2N relay discovery response message to respond to the third terminal device. Optionally, after the second terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the third terminal device, if the second terminal device matches the value of the RSC and target information (if any) included in the U2N relay discovery request message, the second terminal device sends a U2N relay discovery response message to respond to the third terminal device. In addition, for the information included in the U2N relay discovery response message, please refer to the above introduction and description, which will not be repeated here.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, for a U2N relay discovery response message sent by a second terminal device, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device can be indicated by adding or not adding first indication information in the U2N relay discovery response message; or, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device can be indicated by adding first indication information in the U2N relay discovery response message and using the value of the first indication information. After the first terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery response message sent by the second terminal device, it can determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device based on whether the U2N relay discovery response message includes the first indication information, or based on the value of the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery response message. It can then decide whether to add the identification information of the second terminal device to the target UE list.

[0105] For example, as shown in FIG8 , the 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery process based on mode B may include the following steps:

[0106] 1. The remote UE sends a UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Solicitation message.

[0107] 2. U2N relay-1 sends a U2N relay discovery response message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message) to the remote UE. The U2N relay discovery response message includes first indication information (such as Relay Indication), which is used to indicate that the U2N relay-1 can be discovered through the U2U relay device;

[0108] 3. When it is determined, based on the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery response message sent by U2N relay-1, that U2N relay-1 can be discovered through the U2U relay, the U2U relay adds the identification information of U2N relay-1 to the target UE list.

[0109] For example, as shown in FIG9 , the 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery process based on mode B may include the following steps:

[0110] 1. The remote UE sends a U2N relay discovery request message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Solicitation message), where the U2N relay discovery request message includes first indication information (such as Relay Indication) for indicating that the remote UE can be discovered through the U2U relay device;

[0111] 2. U2N relay-1 sends a U2N relay discovery response message (UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Response message) to the remote UE. The U2N relay discovery response message includes first indication information (such as Relay Indication), which is used to indicate that the U2N relay-1 can be discovered through the U2U relay device;

[0112] 3. When it is determined that the remote UE can be discovered through the U2U relay based on the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the remote UE, the U2U relay adds the identification information of the remote UE to the target UE list; and / or, when it is determined that U2N relay-1 can be discovered through the U2U relay based on the first indication information included in the U2N relay discovery response message sent by U2N relay-1, the U2U relay adds the identification information of the U2N relay-1 to the target UE list.

[0113] Optionally, in the flowcharts shown in Figures 7, 8, and 9 above, a service authorization process may be included before step 1. Through this service authorization process, the U2N relay is authorized to perform U2N relay discovery and preconfigured with the necessary policies and authorization parameters for U2N relay discovery. The remote UE is authorized to perform U2N relay discovery. The U2U relay is authorized to perform U2U relay services and maintain a list of target UEs that can be discovered via the U2U relay.

[0114] In an embodiment of the present application, for the 5G ProSe U2N relay discovery process based on mode B, by adding or not adding the first indication information in the U2N relay discovery request message and / or U2N relay discovery request message sent by the terminal device, or by using the value of the first indication information added in the U2N relay discovery request message and / or U2N relay discovery request message sent by the terminal device, it is indicated whether the terminal device sending the message can be discovered through the U2U relay device. A method for updating the target UE list maintained by the U2U relay device based on the U2N relay discovery mode B is implemented, so that the U2U relay device can add the identification information of the terminal device willing to be discovered through the U2U relay device to the target UE list in the U2U relay scenario, which helps to improve the success rate and efficiency of connection establishment in the U2U relay scenario.

[0115] Next, it is described how to use the first indication information to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0116] In some embodiments, whether the message sent by the terminal device includes first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0117] Exemplarily, when the message sent by the second terminal device includes the first indication information, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the message sent by the second terminal device does not include the first indication information, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0118] For example, if the first message sent by the second terminal device includes the first indication information, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; if the first message sent by the second terminal device does not include the first indication information, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device. Accordingly, after the first terminal device receives the first message sent by the second terminal device, if the first message includes the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; if the first message does not include the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0119] For another example, when the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the second terminal device includes the first indication information, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the second terminal device does not include the first indication information, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device. Accordingly, after the first terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery request message sent by the second terminal device, when the U2N relay discovery request message includes the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the U2N relay discovery request message does not include the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0120] For another example, when the U2N relay discovery response message sent by the second terminal device includes the first indication information, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the U2N relay discovery response message sent by the second terminal device does not include the first indication information, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device. Accordingly, after the first terminal device receives the U2N relay discovery response message sent by the second terminal device, when the U2N relay discovery response message includes the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the U2N relay discovery response message does not include the first indication information, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0121] Exemplarily, when the first indication information is not included in the message sent by the second terminal device, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the first indication information is included in the message sent by the second terminal device, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device. For example, when the first indication information is not included in the first message sent by the second terminal device, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the first indication information is included in the first message sent by the second terminal device, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device. Accordingly, after the first terminal device receives the first message sent by the second terminal device, when the first indication information is not included in the first message, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the first indication information is included in the first message, the first terminal device determines that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0122] Through the above-mentioned manner, it is realized that whether the message sent by the terminal device includes the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0123] In some embodiments, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. That is, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. Accordingly, after the first terminal device receives a first message sent by the second terminal device including the first indication information, it determines whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the value of the first indication information included in the first message.

[0124] Exemplarily, when the value of the first indication information is a first value, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is a second value, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device; wherein the first value and the second value are different.

[0125] For example, the first value is 1 and the second value is 0. When the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0126] For another example, the first value is 0 and the second value is 1. When the value of the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0127] For another example, when the first value is greater than or equal to 1 and the second value is 0, when the value of the first indication information is greater than or equal to 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is 0, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0128] For another example, when the value of the first indication information is not empty, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is empty, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0129] For another example, when the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is empty or 0, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0130] For example, when the value of the first indication information is greater than or equal to 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is empty or 0, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0131] It should be noted that the above-mentioned first value and second value can be specified or pre-configured by the protocol, and this application does not limit this. Moreover, the above description of the specific values ​​of the first value and the second value is only exemplary, and this application does not limit their specific values. In addition, it should be understood that the above description uses the example of the first indication information having two values. It should be understood that the first indication information can include more values, and when the first indication information takes one or more values, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, and when the first indication information takes other values ​​different from one or more values, it indicates that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0132] Through the above method, the value of the first indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device. The first terminal device can receive signaling containing the first indication information sent by the second terminal device, and the second terminal device can indicate to the first terminal device whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the value of the first indication information.

[0133] In some embodiments, the value of the first indication information is further used to indicate the number of hops through which the second terminal device can be discovered to the U2U relay device. Exemplarily, when the first indication information takes different values, the number of hops through which the second terminal device can be discovered to the U2U relay device is also different.

[0134] Exemplarily, when the value of the first indication information is the third value, the second terminal device can be discovered through a single-hop U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is the fourth value, the second terminal device can be discovered through a two-hop U2U relay device, and the third value and the fourth value are different. For example, when the value of the first indication information is 1, the second terminal device can be discovered through a single-hop U2U relay device; when the value of the first indication information is 2, the second terminal device can be discovered through a two-hop U2U relay device.

[0135] Exemplarily, when the value of the first indication information is n, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through n-hop U2U relay devices, where n is a positive integer. For example, when the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through one-hop U2U relay devices; when the value of the first indication information is 2, the second terminal device can be discovered through two-hop U2U relay devices; when the value of the first indication information is 3, the second terminal device can be discovered through three-hop U2U relay devices, and so on.

[0136] Exemplarily, when the value of the first indication information is the third value, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device with one hop; when the value of the first indication information is the fourth value, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device with multiple hops (including 2 hops and more), and the third value and the fourth value are different. For example, when the value of the first indication information is 1, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device with one hop; when the value of the first indication information is 2, it indicates that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device with multiple hops (including 2 hops and more). Thus, the second terminal device can indicate to the first terminal device that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device with a specified number of hops based on the value of the first indication information.

[0137] It should be noted that the third and fourth values ​​described above may be specified or pre-configured by the protocol, and this application does not limit this. Furthermore, the specific values ​​of the third and fourth values ​​described above are merely exemplary, and this application does not limit their specific values. Furthermore, it should be understood that while the above description uses two values ​​for the first indication information as an example, it should be understood that the first indication information may include more values ​​and may also indicate the number of hops through the value, i.e., a specific value corresponds to a specific number of hops.

[0138] Through the above method, it is achieved that the value of the first indication information is used to indicate the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the terminal device can be discovered.

[0139] The first terminal device can determine its own hop count relative to the second terminal device, and if the hop count of the first terminal device satisfies the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first terminal device's identification information is added to a first list, which is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario. That is, the first terminal device can determine whether it can serve as a U2U relay device for the second terminal device. In some possible implementations, the first terminal device first determines whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, and if it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, then determines the hop count of the U2U relay device that the second terminal device can support and its own hop count relative to the second terminal device. Alternatively, the first terminal device first determines its own hop count relative to the second terminal device, then determines whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, and if it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, then determines the hop count of the U2U relay device that the second terminal device can support. This disclosure is not limited to this. In addition, the second terminal device can clearly indicate the specific value of the supported number of hops, or only whether single hop or multi-hop is supported, through the first indication information.

[0140] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is a first U2U relay device, which can be understood as any U2U relay device in the communication system. When the first U2U relay device determines that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, and the number of hops of the first U2U relay device meets the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device adds the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list, which is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario. Optionally, when the first U2U relay device determines that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list; or, when the number of hops of the first U2U relay device does not meet the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list.

[0141] For example, when it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, and the number of hops of the first U2U relay device meets the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device adds the User Info ID and / or Layer 2 ID of the second terminal device to the target UE list, which is used to store the identification information of the candidate target UE in the U2U relay scenario, that is, the first U2U relay device updates the target UE list based on the first indication information. Optionally, when it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the User Info ID and / or Layer 2 ID of the second terminal device to the target UE list; or, when the number of hops of the first U2U relay device does not meet the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device does not add the User Info ID and / or Layer 2 ID of the second terminal device to the target UE list, that is, the target UE list of the first U2U relay device is updated but the target UE list is not updated for the second terminal device.

[0142] In some embodiments, the hop count of the first U2U relay device satisfies the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, which means that the hop count of the first U2U relay device is equal to the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered. The hop count of the first U2U relay device does not satisfy the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, which means that the hop count of the first U2U relay device is not equal to the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered. For example, assuming that the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered is 1, the above condition is satisfied when the hop count of the first U2U relay device is also 1; otherwise, when the hop count of the first U2U relay device is not 1, the above condition is not satisfied.

[0143] In some embodiments, the hop count of the first U2U relay device satisfies the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, which means that the hop count of the first U2U relay device is less than or equal to the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered. The hop count of the first U2U relay device does not satisfy the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, which means that the hop count of the first U2U relay device is greater than the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered. For example, assuming that the hop count of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered is 2, the above condition is satisfied when the hop count of the first U2U relay device is 1 or 2; otherwise, the above condition is not satisfied when the hop count of the first U2U relay device is greater than 2.

[0144] Through the above method, on the basis of the first indication information indicating whether the terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, the judgment condition of the number of hops is further added, so that the identification information of the terminal device is added to the target UE list only when the number of hops of the U2U relay device meets the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the terminal device can be discovered, thereby better meeting the personalized needs of the terminal device in the U2U relay scenario.

[0145] It should be noted that the steps performed by the first terminal device in the above method embodiment can be independently implemented as a wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, and the steps performed by the second terminal device in the above method embodiment can be independently implemented as a wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0146] The following are device embodiments of the present application, which can be used to implement the method embodiments of the present application. For details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present application, please refer to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0147] Please refer to Figure 10, which shows a block diagram of a wireless communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned method example on the first terminal device side. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the first terminal device described above, or it can be set in the first terminal device. As shown in Figure 10, the device 1000 may include: a receiving module 1010 and a processing module 1020.

[0148] The receiving module 1010 is configured to receive a first message sent by a second terminal device.

[0149] The processing module 1020 is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device according to the first message.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery request message, and the U2N relay discovery request message is used to request discovery of a U2N relay device.

[0151] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery response message, and the U2N relay discovery response message is used to respond to a U2N relay discovery request message.

[0152] In some embodiments, the processing module 1020 is used to determine that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device when the first indication information is included in the first message; or to determine that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device when the first indication information is not included in the first message.

[0153] In some embodiments, the processing module 1020 is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the value of the first indication information included in the first message.

[0154] In some embodiments, the value of the first indication information is also used to indicate the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is a first U2U relay device. The processing module 1020 is further configured to, upon determining that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, add the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list for storing identification information of candidate target terminal devices in a U2U relay scenario.

[0156] In some embodiments, the processing module 1020 is further configured to not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list if it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first terminal device is a first U2U relay device. The processing module 1020 is further configured to, upon determining that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device and the number of hops of the first U2U relay device satisfies the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, add the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list for storing identification information of candidate target terminal devices in a U2U relay scenario.

[0158] In some embodiments, the processing module 1020 is further configured to, if it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through a U2U relay device, not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list; or, if the number of hops of the first U2U relay device does not meet the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list. Here, not adding the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list can be understood as not processing the identification information of the second terminal device, or can be understood as discarding the identification information of the second terminal device, etc.

[0159] Please refer to Figure 11, which shows a block diagram of a wireless communication device provided by another embodiment of the present application. The device has the function of implementing the above-mentioned method example on the second terminal device side. The function can be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The device can be the second terminal device described above, or it can be set in the second terminal device. As shown in Figure 11, the device 1100 may include: a sending module 1110.

[0160] The sending module 1110 is used to send a first message, where the first message is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery request message, and the U2N relay discovery request message is used to request discovery of a U2N relay device.

[0162] In some embodiments, the first message is a U2N relay discovery response message, and the U2N relay discovery response message is used to respond to a U2N relay discovery request message.

[0163] In some embodiments, when the first indication information is included in the first message, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; or, when the first indication information is not included in the first message, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0164] In some embodiments, the first message includes first indication information, and the value of the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

[0165] In some embodiments, the value of the first indication information is also used to indicate the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered.

[0166] It should be noted that, when the device provided in the above embodiment realizes its function, it only uses the division of the above-mentioned functional modules as an example. In actual application, the above-mentioned functions can be distributed and completed by different functional modules according to actual needs, that is, the content structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0167] Regarding the apparatus in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs operations has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0168] Please refer to Figure 12, which shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal device provided in one embodiment of the present application. The terminal device 1200 may include: a processor 1201, a receiver 1202, a transmitter 1203, a memory 1204, and a bus 1205. The terminal device 1200 may be the first terminal device and / or the second terminal device described above. The processor 1201 may be used to implement the functions of the processing module in the above-mentioned device embodiment, the receiver 1202 may be used to implement the functions of the receiving module in the above-mentioned device embodiment, and the transmitter 1203 may be used to implement the functions of the sending module in the above-mentioned device embodiment.

[0169] The processor 1201 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 1201 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0170] The receiver 1202 and the transmitter 1203 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip.

[0171] The memory 1204 is connected to the processor 1201 via a bus 1205 .

[0172] The memory 1204 can be used to store computer programs, and the processor 1201 is used to execute the computer programs to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0173] In addition, the memory 1204 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof. The volatile or non-volatile storage device includes but is not limited to: a magnetic disk or an optical disk, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a static random-access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a magnetic memory, a flash memory, and a programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0174] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. The computer program is used to be executed by a processor of a terminal device to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0175] Optionally, the computer-readable storage medium may include: ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random-Access Memory), SSD (Solid State Drives), or an optical disk, etc. Among them, the random access memory may include ReRAM (Resistance Random Access Memory) and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0176] An embodiment of the present application also provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions. When the chip is running on a terminal device, it is used to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0177] An embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program, and the computer program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The processor of the terminal device reads and executes the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, or to implement the above-mentioned wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0178] An embodiment of the present application also provides a communication system, which includes a first terminal device and a second terminal device, wherein the first terminal device is used to execute the wireless communication method on the first terminal device side, and the second terminal device is used to execute the wireless communication method on the second terminal device side.

[0179] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0180] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0181] In some embodiments of the present application, "predefined" may be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (e.g., including a terminal device and a network device), and the present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined may refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0182] In some embodiments of the present application, the "protocol" may refer to a standard protocol in the field of communications, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, a NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and this application does not limit this.

[0183] In this document, "plurality" refers to two or more. "And / or" describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects.

[0184] In addition, the step numbers described in this document only illustrate a possible execution order between the steps. In some other embodiments, the above steps may not be executed in the order of the numbers, such as two steps with different numbers are executed at the same time, or two steps with different numbers are executed in the opposite order of the diagram. The embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0185] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0186] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, the method being executed by a first terminal device, characterized in that: The method comprises: Receiving a first message sent by a second terminal device; Determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device based on the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first message is a U2N relay discovery request message, and the U2N relay discovery request message is used to request discovery of a U2N relay device.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first message is a U2N relay discovery response message, and the U2N relay discovery response message is used to respond to a U2N relay discovery request message.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The determining, according to the first message, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device includes: In a case where the first message includes the first indication information, determining that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; and / or When the first indication information is not included in the first message, it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The determining, according to the first message, whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device includes: Determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device according to the value of the first indication information included in the first message.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The value of the first indication information is also used to indicate the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first terminal device is a first U2U relay device, and the method further includes: When it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device adds the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list, and the first list is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further comprises: When it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first terminal device is a first U2U relay device, and the method further includes: When it is determined that the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device, and the number of hops of the first U2U relay device satisfies the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device adds the identification information of the second terminal device to a first list, and the first list is used to store the identification information of candidate target terminal devices in the U2U relay scenario.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that The method further comprises: In a case where it is determined that the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list; or, When the number of hops of the first U2U relay device does not satisfy the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered, the first U2U relay device does not add the identification information of the second terminal device to the first list.

11. A wireless communication method, the method being executed by a second terminal device, characterized in that: The method comprises: Send a first message, the first message is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be transmitted through the U2U relay device Discover.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first message is a U2N relay discovery request message, and the U2N relay discovery request message is used to request discovery of a U2N relay device.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The first message is a U2N relay discovery response message, and the U2N relay discovery response message is used to respond to a U2N relay discovery request message.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: In a case where the first message includes the first indication information, the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device; and / or When the first indication information is not included in the first message, the second terminal device cannot be discovered through the U2U relay device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The first message includes first indication information, and the value of the first indication information is used to indicate whether the second terminal device can be discovered through the U2U relay device.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The value of the first indication information is also used to indicate the number of hops of the U2U relay device through which the second terminal device can be discovered.

17. A wireless communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A receiving module, used to receive a first message sent by a second terminal device; A processing module is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device based on the first message.

18. A wireless communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A sending module is used to send a first message, where the first message is used to determine whether the second terminal device can be discovered through a U2U relay device.

19. A terminal device, characterized in that: The terminal device includes a processor and a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in the memory, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to be executed by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

21. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and when the chip is running, it is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program, which is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. A processor reads and executes the computer program from the computer-readable storage medium to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, or implements the method according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

23. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system comprises a first terminal device and a second terminal device, the first terminal device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and the second terminal device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 16.

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