Communication method and communication device

Abstract

The invention provides a communication method and a communication device, which can support effective selection of a multi-hop relay path. The method is applied to first user equipment (UE), the first UE is candidate relay UE of second UE, the second UE is remote UE, the method comprises: sending first information to the second UE, the first information comprising a first measurement result between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, the first relay path being a relay path where the first UE is located, and the second information comprising a second measurement result between two adjacent UEs on a second relay path where the second UE is located; the first information is used for selecting a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a communication method and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] Some communication systems introduce relay technology, which enables a remote UE to establish a connection with a network device through a relay UE. If the current link quality is poor, the remote UE can switch to another path. The path after the remote UE switches may be a multi-hop relay path. However, the current handover mechanism is not sufficient to support the effective selection of a multi-hop relay path, and there is a problem that the selected multi-hop relay path is inappropriate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a communication method and a communication device, which can support the effective selection of a multi-hop relay path.

[0004] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method is applied to a first user equipment (UE), where the first UE is a candidate relay UE for a second UE, and the second UE is a remote UE. The method includes: sending a first piece of information to the second UE, where the first piece of information includes a first measurement result between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, the first relay path is the relay path where the first UE is located, and the first piece of information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0005] In the embodiments of this application, the candidate relay UE can send the measurement results between any two adjacent UEs on the first relay path to the remote UE. The remote UE or the network device can understand the link quality of each hop link on the first relay path based on the measurement results, so as to be able to select a target path with better link quality for each hop for the remote UE, that is, to be able to select a more appropriate multi-hop relay path for the remote UE.

[0006] In some implementation manners, the sending the first piece of information to the second UE includes: periodically broadcasting the first piece of information, where the broadcast period of the first piece of information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0007] By dynamically adjusting the broadcast period according to the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received, etc., the broadcast period can be flexibly set as needed, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the first UE.

[0008] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first quantity is greater than or equal to the second quantity.

[0009] In the embodiments of the present application, when the number of UEs around the first UE is large, a larger broadcast period can be set to reduce the power consumption of the first UE; when the number of UEs around the first UE is small, a smaller broadcast period can be set to provide sufficient information for the path switching of the remote UE.

[0010] In some implementations, the method further includes: if a response message sent by the remote UE is not received within multiple periods, increasing the sending period of the first information or stopping broadcasting the first information to reduce the power consumption of the first UE.

[0011] In some implementations, the method further includes: periodically broadcasting second information, the broadcast period of the second information being less than the broadcast period of the first information; wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following information: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, the radio resource control (RRC) state of each UE on the first relay path; and the second information includes the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path.

[0012] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending a first request message to a network device, the first request message being used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration being used to determine the first measurement result. By sending the first request message to the network device, the network device can configure for this measurement, thereby improving the measurement mechanism.

[0013] In some implementations, before sending the first request message to the network device, the method further includes: receiving a first discovery message sent by a second UE, the first discovery message being used to discover candidate relay UEs; and sending the first request message to the network device includes: in response to the first discovery message, sending the first request message to the network device. By triggering the first request message by the first discovery message, the sending timing of the first request message sent by the first UE is clarified.

[0014] In some implementations, sending the first request message to the network device includes: in response to the timeout of a first timer, sending the first request message to the network device, where the duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first information. By triggering the first request message by the first timer, the sending timing of the first request message sent by the first UE is thus clarified.

[0015] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, parameters to be measured. By carrying the above information in the first request message, the network device can process the first request message in a targeted manner and configure appropriate measurement configurations for the first UE.

[0016] In some implementations, the parameters to be measured include one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, RRC state of the UE.

[0017] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0018] In addition to including link quality parameters, the first information in the embodiments of the present application may further include transmission delay of the link, RRC state of the UE, hop count information, etc., so as to be able to provide more information for the selection of the target path, which is beneficial for the remote UE to switch to an appropriate target path.

[0019] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method is applied to a second user equipment (UE), and the second UE is a remote UE. The method includes: receiving first information from a first UE, where the first UE is a candidate relay UE of the second UE, and the first information includes first measurement results between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, and the first relay path is a relay path where the first UE is located; sending the first information to a network device, where the first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0020] In some implementations, the manner in which the first UE sends the first information is periodic broadcast, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0021] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first number, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second number, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first number is greater than or equal to the second number.

[0022] In some implementations, the method further includes: sending a first discovery message to the first UE, where the first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay UEs, the first discovery message is used to trigger the first UE to send a first request message to the network device, and the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement result.

[0023] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, parameters to be measured.

[0024] In some implementations, the parameters to be measured include one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, radio resource control (RRC) state of the UE.

[0025] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0026] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided, and the method is applied to a network device. The method includes: receiving first information from a second user equipment (UE), where the first information is sent from a first UE to the second UE, the second UE is a remote UE, the first UE is a candidate relay UE of the second UE, the first information includes a first measurement result between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, the first relay path is a relay path where the first UE is located, and the first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0027] In some implementations, the manner in which the first UE sends the first information is periodic broadcast, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0028] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first number, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second number, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first number is greater than or equal to the second number.

[0029] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving, from the first UE, a first request message for requesting to obtain a first measurement configuration for determining the first measurement result.

[0030] In some implementations, the first request message is triggered by a first discovery message sent by the second UE to the first UE for discovering candidate relay UEs.

[0031] In some implementations, the first request message is triggered by a first timer, and the duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first information.

[0032] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, and parameter to be measured.

[0033] In some implementations, the parameter to be measured includes one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, and radio resource control (RRC) state of the UE.

[0034] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, and RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0035] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a unit (or module) composed of software and / or hardware, and the unit is configured to execute any one of the methods in the technical solutions described in the first aspect.

[0036] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a unit (or module) composed of software and / or hardware, and the unit is configured to execute any one of the methods in the technical solutions described in the second aspect.

[0037] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, including a unit (or module) composed of software and / or hardware, and the unit is configured to execute any one of the methods in the technical solutions described in the third aspect.

[0038] In a seventh aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor; the processor is configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the first aspect.

[0039] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory, and the memory is connected to the processor through a circuit or a wire.

[0040] Optionally, the chip further includes a communication interface.

[0041] In an eighth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor; the processor is configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the second aspect.

[0042] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory, and the memory is connected to the processor through a circuit or a wire.

[0043] Optionally, the chip further includes a communication interface.

[0044] In a ninth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes a processor; the processor is configured to read and execute a computer program stored in a memory to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the third aspect.

[0045] Optionally, the chip further includes a memory, and the memory is connected to the processor through a circuit or a wire.

[0046] Optionally, the chip further includes a communication interface.

[0047] In a tenth aspect, a terminal device is provided, and the terminal device includes: a processor, a memory, and an interface; the processor, the memory, and the interface cooperate with each other to enable the terminal device to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the first aspect; or includes any one of the chips described in the seventh aspect.

[0048] In an eleventh aspect, a terminal device is provided, and the terminal device includes: a processor, a memory, and an interface; the processor, the memory, and the interface cooperate with each other to enable the terminal device to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the second aspect; or includes any one of the chips described in the eighth aspect.

[0049] In a twelfth aspect, a network device is provided, and the network device includes: a processor, a memory, and an interface; the processor, the memory, and the interface cooperate with each other to enable the network device to execute any one of the methods in the technical solution described in the third aspect; or includes any one of the chips described in the ninth aspect.

[0050] In a thirteenth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor is caused to execute any one of the methods in the technical solutions described in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect.

[0051] In a fourteenth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code runs on a communication device, the communication device is caused to execute any one of the methods in the technical solutions described in the first aspect, the second aspect, or the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 FIG. is a system architecture diagram of a wireless communication system to which embodiments of the present application can be applied; Figure 2 FIG. is a schematic diagram of a single-hop relay path provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic diagram of a multi-hop relay path provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic flowchart of a communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 FIG. is a flowchart for sending measurement results in the active mode provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 FIG. is a flowchart for sending measurement results in the passive mode provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7 FIG. is a schematic flowchart of path switching provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 8 FIG. is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 9 FIG. is a schematic block diagram of another terminal device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 10 FIG. is a schematic block diagram of a network device provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 11 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0053] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic architecture diagram of a communication system 10 to which embodiments of the present application are applied. As Figure 1 shown, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, where the RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as Figure 1110a and 110b in (collectively referred to as 110), may also include at least one terminal device (such as Figure 1 120a - 120j in (collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, for example, wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices ( Figure 1 not shown in). The terminal device 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 wirelessly. The terminal devices can be interconnected with each other, and the RAN nodes can be interconnected with each other, either by wire or wirelessly. The communication system 10 may also include a core network 200. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 either wirelessly or by wire. The core network devices in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network devices and the logical functions of the RAN nodes. The communication system 10 may also include the Internet 300.

[0054] RAN 100 may be an evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) system, a new radio (NR) system, and a future radio access system defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). RAN 100 may also be an open RAN (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 may also include two or more different radio access systems described above.

[0055] The RAN node, also known as a radio access network device, a RAN entity, or an access node, is used to assist the terminal device in accessing the communication system wirelessly. In one application scenario, the RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB) in the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system, a next generation base station in the 6th generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. The RAN node may be a macro base station (such as Figure 1in 110a), or a micro base station or an indoor station (such as Figure 1 in 110b), or a relay node or a donor node.

[0056] In another application scenario, the cooperation of multiple RAN nodes can be used to assist the terminal device to achieve wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU completes the functions of the radio resource control protocol and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of the base station, and can also complete the function of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); the DU completes the functions of the radio link control layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer of the base station, and can also complete part or all of the functions of the physical layer. For the specific descriptions of the above various protocol layers, reference can be made to the relevant technical specifications of 3GPP. The RU can be used to implement the functions of transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals. The CU and the DU can be two independent RAN nodes, or integrated in the same RAN node, for example, integrated in the baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in the radio frequency device, for example, included in the remote radio unit (RRU) or the active antenna unit (AAU). The CU can be further divided into two types of RAN nodes: CU-control plane and CU-user plane.

[0057] In different systems, the RAN node may have different names. For example, in the O-RAN system, the CU can be called an open CU (O-CU), the DU can be called an open DU (O-DU), and the RU can be called an open RU (O-RU). The RAN node in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented by means of a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. For example, the RAN node can be a server loaded with the corresponding software module. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by the RAN node. For the convenience of description, in the following, the base station is used as an example of the RAN node for description.

[0058] A terminal device is a device with wireless transceiver capabilities that can send signals to a base station or receive signals from a base station. A terminal device can also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminal devices can be widely applied in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle to everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote healthcare, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart city, etc. Terminal devices can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. Embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies and specific device forms adopted by terminal devices.

[0059] The base station and the terminal device can be fixed in position or movable. The base station and the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld or vehicle-mounted; they can also be deployed on water; they can also be deployed on airplanes, balloons, and artificial satellites. Embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of the base station and the terminal device.

[0060] The roles of the base station and the terminal device can be relative. For example, Figure 1 the helicopter or drone 120i in [reference] can be configured as a mobile base station. For those terminal devices 120j that access the radio access network 100 through 120i, 120i is the base station; but for the base station 110a, 120i is a terminal device, that is, the communication between 110a and 120i is through the radio air interface protocol. Of course, the communication between 110a and 120i can also be through the interface protocol between base stations. At this time, relative to 110a, 120i is also a base station. Therefore, both the base station and the terminal device can be uniformly referred to as communication devices. Figure 1 The 110a and 110b in [reference] can be referred to as communication devices with base station functions. Figure 1 The 120a - 120j in [reference] can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0061] Communication can be performed between a base station and a terminal device, between base stations, or between terminal devices through licensed spectrum, through unlicensed spectrum, or through both licensed and unlicensed spectrum simultaneously; communication can be performed through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), through spectrum above 6 GHz, or through both spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz simultaneously. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0062] In embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station can also be performed by modules (such as chips) in the base station, or by a control subsystem including base station functions. The control subsystem including base station functions here can be a control center in the above application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, intelligent transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal device can also be performed by modules (such as chips or modems) in the terminal device, or by a device including terminal device functions.

[0063] The following describes the UE as an example of the terminal device. Communication can be performed between UEs through a sidelink (SL). Sidelink communication can also be referred to as proximity services (ProSe) communication, one-way communication, sidechain communication, or device to device (D2D) communication.

[0064] Some communication systems (such as the NR system) introduce the UE-NW relay technology. This technology supports a remote UE to establish a connection with the network (or network device) through a relay UE (UE-to-network relay UE). The remote UE can be a UE located outside the coverage area of the network device (hereinafter, the coverage area of the network device is simply referred to as the network coverage area). Therefore, the UE-NW relay technology can expand the network coverage area. Among them, the relay UE can also be referred to as a relay node.

[0065] Take Figure 2 as an example. Some UEs (such as Figure 2 UE 220a in Figure 2 ) are located within the coverage area of the network device 210, while some UEs (such as

[0066] Figure 2 The figure shows a scenario where a remote UE is connected to a network device through a relay UE. The embodiments of the present application are not limited thereto. The remote UE can also establish a connection with the network device through multiple relay UEs. As Figure 3 shown, UE 220c can establish a connection with network device 210 through UE 220b and UE 220c.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present application, the path by which a UE is connected to a network device through a relay UE can be referred to as a relay path (or relay link or non-direct link or non-direct path), and the path by which a UE is directly connected to a network device can be referred to as a direct path (or direct link). The relay path can include a single-hop relay path and a multi-hop relay path. Figure 2 The path where UE 220b is located as shown is a single-hop relay path. Figure 3 The path where UE 220c is located as shown is a multi-hop relay path.

[0068] During the communication process of the UE, path switching will occur. For example, when the link quality of the current serving relay node of the remote UE is poor due to high-speed movement, dense obstacle occlusion, or dynamic network load changes, the service continuity guarantee process will be triggered, and the remote UE will perform path switching.

[0069] The path switching scenarios of the UE include the following four types. Scenario A: Switching from a multi-hop relay path to a direct path; Scenario B: Switching from a multi-hop relay path to a single-hop relay path; Scenario C: Switching from a direct path to a multi-hop relay path; Scenario D: Switching from a single-hop relay path to a multi-hop relay path.

[0070] The path switching of the UE can be triggered by events. Some triggering events are introduced below.

[0071] Event Y1: The measurement result of the serving cell is lower than threshold 1, and the measurement result of the candidate relay UE is higher than threshold 2. If the UE meets Event Y1, the UE can switch from the direct path to the relay path.

[0072] Event Y2: The measurement result of the candidate relay UE is higher than the preset threshold. If the UE meets Event Y2, the UE can switch from the current path to the relay path.

[0073] Event Z1: The measurement result of the serving relay UE is lower than threshold 1, and the measurement result of the candidate relay UE is higher than threshold 2. If the UE meets Event Z1, the UE can switch from the current relay path to another relay path.

[0074] The target path after the UE handover can be determined based on the measurement results of the candidate relay UE. The candidate relay UE is also referred to as the candidate UE (Candidate UE). Currently, the candidate relay UE can send measurement information to the remote UE, and the measurement information includes the channel measurement results between the candidate relay UE and the remote UE. For example, the measurement information can include the channel quality parameters between the candidate relay UE and the remote UE and the topology information of the candidate relay UE (such as hop count information). The remote UE can send the measurement information sent by the candidate UE and the channel measurement information measured by itself to the network device. The network device can determine the target path (or select the target relay UE) based on the information sent by the remote UE. The network device can achieve seamless handover of the service link through dynamic signaling scheduling to ensure the session persistence of the remote UE.

[0075] When one or more of event Y1, event Y2, and event Z1 are satisfied, the UE may hand over to a multi-hop relay path. For the case where the target path is a multi-hop relay path, if the above method is still used to select the target path, it may lead to an inappropriate target path being selected. The main reason is that the measurement information between adjacent relay UEs is not considered when selecting the target path. The following is a detailed analysis of this problem.

[0076] Take Figure 3 as an example. Assume that UE 220c is the remote UE, UE 220b is the candidate relay UE, and UE 220b sends the measurement results between UE 220b and UE 220c to UE 220c, and the measurement results are used to select the target path for UE 220c. When selecting the target path for UE 220c, only the measurement results between UE 220b and UE 220c are considered, and the measurement results between UE 220a and UE 220b are not considered. There is a situation where the measurement results between UE 220b and UE 220c are good, but the measurement results between UE 220a and UE 220b are poor. If this path is selected as the target path, it will lead to poor communication quality of UE 220c, unable to meet the communication requirements of UE 220c, and even may cause UE 220c to frequently perform path handovers.

[0077] Based on this, the embodiments of the present application provide a wireless communication method and a communication device. When the candidate relay UE sends measurement information to the remote UE, it can also send the measurement results between adjacent relay UEs on the path where the candidate relay UE is located to the remote UE, so as to provide more information for the selection of the target path, facilitating the selection of a more appropriate target path.

[0078] The following combines Figure 4 to introduce in detail the wireless communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0079] Figure 4 The method shown is described from the perspective of device interaction. The specific forms and quantities of the devices shown are only examples and should not impose any limitations on the implementation of the method provided in this application. Taking a network device and a terminal device (such as a remote UE, a relay UE) as the execution entities, the communication method of the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0080] It should be understood that the terminal device in the embodiments of this application can be the terminal device itself, or a chip, a chip system or a processor that supports the terminal device to implement the communication method, or can also be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the terminal device. The network device in the embodiments of this application can be the network device itself, or a chip, a chip system or a processor that supports the network device to implement the communication method, or can also be a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the network device.

[0081] See Figure 4 , in step S410, the first UE sends the first information to the second UE. The first information can be carried in a discovery message, that is, the first UE can send the first information to the second UE through the discovery message.

[0082] The second UE is a remote UE, and the first UE is a candidate relay UE. The second UE can correspond to multiple candidate relay UEs, and the first UE is one of the multiple candidate relay UEs. The second UE can perform path switching when the current path quality is poor.

[0083] In some implementation manners, the first UE is a relay UE that can directly communicate with the second UE. The first UE can be called the last-hop relay UE, or the UE-to-network (U2N) relay UE.

[0084] The path where the first UE is located is the first relay path, and this first relay path can also be called a candidate relay path. The first relay path can be a single-hop relay path or a multi-hop relay path. The second UE establishes a connection with the network device through the relay UE. The first relay path can be a path established by the first UE for communicating with the network device.

[0085] Taking Figure 2 and Figure 3 as an example, assuming that UE 220b is the first UE, then the path UE 220b - UE 220a - base station is the first relay path, and UE 220b establishes a connection with the base station through UE 220a. Among them, UE 220a is the first-hop relay UE, and UE 220b is the second-hop relay UE. Taking Figure 3For example, assume that UE 220c is the first UE. Then the path UE 220c - UE 220b - UE 220a - base station is the first relay path, and UE 220c establishes a connection with the base station through UE 220b and UE 220a. Among them, UE 220a is the first-hop relay UE, UE 220b is the second-hop relay UE, and UE 220c is the third-hop relay UE.

[0086] In some implementations, the first information includes the first measurement result between two adjacent UEs on the first relay path. If there are multiple UEs on the first path, the first information includes the measurement results between any two adjacent UEs on the first path. Taking Figure 3 as an example, if the first UE is UE 220b, the first information includes the measurement result between UE 220b and UE 220a; if the first UE is UE220c, the first information includes the measurement result between UE 220b and UE 220a, and the measurement result between UE220c and UE 220b.

[0087] In some implementations, the first measurement result may include one or more of a quality parameter and a transmission delay. The quality parameter includes one or more of a signal-to-noise ratio, a reference signal receiving power (RSRP), a reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), and a path loss. The signal-to-noise ratio may be a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR).

[0088] In some implementations, the first information may further include a second measurement result between the second UE and the first UE, and the second measurement result may be measured by the first UE. For example, the first UE may measure the signal sent by the second UE to obtain the second measurement result. The first UE may send both the first measurement result and the second measurement result to the second UE.

[0089] In step S420, the second UE sends the first information to the network device. The first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, that is, the network device may select a target path for the second UE based on the first information.

[0090] The target path is a multi-hop relay path. In other words, if the second UE switches to the target path, the second UE establishes a connection with the network device through multiple relay UEs.

[0091] In the embodiments of the present application, the candidate relay UE can send the measurement results between any two adjacent UEs on the first relay path to the remote UE. The remote UE or the network device can, based on the measurement results, understand the link quality of each hop link on the first relay path, so as to be able to select a target path with better link quality for each hop for the remote UE, that is, be able to select a more suitable multi-hop relay path for the remote UE.

[0092] In some implementation manners, the first information includes one or more of the following: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, and the radio resource control (RRC) state of each UE on the first relay path. By carrying more information in the first information, additional information can be provided for the selection of the target path, which is beneficial for the remote UE to switch to a suitable target path.

[0093] The hop count information of the first relay path can, to a certain extent, reflect the transmission delay of the first relay path. Generally, the more hops the first relay path has, the greater the transmission delay. The hop count information of the first relay path can provide additional information for the selection of the target path, so as to select a more suitable target path for the second UE.

[0094] For Figure 2 example, if the first UE is UE 220b, the hop count of the first relay path is 2; for Figure 3 example, if the first UE is UE 220c, the hop count of the first relay path is 3.

[0095] In some implementation manners, the hop count information of the first relay path can be indicated by the UE identifier on the first relay path. For Figure 2 example, if the first UE is UE 220b, the hop count information of the first relay path includes the identifier of UE 220b and the identifier of UE 220a. For Figure 3 example, if the first UE is UE 220c, the hop count information of the first relay path includes the identifier of UE 220c, the identifier of UE 220b, and the identifier of UE 220a. The second UE or the network device can determine the hop count of the first relay path according to the number of UE identifiers carried in the first information.

[0096] The transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path can refer to the transmission delay between any two adjacent UEs on the first relay path. For Figure 2For example, if the first UE is UE 220b, the first information may include the transmission delay between UE 220b and UE 220a. This transmission delay can be measured by UE 220b. For example, UE 220b can receive the signal sent by UE 220a and record the reception time of the signal. UE 220a can also send the transmission time of the signal to UE 220b. UE 220b can determine the transmission delay between UE 220b and UE 220a based on the reception time and the transmission time of the signal.

[0097] For Figure 3 example, if the first UE is UE 220c, the first information may include the transmission delay between UE 220b and UE 220a, and the transmission delay between UE 220c and UE 220b. The transmission delay between UE 220b and UE 220a can be measured by UE 220b, and the transmission delay between UE 220c and UE 220b can be measured by UE 220c. For the specific measurement process, reference can be made to Figure 2 the description. For the sake of brevity, it will not be elaborated here.

[0098] The transmission delay of each hop link can provide additional information for the selection of the target path, so as to select a more suitable target path for the second UE.

[0099] The quality parameters of each hop link on the first relay path may include one or more of signal-to-noise ratio, RSRP, RSRQ, and path loss. The quality parameters can directly reflect the quality of the first relay path and can provide a reference basis for the selection of the target path.

[0100] The RRC state of the UE may include RRC_CONNECTED state, RRC_IDLE state, and RRC_INACTIVE state. If there is a UE in the RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state on the target path, the network device needs to page the UE first to make the UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state, and then perform the subsequent path switching process. In the embodiments of the present application, when determining the target path, the RRC state of the relay UE can be considered, so that the network device can select a more suitable target path for the second UE based on this information.

[0101] When selecting the target path, the network device can select the target path according to the priority of the RRC state. The priority of the RRC state from high to low is: RRC_CONNECTED state, RRC_INACTIVE state, RRC_IDLE state.

[0102] For example, when a network device selects a target path, it can preferentially select UEs in the RRC connected state, that is, all UEs on the target path are in the RRC connected state, so as to avoid paging the UEs, reduce handover latency, and reduce power consumption. If the link quality of the link where the UE in the RRC connected state is located is poor, then select the UE in the RRC inactive state, that is, the target path includes the UE in the RRC inactive state, so as to reduce the number of times of paging the UE, reduce handover latency, and reduce power consumption. If the link quality of the link where the UE in the RRC inactive state is located is poor, then select the UE in the RRC idle state, that is, the target path includes the UE in the RRC idle state.

[0103] For another example, for Path 1 and Path 2, if all UEs on Path 1 are in the RRC connected state, at least one UE on Path 2 is in the RRC inactive state, and the link quality of Path 1 is similar to that of Path 2, then the network device can preferentially select Path 1 as the target path. If the RRC states of the UEs on Path 1 include the RRC inactive state and do not include the RRC idle state, at least one UE on Path 2 is in the RRC idle state, and the link quality of Path 1 is similar to that of Path 2, then the network device can preferentially select Path 1 as the target path.

[0104] There are various ways for the first UE to send the first information. As an example, the first UE can send the first information to the second UE after receiving the request message sent by the second UE. This sending mode is also called the active mode, that is, the second UE actively discovers candidate relay UEs. As another example, the first UE can periodically broadcast the first information, and this sending mode is also called the passive mode, that is, the second UE receives the first information passively. The following introduces these two modes separately.

[0105] For the active mode, the second UE can send a first discovery message to the first UE, and this first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay UEs. For example, the second UE can send a Discovery Request message to the first UE.

[0106] In some implementation manners, the first discovery message may include a handover reason.

[0107] In some implementation manners, the second UE can adopt the active mode to send the first discovery message to the first UE after disconnecting from the current serving link.

[0108] For the passive mode, the first UE may periodically send the first information, and the second UE receives the first information passively. If the second UE needs to use the first information, the second UE may send a response message to the first UE; if the second UE does not need to use the first information, the second UE may not send a response message to the first UE. For example, if the second UE receives the first information and needs to perform a path switch, the second UE may send a response message to the first UE; if the second UE does not need to perform a path switch currently, the second UE may not send a response message to the first UE.

[0109] In some implementations, the second UE may detect the first information broadcast by the first UE when the current link quality is poor. The current link quality being poor may include a downward trend in the current link quality.

[0110] For the passive mode, the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from a remote UE is received. By dynamically adjusting the broadcast period according to the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from a remote UE is received, etc., the broadcast period can be flexibly set as needed, which is beneficial to reducing the power consumption of the first UE. The following introduces these two cases separately.

[0111] The first UE may determine the number of UEs around the first UE by detecting the information broadcast by other UEs. The more UEs there are around the first UE, the larger the broadcast period of the first information, in order to reduce the power consumption of the first UE; the fewer UEs there are around the first UE, the smaller the broadcast period of the first information, in order to provide sufficient information for the path switch of the remote UE.

[0112] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than the first quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is the first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than the second quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is the second period, where the first period is greater than the second period, and the first quantity is greater than or equal to the second quantity.

[0113] The first quantity and the second quantity are two preset thresholds. The first quantity can be understood as a high-density threshold, and the second quantity can be understood as a low-density threshold. The first UE may first broadcast the first information with a default period. If the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than the first quantity, the first UE may increase the broadcast period and broadcast the first information with the first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than the second quantity, the first UE may decrease the broadcast period and broadcast the first information with the second period.

[0114] The broadcast period of the first information can be expressed by the following formula:

[0115]

[0116]

[0117] Among them, represents the broadcast period of the first piece of information, represents the default period, represents the number of UEs around the first UE, represents the first quantity, represents the second quantity, where K and k are two coefficients.

[0118] Referring to the above formula, the first UE can first broadcast the first piece of information with as the period. If it is detected that the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than , then increase the broadcast period and broadcast the first piece of information with as the period; if it is detected that the number of UEs around the first UE is less than , then decrease the broadcast period and broadcast the first piece of information with as the period.

[0119] In some implementation manners, the broadcast period of the first piece of information is related to whether a response message from a remote UE is received. If the first UE does not receive a response message from the remote UE within multiple periods, it means that there is currently no remote UE that needs to perform a path switch. The first UE can increase the broadcast period or stop broadcasting the first piece of information to reduce power consumption. If the first UE receives a response message from the remote UE, it means that there is currently a remote UE that needs to perform a path switch. The first UE can maintain the current broadcast period or decrease the broadcast period to support the path switch of the remote UE.

[0120] In some implementation manners, if the first UE does not receive a response message from the remote UE within multiple periods, it can enter a low-power sleep state. For example, the first UE can gradually extend the broadcast period of the first piece of information, that is, the broadcast period of the first piece of information gradually becomes longer. Another example is that the first UE can stop broadcasting the first piece of information and only maintain the second piece of information, that is, broadcast the second piece of information periodically to reduce the power consumption of the first UE. Among them, the second piece of information includes the third measurement result between two adjacent UEs on the first relay path. The third measurement result includes the quality parameters of each hop link on the first relay path. The third measurement result does not include parameters such as the transmission delay of each hop link, the RRC state of the UE, and the hop count information of the first relay path. The second piece of information can be understood as basic measurement information, and the first piece of information can be understood as enhanced measurement information.

[0121] In some implementations, the first UE may broadcast the second information in a third period. The broadcast period of the first information may be an integer multiple of the third period. This multiple may be related to the network quality, or this multiple may be related to one or more of the number of UEs around the first UE and whether a response message from a remote UE is received.

[0122] In some implementations, regardless of whether the first UE sends the first information, the first UE may broadcast the second information in a third period. For example, the first UE may broadcast the second information in a third period and broadcast the first information in an integer multiple of the third period.

[0123] In some implementations, the first UE may send a first request message to a network device to request to obtain a first measurement configuration. The first measurement configuration may be, for example, a channel state information - reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration. In response to the first request message, the network device may send the first measurement configuration to the first UE. The first request message may be carried in the Sidelink UE Information NR signaling. By sending the first request message to the network device, the network device can configure for this measurement, thereby improving the measurement mechanism.

[0124] The transmission timing of the first request message is related to the mode in which the second UE obtains the first information. As an example, for the active mode, the second UE may send a first discovery message to the first UE, and the first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay UEs. In response to the first discovery message, the first UE may send a first request message to the network device. In other words, the first request message is triggered by the first discovery message. By triggering the first request message with the first discovery message, the transmission timing of the first request message sent by the first UE is thus determined.

[0125] As another example, for the passive mode, the first UE may maintain a first timer. In response to the timeout of the first timer, the first UE sends a first request message to the network device. In other words, the first request message is triggered by the first timer. The duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first information, such that the time when the first UE obtains the measurement configuration matches the time when the first UE sends the first information. For example, the longer the broadcast period of the first information, the longer the duration of the first timer; the shorter the broadcast period of the first information, the shorter the duration of the first timer. By triggering the first request message with the first timer, the transmission timing of the first request message sent by the first UE is thus determined.

[0126] In some implementations, the first request message may include one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, and parameters to be measured. The measurement purpose includes relay selection and topology optimization. The network device may configure the first measurement configuration for the second UE according to the measurement purpose. For the active mode, the first UE may obtain the identifier of the remote UE through the first discovery message. The parameters to be measured include one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, and RRC state of the UE.

[0127] By carrying the above information in the first request message, the network device can process the first request message in a targeted manner and configure an appropriate measurement configuration for the first UE. For example, the network device may determine the priority of processing the first request message according to the measurement target. For another example, the network device may configure a matching measurement configuration for the first UE according to the parameters to be measured. For yet another example, by carrying the identifier of the remote UE in the first request message, the network device can identify which remote UEs need to perform path switching currently.

[0128] In some implementations, each UE on the first relay path forwards the first measurement configuration in sequence. Figure 3 For example, assuming the first UE is UE 220c, the network device may first send the first measurement configuration to UE 220a, UE 220a then forwards the first measurement configuration to UE 220b, and UE 220b then forwards the first measurement configuration to UE 220c.

[0129] In some implementations, each UE on the first relay path may receive a reference signal according to the first measurement configuration, measure the reference signal, and obtain a first measurement result. Each UE on the first relay path forwards the reference signal in sequence, records the local measurement value, and sends the local measurement value to the next-hop relay UE. The reference signal may be, for example, CSI-RS, demodulation reference signal (DMRS), positioning reference signal (PRS), etc.

[0130] Illustrating with an example, Figure 3For example, assume that the first UE is UE 220c. UE 220a can receive the reference signal sent by the network device. UE 220a can forward the reference signal to UE 220b, and UE 220b can forward the reference signal to UE 220c. Additionally, UE 220a can measure the reference signal to obtain measurement result 1, which is the measurement result between UE 220a and the network device. UE 220a can send measurement result 1 to UE 220b. UE 220b measures the reference signal to obtain measurement result 2, which is the measurement result between UE 220a and UE 220b. UE 220b sends both measurement result 1 and measurement result 2 to UE 220c. UE 220c measures the reference signal to obtain measurement result 3, which is the measurement result between UE 220b and UE 220c. UE 220c can send measurement result 1, measurement result 2, and measurement result 3 to the second UE.

[0131] In some implementations, UE 220a can also send the RRC state of UE 220a to UE 220b. UE 220b can send the RRC state of UE 220a and the RRC state of UE 220b to UE 220c. UE 220c can send the RRC state of UE 220a, the RRC state of UE 220b, and the RRC state of UE 220c to the second UE.

[0132] As can be seen from the foregoing, the first information may include the hop count information of the first relay path, and the hop count information may include the identifier of the relay UE. For Figure 3 example, UE 220a can send the identifier of UE 220a to UE 220b. UE 220b can send the identifier of UE 220b and the identifier of UE 220a to UE 220c. UE 220c can send the identifier of UE 220c, the identifier of UE 220b, and the identifier of UE 220a to the second UE.

[0133] As can be seen from the foregoing, the first information may include the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, and the transmission delay can be measured by each UE on the first relay path. The transmission delay can be determined, for example, according to the sending time of the reference signal and the receiving time of the reference signal. For Figure 3For example, UE 220a may measure the transmission delay between UE 220a and the network device, denoted as delay 1. UE 220a may send delay 1 to UE 220b. UE 220b may measure the transmission delay between UE 220b and UE 220a, denoted as delay 2. UE 220b may send delay 2 and delay 1 to UE 220c. UE 220c may measure the transmission delay between UE 220c and UE 220b, denoted as delay 3. UE 220c may send delay 3, delay 2, and delay 1 to the second UE.

[0134] In some implementations, the second UE may receive the first information sent by multiple candidate relay UEs. The second UE may screen the first information and send the screened first information to the network device, thereby not only reducing the transmission overhead, but also reducing the computing load of the network device and reducing the handover decision delay.

[0135] In some implementations, the second UE may screen the first information based on the order in which the first information is received. For example, the second UE may send one or more first information with a previous reception order to the network device. In some implementations, the second UE may eliminate some first information with significantly poor measurement results and send the screened first information to the network device.

[0136] The following combines Figure 5 and Figure 6 to introduce the sending process of the measurement results in the active mode and the passive mode respectively.

[0137] Figure 5 Fig. shows the sending process of the measurement results in the active mode.

[0138] Refer to Figure 5 In step S510, the second UE sends a first discovery message to the first UE through the PC5 interface.

[0139] In step S520, in response to the first discovery message, the first UE sends a first request message to the network device through the Uu interface.

[0140] In step S530, in response to the first request message, the network device sends CSI-RS to the first UE.

[0141] In step S540, the first UE may receive the CSI-RS and measure the CSI-RS to obtain measurement results. In addition, the first UE may also receive the measurement results sent by other UEs on the first relay path.

[0142] In step S550, the first UE may aggregate the measurement results of each UE on the first relay path and send the aggregated measurement results to the second UE. The measurement results are carried in the discovery response message.

[0143] Figure 6 The figure shows the process of sending measurement results in the passive mode.

[0144] See Figure 6 , in step S610, in response to the expiration of the first timer, the first UE sends a first request message to the network device via the Uu interface.

[0145] In step S620, in response to the first request message, the network device sends CSI-RS to the first UE.

[0146] In step S630, the first UE may receive the CSI-RS, measure the CSI-RS, and obtain measurement results. In addition, the first UE may also receive the measurement results sent by other UEs on the first relay path.

[0147] In step S640, the first UE may aggregate the measurement results of each UE on the first relay path and send the aggregated measurement results via a broadcast message. The broadcast message may be sent periodically. The second UE may detect the measurement results broadcast by the first UE.

[0148] The network device may determine the target path according to multiple evaluation metrics. The multiple evaluation metrics may include, for example, one or more of the following: the quality of each hop link, the number of path hops, the RRC state of the relay UE. In some implementation manners, the multiple evaluation metrics may further include the cell ID where the candidate UE is currently located.

[0149] The network device selects a target path for the second UE based on the first information reported by the second UE. After determining the target path, the network device may send an RRC reconfiguration (RRCReconfiguration) message to each relay UE on the target path.

[0150] Take Figure 7 as an example. In step S710, the second UE sends the first information to the network device.

[0151] In step S720, the network device determines the target path and the target relay UE based on the first information.

[0152] In Figure 7 the shown solution, the target relay UEs include relay UE1, relay UE2, and relay UE3.

[0153] In step S730, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message for the second UE to relay UE3. Relay UE3 modifies the RRC connection based on this RRC reconfiguration message.

[0154] In step S740, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message for the second UE to relay UE2. Relay UE2 modifies the RRC connection based on this RRC reconfiguration message.

[0155] In step S750, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message for the second UE to relay UE1. Relay UE1 modifies the RRC connection based on this RRC reconfiguration message.

[0156] In step S760, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the second UE.

[0157] The RRC reconfiguration message includes the identifier of relay UE1, the identifier of the second UE, and RLC channel configuration information. The second UE can establish a PC5 connection with relay UE1 based on this RLC channel configuration information and the identifier of relay UE1.

[0158] After receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the second UE can stop the user plane transmission and control plane transmission on the current path.

[0159] In step S770, in response to the RRC reconfiguration message, the second UE establishes a PC5 connection with relay UE1.

[0160] In step S780, after completing the establishment of the PC5 connection with relay UE1, the second UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the network device, thus completing the path switch. So far, the second UE has switched to the target path and can communicate with the network device through the target path.

[0161] If a certain UE on the target path is in the RRC non-connected state (such as the RRC idle state or the RRC active state), the network device can first page this UE and then send an RRC reconfiguration message to this UE. Figure 7 For example, if relay UE3 is in the RRC inactive state, the network device sends a paging message to relay UE3. In response to this paging message, relay UE3 sends an RRC resume request (RRCResumeRequest) to resume the RRC connection. After relay UE3 resumes the RRC connection, the network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to relay UE3.

[0162] The application scenario in the embodiments of the present application can also be a vehicle communication scenario, that is, the first UE or the second UE in the above text can be a vehicle. As a mobile relay node, the vehicle can provide multi-hop relay services for other vehicles or roadside devices in an environment of high-speed movement and rapid change of network topology.

[0163] As described above in conjunction with Figures 1 to 7 , the method embodiments of the present application have been described in detail. Below, in conjunction with Figures 8 to 11 , the apparatus embodiments of the present application will be described. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to those of the apparatus embodiments. Therefore, for the parts not described in detail, reference can be made to the previous method embodiments.

[0164] Figure 8 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8 , the communication apparatus 800 includes a sending module 810.

[0165] In a possible implementation manner, the apparatus 800 can be used to implement the steps performed by the first UE in the above text. Wherein, the first UE is a candidate relay UE of the second UE, and the second UE is a remote UE.

[0166] The sending module 810 is configured to: send first information to the second UE, where the first information includes first measurement results between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, the first relay path is the relay path where the first UE is located, and the first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0167] In some implementation manners, the sending module 810 is configured to: periodically broadcast the first information, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0168] In some implementation manners, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first number, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second number, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first number is greater than or equal to the second number.

[0169] In some implementation manners, the apparatus 800 further includes a processing module, configured to: if a response message sent by the remote UE is not received within multiple periods, increase the sending period of the first information or stop broadcasting the first information.

[0170] In some implementations, the sending module 810 is further configured to: periodically broadcast second information, where a broadcast period of the second information is less than a broadcast period of the first information; wherein, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, radio resource control (RRC) state of each UE on the first relay path; and the second information includes the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path.

[0171] In some implementations, the sending module 810 is further configured to: send a first request message to a network device, where the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement result.

[0172] In some implementations, the apparatus 800 further includes a receiving module, configured to: before sending the first request message to the network device, receive a first discovery message sent by a second UE, where the first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay UEs; and the sending module 810 is configured to: in response to the first discovery message, send the first request message to the network device.

[0173] In some implementations, the sending module 810 is configured to: in response to a first timer timeout, send the first request message to the network device, where a duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first information.

[0174] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of a remote UE, parameter to be measured.

[0175] In some implementations, the parameter to be measured includes one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, RRC state of a UE.

[0176] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0177] Figure 9 is a schematic block diagram of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 9 shown, the communication apparatus 900 includes a receiving module 910 and a sending module 920.

[0178] In a possible implementation, the apparatus 900 can be used to implement the steps performed by the second UE in the foregoing. Wherein, the second UE is a remote UE.

[0179] The receiving module 910 is configured to: receive first information from a first UE, where the first UE is a candidate relay UE of the second UE, and the first information includes first measurement results between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, and the first relay path is the relay path where the first UE is located.

[0180] The sending module 920 is configured to: send the first information to a network device, and the first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0181] In some implementations, the first UE sends the first information in a periodic broadcast manner, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0182] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first number, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second number, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first number is greater than or equal to the second number.

[0183] In some implementations, the sending module 920 is further configured to: send a first discovery message to the first UE, the first discovery message is used to discover a candidate relay UE, the first discovery message is used to trigger the first UE to send a first request message to the network device, and the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement result.

[0184] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, parameters to be measured.

[0185] In some implementations, the parameters to be measured include one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, radio resource control (RRC) state of the UE.

[0186] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: hop count information of the first relay path, transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0187] Figure 10 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 10 shown, the communication device 1000 includes a receiving module 1010.

[0188] In a possible implementation, the device 1000 can be used to implement the steps performed by the network device in the foregoing.

[0189] The receiving module 1010 is configured to: receive first information from a second user equipment (UE), where the first information is sent by a first UE to the second UE, the second UE is a remote UE, the first UE is a candidate relay UE of the second UE, the first information includes first measurement results between two adjacent UEs on a first relay path, the first relay path is the relay path where the first UE is located, and the first information is used to select a target path for the second UE, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

[0190] In some implementations, the manner in which the first UE sends the first information is periodic broadcasting, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of UEs around the first UE, whether a response message from the remote UE is received.

[0191] In some implementations, if the number of UEs around the first UE is greater than a first quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of UEs around the first UE is less than a second quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first quantity is greater than or equal to the second quantity.

[0192] In some implementations, the method further includes: receiving a first request message from the first UE, where the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement results.

[0193] In some implementations, the first request message is triggered by a first discovery message, and the first discovery message is sent by the second UE to the first UE, and the first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay UEs.

[0194] In some implementations, the first request message is triggered by a first timer, and the duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first information.

[0195] In some implementations, the first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote UE, parameters to be measured.

[0196] In some implementations, the parameter to be measured includes one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, and radio resource control (RRC) state of the UE.

[0197] In some implementations, the first information includes one or more of the following information: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, and the RRC state of each UE on the first relay path.

[0198] It should be understood that the apparatuses 800 - 1000 herein are embodied in the form of functional modules. The term "module" herein may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (such as a shared processor, a dedicated processor, or a group of processors, etc.) for executing one or more software or firmware programs, a memory, a combined logic circuit, and / or other suitable components that support the described functions. In an alternative example, those skilled in the art can understand that the apparatus 800 may specifically be the first UE in the above embodiments, and the apparatus 800 may be used to execute each process and / or step corresponding to the first UE in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 900 may specifically be the second UE in the above embodiments, and the apparatus 900 may be used to execute each process and / or step corresponding to the second UE in the above method embodiments. The apparatus 1000 may specifically be the network device in the above embodiments, and the apparatus 1000 may be used to execute each process and / or step corresponding to the network device in the above method embodiments. To avoid repetition, details are not described herein again.

[0199] The above apparatus 800 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps executed by the first UE in the above method, the apparatus 900 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps executed by the second UE in the above method, and the apparatus 1000 has the function of implementing the corresponding steps executed by the network device in the above method. The above functions may be implemented by hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the above functions.

[0200] In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatuses 800 - 1000 may also be chips, such as: system on chip (SOC) or Modem, etc. Correspondingly, the receiving module and the sending module may be the transceiver circuits of the chip, which are not limited herein.

[0201] Figure 11 It is a schematic structural diagram of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 11The dashed line therein indicates that the unit or module is optional. The apparatus 1100 can be used to implement the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The apparatus 1100 can be a chip, a first UE, a second UE, or a network device.

[0202] The apparatus 1100 may include one or more processors 1110. The processor 1110 can support the apparatus 1100 to implement the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 1110 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor can also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor, etc.

[0203] The apparatus 1100 may further include one or more memories 1120. A program is stored on the memory 1120, and the program can be executed by the processor 1110, so that the processor 1110 executes the method described in the foregoing method embodiments. The memory 1120 can be independent of the processor 1110 or integrated in the processor 1110.

[0204] The apparatus 1100 may further include a transceiver 1130. The processor 1110 can communicate with other devices or chips through the transceiver 1130. For example, the processor 1110 can perform data transmission and reception with other devices or chips through the transceiver 1130.

[0205] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. The computer-readable storage medium can be applied to the terminal device or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the program enables the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in various embodiments of the present application. The terminal device can be the first UE or the second UE.

[0206] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. The computer program product can be applied to the terminal device or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the program enables the computer to execute the methods performed by the terminal device or network device in various embodiments of the present application. The terminal device can be the first UE or the second UE.

[0207] An embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program. The computer program can be applied to the terminal device or network device provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods executed by the terminal device or network device in the various embodiments of the present application. The terminal device may be the first UE or the second UE.

[0208] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A, and B can be determined according to A. However, it should also be understood that determining B according to A does not mean determining B only according to A, and B can also be determined according to A and / or other information.

[0209] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally represents an "or" relationship between the preceding and following associated objects.

[0210] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the magnitudes of the sequence numbers of the above processes do not mean the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined according to its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0211] In the present application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be that A directly sends it to B, or A indirectly sends it to B through other entities. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be that entity B directly receives the information sent by entity A, or entity B indirectly receives the information sent by entity A through other entities. Here, entity A and B can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules inside RAN nodes or terminals. The sending and receiving of information can be the information interaction between the RAN node and the terminal, for example, the information interaction between the base station and the terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information interaction between two RAN nodes, for example, the information interaction between the CU and the DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be the information interaction between different modules inside a device, for example, the information interaction between the terminal chip and other modules of the terminal, or the information interaction between the base station chip and other modules in the base station.

[0212] In several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there can be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed couplings or direct couplings or communication connections to each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect couplings or communication connections of the devices or units can be in electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0213] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated. The components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place or distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0214] In addition, in each embodiment of this application, the functional units can be integrated in a processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0215] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center by wire (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wirelessly (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be read by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integrated. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0216] As described above, it is only the specific implementation manner of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present application can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claimed rights.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a first user equipment, where the first user equipment is a candidate relay user equipment of a second user equipment, and the second user equipment is a remote user equipment. The method includes: Sending a first message to the second user equipment, where the first message includes first measurement results between two adjacent user equipments on a first relay path, the first relay path is the relay path where the first user equipment is located, and the first message is used to select a target path for the second user equipment, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sending the first message to the second user equipment includes: Periodically broadcasting the first message, where the broadcast period of the first message is related to one or more of the following information: the number of user equipments around the first user equipment, whether a response message from the remote user equipment is received.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein If the number of user equipments around the first user equipment is greater than a first quantity, the broadcast period of the first message is a first period; if the number of user equipments around the first user equipment is less than a second quantity, the broadcast period of the first message is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first quantity is greater than or equal to the second quantity.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein The method further includes: If a response message sent by the remote user equipment is not received within multiple periods, increasing the sending period of the first message or stopping broadcasting the first message.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Periodically broadcasting a second message, where the broadcast period of the second message is less than the broadcast period of the first message; Wherein, the first message includes one or more of the following information: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, the radio resource control (RRC) state of each user equipment on the first relay path; the second message includes the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Sending a first request message to a network device, where the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement result.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein Before the sending the first request message to the network device, the method further includes: Receiving a first discovery message sent by the second user equipment, where the first discovery message is used to discover candidate relay user equipments; The sending the first request message to the network device includes: In response to the first discovery message, sending the first request message to the network device.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The sending the first request message to the network device includes: In response to the timeout of a first timer, sending the first request message to the network device, and the duration of the first timer is related to the broadcast period of the first message.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote user equipment, parameters to be measured.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The parameters to be measured include one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, RRC state of the user equipment.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The first information includes one or more of the following information: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, the RRC state of each user equipment on the first relay path.

12. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second user equipment, and the second user equipment is a remote user equipment. The method includes: Receiving first information from a first user equipment, where the first user equipment is a candidate relay user equipment of the second user equipment, and the first information includes a first measurement result between two adjacent user equipments on a first relay path, and the first relay path is the relay path where the first user equipment is located; Sending the first information to a network device, where the first information is used to select a target path for the second user equipment, and the target path is a multi-hop relay path.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein The manner in which the first user equipment sends the first information is periodic broadcast, and the broadcast period of the first information is related to one or more of the following information: the number of user equipments around the first user equipment, whether a response message from a remote user equipment is received.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein If the number of user equipments around the first user equipment is greater than a first quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a first period; if the number of user equipments around the first user equipment is less than a second quantity, the broadcast period of the first information is a second period, the first period is greater than the second period, and the first quantity is greater than or equal to the second quantity.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 14, characterized in that The method further includes: Sending a first discovery message to the first user equipment, where the first discovery message is used to discover a candidate relay user equipment, and the first discovery message is used to trigger the first user equipment to send a first request message to the network device, and the first request message is used to request to obtain a first measurement configuration, and the first measurement configuration is used to determine the first measurement result.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein The first request message includes one or more of the following information: measurement purpose, identifier of the remote user equipment, parameter to be measured.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein The parameter to be measured includes one or more of the following: signal-to-noise ratio, transmission delay, path loss, radio resource control (RRC) state of the user equipment.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 14, characterized in that The first information includes one or more of the following information: the hop count information of the first relay path, the transmission delay of each hop link on the first relay path, the quality parameter of each hop link on the first relay path, the RRC state of each user equipment on the first relay path.

19. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a network device. The method includes: Receive first information from a second user equipment, where the first information is sent by a first user equipment to the second user equipment, the second user equipment being a remote user equipment, the first user equipment being a candidate relay user equipment of the second user equipment, the first information including a first measurement result between two adjacent user equipments on a first relay path, the first relay path being the relay path where the first user equipment is located, the first information being used to select a target path for the second user equipment, the target path being a multi-hop relay path.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, Comprising: A processor coupled to a memory for storing a computer program, which when called by the processor causes the communication device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, or the method according to claim 19.

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