Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless communication

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. A method includes receiving, by a first wireless communication terminal, an aggregation configuration from a wireless communication node; and performing the aggregation configuration by the first wireless communication terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This document relates generally to wireless communications and in particular fifth generation (5G) wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] With the development of wireless multimedia services, the demand for high data rate services has increased significantly. In this case, the requirements for system capacity and coverage of conventional cellular networks have become higher. In addition, due to application scenarios such as public safety, social networks, short-range data sharing, local advertising, etc., people's demand for proximity services is also increasing, which allow people to confirm or communicate with nearby people or objects. However, conventional cellular networks have limitations in supporting high data rate services and proximity services. Therefore, device-to-device (D2D) communication technology is proposed to meet such needs. By adopting D2D technology, the burden on cellular networks can be reduced, the power consumption of user equipment can be reduced, the data rate can be increased, and the robustness of the network infrastructure can be improved, thereby meeting the needs of high data rate services and proximity services. D2D technology is also called proximity service (ProSe) or sidelink communication, and the interface between devices is called PC5 interface. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present disclosure relates to methods, devices, and computer program products for wireless communications corresponding to user equipment (UE) aggregation.

[0004] One aspect of the present invention relates to a wireless communication method. In one embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: receiving, by a first wireless communication terminal, an aggregation configuration from a wireless communication node; and executing, by the first wireless communication terminal, the aggregation configuration.

[0005] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method. In one embodiment, the wireless communication method includes: receiving terminal aggregation information from a core network by a wireless communication node; and performing aggregation configuration by the wireless communication node.

[0006] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication terminal. In one embodiment, the wireless communication terminal includes a communication unit and a processor. The processor is configured to: receive an aggregation configuration from a wireless communication node; and execute the aggregation configuration.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication node. In one embodiment, the wireless communication node includes a communication unit and a processor. The processor is configured to: receive terminal aggregation information from a core network; and perform aggregation configuration.

[0008] Various embodiments may preferably achieve the following features:

[0009] Preferably, the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0010] Aggregate index;

[0011] One or more terminal identifiers (IDs) for aggregation;

[0012] Aggregation mode;

[0013] Bearer mapping configuration;

[0014] a configuration for at least one of data replication or data splitting;

[0015] Route instructions;

[0016] Aggregate assistance information to be used by the aggregated terminal; or

[0017] Aggregation criteria.

[0018] Preferably, the terminal ID may be at least one of the following:

[0019] Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI),

[0020] System Architecture Evolution Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI), or

[0021] The aggregate ID received from the wireless communication node.

[0022] Preferably, the aggregation mode configuration includes at least one of the following items:

[0023] Radio Bearer (RB) level aggregation;

[0024] Aggregation like Dual Active Protocol Stack (DAPS); or

[0025] Radio Link Control (RLC) channel level aggregation.

[0026] Preferably, the bearer mapping configuration includes at least one of the following items:

[0027] mapping between a radio bearer (RB) of the first wireless communication terminal and an RB of the first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal;

[0028] a mapping between a radio bearer (RB) of the first wireless communication terminal and an aggregated terminal ID for the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal;

[0029] a mapping between a QoS flow identifier (QFI) of the first wireless communication terminal and a radio bearer (RB) of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal; or

[0030] A mapping between a QoS flow identifier (QFI) of a first wireless communication terminal and an aggregated terminal ID for the first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal.

[0031] Preferably, the bearer mapping configuration includes mapping between RBs of the first wireless communication terminal and Uu RLC channels of the second wireless communication terminal, wherein the Uu RLC channels of the second wireless communication terminal are identified by terminal ID, logical channel ID (LCID), or RLC channel ID.

[0032] Preferably, the bearer mapping configuration includes at least one of the following items:

[0033] an indication of a first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal instructing allocation of a common Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) Sequence Number (SN);

[0034] Instruction of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal responsible for the PDCP reordering function and the discarding function;

[0035] Allocating an RB of a first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal of a common PDCP entity of a PDCP SN;

[0036] An RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal of a common PDCP entity responsible for a PDCP reordering function and a discard function; or

[0037] The RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal participating in the PDCP encryption or decryption, compression or decompression process.

[0038] Preferably, the RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal is identified via the terminal ID and / or RB ID of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal.

[0039] Preferably, the configuration for at least one of data replication or data splitting includes at least one of the following:

[0040] Indicates whether data replication is enabled or disabled.

[0041] Indicates whether data splitting is enabled or disabled.

[0042] Data splitting threshold,

[0043] Split ratio,

[0044] The number of copies,

[0045] Buffer Status Report (BSR) reporting indication, or

[0046] Terminal ID used for BSR reporting.

[0047] Preferably, the path indication includes at least one of the following items:

[0048] Path ID;

[0049] Main or auxiliary path indication;

[0050] A combination of a Terminal ID and a Logical Channel ID (LCID); or

[0051] A combination of terminal ID and RB ID.

[0052] Preferably, the aggregated assistance information to be used by the aggregated terminals includes at least one of the following items:

[0053] A dedicated Random Access Channel (RACH) preamble; or

[0054] Cause value from the wireless communication node.

[0055] Preferably, the first wireless communication terminal sends terminal aggregation information to the wireless communication node, and the terminal aggregation information includes at least one of the following items:

[0056] Terminal ID;

[0057] Terminal ID request for aggregation;

[0058] A serving cell ID of the wireless communication terminal;

[0059] capabilities of wireless communication terminals;

[0060] an indication of supported aggregation modes of a wireless communication terminal;

[0061] the number of candidate wireless communication terminals;

[0062] Terminal aggregation information of candidate wireless communication terminals; or

[0063] Terminal status report.

[0064] Preferably, the capabilities of the wireless communication terminal include at least one of the following items: aggregation capability, power constraint, frequency band combination, radio capability, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), or quality of service (QoS) parameters; wherein: the AMBR includes at least one of an uplink (UL) AMBR or a downlink (DL) AMBR; or the QoS parameters include an allowed QoS profile for Uu communication (e.g., communication via a Uu interface) of the first wireless communication terminal.

[0065] Preferably, the terminal status report includes information on at least one of data rate, reliability, packet delay budget (PDB) requirement, or channel condition.

[0066] Preferably, the first wireless communication terminal receives the aggregation configuration of the first wireless communication terminal from the wireless communication node directly or via another wireless communication terminal.

[0067] Preferably, the first wireless communication terminal sends the terminal aggregation information to the wireless communication node directly or via another wireless communication terminal.

[0068] Preferably, the first wireless communication terminal receives an instruction for enabling or disabling aggregation.

[0069] Preferably, the indication for enabling or disabling aggregation includes at least one of the following items: an indication for a path to be enabled or disabled, an indication for enabling or disabling replication, or an indication for enabling or disabling splitting.

[0070] Preferably, the aggregation criterion comprises at least one of a threshold value of data rate, a threshold value of reliability, or a threshold value of PDB.

[0071] Preferably, the first wireless communication terminal performs an aggregation configuration including: the first wireless communication terminal performs aggregate data communication, the aggregate data communication includes at least one of the following items: communication directly with the wireless communication node; or communication through a second wireless communication terminal, which relays data between the first wireless communication terminal and the wireless communication node.

[0072] Preferably, executing the aggregation configuration includes: sending data packets for a QoS flow to the wireless communication node by the first wireless communication terminal via the second wireless communication terminal, and the QoS flow is mapped to the RB of the second wireless communication terminal according to the bearer mapping configuration of the aggregation configuration.

[0073] Preferably, executing the aggregation configuration includes: sending a data packet by the first wireless communication terminal to the wireless communication node via the second wireless communication terminal, and the data packet is mapped to the Uu RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal according to the bearer mapping configuration of the aggregation configuration.

[0074] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0075] establishing, by the first wireless communication terminal, an RLC entity and an associated logical channel, the RLC entity and the associated logical channel being different from an RLC entity and the associated logical channel established by the second wireless communication terminal;

[0076] Allocating, by the first wireless communication terminal, a common PDCP SN according to the aggregation configuration;

[0077] performing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by the PDCP entity of the first wireless communication terminal separately from a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by the PDCP entity of the second wireless communication terminal; or

[0078] The split or duplicated PDCP SDUs with a common PDCP SN are sent by the first wireless communication terminal to the second wireless communication terminal.

[0079] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0080] receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal, downlink data from the wireless communication node;

[0081] performing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a security function and a ROHC decompression function on downlink data by the PDCP entity, separately from a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by the PDCP entity of the second wireless communication terminal; or

[0082] The first wireless communication terminal performs a PDCP reordering function, a duplicate detection function, and a discarding function on the downlink data according to the common PDCP SN and the aggregation configuration.

[0083] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0084] Receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal, a BSR report indication for aggregated RBs, logical channels, and LCGs from a wireless communication node; or

[0085] The first wireless communication terminal sends a BSR report to the wireless communication node.

[0086] Preferably, executing the aggregation configuration includes: sending, by the first wireless communication terminal, a BSR report including a PDCP data volume of the PDCP entity to a wireless communication node serving the PDCP entity.

[0087] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0088] The first wireless communication terminal determines, according to the SDAP configuration, that the data packet is mapped to the Uu RB of the first wireless communication terminal;

[0089] performing PDCP processing on the data packet by the first wireless communication terminal to generate a PDCP PDU;

[0090] The first wireless communication terminal determines, according to the bearer mapping configuration, that the PDCP PDU is mapped to the RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal; or

[0091] The PDCP PDU is sent by the first wireless communication terminal to the RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal.

[0092] Preferably, executing the aggregation configuration includes: the first wireless communication terminal sends copies of the PDCP PDU to RLC channels of multiple wireless communication terminals respectively according to the aggregation configuration.

[0093] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration comprises: determining, by the first wireless communication terminal, wireless communication terminals to be involved in transmission for the aggregation in response to an aggregation criterion being satisfied.

[0094] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration comprises: activating or deactivating the aggregate path according to the indication for the path to be enabled or disabled by the first wireless communication terminal.

[0095] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0096] The first wireless communication terminal establishes at least one of an RB, an RLC channel, or a logical channel, makes a copy of the data packet, and delivers the data packet to at least one of the RB, the RLC channel, or the logical channel according to the indication for enabling; or

[0097] The first wireless communication terminal suspends or releases at least one of the RB, the RLC channel, or the logical channel according to the instruction for disabling.

[0098] Preferably, performing the aggregation configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0099] Delivering, by the first wireless communication terminal, a data packet to at least one of an RB, an RLC channel, or a logical channel based on a split ratio in response to an indication that data splitting is enabled; or

[0100] The first wireless communication terminal avoids splitting the data packet according to the instruction for disabling.

[0101] Preferably, the terminal aggregation information includes at least one of the following items:

[0102] Aggregate authorization information for wireless communication terminals;

[0103] a terminal ID for one or more wireless communication terminals;

[0104] the capabilities of one or more wireless communication terminals; or

[0105] Supported aggregation modes.

[0106] Preferably, the aggregation authorization information includes at least one of the following items: an indication authorizing the wireless communication terminal to relay data of another wireless communication terminal, or an indication authorizing the wireless communication terminal to aggregate another wireless communication terminal to deliver its own data.

[0107] Preferably, the capabilities of the wireless communication terminal include at least one of aggregation capability, power constraint, frequency band combination, radio capability, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR) or quality of service (QoS) parameters; wherein: AMBR includes at least one of uplink (UL) AMBR or downlink (DL) AMBR; or the QoS parameters include an allowed QoS profile for Uu communication of the wireless communication terminal.

[0108] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to provide features that will become apparent by reference to the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0109] Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order and / or hierarchy of the steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in a sample order, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0110] The above and other aspects and implementations thereof are described in more detail in the drawings, the description and the claims.

[0111] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of UE to network relay communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0112] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of UE aggregation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0113] Figures 3 to 5 A schematic diagram showing allocation of UE IDs according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0114] Figure 6 and Figure 7 RB (Radio Bearer) level aggregation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0115] Figures 8 to 10 A DAPS-like aggregation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0116] Fig.11 RLC (Radio Link Control) level aggregation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0117] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0118] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0119] In order to support a wider range of applications and services, a sidelink-based relay communication is proposed to expand the coverage and reduce the power consumption of the network. For example, the sidelink-based relay communication can be applied to indoor relay communication, smart agriculture, smart factories, and public safety services. Figure 1 A scenario is shown in which a sidelink-based relay communication is applied in an area with weak or no coverage, the relay communication including a user equipment (UE) (e.g., Figure 1 In this case, UE1 is allowed to communicate with the network via nearby UE2 covered by the network (e.g., Figure 1 The invention relates to a method for communicating with a base station (BS) shown in the figure. Therefore, the coverage of the network is extended and the capacity of the network is also expanded. In this scenario, UE2 is called a UE-to-network relay, and UE1 is called a remote UE. On the other hand, if the remote UE is within the coverage area, multipath relay can be supported. Specifically, within the coverage area, the remote UE is connected to the network via direct (data sent directly between the remote UE and the network) and indirect (data forwarded via a relay) paths, which can potentially improve reliability and / or robustness as well as throughput.

[0120] This multi-path relay solution can also be used for UE aggregation, where a UE is connected to the network via a direct path and via another UE using non-standardized UE-UE interconnection. Figure 2 A scenario in which UE aggregation is applied is shown, including a user equipment (UE) (e.g., Figure 1 UE1 shown), which aggregates other UEs (e.g., Figure 2UE2 and UE3 shown) for their uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission to the network. The interconnection between UE1 and UE2 or between UE1 and UE3 can be based on a side link, Wifi, Bluetooth, or a wired connection. In the case where normal UEs are limited by the UL UE transmission power to achieve the required bit rate, UE aggregation can provide high UL bit rates for applications on 5G terminals, especially at the edge of the cell. In addition, UE aggregation can also improve the reliability and stability of services and reduce delays.

[0121] Many aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems, and devices for UE aggregation communications, such as protocol architecture, aggregation modes, and configurations.

[0122] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, UE aggregation is provided to support the requirements of UL services, including data rate, delay, and reliability. In this case, the UE group is regarded as a virtual UE. Specifically, the UE is simultaneously connected to the network via a direct path (e.g., via the Uu interface of the UE between the UE and the gNB) and via another UE using non-standardized UE-UE interconnection. To support this multipath scenario, the following example is described.

[0123] Example 1

[0124] In this example, it is described how the network identifies UEs with aggregation capabilities and determines potential UEs for aggregate operation.

[0125] Compared to SL (Sidelink) U2N (UE to Network) relay, there is no need to define a relay discovery procedure due to the non-standardized UE-UE interconnection between aggregated UEs. Relay discovery or aggregated UE discovery may depend on UE implementation. However, an aggregate candidate UE report may be required, which can help the gNB (gNodeB) determine potential UEs for aggregated operation.

[0126] like Figure 2 As shown, UE1 has data transmission or reception requirements, and UE2 and UE3 have non-standardized UE-UE interconnections with UE1, respectively. In this case, UE1 can aggregate UE2 and UE3 for data transmission or reception of UE1. In order to support UE aggregation, the gNB should be able to obtain UE aggregation information of the UE, such as the UE ID of the candidate UE for aggregation and the UE capabilities for aggregation. Specifically, UE1 can send the UE aggregation information to the gNB. Alternatively, the gNB can obtain the UE aggregation information from the 5GC (5G core network). The UE aggregation information may include at least one of the following information:

[0127] 1) UE ID of the candidate UE for aggregation;

[0128] 2) Serving cell ID of the candidate UE for aggregation (assuming inter-gNB UE aggregation is considered);

[0129] 3) UE capabilities of the candidate UEs, such as aggregation capabilities, power constraints, band combinations, radio capabilities, AMBR (aggregate maximum bit rate), or QoS (quality of service) parameters, etc.; and / or

[0130] 4) Supported aggregation modes such as duplication or data splitting, or aggregation based on RLC (Radio Link Control) channels or DAPS (Dual Active Protocol Stack) or separate RBs (Radio Bearers).

[0131] In some embodiments, the AMBR may be one of: UL AMBR and / or DL ​​AMBR.The QoS parameter may be an allowed QoS profile for UE Uu communications.

[0132] The aggregation capability may include one of the following: the number of UEs allowed for aggregate transmission, the capability of relaying other UEs' data as one of the aggregated UEs, and / or the capability of aggregating other UEs for own data delivery.

[0133] Regarding the UE ID of the candidate UE for aggregation, the UE ID may be a C-RNTI (Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier), an S-TMSI (SAE (System Architecture Evolution) Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity), or other IDs newly allocated by the gNB (referred to as an aggregated ID). For example, UE2 and UE3 may send their C-RNTI or S-TMSI to UE1. In one embodiment, assuming that a new ID allocated by the gNB is used, the following process may be considered:

[0134] (1) Each RRC_Connected UE has its own ID for aggregation. Figure 3 As shown, UE1, UE2, and UE3 capable of aggregation may report their aggregation capabilities to the gNB, respectively (steps 1, 3, and 5). Then, the gNB allocates and sends aggregation IDs to UE1, UE2, and UE3, respectively (steps 2, 4, and 6). UE1, UE2, and UE3 may negotiate an aggregation ID via interconnection (step 7). When UE1 has an aggregation requirement, UE1 may report the UE IDs of UE2 and / or UE3 to the gNB (step 8). Based on UE1's report, the gNB may identify candidate UEs for aggregation operation of UE1. On the other hand, UE1 may report the serving cell IDs of UE2 and / or UE3 to the gNB, which may help the gNB determine an appropriate set of UEs for aggregation.

[0135] (2) Aggregate ID acquisition on behalf of other UEs. Assuming that UE2 and UE3 are initially in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, UE1 can request the aggregate ID for UE1, UE2, and UE3 respectively. Figure 4 As shown, UE1 may send UE aggregation capability information and / or a UE aggregation ID request to the gNB (step 1). The UE aggregation ID request may include the number of potential UEs for aggregation. The gNB may then send a set of aggregation IDs to UE1 (step 2). In addition, the gNB may send one or more dedicated RACH (random access channel) preambles and / or cause values ​​to UE1, which may facilitate contention-free random access for UE2 and UE3. After receiving the aggregation ID, UE1 may notify UE2 and UE3 of the aggregation ID, dedicated RACH preamble, and / or cause value (step 3). UE2 and UE3 may then establish an RRC connection using the pre-allocated dedicated RACH preamble and cause value (step 4). In addition, UE2 and UE3 may report their aggregation IDs to the gNB in ​​RRC signaling for identifying the aggregated UE set.

[0136] (3) Aggregation information acquisition based on 5GC. UE1, UE2, and UE3 are connected to the network, and UE1, UE2, and UE3 may have UE aggregation subscription information in 5GC (step 1). In this case, the gNB may obtain UE aggregation information from the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function), such as Figure 3 as shown (step 2).

[0137] For example, the gNB may obtain a UE aggregation authorization IE (information element) for a given UE from the AMF. The UE aggregation authorization IE may include any combination of: an indication that the given UE is authorized as one of the aggregated UEs to relay data of other UEs, and / or an indication that the given UE is authorized to aggregate other UEs for its own data delivery.

[0138] Additionally, the gNB may obtain the Aggregation ID from the AMF. Additionally, the gNB may obtain the Aggregation ID of the candidate aggregated UEs for a given UE from the AMF.

[0139] In addition, the gNB may obtain UE aggregation capability information of a given UE and / or candidate aggregated UEs from the AMF. The UE aggregation capability information may include at least one of the following information: Tx power limit, band combination, AMBR, and / or UE radio capability.

[0140] Based on the above information, the gNB can determine whether to enable UE aggregation transmission for a given UE and perform the corresponding UE aggregation configuration.

[0141] Assuming that UE2 or UE3 is not in the RRC_Connected state, the gNB may send paging of UE2 or UE3 to UE1, and UE1 delivers the information to UE2 or UE3. Then, UE2 or UE3 enters the RRC connected state to join the UE aggregation-based data transmission and / or reception for UE1.

[0142] Example 2

[0143] In this example, different aggregation modes and the protocol architecture used for the aggregation modes are given.

[0144] In some embodiments, UE aggregation can be used to improve UL throughput and reliability. Figure 6 As shown, it is assumed that UE1 transmits data services with gNB. UE1 and UE2 have a non-standardized UE-UE connection, and UE2 can assist UE1 in delivering aggregated data services with gNB. Assuming that gNB decides to aggregate UE1 and UE2 for UE1's services with gNB, the following protocol architecture can be considered:

[0145] Example 2.1

[0146] RB-level aggregation

[0147] by Figure 6 Taking the UP protocol stack in FIG. 1 as an example, UE1 may be configured with a QoS flow to be mapped to the DRB (Data Radio Bearer) of UE2. Figure 7 As shown, UE2 may receive a first UE aggregation configuration from the gNB, wherein the first UE aggregation configuration may include an RB ID and a corresponding UE ID (e.g., the UE ID of UE1). In addition, in step 2, UE1 may receive a second UE aggregation configuration from the gNB. The second UE aggregation configuration may include a mapping between a QFI (QoS flow identifier) ​​and RB information (e.g., the UE ID of UE2 and the RB ID of the DRB of UE2). In this case, in step 3, when UE1 receives a data packet for a given QoS flow, UE1 determines whether it is mapped to its own DRB or the DRB of the aggregated UE2. If it is mapped to the DRB of the aggregated UE2, UE1 delivers the packet to the aggregated UE2 via a non-standardized UE-UE connection. In addition, UE1 may send DRB information of a data packet belonging to UE2. After receiving such information, UE2 sends the packet and the corresponding DRB to the gNB via its Uu interface.

[0148] Alternatively, UE1 may receive a mapping between a QFI and a UE ID (e.g., UE2's ID) from the gNB for aggregation. After receiving a data packet associated with a given QFI, UE1 sends the packet to the corresponding mapping UE2 together with the QFI and UE1's UE ID. In this case, UE2 receives a mapping configuration between the combination of the QFI and the source aggregated UE ID and the DRB ID from the gNB. UE2 maps the data packet to the DRB and sends it to the gNB. In this case, the Figure 4 The protocol stack in, such as Uu-SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol) elements are located on the UE2 side.

[0149] Assuming that a given DRB at UE2 is dedicated to data traffic aggregation of UE1, the gNB can identify the UE to which the data packet belongs based on the DRB ID of UE2. On the other hand, if a given DRB at UE2 is used to deliver data traffic of multiple source aggregated UEs, source UE ID information may be required in the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol), RLC and / or Adaptation Layer subheader of the data packet.

[0150] On the other hand, for the CP (control plane), the service can also be offloaded to other aggregated UEs. For example, UE1 can receive the configuration of the mapping between SRB (signaling radio bearer) ID and aggregation ID from gNB.

[0151] In addition, UE1 can receive an SRB configuration from the gNB, which includes the aggregated UEID to be used to deliver SRB signaling. In this case, when UE1 has signaling for a given SRB, UE1 can determine whether the signaling is mapped to its own SRB or the aggregated UE. If it is mapped to the aggregated UE, UE1 can deliver the packet to the aggregated UE2 via a non-standardized UE-UE connection. At the same time, UE1 can send SRB ID information of the data packet belonging to UE2 to UE2. After receiving such information, UE2 sends the packet and the corresponding SRB to the gNB via its Uu interface.

[0152] On the other hand, DL traffic for UE1 may also be delivered by gNB to UE2 via the Uu interface. UE2 may identify the traffic as being for UE1 via the PDCP, RLC, and / or adaptation layer subheader of the data packet or via UE aggregation configuration (e.g., UE2's RB ID is associated with UE1's UE ID). UE2 then delivers the DL packet to UE1 via a non-standardized UE-UE connection.

[0153] In some embodiments, the protocol architecture may support RB-level aggregation. UE1 and UE2 may allocate PDCP SN (sequence number) and / or encrypt and / or decrypt packets via their own security keys, respectively. Since the PDCP SNs of UE1 and UE2 are independent of each other, it may be difficult to support data duplication or data splitting between aggregated UEs.

[0154] Example 2.2

[0155] Data splitting or replication similar to DAPS (Dual Active Protocol Stack)

[0156] In this case, DAPS-like data splitting or duplication is considered. For each RB configured with DAPS-like aggregation, both UE1 and UE2 establish an RLC (Radio Link Control) entity and an associated logical channel. In addition, both UE1 and UE2 have their own PDCP entity, which has respective security functions and ROHC (Robust Header Compression) functions for the RB and is associated with the RLC entity configured by UE1 and UE2, respectively. On the other hand, UE1 maintains the common PDCP SN allocation, and the split or duplicated PDCP SDU is forwarded to UE2 together with the common PDCP SN allocated by UE1 (e.g. Figure 8 UE1 and UE2 perform ROHC header compression and encryption respectively, and add a PDCP header. Regarding the gNB, the PDCP entity configured with DAPS-like aggregation maintains separate security functions and ROHC header decompression functions associated with each UE, while maintaining common functions for reordering, duplicate detection and discard, and in-sequence delivery of PDCP SDUs (Service Data Units) to upper layers.

[0157] In addition to the uplink, the downlink can also support DAPS-like UE aggregation. In this case, UE1 and UE2 receive downlink data from the gNB separately. Then, the PDCP entity of UE1 and the PDCP entity of UE2 maintain separate security functions and ROHC header decompression functions, while maintaining common functions for reordering, duplicate detection and discard, and in-sequence delivery of PDCP SDU to the upper layer of UE1.

[0158] Assuming that a given RB at UE2 is dedicated to data traffic aggregation of UE1, the gNB can identify the UE to which the data packet belongs based on the RB ID of UE2. On the other hand, if a given DRB at UE2 is used to deliver data traffic from multiple source aggregated UEs, it may be necessary to include the source UE ID information in the PDCP, RLC and / or adaptation layer subheader of the data packet.

[0159] For UE aggregation like DAPS, since a common PDCP SN is allocated to the corresponding RBs, data replication or data splitting between aggregated UEs can be supported. Taking the uplink as an example, the following data replication / splitting scenarios can be considered:

[0160] 1) UE1 delivers the source service, UE2 delivers the copy service 1, and UE3 delivers the copy service 2.

[0161] 2) UE1 delivers the split service, UE2 delivers the split service, and UE3 delivers the split service.

[0162] 3) UE1 delivers the source service, while UE2 and UE3 jointly deliver the split duplicate service.

[0163] 4) UE1 and UE2 jointly deliver the split source service, while UE3 delivers the duplicate service.

[0164] To support these scenarios, it is necessary to consider more flexible configurations for data splitting / duplication. Specifically, UE2 and / or UE3 may receive a DAPS-like aggregation configuration from the gNB, which may include any combination of the following fields: RB configuration, DAPS-like aggregation indication, RB ID of the common PDCP entity that allocates the PDCP SN, and / or source UE ID.

[0165] On the other hand, UE1 may receive a UE aggregation configuration having at least one of the following fields from the gNB: RB configuration, DAPS-like aggregation, indication of allocating PDCP SN, primary path indication, secondary path indication, data splitting threshold, and / or data splitting ratio. If the indication of allocating PDCP SN is set to true, UE1 is responsible for PDCP SN allocation. The primary path or secondary path indication indicates a logical channel via a combination of UE ID, CG (cell group) ID, and LCID (logical channel ID), or indicates a DRB via a combination of UE ID and DRB ID.

[0166] In addition, there may be more than one secondary path. In this case, UE1 (such as Figure 8 As shown) can receive an additional auxiliary path indication from the gNB, which indicates the logical channel via a combination of UE ID, CG ID, and LCID, or indicates the DRB via a combination of UE ID and DRB ID.

[0167] For example, the primary path indicates DRB1 of UE1, the secondary path indicates DRB2 of UE2, and the additional secondary path indicates DRB3 of UE3. The data splitting ratio is 1:1:2. When there is a data packet from the upper layer and the data packet is mapped to the DRB of UE1 for aggregation operation, the PDCP entity of UE1 is responsible for PDCP SN allocation. Then, if the total amount of PDCP data and RLC data waiting for initial transmission in the primary PDCP or RLC entity and the split secondary PDCP or RLC entity is equal to or greater than the data splitting threshold, UE1 submits the PDCP PDU (Protocol Data Unit) with the allocated common PDCP SN to the PDCP entity of the primary DRB or the PDCP entities of the two secondary DRBs based on the data splitting ratio. Otherwise, UE1 submits the PDCP PDU with the allocated common PDCP SN to the PDCP entity of the primary DRB. Then, the corresponding PDCP entity performs data compression and / or encryption and delivers the data packets to the lower layers (eg, RLC, MAC (Media Access Control), and / or PHY (Physical) layer) for uplink transmission.

[0168] It should be noted that one or more general path indications may be used instead of using the primary path indication and the secondary path indication. In this case, each path indication includes at least one of the following fields: path ID; a combination of UE ID, CG ID, and LCID; or a combination of UE ID and DRB ID; data split ratio; and / or replication number, etc.

[0169] Assuming that the aggregated UEs are served by the same gNB, the PDCP data volume may only need to be indicated once by one of the aggregated UEs. Specifically, the service initiating UE can report a BSR (buffer status report). Alternatively, the gNB can indicate which UE joining the aggregation should report the BSR. In this case, the UE can receive a BSR reporting indication for the RBs, logical channels and / or LCGs (logical channel groups) involved in the UE aggregation. On the other hand, if the inter-gNB scenario is considered, the PDCP entity needs to calculate its own PDCP data volume and report it to its serving gNB separately.

[0170] For DL ​​transmission, the UE may receive a UE aggregation configuration from the gNB, which may indicate whether DAPS aggregation is enabled. Each UE2 and UE3 may receive a DAPS-like aggregation configuration from the gNB, which may include any combination of the following fields: RB configuration, DAPS-like aggregation indication, RB ID of a common PDCP entity responsible for PDCP reordering and discard operations, and / or source UE ID. On the other hand, UE1 may receive at least one of the following fields for UE aggregation configuration from the gNB: RB configuration, DAPS-like aggregation, PDCP reception reordering and / or discard indication, path indication, data duplication indication. If the PDCP reception reordering and / or discard indication is set to true, UE1 is responsible for PDCP reordering and discarding received data packets from multiple paths. The path indication may include one or more paths, each path including at least one of the following fields: path ID; a combination of UE ID, CG ID, and LCID; or a combination of UE ID and DRB ID.

[0171] Assuming that UE1, UE2, or UE3 receives a data packet for DAPS-like aggregation associated with DRB1 of UE1 from the gNB, UE1, UE2, or UE3 performs data decryption and / or decompression, and then delivers the packet to a common PDCP entity for DRB1 of UE1 via a non-designated UE-UE interconnection. The common PDCP entity for DRB1 of UE1 performs PDCP reordering and discards duplicate PDCP packets, and delivers the PDCP SDU to upper layers.

[0172] Example 2.3

[0173] Aggregation based on PDCP duplication / splitting

[0174] In this case, the protocol architecture is similar to L2 (Layer 2) U2N relay. The adaptation sublayer is placed above the RLC sublayer of both CP and UP (User Plane) at the Uu interface. Fig.11 As shown, Uu SDAP (Service Data Adaptation Protocol), PDCP and RRC (Radio Resource Control) protocols terminate between UE1 and gNB, while adaptation, RLC, MAC and PHY protocols terminate in the link between L2 U2N relay UE and gNB. Unlike L2 U2N relay, the interface between UE1 and UE2 is a non-specified connection instead of a PC5 interface. With UE aggregation, data splitting / duplication can be considered for the direct and indirect paths of UE1.

[0175] The Uu adaptation sublayer supports UE1 identification information for aggregated UL and DL services. That is, for UL data packets, the identification information of UE1 Uu radio bearer and UE ID 1 (e.g., local remote UE ID) are included in the Uu adaptation header so that the gNB associates the received packets for a specific PDCP entity that is associated with the correct Uu radio bearer of the service initiating UE1. Regarding DL data packets, the identification information of UE1's Uu radio bearer and UE ID1 (e.g., local remote UE ID) are included by the gNB in ​​the Uu adaptation header of the DL data packet so that UE2 identifies the received packets for UE1 Uu radio bearer and then delivers them to UE1 via the non-designated interface.

[0176] For bearer mapping, the following scenarios can be considered:

[0177] (1) For UL mapping: UE1 or UE2 may receive a bearer mapping configuration from the gNB, which includes a mapping between the Uu RB of UE1 (identified by the UE ID of UE1 and the RB ID) and the Uu RLC channel of UE2 (identified by a combination of the UE ID of UE2, the CG ID and the LCID, or by a combination of the UE ID of UE2 and the RLC channel ID). On the other hand, UE1 may receive a PDCP configuration for the RB of UE1 from the gNB, which may include at least one of the following fields for data splitting / duplication purposes: information of the primary path, information of the secondary path, indication of duplication enablement, splitting threshold, and / or splitting ratio. Alternatively, the information of the primary path, information of the secondary path, indication of duplication enablement, splitting threshold, and / or splitting ratio may be configured within the bearer mapping configuration.

[0178] When UE1 has data packets, UE1 can map the data packets to Uu DRB1 of UE1 according to the SDAP configuration. After PDCP processing, the PDCP PDU is mapped to RLC channel 1 of UE2 based on the bearer mapping configuration. Then, UE1 delivers the PDCP PDU to RLC channel 1 of UE2 for further uplink transmission via UE2. In addition, if data replication is enabled and multiple paths are configured, UE1 can deliver multiple PDCP PDU copies to the RLC channels of UE1, UE2 and / or UE3 for UL transmission respectively.

[0179] (2) For DL ​​mapping, there is no need to configure the mapping between the Uu RLC channel and the RB of UE1 for UE2, because the Uu adaptation header already includes the RB information of UE1 that can be used for bearer mapping purposes. UE1 or UE2 can receive the information of the primary path, the information of the secondary path, and the corresponding Uu RLC channel or logical channel configuration, as well as the PDCP configuration or bearer mapping configuration.

[0180] On the other hand, the aggregated ID of UE1 can reuse the local UE ID. It should be noted that the local UE ID of UE1 can be requested by UE1 itself, rather than by UE2 as in the L2 U2N scenario. In this case, when the gNB receives the UE aggregated capability / request / report information from UE1 via the direct path, UE1 can be assigned an aggregated ID (e.g., local UE ID). Unlike L2U2N relay, UE2 can also be assigned a local ID for aggregation purposes.

[0181] Example 3

[0182] In this section, we discuss how to select an appropriate number of aggregated UEs to form a virtual UE for a specific service transmission. The criteria for UE aggregation may depend on the data rate of the service initiating UE, the reliability and delay requirements of the corresponding service, the channel conditions of the UE, the radio capabilities of the UE (power, band combination), and the number of UEs available for aggregation. Aggregation can be initiated by the gNB or the service initiating UE. Details in various embodiments are described below.

[0183] (1) UE aggregation initiated by gNB:

[0184] The gNB obtains UE aggregation capability information (from UE or AMF), QoS information (based on PDU session resource request / modification information from AMF), channel conditions (based on UE measurement reports), and makes UE aggregation decisions. Specifically, the gNB determines which UEs and how many UEs should be involved for the aggregate transmission of the service initiating UE, aggregation mode, workload splitting, whether replication should be enabled, etc. The gNB then configures these UEs accordingly. In an embodiment, the gNB may configure the involved UEs one by one via RRC signaling. It is also possible to send UE aggregation configurations corresponding to multiple UEs to only one involved UE. In this case, the UE may receive multiple UE aggregation configurations with corresponding UE IDs. The UE may then deliver the relevant configurations of other UEs to other UEs via non-specified UE-UE interconnection.

[0185] (2) UE-initiated aggregation:

[0186] In this case, the gNB may send UE aggregation criteria such as thresholds for data rate, reliability, etc. to the UE. When the service initiating UE detects that the UE aggregation criteria are met, it may determine which UEs with aggregation capabilities should participate in the aggregated transmission. The gNB may then allocate RLC channels for these involved aggregated UEs. To speed up the access of the aggregated UEs, the involved aggregated UEs may skip access control, use a dedicated random access preamble previously configured by the gNB via the service initiating UE, or use a special cause value for RRC connection establishment and / or recovery.

[0187] In some cases, gNB-initiated aggregation may be more appropriate because the UE needs to enter the RRC connected state for U2N service transmission, and the gNB needs to configure the RLC channels and data splitting / duplication rules. In addition, when the data rate, reliability, PDB (packet delay budget) requirements or channel conditions change, the gNB can reconfigure the aggregation path and / or splitting ratio, and / or the gNB can enable or disable duplication.

[0188] On the other hand, the multipath for UE aggregation can be activated / deactivated based on UE channel conditions, traffic load, and packet error rate on the receiver side. UE aggregation can be in the form of data replication, data splitting between multiple UEs. RRC signaling and MAC CE can be used for activation / deactivation of UE aggregation paths. Assuming that MAC CE is used, a path ID can be included to indicate activation / deactivation. On the other hand, MAC CE can be sent to any UE within the aggregation. In this case, a path ID; a combination of UEID, CG ID, and LCID; and / or a combination of UE ID and DRB ID can also be used to indicate which path is activated / deactivated.

[0189] The number of UEs participating in the aggregation may change. For example, due to changes in channel or traffic load conditions, more UEs may be eligible for aggregation. It may also happen that the number of UEs decreases, for example, if the UE detects RLF (Radio Link Failure) or channel degradation, or is unwilling to join the aggregation. In this case, the traffic / aggregation initiating UE may report measurements and / or capabilities of all potential UEs for aggregation. After receiving such a report, the gNB may send at least one of the following reconfigurations to the UE:

[0190] (1) Enable / disable replication: If replication is enabled, set up the corresponding DRB / RLC channel / logical channel, replicate the data packet to be sent, and then deliver the packet to the corresponding DRB / logical channel. On the other hand, if replication is disabled: suspend or release the corresponding RB / RLC channel / logical channel; and / or

[0191] (2) Enable / disable data splitting: Deliver packets to corresponding DRB / RLC channels / logical channels based on splitting rules.

[0192] Regarding mode switching, it involves PDCP / RLC entity release / setup, which the gNB can reconfigure via RRC signaling.

[0193] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of a wireless communication terminal 30 (e.g., a terminal node or terminal device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The wireless communication terminal 30 may be a user equipment (UE), a remote UE, a relay UE, a mobile phone, a laptop, a tablet computer, an e-book, or a portable computer system, and is not limited thereto herein. The wireless communication terminal 30 may include a processor 300 such as a microprocessor or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a storage unit 310, and a communication unit 320. The storage unit 310 may be any data storage device storing program code 312 accessed and executed by the processor 300. Embodiments of the storage code 312 include, but are not limited to, a subscriber identity module (SIM), a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk, and an optical data storage device. The communication unit 320 may be a transceiver and is used to send and receive signals (e.g., messages or packets) according to the processing results of the processor 300. In an embodiment, the communication unit 320 sends and receives signals via at least one antenna 322.

[0194] In an embodiment, the storage unit 310 and the program code 312 may be omitted, and the processor 300 may include a storage unit having stored program code.

[0195] The processor 300 may implement any of the steps in the example embodiments on the wireless communication terminal 30 , for example by executing the program code 312 .

[0196] The communication unit 320 may be a transceiver. Alternatively or additionally, the communication unit 320 may combine a transmitting unit and a receiving unit configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a wireless communication node, respectively.

[0197] In some embodiments, the wireless communication terminal 30 may be used to perform the operations of the remote UE or relay UE described above. In some embodiments, the processor 300 and the communication unit 320 perform the operations described above in collaboration. For example, the processor 300 performs the operations and sends or receives signals, messages, and / or information through the communication unit 320.

[0198] Fig.13A schematic diagram of a wireless communication node 40 (e.g., a network device) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The wireless communication node 40 may be a satellite, a base station (BS), a gNB, a gNB-DU, a gNB-CU, a network entity, a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), a radio access network (RAN), a next generation RAN (NG-RAN), a data network, a core network, or a radio network controller (RNC), and is not limited thereto. In addition, the wireless communication node 40 may include (execute) at least one network function, such as an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a user plane function (UPF), a policy control function (PCF), an application function (AF), etc. The wireless communication node 40 may include a processor 400 such as a microprocessor or an ASIC, a storage unit 410, and a communication unit 420. The storage unit 410 may be any data storage device that stores a program code 412 accessed and executed by the processor 400. Examples of the storage unit 412 include, but are not limited to, a SIM, a ROM, a flash memory, a RAM, a hard disk, and an optical data storage device. The communication unit 420 may be a transceiver and is used to transmit and receive signals (eg, messages or packets) according to the processing result of the processor 400. In an example, the communication unit 420 transmits and receives signals via at least one antenna 422.

[0199] In an embodiment, the storage unit 410 and the program code 412 may be omitted. The processor 400 may include a storage unit with stored program code.

[0200] Processor 400 may implement any of the steps described in the example embodiments on wireless communication node 40 , for example via executing program code 412 .

[0201] The communication unit 420 may be a transceiver. Alternatively or additionally, the communication unit 420 may combine a sending unit and a receiving unit configured to send signals, messages or information to a wireless communication node or a wireless communication terminal, and receive signals, messages or information from a wireless communication node or a wireless communication terminal, respectively.

[0202] In some embodiments, the wireless communication node 40 may be used to perform the operations of the gNB1, gNB2, or CU described above. In some embodiments, the processor 400 and the communication unit 420 cooperate to perform the operations described above. For example, the processor 400 performs the operations and sends or receives signals through the communication unit 420.

[0203] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a wireless communication method is also provided. In an embodiment, the wireless communication method can be performed by using a wireless communication terminal (e.g., a remote UE). In an embodiment, the wireless communication terminal can be implemented by using the above-mentioned wireless communication terminal 30, but is not limited thereto.

[0204] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present disclosure. However, these persons will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0205] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using the names "first", "second", etc. herein generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names can be used as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or element instances in this article. Therefore, the reference to the first element and the second element does not mean that only two elements can be used or that the first element must be in some way before the second element.

[0206] In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols such as may be referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0207] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, units, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes including instructions (for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software units"), or any combination of these technologies.

[0208] In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, the functions of various illustrative components, blocks, units, circuits and steps have been generally described above. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions do not lead to deviations from the scope of this disclosure. According to various embodiments, processors, devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, units, etc. can be configured to perform one or more functions of the functions described herein. The terms "configured to" or "configured for" used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0209] In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, units, devices, components and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, units and circuits may also include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0210] Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that can transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. Storage media can be any available media that a computer can access. As an example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to store desired program codes in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0211] In this document, the term "unit" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various units are described as discrete units; however, as is clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more units may be combined to form a single unit that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0212] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is clear that any appropriate functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without departing from the present disclosure. For example, the functions shown as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to an appropriate means for providing the function, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0213] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be consistent with the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as described in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: Receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal, an aggregation configuration from a wireless communication node; as well as The aggregation configuration is performed by the first wireless communication terminal.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following items: Aggregate index; One or more terminal identifiers IDs used for aggregation; Aggregation mode; Bearer mapping configuration; a configuration for at least one of data replication or data splitting; Route instructions; Aggregate assistance information to be used by the aggregated terminal; or Aggregation criteria.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein the terminal ID can be at least one of the following: Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier C-RNTI, System Architecture Evolution Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity S-TMSI, or An aggregate ID received from the wireless communication node.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the aggregation mode configuration comprises at least one of the following items: Radio bearer RB-level aggregation; Aggregation similar to dual-active protocol stack DAPS; or Radio Link Control RLC channel level aggregation.

5. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bearer mapping configuration comprises at least one of the following items: mapping between a radio bearer RB of the first wireless communication terminal and an RB of the first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal; a mapping between a radio bearer RB of the first wireless communication terminal and an aggregated terminal ID for the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal; A mapping between a QoS flow identifier QFI of the first wireless communication terminal and a radio bearer RB of the first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal; or A mapping between a QoS flow identifier QFI of the first wireless communication terminal and an aggregated terminal ID for the first wireless communication terminal or a second wireless communication terminal.

6. A wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the bearer mapping configuration includes a mapping between the RB of the first wireless communication terminal and the Uu RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal, wherein the Uu RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal is identified by a terminal ID, a logical channel ID LCID, or an RLC channel ID.

7. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the bearer mapping configuration comprises at least one of the following items: an indication of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal which indicates allocation of a common packet data convergence protocol PDCP sequence number SN; an indication of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal responsible for the PDCP reordering function and the discarding function; Allocating an RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal of the common PDCP entity of the PDCP SN; an RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal of the common PDCP entity responsible for the PDCP reordering function and the discarding function; or The RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal participating in PDCP encryption or decryption, compression or decompression processing.

8. The wireless communication method according to claim 7, wherein the RB of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal is identified via the terminal ID and / or the RB ID of the first wireless communication terminal or the second wireless communication terminal.

9. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the configuration for at least one of data replication or data splitting comprises at least one of the following: Indicates whether data replication is enabled or disabled. Indicates whether data splitting is enabled or disabled. Data splitting threshold, Split ratio, The number of copies, Buffer Status Report BSR reporting indication, or The terminal ID used for the BSR report.

10. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the path indication comprises at least one of the following items: Path ID; Main or auxiliary path indication; A combination of a terminal ID and a logical channel ID LCID; or A combination of terminal ID and RBID.

11. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 10, wherein the aggregated assistance information to be used by the aggregated terminals comprises at least one of the following items: Dedicated random access channel RACH preamble; or A cause value from the wireless communication node.

12. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the first wireless communication terminal sends terminal aggregation information to the wireless communication node, and the terminal aggregation information includes at least one of the following items: Terminal ID; Terminal ID request for aggregation; The serving cell ID of the wireless communication terminal; The capability of the wireless communication terminal; an indication of a supported aggregation mode of the wireless communication terminal; the number of candidate wireless communication terminals; Terminal aggregation information of the candidate wireless communication terminals; or Terminal status report.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein the capability of the wireless communication terminal comprises at least one of the following items: aggregation capability, power constraint, band combination, radio capability, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), or quality of service (QoS) parameter; wherein: The AMBR comprises at least one of an uplink UL AMBR or a downlink DL AMBR; or The QoS parameters include an allowed QoS profile for Uu communication of the first wireless communication terminal.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the terminal status report includes information on at least one of data rate, reliability, packet delay budget (PDB) requirement, or channel condition. 15 . The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication terminal receives the aggregation configuration of the first wireless communication terminal from the wireless communication node directly or via another wireless communication terminal. 16 . The wireless communication method according to claim 12 , wherein the first wireless communication terminal sends the terminal aggregation information to the wireless communication node directly or via another wireless communication terminal. 17 . The wireless communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the first wireless communication terminal receives an instruction for enabling or disabling aggregation.

18. The wireless communication method according to claim 17, wherein the indication for enabling or disabling the aggregation comprises at least one of the following items: an indication for a path to be enabled or disabled, an indication for enabling or disabling replication, or an indication for enabling or disabling splitting.

19. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 18, wherein the aggregation criterion comprises at least one of a threshold of data rate, a threshold of reliability, or a threshold of PDB.

20. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 19, wherein the first wireless communication terminal executing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal performs aggregate data communication, and the aggregate data communication includes at least one of the following items: communicating directly with said wireless communication node; or Through communication by the second wireless communication terminal, the second wireless communication terminal relays data between the first wireless communication terminal and the wireless communication node.

21. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal sends data packets for a QoS flow to the wireless communication node via a second wireless communication terminal, and the QoS flow is mapped to an RB of the second wireless communication terminal according to the bearer mapping configuration of the aggregation configuration.

22. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal sends a data packet to the wireless communication node via the second wireless communication terminal, and the data packet is mapped to the Uu RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal according to the bearer mapping configuration of the aggregation configuration.

23. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: establishing, by the first wireless communication terminal, an RLC entity and an associated logical channel, the RLC entity and the associated logical channel being different from an RLC entity and the associated logical channel established by a second wireless communication terminal; Allocating, by the first wireless communication terminal, a common PDCP SN according to the aggregation configuration; performing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by the PDCP entity of the first wireless communication terminal separately from a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by the PDCP entity of the second wireless communication terminal; or The first wireless communication terminal sends the split or copied PDCP SDU with the common PDCP SN to the second wireless communication terminal.

24. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: receiving, by the first wireless communication terminal, downlink data from the wireless communication node; performing, by the first wireless communication terminal, a security function and a ROHC decompression function on the downlink data by the PDCP entity, separately from a security function and a ROHC compression function performed by a PDCP entity of a second wireless communication terminal; or The first wireless communication terminal performs a PDCP reordering function, a duplicate detection function and a discarding function on the downlink data according to the common PDCP SN and the aggregation configuration.

25. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: The first wireless communication terminal receives a BSR report indication for aggregated RBs, logical channels, and LCGs from the wireless communication node; or The first wireless communication terminal sends a BSR report to the wireless communication node.

26. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal sends a BSR report including the PDCP data volume of the PDCP entity to the wireless communication node serving the PDCP entity.

27. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: The first wireless communication terminal determines, according to the SDAP configuration, that the data packet is mapped to the Uu RB of the first wireless communication terminal; performing PDCP processing on the data packet by the first wireless communication terminal to generate a PDCP PDU; The first wireless communication terminal determines, according to the bearer mapping configuration, that the PDCP PDU is mapped to an RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal; or The PDCP PDU is sent by the first wireless communication terminal to the RLC channel of the second wireless communication terminal.

28. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 27, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal sends copies of the PDCP PDU to RLC channels of multiple wireless communication terminals respectively according to the aggregation configuration.

29. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: In response to an aggregation criterion being satisfied, determining, by the first wireless communication terminal, wireless communication terminals to be involved in aggregated transmission.

30. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 29, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises: The first wireless communication terminal activates or deactivates the aggregated path according to the indication for the path to be enabled or disabled.

31. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: The first wireless communication terminal establishes at least one of an RB, an RLC channel, or a logical channel, makes a copy of a data packet, and delivers the data packet to the at least one of the RB, the RLC channel, or the logical channel according to an indication for enabling; or The first wireless communication terminal suspends or releases at least one of the RB, the RLC channel, or the logical channel according to the indication for disabling.

32. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein performing the aggregation configuration comprises at least one of the following: Delivering, by the first wireless communication terminal, data packets to at least one of an RB, an RLC channel, or a logical channel based on a split ratio in response to an indication that data splitting is enabled; or The first wireless communication terminal avoids splitting the data packet according to the instruction for disabling.

33. A wireless communication method, comprising: The wireless communication node receives terminal aggregation information from the core network; as well as Aggregate configuration is performed by the wireless communication node.

34. The wireless communication method according to claim 33, wherein the terminal aggregation information comprises at least one of the following items: Aggregate authorization information for wireless communication terminals; a terminal ID for one or more wireless communication terminals; the capabilities of one or more wireless communication terminals; or Supported aggregation modes.

35. A wireless communication method according to claim 34, wherein the aggregate authorization information includes at least one of the following items: an indication of authorizing a wireless communication terminal to relay data of another wireless communication terminal, or an indication of authorizing a wireless communication terminal to aggregate another wireless communication terminal to deliver its own data.

36. The wireless communication method according to claim 34 or 35, wherein the capability of the wireless communication terminal comprises at least one of the following items: aggregate capability, power constraint, band combination, radio capability, aggregate maximum bit rate (AMBR), or quality of service (QoS) parameter; wherein: The AMBR comprises at least one of an uplink UL AMBR or a downlink DL AMBR; or The QoS parameters include an allowed QoS profile for Uu communication of the wireless communication terminal.

37. A wireless communication terminal, comprising: Communication unit; as well as A processor configured to: receive an aggregation configuration from a wireless communication node; and executing the aggregation configuration.

38. The wireless communication terminal according to claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured to: execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 32.

39. A wireless communication node, comprising: Communication unit; as well as The processor is configured to: receive terminal aggregation information from a core network; and perform aggregation configuration.

40. The wireless communication node according to claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to: perform the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 33 to 36.

41. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program medium code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to implement the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 36.

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