Method for relay communication

Abstract

A wireless communication method for use in a first wireless terminal is disclosed. The method includes transmitting a message associated with discovery of the relay terminal to the second wireless terminal, where the message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This document is directed generally to wireless communications, particularly to fifth generation wireless communications, and more particularly to relay communications. Background Art

[0002] With the development of wireless multimedia services, the demand for high data rates and good user experience continues to increase, resulting in higher requirements for the system capacity and coverage of traditional cellular networks. On the other hand, due to application scenarios such as public safety, social networks, near-field data sharing, and local advertising, the demand for proximity services is also increasing. Traditionally, cellular networks using base stations as the center may have obvious limitations in supporting high data rates and proximity services. In order to meet such needs, device-to-device (D2D) communication technology is proposed. By applying D2D communication technology, the burden of cellular networks can be reduced, the power consumption of user equipment (UE) can be reduced, the data rate can be increased, and the robustness of network infrastructure can be improved. Therefore, the demand for high data rates and proximity services is greatly met. In this context, D2D communication technology is also called proximity service (ProSe) or sidelink communication, where the interface between UEs is called PC5 interface.

[0003] In order to support a wider range of applications and services (e.g., indoor relay communication, smart agriculture, smart factories, public safety, etc.), sidelink-based relay communication can be used to extend coverage and improve power consumption. For example, sidelink-based communication can be applied to Figure 1 Two application scenarios are shown:

[0004] 1) UE to network relay (Mode 1): This type of relay is used for UEs in weak coverage areas / no coverage areas. Figure 1 In the example, UE1 in a weak coverage area / no coverage area is allowed to communicate with the network (e.g., base station) via UE2 within the network coverage area. UE-to-network relay can help network operators expand network coverage and increase network capacity. Figure 1 In the example, UE1 may be referred to as a remote UE, and UE2 may be referred to as a UE-to-network relay.

[0005] 2) UE-to-UE relay (Mode 2): For emergency scenarios where the network is not functioning properly (e.g., earthquake) or to extend the sidelink communication range, UEs may be allowed to communicate with each other via (one or more) relay UEs. For example, Figure 1UE3 and UE4 in the communication network communicate with each other via UE5 or multiple relay UEs. UE5 can be called a UE-to-UE (U2U) relay.

[0006] In long term evolution (LTE), two UE-to-network relay technology solutions are provided, namely, the Internet protocol (IP) layer (layer 3 (L3)) UE-to-network relay technology solution and the access layer (layer 2 (L2)) UE-to-network relay technology solution. Note that the layer 3 relay forwards data based on the target IP address / port number, while the layer 2 relay performs routing forwarding of control plane and user plane data to allow network operators (i.e., core network (CN) network elements and base stations) to efficiently manage remote devices (i.e., remote UEs). Because of the significant differences between new radio (NR) side link communications and LTE side link communications (e.g., in terms of frame structure, quality of service (QoS) processing, bearer configuration and establishment, etc.), the LTE-based side link relay technology solution cannot be applied to 5G / NR systems. Therefore, new technical solutions for 5G / NR systems or future communication systems are needed.

[0007] For example, a mobile UE with poor signal quality or outside the network coverage may need at least one relay UE to relay data with the network. Therefore, how to discover and / or select / reselect a relay UE becomes a topic that needs to be discussed. Summary of the invention

[0008] The present document relates to methods, systems and devices for relay communications, and in particular to methods, systems and devices for UE-to-UE relay communications.

[0009] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a first wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0010] sending a message associated with discovery of the relay terminal to the second wireless terminal,

[0011] The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0012] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0013] Preferably, the message is a discovery message.

[0014] Preferably, the first wireless terminal is a relay terminal.

[0015] Preferably, the message is a discovery solicitation message.

[0016] Preferably, the message further includes a relay indication, wherein the relay indication indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0017] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: receiving a discovery response message from the second wireless terminal.

[0018] Preferably, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

[0019] Preferably, the information of at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection auxiliary information of the at least one network slice.

[0020] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a second wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0021] receiving a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a first wireless terminal,

[0022] The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0023] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0024] Preferably, the message is a discovery message.

[0025] Preferably, the first wireless terminal is a relay terminal.

[0026] Preferably, the message is a discovery request message.

[0027] Preferably, the message further includes a relay indication, wherein the relay indication indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0028] Preferably, the second wireless terminal supports at least one of the at least one network slices, and the method also includes: sending a discovery response message to the first wireless terminal.

[0029] Preferably, the second wireless terminal supports at least one of at least one network slice, and the method also includes: sending the message to a third wireless terminal.

[0030] Preferably, the number indicated by the relay indicator in the message sent to the third wireless terminal is obtained by decrementing by 1 the number indicated by the relay indicator in the message received from the first wireless terminal.

[0031] Preferably, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

[0032] Preferably, the information associated with at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection auxiliary information of the at least one network slice.

[0033] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a fourth wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0034] sending a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a fifth wireless terminal,

[0035] The message includes at least one quality of service QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0036] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0037] Preferably, the message is a discovery message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message.

[0038] Preferably, the fourth wireless terminal is a relay terminal.

[0039] Preferably, the at least one QoS parameter is supported by the relay terminal.

[0040] Preferably, the message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message.

[0041] Preferably, the message further includes a relay indication, wherein the relay indication indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0042] Preferably, the method further comprises: receiving a discovery response message from the fifth wireless terminal.

[0043] Preferably, the at least one QoS parameter is at least one end-to-end QoS parameter for the link between a source terminal of the link and a target terminal of the link, or at least one residual QoS parameter for the relay link between a fourth terminal of the relay link and a target terminal.

[0044] Preferably, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

[0045] Preferably, the at least one QoS parameter comprises at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

[0046] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a fifth wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0047] receiving a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a fourth wireless terminal,

[0048] The message includes at least one quality of service QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0049] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0050] Preferably, the message is a discovery message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message.

[0051] Preferably, the fourth wireless terminal is a relay terminal.

[0052] Preferably, the relay terminal supports the at least one QoS parameter.

[0053] Preferably, the message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message.

[0054] Preferably, the message further includes a relay indication, wherein the relay indication indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0055] Preferably, the fifth wireless terminal supports at least one QoS parameter, and the method further comprises: sending a discovery response message to the fourth wireless terminal.

[0056] Preferably, the fifth wireless terminal supports at least one QoS parameter, and the method further comprises: sending the message to a sixth wireless terminal.

[0057] Preferably, the at least one QoS parameter is at least one end-to-end QoS parameter for the link between a source terminal of the link and a target terminal of the link, or at least one residual QoS parameter for the relay link between a fourth terminal of the relay link and a target terminal.

[0058] Preferably, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

[0059] Preferably, the at least one QoS parameter comprises at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

[0060] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a seventh wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0061] sending a message associated with requesting a measurement report to an eighth wireless terminal on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link,

[0062] The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0063] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0064] Preferably, the message further comprises a relay indication configured to indicate a request for a measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

[0065] Preferably, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of a source terminal, or an identifier of a target terminal.

[0066] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: receiving, from the eighth wireless terminal, a measurement report associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0067] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: sending a measurement report associated with each hop between the ninth wireless terminal and the target terminal to the ninth wireless terminal on the link.

[0068] Preferably, the measurement report includes a reference signal received power of each hop on the link.

[0069] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in an eighth wireless terminal. The method includes:

[0070] receiving a message associated with requesting a measurement report from a seventh wireless terminal on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link,

[0071] The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0072] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0073] Preferably, the message further comprises a relay indication configured to indicate a request for a measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

[0074] Preferably, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of a source terminal, or an identifier of a target terminal.

[0075] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: sending a measurement report associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal to the seventh relay terminal.

[0076] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: sending a message associated with requesting a measurement report of each hop on the link to the tenth relay terminal.

[0077] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: receiving, from the tenth relay terminal, a measurement report associated with each hop between the eighth wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0078] Preferably, the measurement result includes a reference signal received power of each hop on the link.

[0079] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in an eleventh wireless terminal, the method comprising:

[0080] sending, to a twelfth wireless terminal, a first measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal, on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal,

[0081] The first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0082] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0083] Preferably, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of a target terminal, or an identifier of a source terminal.

[0084] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: receiving a configuration message associated with the measurement report from the source terminal.

[0085] Preferably, the wireless communication method also includes: receiving a second measurement report from the thirteenth wireless terminal on the link and associated with each hop on the link between the eleventh wireless terminal and the target terminal, wherein the second measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0086] Preferably, the measurement report includes a reference signal received power of each hop on the link.

[0087] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a source terminal, the method comprising:

[0088] sending a configuration message associated with a measurement report to a target terminal to which the source terminal is connected via at least one relay terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal, and

[0089] The measurement report is received from one of the at least one relay terminal.

[0090] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0091] Preferably, the measurement report includes reference signal received power of each hop.

[0092] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a wireless network node. The method comprises:

[0093] A configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay is sent to a wireless terminal, the at least one discovery model being usable by the wireless terminal for discovering a relay terminal.

[0094] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0095] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: receiving capability information of at least one discovery model supported by the wireless terminal from the wireless terminal.

[0096] Preferably, at least one discovery model that can be used by the wireless terminal to discover the relay terminal is determined based on the capability information.

[0097] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a wireless terminal. The method comprises:

[0098] A configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relaying is received from a radio network node, the at least one discovery model being usable by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

[0099] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0100] Preferably, the wireless communication method further comprises: sending capability information of at least one discovery model supported by the wireless terminal to the wireless network node.

[0101] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method used in a relay terminal. The method includes:

[0102] A notification message including a list of neighboring terminals of the relay terminal is sent to the neighboring terminals.

[0103] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0104] Preferably, the number of neighboring terminals in the list is greater than zero.

[0105] Preferably, the announcement message further includes a reference signal received power between the relay terminal and each of the neighboring terminals.

[0106] Preferably, the reference signal received power between the relay terminal and each neighboring terminal in the list is greater than a threshold.

[0107] The present disclosure relates to a first wireless terminal. The first wireless terminal comprises:

[0108] a communication unit configured to send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a second wireless terminal,

[0109] The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0110] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0111] Preferably, the first wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0112] The present disclosure relates to a second wireless terminal. The second wireless terminal comprises:

[0113] a communication unit configured to receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a second wireless terminal,

[0114] The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0115] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0116] Preferably, the second wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0117] The present disclosure relates to a fourth wireless terminal. The fourth wireless terminal includes:

[0118] a communication unit configured to send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a fifth wireless terminal,

[0119] The message includes at least one quality of service QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0120] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0121] Preferably, the fourth wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0122] The present disclosure relates to a fifth wireless terminal. The fifth wireless terminal includes:

[0123] a communication unit configured to receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a fourth wireless terminal,

[0124] The message includes at least one quality of service QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0125] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0126] Preferably, the fifth wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0127] The present disclosure relates to a seventh wireless terminal. The seventh wireless terminal comprises:

[0128] a communication unit configured to send a message associated with requesting a measurement report to an eighth wireless terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link,

[0129] The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0130] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0131] Preferably, the seventh wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0132] The present disclosure relates to an eighth wireless terminal. The eighth wireless terminal comprises:

[0133] a communication unit configured to receive, from a seventh wireless terminal on a link from a source terminal to a target terminal, a message associated with requesting a measurement report, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link,

[0134] The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0135] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0136] Preferably, the eighth wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0137] The present disclosure relates to an eleventh wireless terminal. The eleventh wireless terminal includes:

[0138] a communication unit configured to send, to a twelfth wireless terminal, a first measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal,

[0139] The first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0140] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0141] Preferably, the eleventh wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0142] The present disclosure relates to a source terminal. The source terminal comprises:

[0143] A communication unit configured to send a configuration message associated with a measurement report to a target terminal to which the source terminal is connected via at least one relay terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal; and to receive the measurement report from one of the at least one relay terminal.

[0144] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0145] Preferably, the source terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0146] The present disclosure relates to a wireless network node. The wireless network node comprises:

[0147] A communication unit is configured to send a configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay to a wireless terminal, wherein the at least one discovery model can be used by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

[0148] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0149] Preferably, the wireless network node further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0150] The present disclosure relates to a wireless terminal. The wireless terminal comprises:

[0151] A communication unit is configured to receive a configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay from a radio network node, wherein the at least one discovery model can be used by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

[0152] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0153] Preferably, the wireless terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0154] The present disclosure relates to a relay terminal. The relay terminal comprises:

[0155] A communication unit is configured to send a notification message including a list of neighboring terminals of the relay terminal to the neighboring terminals.

[0156] Various embodiments may preferably implement the following features:

[0157] Preferably, the relay terminal further includes: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute any one of the wireless communication methods mentioned above.

[0158] The present disclosure relates to a computer program product, which includes a computer-readable program medium code stored thereon. When the code is executed by a processor, the processor is caused to implement any one of the wireless communication methods described above.

[0159] 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 have read this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0160] 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 steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary approaches. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while still remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should 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 provided, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0161] The above and other aspects and their embodiments are described in more detail in the drawings, the description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0162] Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a scenario of sidelink relay communication.

[0163] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0164] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of direct discovery using model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0165] Figure 4A schematic diagram of direct discovery using model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0166] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a process associated with discovering supporting slice information in model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0167] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a process associated with discovering supported slice information in model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0168] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting Quality of Service (QoS) control in Discovery Model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0169] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting Quality of Service (QoS) control in Discovery Model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0170] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting per-hop reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement and reporting (per-hop configuration) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0171] Fig.10 A schematic diagram illustrating a process associated with supporting per-hop RSRP measurement and reporting (per-hop configuration) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0172] Fig.11 A schematic diagram showing a process associated with supporting discovery model capabilities according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0173] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing a process associated with model AU2U discovery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0174] Fig.13 An example of a schematic diagram of a wireless terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0175] Fig.14 An example of a schematic diagram of a wireless network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0176] Figures 15 to 22 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0177] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a network (architecture) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The network includes the following network functions / entities:

[0178] 1) UE: User Equipment

[0179] 2) RAN: Radio Access Network

[0180] In the present disclosure, RAN may be equal to a RAN node or a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) (node).

[0181] 3)AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function

[0182] AMF includes the following functionalities: registration management, connection management, reachability management and mobility management. AMF terminates the RAN control plane (CP) interface N2 and NAS interface N1, non-access layer (NAS) encryption and integrity protection. It also distributes session management (SM) NAS to the appropriate session management function (SMF) via interface N11. AMF provides services for other consumer network functions (NF) to subscribe or obtain notifications of mobility-related events and information.

[0183] 4)SMF: Session Management Function

[0184] SMF includes the following functionality: session establishment, modification and release, UE IP address allocation and management (including optional authorization functions), selection and control of user plane (UP) functions, downlink data notification. SMF can subscribe to mobility-related events and information from AMF.

[0185] 5) UPF: User Plane Function

[0186] The UPF includes the following functionality: acting as an anchor point for intra / inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility and an external session point for interconnection with data networks, packet routing and forwarding as indicated by the SMF, traffic usage reporting, Quality of Service (QoS) processing for UP, downlink packet caching and downlink data notification triggering, etc.

[0187] 6) UDM: Unified Data Management

[0188] UDM manages subscription profiles for UEs. The subscription includes data for mobility management (e.g. restricted areas), session management (e.g. QoS profiles for each slice of each DNN). The subscription data also includes slice selection parameters, which are used by AMF to select the appropriate SMF. AMF and SMF obtain subscriptions from UDM. Subscription data is stored in a unified data repository (UDR). UDM uses such data when receiving a request from AMF or SMF.

[0189] 7) PCF: Policy Control Function

[0190] PCF supports a unified policy framework to manage network behavior. PCF provides access management policies to AMF, or provides session management policies to SMF, and / or provides UE policies to UE. PCF can access UDR to obtain subscription information related to policy decisions. PCF can also generate policies to manage network behavior based on subscriptions and instructions from application functions (AF). PCF can then provide policy rules to CP functions (such as AMF and / or SMF) to enforce CP functions.

[0191] 8) NEF: Network Exposure Function

[0192] NEF supports opening the capabilities and events of the network to AF. Third-party AF can call the services provided by the network via NEF, and NEF performs authentication and authorization for third-party applications. NEF also provides conversion of information exchanged with AF and information exchanged with internal NF.

[0193] 9) AF: Application Function

[0194] AF interacts with the core network to provide services, such as supporting: application impact on service routing, accessing NEF, interacting with the policy framework for policy control, etc. AF can be considered to be trusted by the operator and can be allowed to interact directly with the relevant NF. AF that is not allowed by the operator to directly access NF should interact with the relevant NF via NEF using an external open framework. AF can store application information in UDR via NEF.

[0195] In one embodiment, the direct link establishment request message is used for a side link UE (e.g., a source UE) to establish a direct link or an indirect link with another side link UE (e.g., a target UE). A direct link refers to the source UE communicating directly with the target UE. On the other hand, an indirect link refers to the source UE communicating with the target UE via at least one relay UE.

[0196] In one embodiment, a relay indication (e.g., relay_indication) may be included in the direct link setup request message. If relay_indication is (configured to) or indicates enabled, communication between the source UE and the target UE via the relay UE is allowed. If relay_indication is (configured to) or indicates disabled, communication between the source UE and the target UE via the relay UE is not allowed, and / or only direct communication between the source UE and the target UE is allowed.

[0197] In one embodiment, the Prose discovery process may be Model A or Model B, where:

[0198] Model A: involves a UE announcing "I am here".

[0199] Mode B: involves a UE asking "who is there" and / or "are you there".

[0200] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a direct discovery using model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 , UE-1 sends / broadcasts a notification message to each of UE-2, UE-3, UE-4 and UE-5 to confirm to each of UE-2, UE-3, UE-4 and UE-5 that UE-1 may be a candidate for the relay UE.

[0201] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a direct discovery using model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 In the example, UE-1 sends / broadcasts a discovery request message to each of UE-2, UE-3, UE-4, and UE-5. The discovery request message is used for sidelink UEs (e.g., Figure 4 source UE or UE-1 in the sidelink UE) and another sidelink UE (e.g., Figure 4 The target UE or one of UE-2, UE-3, UE-4 and UE-5 in the discovery request message) establishes a direct link or an indirect link with the source UE. If the target UE receiving the discovery request message is able to establish or support a direct link or an indirect link with the source UE, the target UE sends a discovery response message to the source UE. Figure 4 In the present invention, UE-2 and UE-3 can establish or support a direct link or an indirect link with UE-1. Therefore, UE-2 and UE-3 send a discovery response message to UE-1.

[0202] In the present disclosure, a message may include an identifier of a specific UE, thereby identifying the specific UE or a link to the specific UE.

[0203] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a process associated with discovering supporting slice information in model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 The process includes:

[0204] Step 501: The relay UE broadcasts a discovery message including a list of S-NSSAIs. The S-NSSAIs in the list are / indicate network slices supported by the relay UE as a relay.

[0205] Step 502: After receiving the discovery message from the relay UE, the remote UE may decide whether the relay UE can be (re)selected as a relay.

[0206] Figure 6A schematic diagram of a process associated with discovering supported slice information in model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 The process includes:

[0207] Step 601: The remote UE broadcasts a discovery request message including an S-NSSAI and a relay indication, wherein the relay indication indicates how many hops the source UE wants the discovery message to be forwarded. Note that the remote UE in this embodiment may be Figure 6 The source UE or relay UE that receives the discovery request message.

[0208] Step 602: Upon / after receiving a discovery request message from a remote UE, the relay UE checks whether it can support the network slice indicated by the S-NSSAI in the discovery request message as a relay. If the relay UE cannot support the network slice indicated by the S-NSSAI, the relay UE does nothing. If the relay UE supports the network slice indicated by the value indicated by the S-NSSAI, and the relay indication in the received discovery request message indicates a value greater than 1, the relay UE broadcasts a new discovery request message including the S-NSSAI and the relay indication. The value indicated by the relay indication in the new discovery request is obtained by decrementing 1 from the value indicated by the relay indication in the received discovery request message. That is, the value is decremented by one for each hop. Note that

[0209] Step 603: After the target remote UE receives the discovery request message, the target remote UE may decide whether to respond to the discovery message (ie, send a discovery response message).

[0210] Step 604: If a discovery response message is received, the relay UE decides whether to retransmit the discovery response message until the source remote UE receives the discovery response message.

[0211] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting Quality of Service (QoS) control in Discovery Model A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 7 The process includes:

[0212] Step 701: The relay UE broadcasts a discovery message or sends a PC5-S message or sends a PC5-RRC message including QoS parameters. The QoS parameters include at least one of a guaranteed PDB (packet delay budget), PER or timestamp associated with the transmission of the discovery message, PC5-S message or PC5-RRC message. In one embodiment, the guaranteed PDB refers to the best PDB that the relay UE can support as a relay. In one embodiment, the timestamp indicates the time of broadcasting / sending the discovery message, PC5-S message or PC5-RRC message.

[0213] Step 702: When / after receiving the discovery message from the relay UE, the remote UE decides whether the relay UE can be (re)selected as a relay.

[0214] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting Quality of Service (QoS) control in Discovery Model B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 The process includes:

[0215] Step 801: The remote UE broadcasts a discovery request message or sends a PC5-S message or sends a PC5-RRC message including a QoS parameter and / or a relay indication, wherein the QoS parameter includes at least one of an end-to-end PDB, a remaining PDB, an end-to-end PER, a remaining PER, or a timestamp associated with the transmission of the discovery request message, the PC5-S message, or the PC5-RRC message. The relay indication indicates how many hops the source UE wants the discovery message to be forwarded. In one embodiment, the end-to-end PDB refers to the PDB used for the link between the source UE and the target UE, and the remaining PDB refers to the available PDB for the remaining hops (e.g., from the remote UE to the target UE). Similarly, the end-to-end PER refers to the PER used for the link between the source UE and the target UE, and the remaining PER refers to the available PER for the remaining hops. Note that the remote UE in this step can be a source UE or a relay UE that receives a discovery request message from a source UE or another relay UE. In one embodiment, the timestamp indicates the time of broadcasting / sending the discovery request message, the PC5-S message, or the PC5-RRC message. In an embodiment where the remote UE broadcasts / sends a discovery request message, a PC5-S message, or a PC5-RRC message in response to receiving a corresponding message from another remote UE (eg, a source remote UE or a relay UE), the timestamp may indicate the time at which the corresponding message was received.

[0216] Step 802: Upon / after receiving the discovery request message from the remote UE, the relay UE checks whether it can support the QoS parameters. If the relay UE cannot support the QoS parameters, the relay UE does nothing. If the relay UE supports the QoS parameters and the value indicated by the relay indication is greater than 1, the relay UE broadcasts a new discovery request message including the QoS parameters. Note that if the QoS parameters include a residual PDB, the residual PDB sent in the new discovery request message is obtained by subtracting the PDB of the relay UE (e.g., between the relay UE and the remote UE) from the residual PDB / end-to-end PDB in the received discovery request message. Similarly, if the QoS parameters include a residual PER, the residual PER sent in the new discovery request message is obtained by subtracting the PER of the relay UE (e.g., between the relay UE and the remote UE) from the residual PER / end-to-end PER in the received discovery request message.

[0217] Step 803: After receiving the discovery request message, the target remote UE may decide whether to respond to the discovery message.

[0218] Step 804: Upon / after receiving the discovery response message, the relay UE may decide whether to respond to the discovery request message.

[0219] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a process associated with supporting per-hop reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement and reporting (per-hop configuration) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig. 9 The process shown includes:

[0220] Step 901: The source remote UE sends a PC5-RRC message (e.g., RRCReconfigurationSidelink-→sl-MeasConfig) to the relay UE. The PC5-RRC message may include at least one of a source UE identifier, a target UE identifier, an end-to-end PC5 link identifier, or a relay indication. The source UE identifier and / or the target UE identifier and / or the end-to-end PC5 link identifier may be used to identify the PC5 link on which each hop RSRP should be measured. The relay indication may be used to indicate that each hop RSRP should be measured on which each hop RSRP should be measured and / or that the relay UE should report the hop RSRP between the source UE and the relay UE and the subsequent hop RSRP on the PC5 link.

[0221] Step 902: Upon / after receiving the PC5-RRC message from the source remote UE, the relay UE measures the RSRP between the source remote UE and the relay UE, and generates a new PC5 RRC message (eg, measurement configuration) that requires the next relay UE / target remote UE to measure and report the RSRP of the next hop.

[0222] Step 903: The relay UE receives a PC5-RRC message including a measurement report (eg, MeasurementReportSidelink) from the next-hop relay UE / target remote UE. The measurement report includes an RSRP list, which is the RSRP of each hop between the relay UE and the target remote UE.

[0223] Step 904: When / after receiving the RSRP list, the relay UE generates a new measurement result, which includes the received RSRP list and the RSRP between the source remote UE and the relay UE. The relay UE sends the new measurement result to the source remote UE.

[0224] Fig.10 A schematic diagram illustrating a process associated with supporting per-hop RSRP measurement and reporting (per-hop configuration) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.10The process shown includes:

[0225] Step 1001: The source UE sends an end-to-end PC5-RRC message including a measurement configuration (eg, RRCReconfigurationSidelink--->sl-MeasConfig) to a target remote UE.

[0226] Step 1002: Upon / after receiving the measurement configuration from the source remote UE, the target remote UE reports the measured RSRP of the last hop to the relay UE of the last hop. The measured RSRP report may be identified by at least one of the end-to-end PC5 link identifier, the source UE identifier, or the target UE identifier.

[0227] Step 1003: Upon / after receiving the measurement result report from the target remote UE, the relay UE may generate a new measurement result report including the received measured RSRP (list) and the measured RSRP of the previous hop in the PC5 link between the source remote UE and the target remote UE.

[0228] Step 1004: The source remote UE receives a measurement report from the relay UE of the first hop. That is, the remote UE receives RSRP for each hop.

[0229] Fig.11 A schematic diagram showing a process associated with supporting discovery model capabilities according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.11 The process shown includes:

[0230] Step 1101: The (relay / remote) UE may report the discovery models supported by itself to the gNB.

[0231] Step 1102: The gNB configures the discovery model that can be used by the UE or supported by the UE-to-UE (U2U) relay. The configuration can be system information or dedicated signaling. In addition, for OOC (out of coverage) UEs, the configuration can be pre-configured.

[0232] Fig.12 A schematic diagram showing a process associated with model AU2U discovery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.12 The process shown includes:

[0233] Step 1001: The source UE performs a group member discovery process (Model A or Model B). In this process, the source UE discovers a relay UE that is its neighbor (eg, a neighbor UE).

[0234] Step 1002: The relay UE also performs a group member discovery process (Model A or Model B). In this process, the relay UE discovers two nearby UEs: a source UE and a target UE.

[0235] Step 1003: The relay UE decides / determines that it can act as a U2U relay, and notifies this by sending a notification message periodically or when triggered by an event. In one embodiment, the prerequisite for acting as a U2U relay may include that the neighbor (UE) list is not empty. In one embodiment, the notification message may include the neighbor (UE) list of the relay UE. In one embodiment, the notification message may also include the RSRP between the relay UE and each neighbor (UE). In one embodiment, the neighbors (UE) on the list may need to meet certain conditions (e.g., the RSRP between the relay UE and the neighbor (UE) is higher than a threshold). The period and / or threshold for sending the notification message may be configured by the network or in the system information or via pre-configuration. For example, if the relay UE is out of network coverage, the period may be configured based on pre-configuration. If the relay UE is in the RRC IDLE / INACTIVE state, the period may be configured by the system information. If the relay UE is in the RRC CONNECTED state, the period may be configured by the system information. In one embodiment, the triggering event may include a change in the neighbor list.

[0236] Step 1004: Based on the information received in step 1003, the source UE decides to establish a one-to-one communication link with the relay UE, and communicates with the target UE via the relay UE.

[0237] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a wireless terminal 130 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The wireless terminal 130 may be a user equipment (UE), a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an e-book, or a portable computer system, and is not limited herein. The wireless terminal 130 may include a processor 1300 such as a microprocessor or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a storage unit 1310, and a communication unit 1320. The storage unit 1310 may be any data storage device that stores program code 1312 accessed and executed by the processor 1300. Embodiments of the storage unit 1310 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 1320 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 1300. In one embodiment, the communication unit 1320 communicates with the communication unit 1320 via Fig.13 At least one antenna 1322 is shown for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0238] In one embodiment, the storage unit 1310 and the program code 1312 may be omitted, and the processor 1300 may include the storage unit with the stored program code.

[0239] The processor 1300 may implement any one of the steps of the exemplary embodiments on the wireless terminal 130 , for example, by executing the program code 1312 .

[0240] The communication unit 1320 may be a transceiver. As an alternative or in addition, the communication unit 1320 may combine a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are respectively configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a wireless network node (eg, a base station).

[0241] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of a radio network node 140 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. The radio network node 140 may be a satellite, a base station (BS), 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) node, a next generation RAN (NG-RAN) node, a gNB, an eNB, a gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU), a gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU), a data network, a core network, or a radio network controller (RNC), and is not limited here. In addition, the radio network node 140 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 radio network node 140 may include a processor 1400 such as a microprocessor or an ASIC), a storage unit 1410, and a communication unit 1420. The storage unit 1410 may be any data storage device that stores a program code 1412 accessed and executed by the processor 1400. Examples of the storage unit 1410 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 1420 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 1400. In an example, the communication unit 1420 communicates with the processor 1400 via Fig.14 At least one antenna 1422 is shown for transmitting and receiving signals.

[0242] In one embodiment, storage unit 1410 and program code 1412 may be omitted. Processor 1400 may include a storage unit with stored program code.

[0243] The processor 1400 may implement any of the steps described in the exemplary embodiments on the radio network node 140 , for example, by executing the program code 1412 .

[0244] The communication unit 1420 may be a transceiver. Alternatively or additionally, the communication unit 1420 may combine a transmitting unit and a receiving unit, which are respectively configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a wireless terminal (eg, a user equipment or another wireless network node).

[0245] Fig.15 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.15 The method shown may be used in a first wireless terminal (eg, a first UE), and includes the following steps:

[0246] Step 1501: Send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a second wireless terminal, wherein the message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0247] exist Fig.15 In the embodiment, the first wireless terminal sends a message to the second wireless terminal, wherein the message is associated with the discovery of the relay terminal. In this embodiment, the message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal (e.g., a list of S-NSSAIs).

[0248] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery message. That is, the first wireless terminal may be a relay terminal (see, for example, Figure 5 ). Therefore, the second wireless terminal (e.g., a remote UE) can determine whether the first wireless terminal can be used as a relay terminal based on information associated with at least one network slice.

[0249] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery request message (see e.g. Figure 6 ). In this embodiment, the first wireless terminal may be a source (remote) terminal or a relay terminal, and the second wireless terminal may be a relay terminal or a target (remote) terminal. Note that in this embodiment, at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal may refer to at least one network slice supported by the second wireless terminal.

[0250] In one embodiment, the message (discovery request message) further includes a relay indication, which indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0251] In one embodiment, the first wireless terminal may also receive a discovery response message from the second wireless terminal.

[0252] In one embodiment, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals (ie, UE-to-UE relay) or a link between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node (ie, UE-to-network relay).

[0253] In one embodiment, the information of at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection auxiliary information of the at least one network slice.

[0254] Fig.16 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.16 The method shown may be used in a second wireless terminal (eg, a second UE), and includes the following steps:

[0255] Step 1601: Receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a first wireless terminal, wherein the message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

[0256] exist Fig.16 In the embodiment, the second wireless terminal receives a message from the first wireless terminal, wherein the message is associated with the discovery of the relay terminal. In this embodiment, the message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal (e.g., a list of S-NSSAIs).

[0257] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery message. That is, the first wireless terminal may be a relay terminal (see, for example, Figure 5 ). Therefore, the second wireless terminal (e.g., a remote UE) can determine whether the first wireless terminal can be used as a relay terminal based on information associated with at least one network slice.

[0258] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery request message (see e.g. Figure 6 ). In this embodiment, the first wireless terminal may be a source (remote) terminal or a relay terminal, and the second wireless terminal may be a relay terminal or a target (remote) terminal. Note that in this embodiment, at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal may refer to at least one network slice supported by the second wireless terminal. The second wireless terminal may determine whether to respond to the message based on information of at least one network slice.

[0259] In one embodiment, the message (discovery request message) further includes a relay indication, which indicates at least one of the number of hops for sending the message or the maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0260] In one embodiment, the second wireless terminal supports at least one network slice. Under such conditions, the second wireless terminal may send a discovery response message to the first wireless terminal. As an alternative or supplementary solution, the second wireless terminal may send the message to a third wireless terminal (e.g., another relay UE or target UE at the next hop). In this embodiment, the relay indication in the message sent to the third party may be changed. For example, the number of hops for sending a message or the maximum number of hops for sending a message indicated by the relay indication in the message sent to the third party may be reduced / decremented by 1.

[0261] In one embodiment, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals (ie, UE-to-UE relay) or a link between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node (ie, UE-to-network relay).

[0262] In one embodiment, the information of at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection auxiliary information of the at least one network slice.

[0263] Fig.17 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.17 The method shown may be used in a fourth wireless terminal (eg, a fourth UE), and includes the following steps:

[0264] Step 1701: Send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a fifth wireless terminal, wherein the message includes at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0265] exist Fig.17 In the embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal sends a message to the fifth wireless terminal, wherein the message is associated with the discovery of the relay terminal. In this embodiment, the message includes at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal. Note that Fig.17 The method shown can be used with Fig.15 That is, the message may include information about at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal and at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0266] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery message, a PC5 sidelink message, or a PC5 RRC message (see e.g. Figure 7 ). In this embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal is a relay terminal. Based on the at least one QoS parameter, the fifth wireless terminal can therefore determine whether the fourth wireless terminal can be used as a relay. Note that in this embodiment, the at least one QoS parameter can represent a parameter supported by the relay terminal.

[0267] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message (see, e.g. Figure 8 ). In this embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal may be a source (remote) terminal or a relay terminal, and the fifth wireless terminal may be a relay terminal or a target (remote) terminal. In addition, at least one QoS parameter may represent at least one end-to-end QoS parameter of the link between the source terminal and the target terminal of the link, or represent at least one remaining QoS parameter of the relay link between the fourth terminal and the target terminal of the relay link.

[0268] In one embodiment, the message further includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0269] In one embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal may receive a discovery response message from the fifth wireless terminal.

[0270] In one embodiment, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals (ie, UE-to-UE relay) or a link between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node (ie, UE-to-network relay).

[0271] In one embodiment, the information of the at least one QoS parameter includes at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate, or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

[0272] Fig.18 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.18 The method shown may be used in a fifth wireless terminal (eg, a fifth UE), and includes the following steps:

[0273] Step 1801: Receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a fourth wireless terminal, wherein the message includes at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0274] exist Fig.18 In the embodiment, the fifth wireless terminal receives a message from the fourth wireless terminal, wherein the message is associated with the discovery of the relay terminal. In this embodiment, the message includes at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal. Note that Fig.18 The method shown can be used with Fig.16 That is, the message may include information about at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal and at least one QoS parameter associated with the relay terminal.

[0275] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery message, a PC5 sidelink message, or a PC5 RRC message (see e.g. Figure 7). In this embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal is a relay terminal. Based on the at least one QoS parameter, the fifth wireless terminal can therefore determine whether the fourth wireless terminal can be used as a relay. Note that in this embodiment, the at least one QoS parameter can represent a parameter supported by the relay terminal.

[0276] In one embodiment, the message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message, or a PC5 radio link control message (see, e.g. Figure 8 ). In this embodiment, the fourth wireless terminal may be a source (remote) terminal or a relay terminal, and the fifth wireless terminal may be a relay terminal or a target (remote) terminal. In addition, at least one QoS parameter may represent at least one end-to-end QoS parameter of the link between the source terminal and the target terminal of the link, or represent at least one remaining QoS parameter of the relay link between the fourth terminal and the target terminal of the relay link.

[0277] In one embodiment, the fifth wireless terminal supports at least one QoS parameter (i.e., the fifth wireless terminal can become a relay UE). In this embodiment, the fifth wireless terminal can send a discovery response message to the fourth wireless terminal. As an alternative or supplementary solution, the fifth wireless terminal can send a message to the sixth wireless terminal (e.g., another relay UE or target UE at the next hop). Note that at least one QoS parameter in the message sent to the sixth wireless terminal can remain unchanged or be changed / adjusted. For example, if at least one QoS parameter represents at least one end-to-end QoS parameter, the at least one QoS parameter can remain unchanged. If at least one QoS parameter represents at least one remaining QoS parameter, the at least one QoS parameter can become the remaining QoS parameter from the fifth wireless terminal to the target wireless terminal.

[0278] In one embodiment, the message further includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

[0279] In one embodiment, the relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals (ie, UE-to-UE relay) or a link between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node (ie, UE-to-network relay).

[0280] In one embodiment, the information of the at least one QoS parameter includes at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate, or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

[0281] Fig.19 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.19 The method shown may be used in a seventh wireless terminal and includes:

[0282] Step 1901: Send a message associated with requesting a measurement report to an eighth wireless terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, wherein the message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0283] In this embodiment, the seventh wireless terminal sends a message to the eighth wireless terminal on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal to request a measurement report associated with each hop on the link. The message includes a link identifier for the link. Note that the seventh wireless terminal can be a source terminal, or a relay terminal that receives a corresponding message from a source terminal or another relay terminal (see, e.g., Fig. 9 ).

[0284] In one embodiment, the message also includes a relay indication configured to indicate a request for a measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

[0285] In one embodiment, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of a source terminal, or an identifier of a target terminal.

[0286] In one embodiment, the seventh wireless terminal receives a measurement report from the eighth wireless terminal. The measurement report is associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal. For example, the measurement report may include measurement results for each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0287] In one embodiment, the seventh wireless terminal sends a measurement report to a ninth wireless terminal (eg, a source terminal or a relay terminal of a previous hop). The measurement report in this embodiment is associated with each hop between the ninth wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0288] In one embodiment, the measurement report includes (the measurement result of) RSRP for each hop on the link.

[0289] Fig. 20 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig. 20 The method shown may be used in an eighth wireless terminal and includes:

[0290] Step 2001: Receive a message associated with requesting a measurement report from a seventh wireless terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, wherein the message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

[0291] In this embodiment, the eighth wireless terminal receives a message from the seventh wireless terminal on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal (or from the source terminal to the target terminal) to request a measurement report associated with each hop on the link. The message includes a link identifier for the link. Note that the eighth wireless terminal may be a target terminal or a relay terminal on the link (see, e.g., Fig. 9 ).

[0292] In one embodiment, the message also includes a relay indication configured to indicate a request for a measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

[0293] In one embodiment, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of a source terminal, or an identifier of a target terminal.

[0294] In one embodiment, the eighth wireless terminal may send measurement reports associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0295] In one embodiment, the eighth wireless terminal may also send a message associated with requesting a measurement report of each hop on the link to a tenth wireless terminal (eg, a target terminal or another relay terminal on the link).

[0296] In one embodiment, the eighth wireless terminal may receive, from the tenth wireless terminal, measurement reports associated with each hop between the eighth wireless terminal and the target terminal.

[0297] In one embodiment, the measurement results include RSRP for each hop on the link.

[0298] Fig.21 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.21 The method shown may be used in an eleventh wireless terminal and includes:

[0299] Step 2101: Send a first measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal to a twelfth wireless terminal on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal, wherein the first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0300] exist Fig.21 In the embodiment, the eleventh wireless terminal sends a first measurement report to the twelfth wireless terminal on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal. The first measurement report is associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal. In this embodiment, the eleventh wireless terminal can be a target terminal or a relay terminal on the link. The twelfth wireless terminal can be a relay terminal on the link. Note that the first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0301] In one embodiment, the link identifier comprises at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of the target terminal, or an identifier of the source terminal.

[0302] In one embodiment, the eleventh wireless terminal may receive a configuration message associated with the measurement report from the source terminal. That is, the eleventh wireless terminal may be a target wireless terminal (see, e.g. Fig.10 ).

[0303] In one embodiment, the eleventh wireless terminal may receive a second measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the eleventh wireless terminal and the target terminal from the thirteenth wireless terminal (e.g., the target terminal or a relay terminal of the next hop on the link toward the target terminal). The second measurement report is also identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

[0304] In one embodiment, the (first and / or second) measurement report includes the RSRP of each hop on the link.

[0305] Fig. 22 A flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Fig. 22 The method shown may be used in a source terminal (e.g., a source (remote) UE) and comprises the following steps:

[0306] Step 2201: Send a configuration message associated with a measurement report to a target terminal to which the source terminal is connected via at least one relay terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal.

[0307] Step 2202: Receive the measurement report from one of at least one relay terminal.

[0308] In this embodiment, the source terminal sends a configuration message associated with a measurement report to the target terminal. The measurement report is associated with each hop on the link between the source terminal and the target terminal. In this embodiment, the source terminal is connected to (or communicates with) the target terminal via at least one relay terminal. Therefore, the source terminal can receive the measurement report from one of the at least one relay terminal (see, for example, Fig.10 ).

[0309] In one embodiment, the measurement report includes the RSRP of each hop.

[0310] 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 diagrams may depict example 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 personnel should understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as those of ordinary skill in the art should understand, 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 exemplary embodiments described above.

[0311] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using names such as "first," "second," etc., herein generally does not limit the quantity or order of those elements. Instead, these names may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or element instances. Thus, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be utilized, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0312] In addition, it should be understood by those skilled in the art 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 referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0313] The skilled person should also recognize that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, units, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes containing instructions (for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software units"), or any combination of these technologies.

[0314] In order to clearly illustrate the interchangeability of such hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, units, circuits and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or implemented as software, or implemented as a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Skilled technicians can implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application, but the decision of such implementation will not lead to departure 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 described herein. As used herein with respect to a specific operation or function, the term "configured to" or "configured for" refers to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, unit, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed and / or arranged to perform a specific operation or function.

[0315] In addition, the technician should understand that the various illustrative logic blocks, units, devices, components and circuits described herein can be implemented in or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which can 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 combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of 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 function 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.

[0316] Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that can enable a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. Storage media can be any available media accessed by a computer. By way of 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.

[0317] In this document, the term "unit" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various units are described as discrete units; however, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that two or more units can be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0318] In addition, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, memory or other storage devices and communication components may be used. It will be appreciated that, for the sake of clarity, the above description has described the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or processing domains may be used without departing from the present disclosure. For example, functionality shown as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to a suitable device for providing the described functionality, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0319] Various modifications to the embodiments described in the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method used in a first wireless terminal, the method comprising: sending a message associated with discovery of the relay terminal to the second wireless terminal, The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

2. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The message is a discovery message.

3. The wireless communication method according to claim 2, wherein: The first wireless terminal is the relay terminal.

4. The wireless communication method according to claim 1, wherein: The message is a discovery request message.

5. The wireless communication method according to claim 4, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

6. The wireless communication method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising: A discovery response message is received from the second wireless terminal.

7. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

8. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The information of the at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection auxiliary information of the at least one network slice.

9. A wireless communication method used in a second wireless terminal, the method comprising: receiving a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a first wireless terminal, The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

10. The wireless communication method according to claim 9, wherein: The message is a discovery message.

11. The wireless communication method according to claim 10, wherein: The first wireless terminal is a relay terminal.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 9, wherein: The message is a discovery request message.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 12, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The second wireless terminal supports at least one of the at least one network slice, and Wherein, the method further comprises: Sending a discovery response message to the first wireless terminal.

15. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein: The second wireless terminal supports at least one of the at least one network slice, and Wherein, the method further comprises: The message is sent to a third wireless terminal.

16. The wireless communication method according to claim 15, wherein: The number indicated by the relay indication in the message sent to the third wireless terminal is obtained by decrementing by 1 the number indicated by the relay indication in the message received from the first wireless terminal.

17. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 16, wherein: The relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

18. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 17, wherein: The information associated with the at least one network slice includes at least one signal network slice selection assistance information of the at least one network slice.

19. A wireless communication method used in a fourth wireless terminal, the method comprising: sending a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a fifth wireless terminal, The message includes at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the relay terminal.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 19, wherein: The message is a discovery message, a PC5 side link message or a PC5 radio link control message.

21. The wireless communication method according to claim 20, wherein: The fourth wireless terminal is the relay terminal.

22. The wireless communication method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter is supported by the relay terminal.

23. The wireless communication method according to claim 19, wherein: The message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message or a PC5 radio link control message.

24. The wireless communication method according to claim 23, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

25. The wireless communication method according to claim 23 or 24, further comprising: A discovery response message is received from the fifth wireless terminal.

26. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter is at least one end-to-end QoS parameter for the link between a source terminal of the link and a target terminal of the link, or at least one residual QoS parameter for the relay link between a fourth terminal and a target terminal of the relay link.

27. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 19 to 26, wherein: The relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

28. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 19 to 27, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter includes at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate, or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

29. A wireless communication method used in a fifth wireless terminal, the method comprising: receiving a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a fourth wireless terminal, The message includes at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the relay terminal.

30. The wireless communication method according to claim 29, wherein: The message is a discovery message, a PC5 side link message or a PC5 radio link control message.

31. The wireless communication method according to claim 30, wherein: The fourth wireless terminal is the relay terminal.

32. The wireless communication method according to claim 30 or 31, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter is supported by the relay terminal.

33. The wireless communication method according to claim 29, wherein: The message is a discovery request message, a PC5 side link message or a PC5 radio link control message.

34. The wireless communication method according to claim 33, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication indicating at least one of a number of hops for sending the message or a maximum number of hops for sending the message.

35. The wireless communication method according to claim 33 or 34, wherein: The fifth wireless terminal supports the at least one QoS parameter, and Wherein, the method further comprises: Send a discovery response message to the fourth wireless terminal.

36. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein: The fifth wireless terminal supports the at least one QoS parameter, and Wherein, the method further comprises: The message is sent to a sixth wireless terminal.

37. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter is at least one end-to-end QoS parameter for the link between a source terminal of the link and a target terminal of the link, or at least one residual QoS parameter for the relay link between a fourth terminal and a target terminal of the relay link.

38. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 29 to 37, wherein: The relay terminal is used for a link between two wireless terminals or between a wireless terminal and a wireless network node.

39. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 29 to 38, wherein: The at least one QoS parameter includes at least one of a packet delay budget, a packet error rate, or a timestamp associated with transmission of the message.

40. A wireless communication method used in a seventh wireless terminal, the method comprising: sending a message associated with requesting a measurement report to an eighth wireless terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

41. The wireless communication method according to claim 40, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication configured to indicate a request for the measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

42. The wireless communication method according to claim 40 or 41, wherein: The link identifier includes at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of the source terminal, or an identifier of the target terminal.

43. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 40 to 43, further comprising: The measurement report associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal is received from the eighth wireless terminal.

44. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 40 to 43, further comprising: The measurement report associated with each hop between the ninth wireless terminal and the target terminal is sent to a ninth wireless terminal on the link.

45. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 40 to 44, wherein: The measurement report includes a reference signal received power for each hop on the link.

46. ​​A wireless communication method used in an eighth wireless terminal, the method comprising: receiving a message associated with requesting a measurement report from a seventh wireless terminal on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

47. The wireless communication method according to claim 46, wherein: The message also includes a relay indication configured to indicate a request for the measurement report associated with each hop on the link.

48. The wireless communication method according to claim 46 or 47, wherein: The link identifier includes at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of the source terminal, or an identifier of the target terminal.

49. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 46 to 48, further comprising: The measurement report associated with each hop between the seventh wireless terminal and the target terminal is sent to the seventh relay terminal.

50. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 46 to 49, further comprising: A message associated with requesting a measurement report for each hop on the link is sent to a tenth relay terminal.

51. The wireless communication method according to claim 50, further comprising: The measurement report associated with each hop between the eighth wireless terminal and the target terminal is received from the tenth relay terminal.

52. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 46 to 51, wherein: The measurement result includes a reference signal received power of each hop on the link.

53. A wireless communication method used in an eleventh wireless terminal, the method comprising: sending, to a twelfth wireless terminal, a first measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal, on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, The first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

54. The wireless communication method according to claim 53, wherein: The link identifier includes at least one of an end-to-end PC5 link identifier of the link, an identifier of the target terminal, or an identifier of the source terminal.

55. The wireless communication method according to claim 53 or 54, further comprising: A configuration message associated with measurement reporting is received from the source terminal.

56. The wireless communication method according to claim 53 or 54, further comprising: receiving, on the link, from a thirteenth wireless terminal, a second measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the eleventh wireless terminal and the target terminal, The second measurement report is identified by the link identifier associated with the link.

57. The wireless communication method according to any one of claims 53 to 56, wherein: The measurement report includes a reference signal received power for each hop on the link.

58. A wireless communication method used in a source terminal, the method comprising: sending a configuration message associated with a measurement report to a target terminal to which the source terminal is connected via at least one relay terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal, and The measurement report is received from one of the at least one relay terminal.

59. The wireless communication method according to claim 58, wherein: The measurement report includes the reference signal received power of each hop.

60. A wireless communication method for use in a wireless network node, the method comprising: A configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay is sent to a wireless terminal, the at least one discovery model being usable by the wireless terminal for discovering a relay terminal.

61. The wireless communication method according to claim 60, further comprising: Capability information of at least one discovery model supported by the wireless terminal is received from the wireless terminal.

62. The wireless communication method according to claim 61, wherein: The at least one discovery model that can be used by the wireless terminal to discover the relay terminal is determined based on the capability information.

63. A wireless communication method used in a wireless terminal, the method comprising: A configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relaying is received from a radio network node, the at least one discovery model being usable by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

64. The wireless communication method according to claim 63, further comprising: Capability information of at least one discovery model supported by the wireless terminal is sent to the radio network node.

65. A wireless communication method used in a relay terminal, the method comprising: A notification message including a list of neighboring terminals of the relay terminal is sent to neighbor terminals.

66. The wireless communication method according to claim 65, wherein: The number of neighboring terminals in the list is greater than 0.

67. The wireless communication method according to claim 65 or 66, wherein: The announcement message also includes a reference signal received power between the relay terminal and each of the neighboring terminals.

68. The wireless communication method according to claims 65 to 67, wherein: A reference signal received power between the relay terminal and each neighboring terminal in the list is greater than a threshold.

69. A first wireless terminal, the first wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to the second wireless terminal, The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

70. The first wireless terminal of claim 69, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 2 to 8.

71. A second wireless terminal, the second wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a second wireless terminal, The message includes information associated with at least one network slice supported by the relay terminal.

72. The second wireless terminal according to claim 71, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

73. A fourth wireless terminal, the fourth wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to send a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal to a fifth wireless terminal, The message includes at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the relay terminal.

74. The fourth wireless terminal according to claim 73, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 20 to 28.

75. A fifth wireless terminal, the fifth wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to receive a message associated with discovery of a relay terminal from a fourth wireless terminal, The message includes at least one quality of service (QoS) parameter associated with the relay terminal.

76. The fifth wireless terminal according to claim 75, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 30 to 39.

77. A seventh wireless terminal, the seventh wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to send a message associated with requesting a measurement report to an eighth wireless terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

78. The seventh wireless terminal according to claim 77, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 41 to 45.

79. An eighth wireless terminal, the eighth wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to receive, from a seventh wireless terminal on a link from a source terminal to a target terminal, a message associated with requesting a measurement report, the measurement report being associated with each hop on the link, The message includes a link identifier associated with the link.

80. The eighth wireless terminal according to claim 79, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 47 to 52.

81. An eleventh wireless terminal, the eleventh wireless terminal comprising: a communication unit configured to send, to a twelfth wireless terminal, a first measurement report associated with each hop on the link between the twelfth wireless terminal and the target terminal on a link between a source terminal and a target terminal, The first measurement report is identified by a link identifier associated with the link.

82. The eleventh wireless terminal according to claim 81, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 54 to 57.

83. A source terminal, comprising: a communication unit configured to send a configuration message associated with a measurement report to a target terminal to which the source terminal is connected via at least one relay terminal, the measurement report being associated with each hop on a link between the source terminal and the target terminal; and receiving the measurement report from one of the at least one relay terminal.

84. The source terminal according to claim 83, further comprising: A processor configured to execute the wireless communication method according to claim 59.

85. A wireless network node, the wireless network node comprising: A communication unit is configured to send a configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay to a wireless terminal, wherein the at least one discovery model can be used by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

86. The wireless network node of claim 85, further comprising: A processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute the wireless communication method according to claim 61 or 62.

87. A wireless terminal, comprising: A communication unit is configured to receive a configuration message associated with at least one discovery model and / or an indication of supporting terminal-to-terminal relay from a radio network node, wherein the at least one discovery model can be used by the wireless terminal to discover a relay terminal.

88. The wireless terminal of claim 87, further comprising: A processor configured to execute the wireless communication method according to claim 64.

89. A relay terminal, comprising: A communication unit is configured to send a notification message including a list of neighboring terminals of the relay terminal to a neighbor terminal.

90. The relay terminal according to claim 89, further comprising: A processor configured to execute the wireless communication method according to any one of claims 66 to 68.

91. 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 68.

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