Electronic equipment, communication method and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to electronic equipment, a communication method and a storage medium. An electronic device for a transmitting device may perform the following: transmitting a path discovery packet to a receiving device, the path discovery packet being transmitted to the receiving device via a plurality of candidate paths, each candidate path including at least one relay node; receiving feedback information associated with the plurality of candidate paths from a receiving device, the feedback information including path state information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; based on feedback information, determining at least two relay paths used for data transmission with the receiving device in the plurality of candidate paths and corresponding transmission configurations; and transmitting the transmission configuration to the relay nodes in the at least two relay paths.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the field of wireless communications. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an electronic device, a communication method, and a storage medium for improving the performance of a multi-hop multi-path wireless relay network. Background Art

[0002] In the field of wireless communications, relay technology is widely adopted to, for example, expand the coverage area or improve the wireless transmission performance. The functionality of relay technology is based on using relay nodes to send data packets from a source node to a destination node. That is, a source node with a sending intention first sends a data packet to a relay node, and then this relay node forwards it to the destination node. This is also called "single-hop" relay. Or, if possible, the first relay node continues to forward the data packet to a second relay node until the last relay node forwards the data to the destination node. This is also called "multi-hop relay".

[0003] The multi-path characteristic can also be incorporated into the relay network to obtain further advantages. The participating relay nodes forward the data packet towards the destination node or the next-hop relay node on several possible paths. Since different paths experience independent wireless environments, it is possible to obtain additional diversity gain by transmitting the same data through multiple paths, which is beneficial for achieving a more reliable reception effect at the receiving end. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides multiple aspects. By applying one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the performance of a multi-hop multi-path wireless relay network can be improved.

[0005] A brief overview of the present disclosure is given below to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive overview of the present disclosure. It is not intended to identify the key or important parts of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Its purpose is merely to present some concepts of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description given later.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device for a sending device, including: a processor; and a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including: sending a path discovery data packet to a receiving device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node; receiving, from the receiving device, feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; determining, based on the feedback information, at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths; and sending the transmission configuration to relay nodes in the at least two relay paths.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device for a receiving device, including a processor; and a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including: receiving a path discovery data packet from a sending device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node; determining, based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path among the multiple candidate paths; and sending feedback information including the path status information and transmission configuration suggestions to the sending device for the sending device to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device for a relay device, including: a processor; and a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including: relaying a path discovery data packet as a relay node in a candidate path from a sending device to a receiving device, wherein the path discovery data packet is transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths including the candidate path, and wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node; relaying feedback information associated with the candidate path from the receiving device to the sending device, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with the candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; and receiving, from the sending device, information indicating that the candidate path is selected as a relay path for data transmission from the sending device to the receiving device and a transmission configuration.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: sending a path discovery data packet to a receiving device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node; receiving, from the receiving device, feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; determining, based on the feedback information, at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations among the multiple candidate paths that will be used for data transmission with the receiving device; and sending the transmission configurations to relay nodes in the at least two relay paths.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: receiving a path discovery data packet from a sending device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to a receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node; determining, based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path among the multiple candidate paths; and sending feedback information including the path status information and transmission configuration suggestions to the sending device for the sending device to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations among the multiple candidate paths that will be used for data transmission with the receiving device.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, including: relaying a path discovery data packet as a relay node in a candidate path from a sending device to a receiving device, where the path discovery data packet is transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths including the candidate path, and where each candidate path includes at least one relay node; relaying feedback information associated with the candidate path from the receiving device to the sending device, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with the candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; and receiving, from the sending device, information indicating that the candidate path is selected as a relay path for data transmission from the sending device to the receiving device and a transmission configuration.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions is provided, and the executable instructions, when executed, implement any one of the communication methods described above. Description of the Drawings

[0013] The present disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like or similar reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote like or similar elements. All of the drawings, together with the following detailed description, are included in this specification and form a part of the specification, and are used to further illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and to explain the principles and advantages of the present disclosure. Among them:

[0014] Figure 1A and 1B schematically shows an example of a multi-hop multi-path relay network;

[0015] Figure 2 shows a flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3 shows a flowchart for synchronizing time of arrival according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4 shows another flowchart for synchronizing time of arrival according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 shows a flowchart for congestion control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 and Figure 7 respectively show an electronic device and a communication method executed thereby according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 8 and Figure 9 respectively show an electronic device and a communication method executed thereby according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 10 and Figure 11 respectively show an electronic device and a communication method executed thereby according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 12 shows an example block diagram of a computer that can be implemented as a user equipment or a control equipment according to the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 13 illustrates a first example of a schematic configuration of a base station according to the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 14 illustrates a second example of a schematic configuration of a base station according to the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 15 illustrates an example of a schematic configuration of a smart phone according to the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 16 Illustrates a schematic configuration example of an automotive navigation device according to the present disclosure.

[0027] The features and aspects of the present disclosure will be clearly understood by reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments

[0028] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to be any limitation on the present disclosure and its applications. For clarity and conciseness, not all features of the embodiments are described in this specification. However, it should be noted that many implementation-specific settings may be made according to specific requirements when implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure, so as to, for example, comply with those limitations related to devices and services, and these limitations may vary with different implementation manners.

[0029] In addition, it should also be noted that, in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure due to unnecessary details, only the processing steps and / or device structures closely related to at least the technical content of the present disclosure are shown in some of the drawings, while in other drawings, existing processing steps and / or device structures are additionally shown for better understanding of the present disclosure.

[0030] Hereinafter, for the purpose of convenient explanation, one or more aspects of the present disclosure may be described by taking the application scenario of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) as an example. However, it should be noted that this is not a limitation on the application scope of the present disclosure. One or more aspects of the present disclosure can also be applied to application scenarios that apply relay technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), wireless sensor networks, emergency communication, and disaster recovery. The architectures, entities, functions, processes, etc. mentioned in the following description can be found in the corresponding communication standards.

[0031] Relay technology is often used to expand the signal transmission range. In enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) scenarios and other vertical fields such as the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenario, by adopting the relay node relay transmission method, the advantages in signal transmission distance and range can be exerted. Generally speaking, the transmission method of single-hop relay has limited improvement in expanding the range. Especially in the application scenario of vehicle-to-everything (V2X), when a vehicle expects to obtain road conditions several kilometers away or transmit its own status to a roadside unit several kilometers away, single-hop relay may be difficult to achieve, and multi-hop relay support is required to further extend the transmission range.

[0032] A multi-hop relay network can further combine multi-path characteristics to form a so-called "multi-hop multi-path" relay network. Figure 1A and 1BAn example of a multi-hop multi-path relay network is schematically shown. As shown in the figure, the relay network consists of a transmitting device S as the source node, a receiving device T as the destination node, and relay devices A1 - A6 as the relay nodes.

[0033] Figure 1A A direct relay network from UE to UE (UE-to-UE) is shown, where the transmitting device S, the relay devices A1 - A6, and the receiving device T can all be user equipment (which can also be referred to as user terminals, terminal devices, or simply UE). Figure 1B An indirect relay network from UE to Network (UE-to-Network) is shown, where the transmitting device S and the relay devices A1 - A6 can be user equipment, while the receiving device T can be a base station, which is also the difference from Figure 1A this.

[0034] It should be noted that the term "user equipment (UE)" used in this disclosure has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, including various terminal devices or in-vehicle devices that communicate with a base station. As an example, a UE can be, for example, a terminal device such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, an in-vehicle communication device, or its components. Additionally, the term "base station" used in this disclosure, as an example of a control device in a wireless communication system, has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning. For example, in addition to the gNB and ng-eNB specified in the 5G communication standard, depending on the scenario in which the technical solution of this disclosure is applied, a base station can also be, for example, an eNB in an LTE communication system, a remote radio head, a wireless access point (AP), a transmit-receive point (TRP), or a communication device or its components that perform similar control functions. Application examples of UEs and base stations will be described in detail in the following sections.

[0035] As Figure 1A and 1BAs shown, the sending device S can send data, such as protocol data units (PDUs), to the receiving device T via more than one relay path. Relay path 1 and relay path 2 are shown in the figure, where relay path 1 includes relay nodes A1, A2, and A3, and relay path 2 includes relay nodes A4, A5, and A6. However, it should be noted that this is merely exemplary. The multi-hop multi-path relay network according to the present disclosure may not be limited to two relay paths, but may include three, four, or more paths, and the relay paths may not be completely separate, that is, two or more of the relay paths may have several overlapping nodes. In addition, the number of relay nodes included in each relay path is also not limited to that shown in the figure, but may include more or fewer nodes, and different relay paths may include different numbers of nodes. Although the present disclosure discusses multi-hop multi-path relay networks, it does not mean that all relay paths are multi-hop, that is, the relay paths according to the present disclosure may include at least one relay node.

[0036] In Figure 1A it, device-to-device (D2D) communication may be adopted between the sending device S and the relay nodes, between the relay nodes and the receiving device T, and between the possible relay nodes. As an example, the communication between devices may be implemented via a direct link (Sidelink) on the PC5 interface, but is not limited thereto. An exemplary application scenario is the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), which uses various communication methods including Sidelink to achieve the interconnection and interoperability of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-person (V2P), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-network (V2N), etc. In the application scenario of the IoV, the expansion of the direct link between vehicle terminals and other vehicle terminals or roadside units is the key point of this scenario.

[0037] In Figure 1B it, D2D communication may be adopted between the sending device S and the relay nodes and between the possible relay nodes, for example, via Sidelink, and the communication between the relay nodes and the receiving device T may adopt the Uu link. An exemplary application scenario is the Internet of Things (IoT), and the relay network is mainly used to expand the direct connection between terminal devices and base stations.

[0038] Regardless of the type of multi-hop multi-path relay network, there are some points worthy of research and attention. For example, the same data can be transmitted on different relay paths to improve the robustness of data transmission, especially when one or several links have node devices moving out of the coverage area. To achieve efficient packet merging at the receiving end to enhance the robustness of data transmission, there is a requirement for synchronization of the arrival times of packets at the receiving end. Considering that there may be many relay nodes in a multi-hop scenario, appropriate relay path selection strategies and congestion control strategies are needed. Additionally, since the transmitting nodes, receiving nodes, and relay nodes as UEs are usually devices with limited processing / storage resources and energy, it is necessary to optimize the configuration of the transmission parameters of each node device.

[0039] For the purpose of addressing one or more of the above requirements, the exemplary embodiments described in detail below are proposed.

[0040] Figure 2 A flowchart according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 The process shown in can occur before formal data transmission, that is, in the initial setup and configuration phase of the relay network.

[0041] As shown in the figure, the process can start at step S1, where the transmitting device S broadcasts one or more path discovery packets. The path discovery packet according to the present disclosure is a packet sent for the purpose of wireless relay networking to find candidate relay paths from the transmitting device S to the receiving device T. The path discovery packet includes at least the identification information of the transmitting device S as the transmission source and the identification information of the receiving device T as the transmission destination. The identification information of the device can be included in the header of the path discovery packet. For example, it can be the Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the device, or the Media Access Control (MAC) address, or any identity (ID) that can be used to identify the device on the network.

[0042] An example of finding a candidate relay path in S1 is briefly introduced below. It should be noted that the path discovery method described below is merely exemplary, and any other method can also be adopted as long as it can find a possible relay path. When the sending device S broadcasts a wireless signal containing a path discovery data packet, relay nodes within its coverage can receive the signal and make measurements. In one example, the relay node can measure the strength of the received signal, such as the received signal strength indication (RSSI) or signal power. In another example, the relay node can measure the quality of the received signal, such as the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The relay node can also measure other parameters. Based on the measurement results, the relay node can determine whether to forward the received path discovery data packet according to predefined criteria. For example, when the strength or quality of the received signal is higher than a predefined threshold, the relay node can continue to broadcast a wireless signal containing the path discovery data packet until the data packet reaches the receiving device. The forwarding of the relay node is transparent, that is, the relay node does not decode and re-encode the payload part of the data packet. However, the relay node can add the identification information of the relay node to the header of the data packet to indicate that the data packet has passed through this node.

[0043] For example, as Figure 1A shown in 1B, the path discovery data packet from the sending device S can be received and forwarded by two relay nodes A1 and A4. Next, the relay nodes A1 and A4 can broadcast the path discovery data packet respectively. The path discovery data packet forwarded by the relay node A1 can be received by the relay node A2 and possibly other relay nodes, and based on the measurement results, it is continuously forwarded by the relay node A2, and the relay node A2 also adds its identification information to the header of the data packet. Similarly, the relay node A3 can receive and forward the data packet from the relay node A2 and add its identification information to the header of the data packet. Since the relay node A3 is already within the coverage of the receiving device T, the path discovery data packet it forwards can be received by the receiving device T. Thus, the candidate relay path 1 from the sending device S→A1→A2→A3→receiving device T is discovered. In a similar manner, the candidate relay path 2 from the sending device S→A4→A5→A6→receiving device T can also be discovered.

[0044] Next, as Figure 2 shown in, in step S2, the receiving device T can evaluate each candidate relay path based on the received path discovery data packet. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving device T can evaluate the path status information associated with each candidate relay path. Ultimately, the quality of the relay path needs to be judged by the receiving device T, which is the service recipient, and it can be reflected in the obtained path status information.

[0045] In one example, the receiving device T may evaluate the arrival delay of the path discovery packets received from each candidate relay path. A relatively consistent arrival delay is desired because on the one hand, it can reduce the support of the receiving end for a large amount of cached data, and on the other hand, it can also reduce the data transmission delay and improve the data decoding efficiency. Generally speaking, the factors affecting the arrival delay include the data transmission period of the relay node, the buffer capacity, and the number of hops on the candidate relay path, and so on.

[0046] As a non-limiting example, the path discovery packet may carry a timestamp when departing from the sending device S, and the receiving device T may subtract the time indicated by the timestamp from the time when the packet arrives to obtain the arrival delay of the corresponding candidate relay path (which may also be referred to as "absolute delay"). An excessive arrival delay means a small path throughput or serious congestion. As an alternative example, the path discovery packet may not carry a timestamp, and the receiving device T may determine the time when the path discovery packet arrives at the receiving device T on each candidate relay path and calculate the difference in arrival delays of different paths (which may also be referred to as "relative delay"). In Figure 1A the example shown in Figure 1A or 1B, the receiving device T may calculate the difference between the time of arrival from relay path 1 and the time of arrival from relay path 2. The smaller the calculated delay, the higher the synchronization degree of the packets arriving at the receiving device T through different paths.

[0047] In another example, the receiving device T may evaluate the decoding correct rate of the path discovery packets received from each candidate relay path. A high decoding correct rate is desired because the higher the decoding correct rate, the smaller the interference received by the candidate relay path. The factors affecting the decoding correct rate include the transmission power of the relay node, the number of hops on the candidate relay path, etc.

[0048] In yet another example, the receiving device T may evaluate the packet loss rate of the path discovery packets received from each candidate relay path. A low packet loss rate is desired. The reasons for packet loss are relatively complex. For example, wireless channel conditions, the buffer capacity of the relay node, the packet processing strategy of the relay node, etc. may all cause packet loss.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving device T may further generate corresponding transmission configuration suggestions based on the reception conditions of the path discovery packets on each candidate relay path. The transmission configuration suggestions here may be only qualitative and are intended to help the sending device S make path selection decisions and path configurations.

[0050] For example, if the received signal strength on a certain candidate relay path is small (e.g., less than a certain predetermined threshold), and / or the calculated decoding correct rate is low (e.g., lower than a certain predetermined threshold), and / or the calculated packet loss rate is low (e.g., lower than a certain predetermined threshold), then the receiving device T may suggest increasing the transmission power of the relay node. Conversely, the receiving device T may suggest appropriately reducing the transmission power of the relay node on the candidate relay path to reduce the power consumption of the relay node while ensuring transmission reliability.

[0051] For example, if the arrival delay on a certain candidate relay path is too large (e.g., greater than a certain predetermined threshold), then the receiving device T may suggest increasing the data transmission frequency of the relay node on the candidate relay path, or reducing the buffer capacity of the relay node on the candidate relay path.

[0052] For example, if for a certain candidate relay path, the calculated packet loss rate is high (e.g., higher than a certain predetermined threshold), then the receiving device T may suggest increasing the data transmission frequency of the relay node on the candidate relay path, or increasing the buffer capacity of the relay node on the candidate relay path.

[0053] The receiving device T can provide suggestions by comprehensively considering the status information of the candidate relay path. For example, if the arrival delay of a certain candidate relay path is large and the packet loss rate is low, then the receiving device T may suggest reducing the buffer capacity of the relay node on the candidate relay path, while if the arrival delay is large and the packet loss rate is high, then the receiving device T can only suggest increasing the data transmission frequency of the relay node on the candidate relay path.

[0054] As Figure 2 shown in step S3 of

[0055] In one example, the receiving device T can send the determined path status information together with the transmission configuration suggestion as feedback information to the sending device S. Figure 1A or in the example of 1B, the feedback information associated with relay path 1 can be transmitted to the sending device S along the reverse path (receiving device T → A3 → A2 → A1 → sending device S), and the feedback information associated with relay path 2 can be transmitted to the sending device S along the reverse path (receiving device T → A6 → A5 → A3 → sending device S).

[0056] In another example, the receiving device T can send the feedback information only through a part of the candidate relay paths. For example, the receiving device T can select to return the feedback information on the best candidate relay path based on the determined path status information.

[0057] Optionally, the receiving device T may return feedback information for some rather than all of the candidate relay paths. For example, based on the determined arrival delay, decoding accuracy rate, or packet loss rate, the receiving device T may selectively send feedback information for a predetermined number (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) of candidate relay paths.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving device T may determine the path ID of a candidate relay path. Considering the uniqueness of the path information, the path ID is defined based on the identification information of the relay nodes on the path, i.e., path ID = F(UE1_id, UE2_id, … UEn_id), where F(*) represents a specific calculation algorithm, and UEn_id represents the identification information of the relay node UEn, such as an IP address. Most simply, the path ID may be represented as an ordered sequence of the identification information of the relay nodes on the candidate relay path. For example, the path ID of relay path 1 may be composed of the ID sequence of relay nodes A1, A2, and A3. However, such a path ID may be too long, resulting in excessive transmission overhead, especially when the number of relay nodes is large. In this case, certain lossless compression algorithms may be used to map from the identification information of the relay nodes to obtain the path ID. It should be noted that the obtained path ID preferably includes the order information of all the relay nodes on the corresponding path, i.e., it can indicate multiple hops on the relay path.

[0059] By calculating the path ID, it can be ensured that even if there are overlapping nodes under multiple paths, the path information of different relay paths can be accurately distinguished. Additionally, the calculation rule of the path ID may be set in advance or configured by the base station (if relying on base station configuration, then the receiving device T needs to be within the coverage of the base station). In this way, whether supporting relay path transmission at the underlying layer or the application layer, it is not necessary to occupy a certain number of bits for explicit indication.

[0060] In step S3, the receiving device T may send the path ID as part of the feedback information to the sending device S. This is particularly useful when the feedback information does not return along the original path.

[0061] In step S4, the sending device S can select a relay path from the candidate relay paths that will be used for subsequent data transmission. This selection can refer to the feedback information returned by the receiving device T. As described above, the feedback information associated with the candidate relay paths can include corresponding path status information, such as arrival delay, decoding correct rate, or packet loss rate, etc. In one example, the sending device S can select at least two relay paths with the minimum or nearly minimum arrival delay, so that the data transmitted through these relay paths meets the synchronization requirements at the receiving end. In another example, the sending device S selects at least two relay paths that perform best in terms of decoding correct rate or packet loss rate to ensure the reliability of data transmission. The sending device S can comprehensively consider the status information of each candidate relay path to select the path that best meets the service requirements as the relay path to be used subsequently.

[0062] In addition, in step S4, the sending device S can also determine the transmission configuration corresponding to the selected relay path based on the transmission configuration suggestions included in the feedback information. Here, the determined transmission configuration can include quantitative transmission parameter values. For the transmission configuration of increasing or decreasing the transmission power, data transmission frequency, or buffer capacity of the relay nodes on a certain relay path, the sending device S can determine the specific amount to be increased or decreased.

[0063] Subsequently, in step S5, the sending device S can send the determined transmission configuration to all the relay nodes on the selected relay path. In one example, for a certain relay path, the sending device S can send the transmission configurations of all the relay nodes on this relay path together as overall configuration data. The configuration data can be transmitted hop by hop along the relay path through the relay nodes. This configuration data indicates the information that the corresponding relay path is selected. For example, this can be achieved by including the path ID of the relay path. Since the path ID includes the identification information of all the relay nodes on this relay path, thus, each relay node can find the transmission configuration bound to its identification information from the configuration data and can adjust its transmission parameters, such as increasing or decreasing its transmission power, data transmission frequency, or buffer capacity.

[0064] Thus, a multi-hop multi-path relay network from the sending device S to the receiving device T is established. As shown by the dashed box in Figure 2 , data transmission can be performed on this relay network. Through the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, as the receiving device T, the service recipient, can select and configure the desired relay path for data transmission by feeding back the status information of the relay path and the corresponding transmission configuration suggestions. This is beneficial to meet the requirement of data synchronous arrival at the receiving end and improve the performance of relay transmission.

[0065] As an addition or alternative, the present disclosure provides further features for synchronizing the arrival times on different relay paths.

[0066] Figure 3 is a flowchart for synchronizing arrival times according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Step S30 in the figure is a preparatory step for establishing a wireless relay network. Step S30 can be implemented by using the process described above with reference to Figure 2 However, as an alternative, a conventional wireless relay networking method can also be used. In other words, Figure 3 the process described in Figure 2 can occur after the process in Figure 2 or can occur independently of the process in

[0067] After the relay paths have been selected and configured, the sending device S can start the data relay transmission between it and the receiving device T. The receiving device T can monitor the time delays at which the same data packet arrives from different relay paths. In one example, in the case where it is monitored that the arrival time delays on different relay paths do not meet the synchronization requirements (for example, the arrival time delay difference is higher than a predetermined threshold), the receiving device T can send an indication of this information to the sending device S, as shown in step S301.

[0068] In response to receiving an indication such as the arrival time delay difference being higher than the threshold, in S302, the sending device S instructs the last-hop relay node on the relevant relay path (i.e., the relay node one hop before the receiving device T) to negotiate a data transmission window that is roughly aligned. For example, in Figure 1A or the example of 1B, the sending device S can send a negotiation indication to any one or both of the last-hop relay node A3 of relay path 1 or the last-hop relay node A6 of relay path 2. As Figure 3 illustrated, the sending device S sends an indication to the relay node A3 to trigger the negotiation process. Since a relay node generally only knows the composition information of the relay path it is on, it is preferred that the indication sent by the sending device S also includes the identification information of the last-hop relay nodes of other relay paths that need to be synchronized, so that the indicated relay node knows the negotiation target, such as the relay node A6 on relay path 2.

[0069] In response, in step S303, relay node A3 triggers a negotiation process between it and relay node A6. Here, D2D communication can be applied. In one example, relay node A3 broadcasts a discovery signal through a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and relay node A6 establishes a D2D connection with relay node A3 by receiving the discovery signal. However, this is merely an example and not a limitation. Relay node A3 can also establish communication with relay node A6 in other ways, such as by using the identification information of relay node A6 provided by transmitting device S. As a result, relay node A3 and relay node A6 can determine a roughly aligned data transmission window. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, "roughly aligned" means that the data transmission windows of the two relay nodes do not have to be exactly aligned and can be staggered within a certain range, as long as the arrival synchronization requirements of the receiving end are met. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the data transmission window can be a periodic time interval at the frame (10 ms), half-frame (5 ms), sub-frame (1 ms) level, within which the relay node can perform relay forwarding. It should be noted that the time-frequency resources used by the relay node may be based on sensing or configured by the base station. It is desirable that the resources used for relay transmission fall within the data transmission window in time.

[0070] Thus, as the last-hop relay nodes, A3 and A6 relay data within a roughly aligned data transmission window, enabling receiving device T to receive the same data packet on different relay paths within a small time interval. This is beneficial for reducing the amount of data that receiving device T needs to buffer, as well as reducing data transmission latency and improving data decoding efficiency.

[0071] In an alternative example, the indication to trigger the negotiation of the data transmission window by the last-hop relay nodes can be issued by receiving device T. As Figure 3 shown, in the case where it is detected that the arrival delays on different relay paths do not meet the synchronization requirements (for example, the arrival delay difference is higher than a predetermined threshold), in step S311, receiving device T sends an indication to negotiate a roughly aligned data transmission window to the last-hop relay nodes on the relevant relay paths (such as relay node A3). In response, the relay node starts the negotiation process with the last-hop relay nodes on other relay paths. The negotiation process is as described above with reference to step S303 and will not be elaborated here.

[0072] Figure 4 is another flowchart for synchronizing arrival times according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Similar to step S30 in Figure 3 , step S40 in the figure is a preparatory step for establishing a wireless relay network.

[0073] In one example, the receiving device T can monitor the time delays at which the same data packet arrives from different relay paths. In one example, when it is detected that the arrival time delays on different relay paths do not meet the synchronization requirement (for example, the difference in arrival time delays is higher than a predetermined threshold), the receiving device T can send an indication of this information to the sending device S, as shown in step 401.

[0074] In response to receiving an indication such as the difference in arrival time delays being higher than the threshold, in S402, the sending device S configures a data transmission window that is roughly aligned for the last-hop relay nodes on the relevant relay paths. The sending device S can consider factors such as the data generation characteristics of the service, the data transmission volume, and the transmission configuration of the relay nodes to determine the data transmission window for the involved last-hop relay nodes and make the data transmission windows roughly aligned. The sending device S sends the configuration of the determined data transmission window to the last-hop relay nodes, such as relay nodes A3 and A6, so that the last-hop relay nodes on each relay path can transmit the data packets to the receiving device T substantially synchronously.

[0075] In an alternative example, the receiving device T can configure the data transmission window for the last-hop relay nodes. As Figure 4 shown in step S411, when it is detected that the arrival time delays on different relay paths do not meet the synchronization requirement (for example, the difference in arrival time delays is higher than a predetermined threshold), the receiving device T can consider factors such as the data generation characteristics of the service, the data transmission volume, and the transmission configuration of the relay nodes to determine the data transmission window for the involved last-hop relay nodes (such as relay nodes A3 and A6) and make the data transmission windows roughly aligned. As a result, the last-hop relay nodes on each relay path can transmit the data packets to the receiving device T substantially synchronously.

[0076] When the receiving device T is a base station, the last-hop relay nodes must be within the coverage area of the base station. At this time, as relay nodes (such as A3 and A6) can easily achieve synchronization through communication with the base station. In particular, in step S411, as the base station, the receiving device T can periodically or aperiodically allocate approximate time resources to relay nodes A3 and A6 so that they have roughly aligned data transmission windows. It should be noted that before the base station allocates time-frequency resources to, for example, relay nodes A3 and A6, it is still necessary to obtain the configuration information of the relay nodes on different relay links. This configuration information can be executed by the base station based on the information reported by the sending device S through other UEs or the basic information previously within the coverage area of the base station. After the information of each relay node is configured, the base station will evaluate the amount of resources required by the UEs within the current service coverage area and configure appropriate time-frequency resources for the relay UEs based on the evaluation result.

[0077] Note, Figure 4The process described in Figure 3 can be combined with the process described in Figure 3 . For example, in a situation where the last-hop relay nodes on different relay paths may not be within each other's coverage range, in step S303 or S312, relay nodes A3 and A6 may discover each other through D2D communication. At this time, the negotiation process for the data transmission window fails. Relay node A3 can feedback the information of the negotiation failure to the sending device S or the receiving device T, and the sending device S or the receiving device T can respectively configure a roughly aligned data transmission window through step S402 or S411.

[0078] The congestion control strategy according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described below. Depending on the type of service, there may be different requirements for congestion control of relay paths. For non-periodic services, the congestion control method is generally based on the most basic sensing process of D2D communication, that is, detecting whether the environmental capacity exceeds a given threshold before sending a data message on, for example, a Sidelink, so as to determine whether relay transmission can be performed. For periodic services, the sending criteria defined for data packets or messages mainly depend on: 1) the needs of the service itself; 2) congestion control for data or message transmission. In a multi-hop multi-path relay network, the network performance is limited by the transmission behavior of almost each relay node, so its congestion control is more complex than that of a conventional single-hop network or single-path network.

[0079] Figure 5 A flowchart for congestion control according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in the figure, the process starts at step S51, where the sending device S collects monitoring values of congestion control parameters from the relay nodes of each relay path, such as node density or channel busy rate (CBR) which will be described in detail below. This collection can be performed periodically at a predefined interval, or can be performed upon the request of the sending device S.

[0080] In step S52, the sending device S determines a unified data transmission period for the relay path based at least on the monitoring values of the congestion control parameters of the relay nodes collected for the relay path. The data transmission period can also be described as the data transmission frequency, and the two are reciprocal relationships. Typically, the sending device S can determine the lowest data transmission frequency supported by the nodes on the entire relay path (i.e., the most severe congestion level) to determine the data transmission frequency of the relay path. In addition, the sending device S can also consider the characteristics of the service itself, such as the generation period of the original data, the data volume, the delay requirement, the reliability requirement, etc.

[0081] Subsequently, in step S53, the sending device S configures the determined data transmission period to the relay nodes on the corresponding relay path. As a result, the relay nodes can perform data relay transmission with the unified data transmission period that the entire relay path can support.

[0082] The following uses node density and CBR as examples of congestion control parameters to describe how to determine the data transmission period. It should be understood that the congestion control parameters that can be used in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this, but any metric that can describe the congestion affecting the relay node can be used.

[0083] In one example, the congestion control parameters used include node density, that is, the number of nodes within a certain range around the relay node. Applied to the scenario of the vehicle-to-everything network, the node density represents the density of vehicles around the host vehicle acting as the relay node. For example, as a statistical method of node density, the host vehicle periodically estimates the vehicle density within 100 meters around it.

[0084] For relay node i, its currently estimated number of nodes is N(k), where k is the index of the estimation interval. Relay node i can adjust the estimated value. For example, the adjusted node density Ns(k) can be obtained through the following formula:

[0085] Ns(k) = γN(k) + (1 - γ)*Ns(k - 1)

[0086] where γ can be a constant, such as 0.05.

[0087] In Figure 5 step S51 of, relay node i sends the adjusted node density Ns(k) as a congestion control parameter to the sending device S. For each relay node i, the sending device S can calculate the maximum transmission period TmaxITT(k) supported by this relay node as follows:

[0088]

[0089] where B is a constant, such as 25. TvmaxITT is the maximum transmission interval, such as 600 milliseconds.

[0090] Considering this relay path, its data transmission period can be calculated as follows:

[0091] Trelay(k) = maxTmaxITT i (k), i ∈ [1, Nr]

[0092] where Nr is the number of all relay nodes under the relay path, and Trelay(k) is the unified data transmission period applicable to the relay path.

[0093] In another example, the congestion control parameter used includes CBR, that is, the ratio of the effective data volume transmitted by nodes (including sending nodes and relay nodes) per unit time to the channel capacity. For node i, its currently estimated CBR can be expressed as CBRi. In Figure 5In step S51, the relay node i sends CBRi to the sending device S as a congestion control parameter.

[0094] Subsequently, in step S52, the sending device S can synthesize CBRint of the entire relay path:

[0095] CBRint = max{CBR1, CBR2, …, CBRNr}, i ∈ [1, Nr]

[0096] where Nr is the number of all nodes (including the sending node and relay nodes) under the relay path. Then, the sending device S can determine the data transmission period applicable to the relay path based on CBRint. For example, this can be done with the aid of the correspondence between CBR and the data transmission period. The following table shows an example of determining the data transmission period from the range of CBRint.

[0097]

[0098] The two congestion control examples introduced above are both based on the RAN2 layer. Rising to the application layer, the buffer function of the relay node can be used to control the frequency of packet relay. Of course, the buffer function is based on CBR control and node density control. For example, when the data transmission period of the packet is determined to be 100 ms according to the node density or CBR, the application layer can further control to extend the transmission period according to the service requirements, for example, to 500 ms.

[0099] Next, an electronic device and a communication method to which embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied are described.

[0100] Figure 6 and Figure 7 respectively show an electronic device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and the communication method executed thereby. The electronic device 100 can be a UE for the sending device (such as the sending device S described above) or a component of the UE.

[0101] As Figure 6 shown, the electronic device 100 includes a processing circuit 101. The processing circuit 101 includes at least a sending unit 102, a receiving unit 103, and a determining unit 104. The processing circuit 101 can be configured to execute the communication method shown in Figure 7 The processing circuit 101 can refer to various implementations of a digital circuit system, an analog circuit system, or a mixed-signal (a combination of analog and digital signals) circuit system that performs functions in the UE.

[0102] The sending unit 102 is configured to send a path discovery data packet to the receiving device, that is, to execute Figure 7Step S11 in []. The path discovery data packet is transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node.

[0103] The receiving unit 103 is configured to receive feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths from the receiving device, that is, to execute Figure 7 Step S12 in []. The feedback information includes path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet. For example, the path status information may include the arrival delay, decoding correct rate, or packet loss rate of the path discovery data packet. The transmission configuration suggestions may be suggestions for increasing or decreasing the transmission power, data transmission frequency, or buffer capacity of the relay node. The feedback information may also include a path ID associated with the candidate relay path.

[0104] The determining unit 104 is configured to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations for data transmission with the receiving device from the multiple candidate paths based on the feedback information, that is, to execute Figure 7 Step S13 in [].

[0105] In addition, the sending unit 102 is further configured to send the transmission configuration to the relay nodes in at least two relay paths selected by the determining unit 104, that is, to execute Figure 7 Step S14 in [].

[0106] The electronic device 100 may further include a communication unit 105. The communication unit 105 may be configured to communicate with the relay node (such as the electronic device 300 described below) under the control of the processing circuit 101. In one example, the communication unit 105 may be implemented as a transceiver, including communication components such as an antenna array and / or a radio frequency link. The communication unit 105 is drawn with a dashed line because it may also be located outside the electronic device 100.

[0107] The electronic device 100 may further include a memory 106. The memory 106 may store various data and instructions, such as programs and data for the operation of the electronic device 100, various data generated by the processing circuit 101, various control signaling or service data sent or received by the communication unit 105, etc. The memory 106 is drawn with a dashed line because it may also be located inside the processing circuit 101 or outside the electronic device 100.

[0108] Figure 8 and Figure 9 respectively show an electronic device 200 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and the communication method it executes. The electronic device 200 may be a base station or its component for a receiving device (such as the receiving device T described above), or a UE or its component.

[0109] AsFigure 8 As shown in Figure 8 , the electronic device 200 includes a processing circuit 201. The processing circuit 201 at least includes a receiving unit 202, a determining unit 203, and a transmitting unit 204. The processing circuit 201 can be configured to execute Figure 9 the communication method shown in Figure 9 . The processing circuit 201 can refer to various implementations of a digital circuit system, an analog circuit system, or a mixed-signal (a combination of analog and digital signals) circuit system that performs functions in a base station device.

[0110] The receiving unit 202 is configured to receive a path discovery data packet from a transmitting device, that is, to execute Figure 9 step S21 in Figure 9 . The path discovery data packet is transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node.

[0111] The determining unit 203 is configured to determine path state information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each of the multiple candidate paths based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, that is, to execute Figure 9 step S22 in Figure 9 . For example, the path state information can include the arrival delay, decoding correct rate, or packet loss rate of the path discovery data packet. The transmission configuration suggestions can be suggestions on increasing or decreasing the transmission power, data transmission frequency, or buffer capacity of the relay node. The feedback information can also include a path ID associated with the candidate relay path.

[0112] The transmitting unit 204 is configured to send feedback information including the path state information and transmission configuration suggestions determined by the determining unit 203 to the transmitting device, that is, to execute Figure 9 step S23 in Figure 9 . The transmitting device can use the feedback information to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations for data transmission with the receiving device from the multiple candidate paths. In one example, the feedback information also includes a path ID associated with the candidate relay path.

[0113] The electronic device 200 may further include a communication unit 205. The communication unit 205 can be configured to communicate with a UE (such as the electronic device 300 described below) under the control of the processing circuit 201. In one example, the communication unit 205 can be implemented as a transmitter or a transceiver, including communication components such as an antenna array and / or a radio frequency link. The communication unit 205 is drawn with a dashed line because it can also be located outside the electronic device 200.

[0114] The electronic device 200 may further include a memory 206. The memory 206 may store various data and instructions, programs and data for the operation of the electronic device 200, various data generated by the processing circuit 201, data to be transmitted by the communication unit 205, etc. The memory 206 is drawn with a dashed line because it may also be located within the processing circuit 201 or outside the electronic device 200.

[0115] Figure 10 and Figure 11 respectively illustrate an electronic device 300 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and a communication method performed thereby. The electronic device 300 may be a UE or a component of a UE for a relay device (such as the relay devices A1 - A6 described above).

[0116] As Figure 10 shown, the electronic device 300 includes a processing circuit 301. The processing circuit 301 includes at least a relay unit 302 and a receiving unit 303. The processing circuit 301 may be configured to perform the Figure 11 communication method shown. The processing circuit 301 may refer to various implementations of a digital circuit system, an analog circuit system, or a mixed - signal (a combination of analog and digital signals) circuit system that performs functions in a base station device.

[0117] The relay unit 302 is configured to relay path - discovery data packets from a sending device to a receiving device, that is, to perform Figure 11 step S31 in. The relay device may operate as a relay node in a candidate path, and the path - discovery data packets are transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node.

[0118] The relay unit 302 is further configured to relay feedback information associated with the candidate path from the receiving device to the sending device, that is, to perform Figure 11 step S32 in. For example, the feedback information includes path - status information and transmission - configuration suggestions associated with the candidate path determined based on the reception of the path - discovery data packets. The feedback information may also include a path ID of the candidate path.

[0119] The receiving unit 303 is configured to receive from the sending device information indicating that the candidate path is selected as a relay path for data transmission from the sending device to the receiving device and a transmission configuration, that is, to perform Figure 11 step S33 in.

[0120] The electronic device 300 may further include a communication unit 305. The communication unit 305 may be configured to communicate with a UE or a base station under the control of the processing circuit 301. In one example, the communication unit 305 may be implemented as a transmitter or a transceiver, including communication components such as an antenna array and / or a radio frequency link. The communication unit 305 is drawn with a dashed line because it may also be located outside the electronic device 300.

[0121] The electronic device 300 may further include a memory 306. The memory 306 may store various data and instructions, programs and data for the operation of the electronic device 300, various data generated by the processing circuit 301, data to be transmitted by the communication unit 305, and so on. The memory 306 is drawn with a dashed line because it may also be located inside the processing circuit 301 or outside the electronic device 300.

[0122] The various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above. However, it should be noted that, in order to describe the structure, arrangement, type, quantity, etc. of the antenna array shown above, ports, reference signals, communication devices, communication methods, etc., are not intended to limit the aspects of the present disclosure to these specific examples.

[0123] It should be understood that the various units of the electronic devices 100, 200, and 300 described in the above embodiments are only logical modules divided according to their specific functions, and are not used to limit the specific implementation manners. In actual implementation, the above units may be implemented as independent physical entities, or may also be implemented by a single entity (for example, a processor (CPU or DSP, etc.), an integrated circuit, etc.).

[0124] It should be understood that the processing circuits 101, 201, and 301 described in the above embodiments may include, for example, circuits such as integrated circuits (ICs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), parts or circuits of a single processor core, the entire processor core, a single processor, programmable hardware devices such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or systems including multiple processors. The memories 106, 206, and 306 may be volatile memories and / or non-volatile memories. For example, the memory may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory.

[0125] It should be understood that each unit of the electronic devices 100, 200, and 300 described in the above embodiments is only a logical module divided according to the specific functions it implements, rather than limiting the specific implementation manner. In actual implementation, the above units can be implemented as independent physical entities, or can also be implemented by a single entity (such as a processor (CPU or DSP, etc.), an integrated circuit, etc.).

[0126]

Exemplary Implementations of the Present Disclosure

[0127] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, various exemplary embodiments (EE) for implementing the concepts of the present disclosure can be conceived, including but not limited to:

[0128] EE1. An electronic device for a sending device, comprising:

[0129] A processor; and

[0130] A memory including computer program code, wherein when the computer program code is executed by the processor, the electronic device is caused to perform operations, the operations including:

[0131] Sending a path discovery data packet to a receiving device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0132] Receiving, from the receiving device, feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet;

[0133] Based on the feedback information, determining at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths; and

[0134] Sending the transmission configuration to relay nodes on the at least two relay paths.

[0135] EE2. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the operations further include:

[0136] Receiving, from the receiving device, information indicating that the difference in the arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold; and

[0137] Sending a synchronization indication to at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths, the synchronization indication causing the at least two last-hop relay nodes to negotiate a substantially aligned data transmission window through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0138] EE3. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the operation further includes:

[0139] Receiving, from the receiving device, information indicating that a difference in arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold; and

[0140] Configuring, for at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths, substantially aligned data transmission windows.

[0141] EE4. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the feedback information further includes a path identifier (ID) calculated by the receiving device based on an ordered sequence of identification information of relay nodes in each candidate path.

[0142] EE5. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the path status information includes at least one of an arrival delay, a decoding correct rate, or a packet loss rate of the path discovery data packet received from each candidate path.

[0143] EE6. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the transmission configuration includes a configuration of at least one of a transmission power of a relay node, a data transmission frequency, or a buffer capacity.

[0144] EE7. The electronic device according to EE1, wherein the operation further includes:

[0145] Collecting congestion control parameters from relay nodes of each of the at least two relay paths and the sending device; and

[0146] Determining, based on the collected congestion control parameters, a single data transmission period for the relay path.

[0147] EE8. The electronic device according to EE7, wherein the congestion control parameters include: a node density indicating a number of nodes within a certain range around a relay node; or a channel busy rate (CBR) of a relay node or a sending device.

[0148] EE9. An electronic device for a receiving device, including

[0149] a processor; and

[0150] a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations including:

[0151] Receiving a path discovery data packet from a sending device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0152] Based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, determine path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each of the multiple candidate paths; and

[0153] Send feedback information including the path status information and transmission configuration suggestions to the sending device for the sending device to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths.

[0154] EE10. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the operation further includes:

[0155] Detect whether the difference in arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold;

[0156] In the case where the difference in arrival delays is higher than the predetermined threshold, send a synchronization indication to at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths, the synchronization indication causing the at least two last-hop relay nodes to negotiate a substantially aligned data transmission window through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0157] EE11. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the operation further includes:

[0158] Detect whether the difference in arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold;

[0159] In the case where the difference in arrival delays is higher than the predetermined threshold, configure a substantially aligned data transmission window for at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths.

[0160] EE12. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the receiving device is a base station, and wherein the operation further includes:

[0161] Allocate substantially aligned time resources for at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths.

[0162] EE13. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the operation further includes:

[0163] Calculate a path identifier (ID) of each candidate path according to an ordered sequence of identification information of relay nodes in each candidate path; and

[0164] Include the path ID in the feedback information to be sent to the sending device.

[0165] EE14. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the path status information includes at least one of the arrival delay, decoding correct rate, or packet loss rate of the path discovery data packets received from each candidate path.

[0166] EE15. The electronic device according to EE9, wherein the transmission configuration suggestion includes at least one of the following: a suggestion to increase or decrease the transmission power of the relay node; a suggestion to increase or decrease the data transmission frequency of the relay node; or a suggestion to increase or decrease the buffer capacity in the relay node.

[0167] EE16. An electronic device for a relay device, comprising:

[0168] a processor; and

[0169] a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including:

[0170] relaying path discovery data packets as a relay node in a candidate path from a sending device to a receiving device, wherein the path discovery data packets are transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths including the candidate path, and wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0171] relaying feedback information associated with the candidate path from the receiving device to the sending device, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with the candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packets; and

[0172] receiving from the sending device information indicating the candidate path is selected as the relay path for data transmission from the sending device to the receiving device and a transmission configuration.

[0173] EE17. The electronic device according to EE16, wherein the relay device is the last-hop relay node of at least one relay path, and wherein the operations further include:

[0174] in response to a synchronization indication from the sending device or the receiving device, negotiating a substantially aligned data transmission window with the last-hop nodes on other relay paths through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0175] EE18. The electronic device according to EE16, wherein the operations further include:

[0176] receiving from the sending device or the receiving device a configuration of a data transmission window that is substantially aligned with the data transmission windows of the last-hop nodes on other relay paths.

[0177] EE19. The electronic device according to EE16, wherein the operation further includes:

[0178] Sending congestion control parameters to the sending device; and

[0179] Receiving, from the sending device, information about the data transmission period of the relay path where the relay device is located.

[0180] EE20. A communication method, including:

[0181] Sending a path discovery data packet to a receiving device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0182] Receiving, from the receiving device, feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet;

[0183] Based on the feedback information, determining at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations among the multiple candidate paths that will be used for data transmission with the receiving device; and

[0184] Sending the transmission configuration to relay nodes in the at least two relay paths.

[0185] EE21. A communication method, including:

[0186] Receiving a path discovery data packet from a sending device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to a receiving device via multiple candidate paths, where each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0187] Based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, determining path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path among the multiple candidate paths; and

[0188] Sending feedback information including the path status information and transmission configuration suggestions to the sending device for the sending device to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations among the multiple candidate paths that will be used for data transmission with the receiving device.

[0189] EE22. A communication method, including:

[0190] As a relay node in a candidate path from a sending device to a receiving device, discover path discovery packets, where the path discovery packets are transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths including the candidate path, and where each candidate path includes at least one relay node;

[0191] Relay feedback information associated with the candidate path from the receiving device to the sending device, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with the candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery packets; and

[0192] Receive from the sending device information indicating the candidate path selected as the relay path for data transmission from the sending device to the receiving device and the transmission configuration.

[0193] EE23. A computer-readable storage medium containing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the performance of the communication method according to any one of EE20 - EE22.

[0194]

Application Examples of the Present Disclosure

[0195] Figure 12 Shows an example block diagram of a computer that can be implemented as a sending device, a relay device, or a receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0196] In Figure 12 the central processing unit (CPU) 1301 performs various processes according to a program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 1302 or a program loaded from the storage section 1308 into the random access memory (RAM) 1303. In the RAM 1303, data required when the CPU 1301 performs various processes, etc., is also stored as needed.

[0197] The CPU 1301, ROM 1302, and RAM 1303 are connected to each other via a bus 1304. The input / output interface 1305 is also connected to the bus 1304.

[0198] The following components are connected to the input / output interface 1305: an input section 1306 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 1307 including a display such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc., and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 1308 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 1309 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 1309 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet.

[0199] As needed, the driver 1310 is also connected to the input / output interface 1305. A removable medium 1311 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc. is installed on the driver 1310 as needed, so that a computer program read therefrom is installed in the storage section 1308 as needed.

[0200] In the case where the above-described series of processes are implemented by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a network such as the Internet or a storage medium such as the removable medium 1311.

[0201] Those skilled in the art should understand that such a storage medium is not limited to Figure 12 the removable medium 1311 shown in which a program is stored and distributed separately from the device to provide the program to the user. Examples of the removable medium 1311 include a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk (registered trademark)), an optical disk (including a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and a digital versatile disc (DVD)), a magneto-optical disk (including a mini disc (MD) (registered trademark)), and a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the storage medium may be a ROM 1302, a hard disk included in the storage section 1308, etc., in which a program is stored and distributed to the user together with the device including them.

[0202] In Figure 12 the server 1300 shown, the processing circuit 101 described with reference to Figure 6 , the processing circuit 201 described with reference to Figure 8 or the processing circuit 301 described with reference to Figure 10 can be implemented by the processor 701.

[0203] The technology described in the present disclosure can be applied to various products.

[0204] For example, the electronic device 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented as various base stations or installed in a base station, and the electronic devices 100, 200, or 300 can be implemented as various user devices or installed in various user devices.

[0205] The communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented by various base stations or user devices; the methods and operations according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be embodied as computer-executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and can be executed by various base stations or user devices to implement one or more of the functions described above.

[0206] The technology according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be made into various computer program products and used in various base stations or user devices to implement one or more of the functions described above.

[0207] The base station described in this disclosure can be implemented as any type of base station. Preferably, it is a macro gNB and ng-eNB defined in the 5G NR standard such as 3GPP. The gNB can be a gNB that covers a cell smaller than a macro cell, such as a pico gNB, a micro gNB, and a home (femto) gNB. Instead, the base station can be implemented as any other type of base station, such as a NodeB, an eNodeB, and a base transceiver station (BTS). The base station can also include: a main body configured to control wireless communication, and one or more remote radio heads (RRHs), wireless relay stations, drone towers, control nodes in an automated factory, etc. that are set in places different from the main body.

[0208] The user equipment can be implemented as a mobile terminal (such as a smart phone, a tablet personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, a portable game terminal, a portable / dongle-type mobile router, and a digital camera device) or a vehicle-mounted terminal (such as a car navigation device). The user equipment can also be implemented as a terminal that performs machine-to-machine (M2M) communication (also referred to as a machine type communication (MTC) terminal), a drone, sensors and actuators in an automated factory, etc. In addition, the user equipment can be a wireless communication module (such as an integrated circuit module including a single wafer) installed on each of the above terminals.

[0209] The first application example of the base station

[0210] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing a first example of the schematic configuration of a base station to which the technology of this disclosure can be applied. In Figure 13 , the base station can be implemented as gNB 1400. gNB 1400 includes a plurality of antennas 1410 and base station equipment 1420. The base station equipment 1420 and each antenna 1410 can be connected to each other via RF cables. In one implementation, the gNB 1400 (or the base station equipment 1420) here can correspond to the electronic device 200 for the receiving device described above.

[0211] The antenna 1410 includes a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna 1410 can be arranged as an antenna array matrix, for example, and is used for the base station equipment 1420 to transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, the plurality of antennas 1410 can be compatible with a plurality of frequency bands used by the gNB 1400.

[0212] The base station equipment 1420 includes a controller 1421, a memory 1422, a network interface 1423, and a wireless communication interface 1425.

[0213] The controller 1421 can be a CPU or a DSP, for example, and operates various functions at a higher layer of the base station equipment 1420. For example, the controller 1421 can include the processing circuit 201 described above and executeFigure 9 The communication method described in Figure 9 , or control each component of the base station device 200. For example, the controller 1421 generates data packets based on the data in the signals processed by the wireless communication interface 1425, and transmits the generated packets via the network interface 1423. The controller 1421 can bundle data from multiple baseband processors to generate bundled packets, and transmit the generated bundled packets. The controller 1421 can have a logical function to perform controls such as radio resource control, radio bearer control, mobility management, admission control, and scheduling. This control can be performed in combination with a nearby gNB or core network node. The memory 1422 includes RAM and ROM, and stores programs executed by the controller 1421 and various types of control data (such as a terminal list, transmission power data, and scheduling data).

[0214] The network interface 1423 is a communication interface for connecting the base station device 1420 to the core network 1424 (e.g., 5G core network). The controller 1421 can communicate with a core network node or another gNB via the network interface 1423. In this case, the gNB 1400 and the core network node or other gNBs can be connected to each other through logical interfaces (such as the NG interface and the Xn interface). The network interface 1423 can also be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface for a wireless backhaul link. If the network interface 1423 is a wireless communication interface, compared with the frequency band used by the wireless communication interface 1425, the network interface 1423 can use a higher frequency band for wireless communication.

[0215] The wireless communication interface 1425 supports any cellular communication scheme (such as 5G NR), and provides a wireless connection to terminals located in the cell of the gNB 1400 via the antenna 1410. The wireless communication interface 1425 generally can include, for example, a baseband (BB) processor 1426 and an RF circuit 1427. The BB processor 1426 can perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing for each layer (such as the physical layer, MAC layer, RLC layer, PDCP layer, SDAP layer). Instead of the controller 1421, the BB processor 1426 can have a part or all of the above logical functions. The BB processor 1426 can be a memory storing a communication control program, or a module including a processor configured to execute the program and related circuits. The update program can change the function of the BB processor 1426. The module can be a card or blade inserted into a slot of the base station device 1420. Alternatively, the module can also be a chip mounted on the card or blade. At the same time, the RF circuit 1427 can include, for example, mixers, filters, and amplifiers, and transmit and receive wireless signals via the antenna 1410. Although Figure 13An example is shown where an RF circuit 1427 is connected to an antenna 1410. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this illustration, and an RF circuit 1427 can be connected to multiple antennas 1410 simultaneously.

[0216] As Figure 13 shown, the wireless communication interface 1425 can include multiple BB processors 1426. For example, the multiple BB processors 1426 can be compatible with multiple frequency bands used by the gNB 1400. As Figure 13 shown, the wireless communication interface 1425 can include multiple RF circuits 1427. For example, the multiple RF circuits 1427 can be compatible with multiple antenna elements. Although Figure 13 an example is shown where the wireless communication interface 1425 includes multiple BB processors 1426 and multiple RF circuits 1427, the wireless communication interface 1425 can also include a single BB processor 1426 or a single RF circuit 1427.

[0217] In Figure 13 the gNB 1400 shown, one or more units (such as the receiving unit 202 and the transmitting unit 204) included in the processing circuit 201 described with reference to Figure 8 can be implemented in the wireless communication interface 825. Alternatively, at least a part of these components can be implemented in the controller 821. For example, the gNB 1400 includes a part (such as the BB processor 1426) or the whole of the wireless communication interface 1425, and / or includes a module of the controller 1421, and one or more components can be implemented in the module. In this case, the module can store a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components (in other words, a program for allowing the processor to execute the operations of one or more components), and can execute the program. As another example, a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components can be installed in the gNB 1400, and the wireless communication interface 1425 (such as the BB processor 1426) and / or the controller 1421 can execute the program. As described above, as a device including one or more components, the gNB 1400, the base station device 1420, or the module can be provided, and a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components can be provided. Additionally, a readable medium in which the program is recorded can be provided.

[0218] The second application example of the base station

[0219] Figure 14 is a block diagram showing a second example of a schematic configuration of a base station to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. In Figure 14In the figure, the base station is shown as gNB 1530. gNB 1530 includes a plurality of antennas 1540, base station equipment 1550, and RRH 1560. RRH 1560 and each antenna 1540 can be connected to each other via RF cables. The base station equipment 1550 and RRH 1560 can be connected to each other via a high-speed line such as an optical fiber cable. In one implementation, the gNB 1530 (or the base station equipment 1550) here can correspond to the electronic device 200 for the receiving device described above.

[0220] The antenna 1540 includes a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna 1540 can be arranged, for example, as an antenna array matrix and is used for the base station equipment 1550 to transmit and receive wireless signals. For example, the plurality of antennas 1540 can be compatible with the multiple frequency bands used by the gNB 1530.

[0221] The base station equipment 1550 includes a controller 1551, a memory 1552, a network interface 1553, a wireless communication interface 1555, and a connection interface 1557. The controller 1551, the memory 1552, and the network interface 1553 are the same as the controller 1421, the memory 1422, and the network interface 1423 described with reference to Figure 13 the description.

[0222] The wireless communication interface 1555 supports any cellular communication scheme (such as 5G NR) and provides wireless communication to terminals located in the sector corresponding to the RRH 1560 via the RRH 1560 and the antenna 1540. The wireless communication interface 1555 generally can include, for example, a BB processor 1556. Except that the BB processor 1556 is connected to the RF circuit 1564 of the RRH 1560 via the connection interface 1557, the BB processor 1556 is the same as the BB processor 1426 described with reference to Figure 13 the description. As Figure 14 shown, the wireless communication interface 1555 can include a plurality of BB processors 1556. For example, the plurality of BB processors 1556 can be compatible with the multiple frequency bands used by the gNB 1530. Although Figure 14 an example where the wireless communication interface 1555 includes a plurality of BB processors 1556 is shown, the wireless communication interface 1555 can also include a single BB processor 1556.

[0223] The connection interface 1557 is an interface for connecting the base station equipment 1550 (the wireless communication interface 1555) to the RRH 1560. The connection interface 1557 can also be a communication module for communication in the above-mentioned high-speed line for connecting the base station equipment 1550 (the wireless communication interface 1555) to the RRH 1560.

[0224] The RRH 1560 includes a connection interface 1561 and a wireless communication interface 1563.

[0225] The connection interface 1561 is an interface for connecting the RRH 1560 (wireless communication interface 1563) to the base station device 1550. The connection interface 1561 can also be a communication module for communication in the above high-speed line.

[0226] The wireless communication interface 1563 transmits and receives wireless signals via the antenna 1540. The wireless communication interface 1563 generally can include, for example, an RF circuit 1564. The RF circuit 1564 can include, for example, mixers, filters, and amplifiers, and transmits and receives wireless signals via the antenna 1540. Although Figure 14 an example of one RF circuit 1564 connected to one antenna 1540 is shown, the present disclosure is not limited to this illustration, and one RF circuit 1564 can be connected to multiple antennas 1540 simultaneously.

[0227] As Figure 14 shown, the wireless communication interface 1563 can include multiple RF circuits 1564. For example, multiple RF circuits 1564 can support multiple antenna elements. Although Figure 14 an example in which the wireless communication interface 1563 includes multiple RF circuits 1564 is shown, the wireless communication interface 1563 can also include a single RF circuit 1564.

[0228] In Figure 14 the gNB 1500 shown, one or more units (such as a receiving unit 202 and a transmitting unit 204) included in the processing circuit 201 described with reference to Figure 8 can be implemented in the wireless communication interface 1525. Alternatively, at least a part of these components can be implemented in the controller 1521. For example, the gNB 1500 includes a part (such as a BB processor 1526) or the whole of the wireless communication interface 1525, and / or includes a module of the controller 1521, and one or more components can be implemented in the module. In this case, the module can store a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components (in other words, a program for allowing the processor to execute the operations of one or more components), and can execute the program. As another example, a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components can be installed in the gNB 1500, and the wireless communication interface 1525 (such as a BB processor 1526) and / or the controller 1521 can execute the program. As described above, as a device including one or more components, the gNB 1500, the base station device 1520, or the module can be provided, and a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components can be provided. Additionally, a readable medium in which the program is recorded can be provided.

[0229] The first application example of the user equipment

[0230] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a smartphone 1600 to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. In one example, the smartphone 1600 can be implemented as the electronic device 100, 200, or 300 described in the present disclosure.

[0231] The smartphone 1600 includes a processor 1601, a memory 1602, a storage device 1603, an external connection interface 1604, a camera device 1606, a sensor 1607, a microphone 1608, an input device 1609, a display device 1610, a speaker 1611, a wireless communication interface 1612, one or more antenna switches 1615, one or more antennas 1616, a bus 1617, a battery 1618, and an auxiliary controller 1619.

[0232] The processor 1601 can be, for example, a CPU or a system-on-chip (SoC), and controls the functions of the application layer and other layers of the smartphone 1600. The processor 1601 can include or act as the processing circuit 101 described with reference to Figure 6 the processing circuit 201 described with reference to Figure 8 the processing circuit 301 described with reference to Figure 10 The memory 1602 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores data and programs executed by the processor 1601 to implement the communication methods described with reference to Figure 7 、 9 or 11. The storage device 1603 can include storage media such as semiconductor memories and hard disks. The external connection interface 1604 is an interface for connecting external devices (such as memory cards and universal serial bus (USB) devices) to the smartphone 1600.

[0233] The camera device 1606 includes image sensors (such as charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOSs)), and generates captured images. The sensor 1607 can include a set of sensors such as measurement sensors, gyro sensors, geomagnetic sensors, and acceleration sensors. The microphone 1608 converts the sound input to the smartphone 1600 into an audio signal. The input device 1609 includes, for example, a touch sensor configured to detect touches on the screen of the display device 1610, a keypad, a keyboard, buttons, or switches, and receives operations or information input from the user. The display device 1610 includes a screen (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display), and displays the output images of the smartphone 1600. The speaker 1611 converts the audio signal output from the smartphone 1600 into sound.

[0234] The wireless communication interface 1612 supports any cellular communication scheme (such as 4G LTE or 5G NR, etc.) and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 1612 generally may include, for example, a BB processor 1613 and an RF circuit 1614. The BB processor 1613 may perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. Meanwhile, the RF circuit 1614 may include, for example, mixers, filters, and amplifiers, and transmit and receive wireless signals via an antenna 1616. The wireless communication interface 1612 may be a single chip module on which the BB processor 1613 and the RF circuit 1614 are integrated. As Figure 15 shown, the wireless communication interface 1612 may include a plurality of BB processors 1613 and a plurality of RF circuits 1614. Although Figure 15 an example in which the wireless communication interface 1612 includes a plurality of BB processors 1613 and a plurality of RF circuits 1614 is shown, the wireless communication interface 1612 may also include a single BB processor 1613 or a single RF circuit 1614.

[0235] In addition, in addition to the cellular communication scheme, the wireless communication interface 1612 may support other types of wireless communication schemes, such as short-range wireless communication schemes, near-field communication schemes, and wireless local area network (LAN) schemes. In this case, the wireless communication interface 1612 may include a BB processor 1613 and an RF circuit 1614 for each wireless communication scheme.

[0236] Each of the antenna switches 1615 switches the connection destination of the antenna 1616 among a plurality of circuits included in the wireless communication interface 1612 (for example, circuits for different wireless communication schemes).

[0237] The antenna 1616 includes a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna 1616 may be arranged, for example, as an antenna array matrix and is used for the wireless communication interface 1612 to transmit and receive wireless signals. The smart phone 1600 may include one or more antenna panels (not shown).

[0238] In addition, the smart phone 1600 may include an antenna 1616 for each wireless communication scheme. In this case, the antenna switch 1615 may be omitted from the configuration of the smart phone 1600.

[0239] The bus 1617 connects the processor 1601, the memory 1602, the storage device 1603, the external connection interface 1604, the imaging device 1606, the sensor 1607, the microphone 1608, the input device 1609, the display device 1610, the speaker 1611, the wireless communication interface 1612, and the auxiliary controller 1619 to each other. The battery 1618 supplies power to Figure 15 each block of the illustrated smart phone 1600 via a feeder line, which is partially shown as a dashed line in the figure. The auxiliary controller 1619 operates, for example, the minimum necessary functions of the smart phone 1600 in the sleep mode.

[0240] In Figure 15 the smart phone 1600 shown, one or more components included in the processing circuit 101 described with reference to Figure 6 , the processing circuit 201 described with reference to Figure 8 , or the processing circuit 301 described with reference to Figure 10 can be implemented in the wireless communication interface 1612. Alternatively, at least a part of these components can be implemented in the processor 1601 or the auxiliary controller 1619. As an example, the smart phone 1600 includes a part (e.g., the BB processor 1613) or the whole of the wireless communication interface 1612, and / or includes a module of the processor 1601 and / or the auxiliary controller 1619, and one or more components can be implemented in the module. In this case, the module can store a program that allows the processing to function as one or more components (in other words, a program for allowing the processor to execute the operations of one or more components), and can execute the program. As another example, a program for allowing the processor to function as one or more components can be installed in the smart phone 1600, and the wireless communication interface 1612 (e.g., the BB processor 1613), the processor 1601, and / or the auxiliary controller 1619 can execute the program. As described above, as a device including one or more components, the smart phone 1600 or the module can be provided, and a program for allowing the processor to function as one or more components can be provided. In addition, a readable medium in which the program is recorded can be provided.

[0241] The second application example of the user equipment

[0242] Figure 16FIG. is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an in-vehicle navigation device 1720 to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied. The in-vehicle navigation device 1720 includes a processor 1721, a memory 1722, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 1724, a sensor 1725, a data interface 1726, a content player 1727, a storage medium interface 1728, an input device 1729, a display device 1730, a speaker 1731, a wireless communication interface 1733, one or more antenna switches 1736, one or more antennas 1737, and a battery 1738. In one example, the in-vehicle navigation device 1720 can be implemented as the electronic device 100, 200, or 300 described in the present disclosure.

[0243] The processor 1721 can be, for example, a CPU or an SoC, and controls the navigation function and other functions of the in-vehicle navigation device 1720. The memory 1722 includes a RAM and a ROM, and stores data and programs executed by the processor 1721.

[0244] The GPS module 1724 uses GPS signals received from GPS satellites to measure the position of the in-vehicle navigation device 1720 (such as latitude, longitude, and altitude). The sensor 1725 can include a set of sensors, such as a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and an air pressure sensor. The data interface 1726 is connected to, for example, an in-vehicle network 1741 via a terminal (not shown), and acquires data generated by the vehicle (such as vehicle speed data).

[0245] The content player 1727 reproduces content stored in a storage medium (such as a CD and a DVD) inserted into the storage medium interface 1728. The input device 1729 includes, for example, a touch sensor, a button, or a switch configured to detect a touch on the screen of the display device 1730, and receives operations or information input from the user. The display device 1730 includes a screen such as an LCD or an OLED display, and displays an image of the navigation function or the reproduced content. The speaker 1731 outputs the sound of the navigation function or the reproduced content.

[0246] The wireless communication interface 1733 supports any cellular communication scheme (such as 4G LTE or 5G NR) and performs wireless communication. The wireless communication interface 1733 generally can include, for example, a BB processor 1734 and an RF circuit 1735. The BB processor 1734 can perform, for example, encoding / decoding, modulation / demodulation, and multiplexing / demultiplexing, and perform various types of signal processing for wireless communication. At the same time, the RF circuit 1735 can include, for example, a mixer, a filter, and an amplifier, and transmits and receives wireless signals via the antenna 1737. The wireless communication interface 1733 can also be a single chip module on which the BB processor 1734 and the RF circuit 1735 are integrated. AsFigure 15 As shown, the wireless communication interface 1733 may include a plurality of BB processors 1734 and a plurality of RF circuits 1735. Although Figure 15 an example where the wireless communication interface 1733 includes a plurality of BB processors 1734 and a plurality of RF circuits 1735 is shown, the wireless communication interface 1733 may also include a single BB processor 1734 or a single RF circuit 1735.

[0247] In addition, in addition to the cellular communication scheme, the wireless communication interface 1733 may support other types of wireless communication schemes, such as short-range wireless communication schemes, near-field communication schemes, and wireless LAN schemes. In this case, for each wireless communication scheme, the wireless communication interface 1733 may include a BB processor 1734 and an RF circuit 1735.

[0248] Each of the antenna switches 1736 switches the connection destination of the antenna 1737 among a plurality of circuits included in the wireless communication interface 1733 (such as circuits for different wireless communication schemes).

[0249] The antenna 1737 includes a plurality of antenna elements. The antenna 1737 may be arranged, for example, as an antenna array matrix and is used for the wireless communication interface 1733 to transmit and receive wireless signals.

[0250] In addition, the car navigation device 1720 may include an antenna 1737 for each wireless communication scheme. In this case, the antenna switch 1736 may be omitted from the configuration of the car navigation device 1720.

[0251] The battery 1738 supplies power to each block of the car navigation device 1720 shown via a feeder line, which is partially shown as a dotted line in the figure. The battery 1738 accumulates the power supplied from the vehicle. Figure 15 In the car navigation device 1720 shown in

[0252] In Figure 15 the car navigation device 1720 shown, with reference to Figure 6 the processing circuit 101 described, with reference to Figure 8 the processing circuit 201 described, or with reference to Figure 10One or more components included in the described processing circuit 301 may be implemented in the wireless communication interface 1733. Alternatively, at least a part of these components may be implemented in the processor 1721. As an example, the vehicle navigation device 1720 includes a part (e.g., the BB processor 1734) or the whole of the wireless communication interface 1733, and / or includes a module of the processor 1721, and one or more components may be implemented in this module. In this case, the module may store a program that allows the processing to act as one or more components (in other words, a program for allowing the processor to execute the operations of one or more components), and may execute this program. As another example, a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components may be installed in the vehicle navigation device 1720, and the wireless communication interface 1733 (e.g., the BB processor 1734) and / or the processor 1721 may execute this program. As described above, as a device including one or more components, the vehicle navigation device 1720 or the module may be provided, and a program for allowing the processor to act as one or more components may be provided. In addition, a readable medium in which the program is recorded may be provided.

[0253] The technology of the present disclosure may also be implemented as a vehicle system (or vehicle) 1740 including one or more blocks of the vehicle navigation device 1720, the in-vehicle network 1741, and the vehicle module 1742. The vehicle module 1742 generates vehicle data (such as vehicle speed, engine speed, and fault information), and outputs the generated data to the in-vehicle network 1741.

[0254] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the drawings, but the present disclosure is of course not limited to the above examples. Those skilled in the art can obtain various changes and modifications within the scope of the appended claims, and it should be understood that these changes and modifications will naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0255] For example, in the above embodiments, multiple functions included in one unit may be implemented by separate devices. Alternatively, multiple functions implemented by multiple units in the above embodiments may be respectively implemented by separate devices. In addition, one of the above functions may be implemented by multiple units. Needless to say, such configurations are included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0256] In this specification, the steps described in the flowchart include not only the processing executed in time series in the described order, but also the processing executed in parallel or separately and not necessarily in time series. In addition, even in the steps of time series processing, needless to say, the order can also be appropriately changed.

[0257] Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the term "comprising" in the embodiments of the present disclosure, or any other variants thereof, is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the said element.

Claims

1. An electronic device for a transmitting device, comprising: a processor; and a memory including computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including: sending a path discovery data packet to a receiving device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node; receiving, from the receiving device, feedback information associated with the multiple candidate paths, the feedback information including path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each candidate path determined based on the reception of the path discovery data packet; based on the feedback information, determining at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths; and sending the transmission configuration to relay nodes in the at least two relay paths.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the operations further include: receiving, from the receiving device, information indicating that a difference in arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold; and sending a synchronization indication to at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths, the synchronization indication causing the at least two last-hop relay nodes to negotiate a substantially aligned data transmission window through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the operations further include: receiving, from the receiving device, information indicating that a difference in arrival delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold; and configuring a substantially aligned data transmission window for at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the feedback information further includes a path identifier (ID) calculated by the receiving device according to an ordered sequence of identification information of relay nodes in each candidate path.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the path status information includes at least one of an arrival delay, a decoding correct rate, or a packet loss rate of the path discovery data packet received from each candidate path.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the transmission configuration includes a configuration of at least one of a transmission power, a data transmission frequency, or a buffer capacity of a relay node.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, the operations further include: collecting congestion control parameters from relay nodes in each of the at least two relay paths and the transmitting device; and based on the collected congestion control parameters, determining a single data transmission period for the relay path.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein, the congestion control parameters include: a node density indicating the number of nodes within a certain range around a relay node; or a channel busy rate (CBR) of a relay node or a transmitting device.

9. An electronic device for a receiving device, comprising a processor ； and A memory, comprising computer program code, wherein the computer program code, when executed by the processor, causes the electronic device to perform operations, the operations including: Receiving a path discovery data packet from a sending device, the path discovery data packet being transmitted to the receiving device via multiple candidate paths, wherein each candidate path includes at least one relay node; Based on the reception of the path discovery data packet, determining path status information and transmission configuration suggestions associated with each of the multiple candidate paths; and Sending feedback information including the path status information and transmission configuration suggestions to the sending device for the sending device to determine at least two relay paths and corresponding transmission configurations to be used for data transmission with the receiving device among the multiple candidate paths.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein, the operations further include: Detecting whether a difference in arrival time delays of the at least two relay paths is higher than a predetermined threshold; In the case where the difference in arrival time delays is higher than the predetermined threshold, sending a synchronization indication to at least two last-hop relay nodes on the at least two relay paths, the synchronization indication causing the at least two last-hop relay nodes to negotiate a substantially aligned data transmission window through device-to-device (D2D) communication.

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