Discovery and path selection for multi-hop relays

Abstract

A method includes receiving, by a first user equipment (UE), a first message from a second UE, the first message including an indication of a multi-hop relay request and a first criterion for communicating via a multi-hop relay. A determination is performed to transmit the first message to a third UE. At least one of the second criteria is generated, and the first message is updated with the at least one of the second criteria and performance information of the first UE and transmitted to the third UE. And the first UE receives a second message, the second message comprises information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the information related to the multi-hop relay to be established comprises performance information of the third UE and first selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, and the second message is updated and transmitted to the second UE.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The various example embodiments generally relate to wireless networks, and more specifically to a technique for multi-hop relay discovery and path selection. Background Technology

[0002] Proximity Service (ProSe) is a device-to-device technology that allows devices to detect each other and communicate directly. In User Equipment (UE)-to-UE and UE-to-network communications, there are intermediate nodes that can participate in relaying communications from a remote UE to a target UE or network node (e.g., a base station (BS)). Selecting appropriate intermediate nodes in the path between the remote UE and the target node (e.g., another UE or network node), and maintaining the connection between the remote UE and the target node, is challenging and can fail due to, for example, the mobility / failure of a single relay UE. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect of this disclosure, a method includes receiving a first message from a second UE by a first user equipment (UE), the first message including an indication of a multi-hop relay request and a first criterion for communication via the multi-hop relay. Performance information of the first UE is determined. A determination is performed to transmit the first message to a third UE, the determination being based on the performance information of the first UE and on the satisfaction of the first criterion. A determination is performed to determine that at least one criterion of the first criterion should be updated. At least one criterion of the second criterion is generated based on the performance information of the first UE and the first message, the first message is updated using the at least one criterion of the second criterion and the performance information of the first UE, and after the update of the first message, the first UE transmits the first message to the third UE. The first UE receives a second message from the third UE, the second message including information related to a multi-hop relay to be established, the information related to the multi-hop relay to be established including the performance information of the third UE and the first selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established. The second message is updated by updating the first selection information using the second selection information, and the first UE transmits the updated second message to the second UE, the transmission being based on the performance information of the third UE and on the satisfaction of the first selection information.

[0004] In one aspect of the method, the first criterion includes at least one criterion for extending or not extending the multi-hop relay request.

[0005] In one aspect of the method, the first criterion includes one or more of the following: radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, quality of service (QoS) parameters, maximum number of hops to the target device, maximum duration of the discovery process for a multi-hop relay, or mobility profiles of one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0006] In one aspect of the method, the wireless link condition parameters include a threshold of the measured sidelink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP).

[0007] In one aspect of the method, the congestion parameter includes a threshold of the measured channel busy rate (CBR) value.

[0008] In one aspect of the method, the QoS parameters include one or more of the following: data rate threshold, latency threshold, or packet loss rate.

[0009] In one aspect of the method, the mobility profile of the one or more candidate relay UEs includes one or more of the following: a speed threshold of the one or more candidate relay UEs, the direction of the one or more candidate relay UEs, or the destination of the one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0010] In one aspect of the method, the performance information of the first UE includes parameters for communication via multi-hop relay.

[0011] In one aspect of the method, the second criterion includes any one of the following: the location information of the first UE, the timing information of the first UE, or the mobility information of the first UE.

[0012] In one aspect of the method, the second criterion includes any one of the following: measured radio link parameters, congestion parameters, mobility profile of the first UE, or QoS parameters at the first UE.

[0013] In one aspect of the method, the second criterion includes the estimated QoS of the multi-hop path up to the first UE.

[0014] In one aspect of the method, the method further includes the first UE receiving one or more other messages different from the first message, wherein each of the one or more other messages includes an indication of a multi-hop relay request.

[0015] In one aspect of the method, the method further includes having the first UE wait for a predefined time to receive the one or more other messages; and determining which of the first message and the one or more other messages will be transmitted to the third UE.

[0016] In one aspect of the method, the first UE transmits the second message to the second UE based on a third criterion satisfying the first criterion.

[0017] In one aspect of the method, the method further includes the first UE receiving one or more other messages different from the second message, wherein each of the one or more other messages includes information related to the multi-hop relay to be established.

[0018] In one aspect of the method, the method further includes having the first UE wait for a predefined time to receive the one or more other messages; and determining which of the second message and the one or more other messages will be transmitted to the second UE.

[0019] In one aspect of the method, the first selection information includes the third criterion.

[0020] In one aspect of the method, the first selection information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the candidate relay UE, measured radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, QoS parameters at the candidate relay UE, the location of the candidate relay UE, or mobility information of the first UE.

[0021] In one aspect of this disclosure, a user equipment includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least any of the aforementioned methods.

[0022] In one aspect of this disclosure, a processor-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to perform at least any of the aforementioned methods.

[0023] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided for some aspects. Other aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example embodiment of wireless networking between a network system and a user equipment (UE) according to an aspect of this disclosure, wherein the user equipment includes a plurality of devices connected to the UE; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example component of a network system according to this disclosure; Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of multi-hop communication between a remote UE and a target UE according to this disclosure; Figure 3B A schematic diagram illustrating an example of multi-hop communication between a remote UE and a network node according to one aspect of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating example signals and operation of a network system according to one aspect of this disclosure; and Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an example embodiment of a component of a UE, connection device, or network apparatus according to one aspect of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0026] In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed aspects. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the aspects can be practiced without one or more of these specific details or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with the transmitter, receiver, or transceiver are not shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the aspects.

[0027] In this specification, references to "an aspect" or "one aspect" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that aspect is included in at least one aspect. Therefore, the phrases "in one aspect" or "in one aspect" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same aspect. Furthermore, a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be combined in one or more aspects in any suitable manner.

[0028] The embodiments described in this disclosure can be implemented in wireless networking devices, such as, but not limited to, devices utilizing wireless networking systems such as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM, 2G), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System based on Basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) (UMTS, 3G), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, Enhanced LTE (eLTE), 5G New Radio (5G NR), 5G Advance, 6G (and beyond), and 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). The term "eLTE" herein refers to LTE evolution connected to a 5G core. LTE is also referred to as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA) or Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN).

[0029] This disclosure may use the term "serving network device" to refer to a network node or network device (or part thereof) serving a UE. As used herein, the terms "sent to," "received from," and "cooperate with" (and variations thereof) include communications that may or may not involve communication through one or more intermediate devices or nodes. The term "acquire" (and variations thereof) includes an initial acquisition or a subsequent acquisition. The term "connection" may refer to a physical connection or a logical connection.

[0030] This disclosure uses 5G NR as an example of a wireless network, and a smartphone can be used as an example of a UE. It is intended and should be understood that these examples are merely illustrative, and this disclosure applies to other wireless networks and user equipment.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of wireless networking between network system 100 and user equipment (UE) 150. Network system 100 may include one or more network nodes 120, one or more servers 110, and / or one or more network devices 130 (e.g., test equipment). Network node 120 will be described in more detail below. As used herein, the term "network device" may refer to any component of network system 100, such as server 110, network node 120, network device 130, any of the foregoing components, and / or any other component of network system 100. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, devices for implementing 5G NR, etc. This disclosure describes embodiments related to 5G NR and embodiments relating to aspects defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). However, it is contemplated that embodiments related to other wireless networking technologies are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0032] Network system 100 may include one or more network nodes 120, one or more servers 110, and / or one or more network devices 130 (e.g., test devices). Network node 120 will be described in more detail below. As used herein, the term "network device" may refer to any component of network system 100, such as server 110, network node 120, network device 130, any of the foregoing components, and / or any other component of network system 100. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, devices for implementing 5G NR, etc. This disclosure describes embodiments related to 5G NR and embodiments relating to aspects defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). However, it is contemplated that embodiments related to other wireless networking technologies are also within the scope of this disclosure.

[0033] The following description provides further details of examples of network nodes. In a 5G NR network, a gNodeB (also known as a gNB) may include, for example, a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination toward the UE and is connected to the 5G core (5GC) via an NG interface, such as according to Section 3.2 of 3GPP TS 38.300 V16.6.0 (2021-06), which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0034] gNB supports various protocol layers, such as Layer 1 (L1) – the physical layer, Layer 2 (L2), and Layer 3 (L3).

[0035] NR's Layer 2 (L2) is divided into the following sublayers: Media Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), among which, for example: The physical layer provides a transmission channel to the MAC sublayer; The MAC sublayer provides logical channels to the RLC sublayer; The RLC sublayer provides RLC channels to the PDCP sublayer; The PDCP sublayer provides radio bearers to the SDAP sublayer; The SDAP sublayer provides Quality of Service (QoS) flows to 5GC; The control channels include the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) and the Physical Control Channel (PCCH).

[0036] Layer 3 (L3) includes, for example, Radio Resource Control (RRC), as per Section 6 of 3GPP TS 38.300 V16.6.0 (2021-06), which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0037] A gNB centralized unit (gNB-CU) comprises, for example, a logical node that hosts the gNB's Radio Resource Control (RRC), Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) protocols, or the en-gNB's RRC and PDCP protocols, and controls the operation of one or more gNB distributed units (gNB-DUs). The gNB-CU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-DU. The gNB-CU may also be referred to herein as a CU, centralized unit, centralized control unit, or control unit.

[0038] A gNB Distributed Unit (gNB-DU) comprises, for example, a logical node hosting a gNB or en-gNB at the Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), and Physical (PHY) layers, and its operation is partially controlled by the gNB. A gNB-DU supports one or more cells. A cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. The gNB-DU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-CU. The gNB-DU may also be referred to herein as a DU or Distributed Unit.

[0039] As used herein, the term "network node" may refer to any one of a gNB, gNB-CU, or gNB-DU, or any combination thereof. RAN (Radio Access Network) nodes or network nodes, such as, for example, gNB, gNB-CU, or gNB-DU, or portions thereof, may be implemented using means, for example, having at least one processor and / or at least one memory having processor-readable instructions ("program"), configured to support and / or provide and / or process CU and / or DU-related functions and / or features, and / or at least one protocol (sub) layer of the RAN (Radio Access Network), such as Layer 2 and / or Layer 3. Different functional divisions between centralized and distributed units are possible. Examples of such means and components will be provided in conjunction with... Figure 5 Described below.

[0040] The gNB-CU and gNB-DU portions can, for example, be co-located or physically separated. The gNB-DU can even be further subdivided, for example, into two parts, one including processing equipment and the other including an antenna. The centralized unit (CU) can also be referred to as a baseband unit / radio device controller / cloud RAN / virtual RAN (BBU / REC / C-RAN / V-RAN), open RAN (O-RAN), or a portion thereof. The distributed unit (DU) can also be referred to as a remote radio head / remote radio unit / radio device / radio unit (RRH / RRU / RE / RU), or a portion thereof. In the various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, a network node supporting at least one of the centralized unit functions or a Layer 3 protocol of the radio access network can be, for example, a gNB-CU. Similarly, a network node supporting at least one of the distributed unit functions or a Layer 2 protocol of the radio access network can be, for example, a gNB-DU.

[0041] A gNB-CU can support one or more gNB-DUs. A gNB-DU can support one or more cells, and therefore can support the serving cell of a user equipment (UE) or candidate cells for processes such as handover, dual connectivity, and / or carrier aggregation.

[0042] User equipment (UE) 150 may be or include wireless or mobile devices, devices having a wireless interface for interacting with a RAN (Radio Access Network), smartphones, in-vehicle devices, IoT devices, or M2M devices, and other types of user equipment. Such UE 150 may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory including program code; wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the device to perform at least certain operations, such as, for example, an RRC connection with the RAN. Examples of UE components will be combined. Figure 5 The following description is provided. In an embodiment, UE 150 may be configured to generate messages (e.g., including a cell ID) to be transmitted via radio to the RAN (e.g., to arrive at and communicate with the serving cell). In an embodiment, UE 150 may generate, transmit, and receive RRC messages containing one or more RRC PDUs (Packet Data Units). Those skilled in the art will understand the RRC protocol and other procedures that the UE may perform.

[0043] Continue to refer to Figure 1 In the example of a 5G NR network, network system 100 provides one or more cells that define the coverage area of ​​network system 100. As described above, network system 100 may include a gNB of the 5G NR network, or may include any other means configured to control wireless communications and manage radio resources within the cell. As used herein, the term "resource" may refer to radio resources such as resource blocks (RBs), physical resource blocks (PRBs), radio frames, subframes, time slots, subbands, frequency regions, subcarriers, beams, etc. In embodiments, network node 120 may be referred to as a base station.

[0044] Figure 1 An example is provided, and is merely an illustrative example of network system 100 and UE 150. Those skilled in the art will understand that network system 100 includes... Figure 1 Components not shown in the diagram, and it will be understood that other user equipment can communicate with network system 100.

[0045] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of example components of network system 100. A 5G NR network can be described as an example of network system 100, and is intended to make the aspects described below applicable to other types of network systems as well. The network system can be configured according to... Figure 1The signals and connections shown operate to enable UE 150 to communicate with network system 100 via radio access network 225. Furthermore, the network system can be divided into user plane components and functions and control plane components and functions, as shown and described herein. Unless otherwise stated, the terms "component," "function," and "service" are used interchangeably herein and can refer to instructions implemented by one or more processors.

[0046] Example functionalities of the components are described below. These example functionalities are merely illustrative, and it should be understood that the components described herein can perform additional operations and functions. Furthermore, connections between components can be virtual connections based on service interfaces, allowing any component to communicate with any other component. In this way, any component can act as a service "consumer" for any other component acting as a service "producer" to provide network functionality services.

[0047] For example, core network 210 is described in the control plane of the network system. Core network 210 may include Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 211, Access and Mobility Function (AMF) 212, and Session Management Function (SMF) 213. Core network 210 may also include Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 214, Network Open Function (NEF) 215, Network Repository Function (NRF) 216, and Unified Data Management Function (UDM) 217, which may include Unified Data Repository (UDR) 224.

[0048] Additional components and functions of the core network 210 may include application functions (AF) 218, policy control functions (PCF) 219, network data analysis functions (NWDAF) 220, analytical data repository functions (ADRF) 221, management data analysis functions (MDAF) 222, and operation and management functions (OAM) 223.

[0049] The user plane includes UE 150, Radio Access Network (RAN) 225, User Plane Function (UPF) 226, and Data Network (DN) 227. RAN 225 may include one or more components, which, in combination Figure 1 The RAN 225 is described as, for example, one or more network nodes. However, the RAN 225 may not be limited to these components. The UPF 226 provides connectivity for data transmitted over the RAN 225. DN226 identifies services from service providers, internet access, and third-party services, etc.

[0050] AMF 212 handles connectivity and mobility tasks. AUSF 211 receives authentication requests from AMF 212 and interacts with UDM 217 to authenticate and verify network responses, thereby determining whether authentication was successful. SMF 213 performs Packet Data Unit (PDU) session management and manages the session context with UPF 226.

[0051] NSSF 214 can select a Network Slice Instance (NSI) and determine the allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI). This selection and determination are used to configure AMF 212 to provide services to UE 150. NEF 215 protects third-party access to network services by creating private network services. NRF 216 acts as a repository to store network functions, allowing these functions to register and discover each other.

[0052] UDM 217 generates authentication vectors for use by AUSF 211 and ADM 212 and provides user identity processing. UDM 217 can connect to UDR 224, which stores data related to authentication, applications, etc. AF 218 provides application services (e.g., streaming media services) to users. PCF 219 provides policy control functions. For example, PCF 219 can assist in network slicing and mobility management, as well as provide Quality of Service (QoS) and accounting functions.

[0053] NWDAF 220 collects data (e.g., from UE 150 and network systems) to perform network analytics and provide insights to functions that leverage said analytics in service delivery. ADRF 221 allows consumers to store, retrieve, and remove data and analytics. MDAF 222 provides additional data analytics services for network functions. OAM 223 provides configuration and management processing functions to manage elements in or connected to the network (e.g., UE 150, network nodes, etc.).

[0054] Figure 2 These are merely examples of components of a network system, and variations are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure. In embodiments, the network system may include... Figure 2 Other components not shown. In an embodiment, the network system may not include... Figure 2 Each component is shown in the diagram. In an embodiment, the components and connections can be used with... Figure 2 The connections shown are implemented using different connections. Such and other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0055] To extend network coverage, improve connectivity, and / or enhance the Quality of Service (QoS) in wireless communication systems, communication / messaging between UEs within the network can be utilized. Proximity Service (ProSe) is a device-to-device technology that allows devices to detect each other and communicate directly. For example, in some situations, a UE may not be within the desired range of a network device (e.g., a base station). Therefore, in such cases, the UE can transmit its messages through one or more attached UEs to ultimately reach the network. UE-UE messaging can be referred to as "ProSe" communication or ProSe messaging.

[0056] To implement this ProSe messaging, various example techniques can be utilized. In one example, single-hop ProSe messaging can be used, which includes enabling sidelink (e.g., PC5) communication between two remote UEs via a relay UE, where single-hop refers to communication being transmitted via a single relay UE. In another example, ProSe single-hop UE-to-network relay can be used, which can enable indirect communication between network devices (e.g., 5G networks) and UEs via a relay UE. For example, providing relay functionality for UEs outside network coverage can support ProSe remote UE-to-network connectivity.

[0057] Another example technique for ProSe messaging may include multipath (MP) single-hop UE to network relay UE. In this example, using a direct network communication path and an indirect relay network communication path via the UE to the network relay UE can be used to improve the reliability or data rate of a remote UE that transmits / receives messages with the network. Multipath relay UEs may include example configurations such as duplicated connections, where the same data packets are transmitted through two paths to ensure the required reliability (e.g., packet loss rate, bit error rate (BER)), split connections, where data packets are separated between different paths constituting the multipath, with the goal of increasing throughput (e.g., data rate), and / or resilience, using alternative transmission paths if the current transmission path becomes unavailable.

[0058] As used herein, the terms "initiating UE" and "remote UE" can refer to a UE that initiates a multipath communication request. The terms "target UE" and "UE-to-NW relay" can refer to a UE that can potentially act as a UE providing connectivity to the network for a remote UE. The terms "UE-to-UE relay" and "relay UE" can refer to an intermediate UE communicating with another UE in the communication path between the remote UE and the target UE. The term "candidate UE" can refer to a UE that can be considered as a candidate in the communication path between the remote UE and the network. In various embodiments, a candidate UE may include a relay UE or a target UE.

[0059] As used herein, the term "hop" can refer to a communication path between a single pair of UEs in a communication chain. For example, in various embodiments, the term "first hop" can refer to a communication path between a remote UE and a relay UE, and so on, where "nth hop" can refer to a hop between a relay UE and a final target UE.

[0060] Example implementation of multi-hop communication Figure 3A This is a diagram of an example multi-hop path 300A between a remote UE and a target UE according to one aspect of this disclosure. Figure 3B This is a diagram of an example multi-hop path 300B between a remote UE and a base station according to one aspect of this disclosure.

[0061] like Figure 3A As shown, multiple UEs 150 can communicate with each other via, for example, a PC5 interface. In some example embodiments, a UE 150 may be a remote UE that initiates communication to a target UE via one or more intermediate UEs (also called relay UEs). The relay UEs may receive communication from each other and transmit the communication to another relay UE as part of a communication chain from the initiating remote UE to the target UE.

[0062] and Figure 3A similar, Figure 3B Multiple UEs 150 that can communicate with each other, for example, via a PC5 interface, are depicted. In some example embodiments, a UE 150 may be a remote UE that initiates communication to a network node (e.g., a base station) 120 via one or more intermediate UEs (relay UEs). The relay UEs may receive communication from each other and transmit the communication to another relay UE as part of a communication chain from the initiating remote UE to the base station 120. The terms "path," "multi-hop path," and "multi-hop relay" are used interchangeably and refer to multiple intermediate relay UEs through which communication is passed, traversing from the initiating remote UE to the target UE or network node, where each hop is a transmission via a relay UE.

[0063] Therefore, in multi-hop UE-to-UE relay communication and UE-to-network relay communication, there may be multiple intermediate nodes (e.g., relay UEs) that can receive and retransmit messages from a remote UE to a target UE or network node. Selecting appropriate intermediate nodes in the path between the remote UE and the target node (e.g., another UE or network node), and maintaining the connection between the remote UE and the target node (which may fail due to, for example, mobility / failure of individual relay UEs), is challenging. Therefore, characteristics associated with UE-to-UE relay (i.e., a UE acting as a relay between a first UE and a second UE) and UE-to-network (NW) relay (i.e., a UE acting as a relay between a first UE and a network node) can facilitate connection establishment during the path discovery process. Thus, selecting appropriate intermediate nodes (e.g., relay UEs or multiple relay UEs) and maintaining the connection between the remote UE and the target node (e.g., another UE or network node) through more than one relay hop can be beneficial in order to minimize the impact of mobility and / or failure of individual relay UEs in the communication chain.

[0064] The following description relates to criteria for the discovery process of multi-hop relays, UE performance information, and selection information related to the path selection process for the multi-hop relay to be established. Some aspects of the criteria, performance information, and selection information may overlap. For example, certain parameters, measurements, or quantities may be UE performance information, may relate to criteria for the path discovery process, and / or may be selection information for the path selection process. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, any parameters, measurements, and / or quantities described herein may be criteria for the discovery process, may be UE performance information, and / or may be selection information for the path selection process.

[0065] Therefore, for efficient multi-hop communication, the path discovery process can consider the characteristics of multi-hop relays to improve the effectiveness of the discovery process. In various embodiments, it may be desirable to reduce unnecessary forwarding of discovery request and response messages in all possible directions to avoid flooding problems and to reserve resources, signaling, and time for the establishment of multi-hop relays. In various embodiments, determining or considering the stability of multi-hop paths during the discovery process can avoid the need for continuous re-establishment of multi-hop relays. In various embodiments, path discovery may include discovering one or more possible communication paths between an initiating UE and a target UE, with which the initiating UE wishes to communicate for network access. In various embodiments, the path discovery process may include determining multiple paths between the initiating UE and the target UE to determine one of the multiple paths for communication.

[0066] Therefore, this document describes various example embodiments for the "instantaneous" and hop-by-hop adaptation of criteria for a multi-hop relay discovery process, for discovery request messages from the initiating UE (e.g., a remote UE) toward a network relay UE (UE to NW relay UE) or UE to UE relay UE, which can be described as an "uplink" communication direction. In various example embodiments, this document describes hop-by-hop adaptation of criteria for a multi-hop relay path selection process for discovery response messages, in the direction from a UE to an NW relay UE or UE to UE relay UE toward a remote UE, which can be described as a "downlink" communication direction. In various embodiments, the direction can be described by a set of locations, by a trajectory, and / or by a location region. In various embodiments, unnecessary forwarding of discovery request and response messages can be reduced and flooding problems avoided, thereby increasing multi-hop path robustness.

[0067] As used herein, the term "signal" can refer to communication signals between UEs 150 and communication signals between UE 150 and network system 100. Furthermore, the term "signal" can refer to communication signals between components residing in a single device, such as signals between components residing within UE 150, or signals between components residing in one of devices 160. Those skilled in the art will understand that the term "signal" can refer to additional communication signals between components of a single device or apparatus, or between multiple devices / apparatus, and that signals can encompass a variety of example transmission technologies, including but not limited to radio frequency (RF) signals, electrical signals, and / or electromagnetic (EM) radiation signals.

[0068] As used herein, the term "downlink" may refer to information flow toward a remote UE. The term "uplink" may refer to information flow from said remote UE. As used herein, "relay" and "relay UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0069] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating example signals and operations of a network system 400 according to one aspect of this disclosure. The following paragraphs will describe various signals and operations. It should be understood that the described signals may have associated operations performed in response to the described signals, and the described operations may have associated signals in performing the described operations.

[0070] At operation 401.1, the remote UE initiates a multi-hop UE-to-network discovery process. In various embodiments, the remote UE may set a wait timer (Tm) to wait for receiving multi-hop discovery messages, at operation 401.2. The wait timer may indicate the maximum amount of time the remote UE will wait before aborting the multi-hop UE-to-network discovery process. Although Figure 4This is described in the context of a multi-hop UE to network discovery process, but a similar process can be used for multi-hop UE to UE discovery processes.

[0071] At operation 402, the remote UE transmits a UE-to-Network Relay Discovery Request message to at least one UE-to-UE Relay UE, and the at least one UE-to-UE Relay UE receives the discovery request message. In various embodiments, the discovery request message is broadcast by the remote UE and may be received by more than one UE-to-UE Relay UE. In various embodiments, the discovery request message includes criteria for multi-hop relay communication. In various embodiments, for example, the discovery request message may indicate permission for multi-hop relay and include a UE-to-NW Relay Service Code (RSC) for UE-to-NW Relay UE communication, and may include an identifier (ID) of the remote UE's authorized Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

[0072] In various embodiments, the discovery request message may include information enabling a UE (or multiple UEs) to facilitate an enhanced discovery process and reduce flooding issues by providing criteria in the discovery request message to help intermediate UEs (e.g., UE-to-UE relay UE) or target UEs (e.g., UE-to-NW relay UE) determine the communication path between the initiating UE and the target UE. In various embodiments, the discovery request message may be pre-configured to the UEs based on their capabilities. In various embodiments, the information may include criteria, such as descriptors / configurations for multi-hop relays. For example, the criteria and / or performance information may include the type of multi-hop relay requested, requirements such as QoS requirements, priorities in latency formation, the location and / or mobility profile of the initiating (remote) UE, and timing information corresponding to the time when the multi-hop UE-to-network relay discovery process is initiated.

[0073] In various embodiments, criteria for multi-hop relay communication may be included in the discovery request message, including criteria and / or information related to extending or not extending the multi-hop discovery process. For example, in various embodiments, the criteria may include sidelink radio link conditions (e.g., a threshold of the sidelink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP) relative to the transmitting UE, measured at the receiving UE (e.g., at the candidate relay UE)). The criteria may include different thresholds for each hop (e.g., where a more robust link is needed for a specific part of the path (e.g., one hop or multiple hops)). In various embodiments, the criteria may further include: a sidelink congestion threshold (e.g., a threshold for the Channel Busy Rate (CBR) value measured at the candidate relay UE); a sidelink QoS threshold (e.g., a threshold for data rate, packet loss rate, and / or threshold latency—whether local, cumulative, or both); the maximum number of hops from the remote UE to the target node (e.g., UE to NW / UE to UE relay UE); the maximum discovery time duration for multi-hop relays; and / or the mobility profile of the candidate relay UE (e.g., the candidate UE's speed, direction, or destination). In various embodiments, the candidate relay UE may include a relay UE that can be part of or within a communication path between the candidate initiating UE and the target UE, based on the candidate UE's ability to meet the criteria provided in the discovery request message (or the updated discovery request message described below).

[0074] At operation 403, the relay UE receives the discovery request message from the remote UE (e.g., the first hop) and determines whether to forward the discovery request message. In various embodiments, the UE-to-UE relay UE at the first hop determines whether it can be used to assume the role of relay UE in a multi-hop path from the remote UE to the target. That is, the relay UE receiving the discovery request message determines whether it should forward the discovery request message. In various embodiments, the determination may be based on the relay UE's ability to meet the criteria included in the discovery request message received from the remote UE. For example, the first-hop UE-to-UE relay determines whether the sidelink radio threshold, sidelink congestion threshold, sidelink QoS threshold, maximum number of hops for multi-hop relay, maximum discovery time duration for multi-hop relay, and the mobility profile of the involved UE specified in the criteria received from the remote UE can be met.

[0075] In various embodiments, the first-hop UE-to-UE relay may use its measured radio and / or congestion parameters (e.g., performance information of the first-hop UE-to-UE relay) and compare them with received criteria (e.g., RSRP above a threshold or CBR below a threshold) to determine whether it should extend the discovery process.

[0076] If the first-hop UE-to-UE relay determines to extend the discovery request message, then at operation 404, the first-hop UE-to-UE relay updates the discovery request message with additional criteria and transmits the updated discovery request message to one or more second-hop UE-to-UE relays, which receive the updated discovery request message. It should be noted that in various embodiments, the updated discovery request message is a broadcast message and can be received by more than one second-hop UE-to-UE relay.

[0077] In various embodiments, the updated discovery request message may include updated information such as the identifier of the remote UE, the UE to NW RSC, the descriptor / configuration of the multi-hop relay, and criteria for deciding whether to extend or not extend the multi-hop discovery process based on the updated information from the first-hop UE to UE relay. In various embodiments, the information may include the identifier of the first-hop UE to UE relay UE, the location and timing information of the candidate relay UE when deciding to extend the discovery process, measured radio link information, congestion, QoS parameters (e.g., performance information of the first-hop UE to UE relay), and estimated QoS of the path up to that point in the multi-hop discovery process at the first-hop UE to UE relay UE.

[0078] As described above, since multiple first-hop UE-to-UE relays may receive the discovery request message from a remote UE, each first-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can perform operations 403 and 404.

[0079] At operation 405, the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE determines whether to forward the discovery request message received from the first-hop UE-to-UE relay UE. In various embodiments, the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE may utilize a determination similar to that described above for the first-hop UE-to-UE relay UE. That is, the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE may perform comparisons and measurements (e.g., using performance information from the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE), similar to those described from the perspective of the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE at operation 403.

[0080] If the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE determines to extend the discovery request message, then at operation 406, the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE updates the discovery request message using additional or different criteria, and transmits the updated discovery request message to one or more next-hop (e.g., nth-hop) UE-to-UE relays, and the one or more nth-hop UE-to-UE relays receive the updated discovery request message. In various embodiments, updating the discovery request message may involve adding at least one criterion, replacing at least one criterion with at least one different criterion, modifying at least one criterion, and / or deleting at least one criterion. It should be noted that in various embodiments, the updated discovery request message is a broadcast message and may be received by more than one nth-hop UE-to-UE relay. Although Figure 4 The nth hop UE to UE relay UE shown is, for example, the 3rd hop UE to UE relay UE, but it should be noted that the nth hop UE to UE relay UE can be at any point in the multi-hop path.

[0081] In various example embodiments, a second-hop UE-to-network relay UE can receive multiple updated discovery request messages from multiple first-hop UE-to-network relay UEs. To reduce the number of transmitted messages, the second-hop UE-to-network relay UE may apply one or more of the following processes: transmit the multi-hop UE-to-network relay discovery request message only once (i.e., upon first receiving the request message from another UE (e.g., from the first first-hop UE-to-network relay UE that received the message)), wait for a time Tu (i.e., from the moment it receives the first discovery request message) to receive other multi-hop UE-to-network relay discovery request messages, and then determine which previous relay IDs can be added as information for the next transmission, and / or retransmit a maximum number (Max_Txs) of discovery request messages according to transmission criteria (e.g., minimum hop count, within the SL / SD-RSRP range measured at the last hop, measured radio and / or congestion and / or QoS parameters, timing, etc.).

[0082] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the updated discovery request message transmitted at operation 406 includes information from the perspective of the second-hop UE to the UE relay UE. For example, the updated discovery request message transmitted at operation 406 includes information similar to that at operation 404, but from the perspective of the second-hop UE to the UE relay UE.

[0083] As described above, since multiple second-hop UE-to-UE relays can receive discovery request messages from first-hop UE-to-UE relay UEs, each second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can perform operations 405 and 406.

[0084] like Figure 4As shown, one or more nth-hop UE-to-UE relay UEs receive an updated discovery request message from the 2nd-hop UE-to-UE relay UE. However, this is an example relay number in a multi-hop path, and additional UE-to-UE relays may exist between the 2nd-hop UE-to-UE relay UE and the nth-hop UE-to-UE relay UE. Furthermore, as... Figure 4 As shown, the nth hop UE to UE relay UE includes the UE to NW relay UE connection to the base station (BS) of the wireless network.

[0085] Therefore, at operation 407, the nth hop UE-to-UE relay UE determines whether it meets the criteria of the updated discovery request message received from the second hop UE-to-UE relay UE. For example, in various embodiments, the nth hop UE-to-UE relay UE determines whether the RSC set by the remote UE, any target information, and any other multi-hop criteria (or those pre-configured by the network, such as radio link parameters of the PC5 and / or Uu interfaces) can be met.

[0086] If the nth hop UE to UE relay UE determines that the criteria can be met, then at operation 408, the nth hop UE to UE relay UE transmits a discovery response message to the UE to UE relay (e.g., the second hop UE to UE relay UE), and the UE to UE relay receives the discovery response message.

[0087] In various embodiments, the discovery response message may include one or more of the following criteria and / or selection information: the type of discovery message, the remote UE (discoverer) ID, discovery information (e.g., UE to NW relay ID) and RSC, a list of candidate relay UE IDs traversed to reach the UE to NW relay UE, the location of each candidate relay UE in the list of candidate relay UEs traversed to reach the UE to NW relay UE, the total time of the discovery process, the estimated QoS of the multi-hop path, the measured PC5 radio link (e.g., SL / SD-RSRP), the congestion (e.g., CBR, CR) and QoS parameters (e.g., threshold data rate, packet loss rate, threshold delay) at the candidate UE to NW relay UE when the UE to network relay discovery request message is received, Uu interface radio measurements (e.g., Uu RSRP), the location of the candidate UE to NW relay UE, and / or the mobility information of the UE to NW relay UE.

[0088] If the list of candidate relay UEs is provided by the UE to the NW relay UE (one candidate relay UE per hop), then in various example embodiments, the discovery response message can be sent using the L2 ID of the candidate relay UE, such that the response message is sent as a unicast instead of using broadcast transmission, thereby further reducing flooding. In various examples, it may not be necessary to have any deterministic steps for forwarding the discovery response message (as described below).

[0089] As described above, each nth UE-to-UE relay UE can receive multiple updated discovery request messages from the same remote UE. Therefore, in various embodiments, the UE-to-NW relay UE can determine which multi-hop UE-to-network relay discovery request messages should be replied to with a discovery response message.

[0090] Therefore, the UE to NW relay UE can apply one or more criteria and / or performance information, such as the minimum number of hops between the remote UE and the UE to NW relay UE, which measurements are within the SL / SD-RSRP range of a given measurement, and / or other criteria defined by the remote UE and / or other criteria defined by the previous relay UE, as well as other possible criteria and performance information. The UE to NW relay UE can define a list of candidate relay UEs, and the discovery response message should traverse the list to reach the remote UE (where more than one path is available). For example, one or more candidate relay UEs can be used for each hop. In various embodiments, for each pair of remote UE and UE to NW relay UE, one or more UE to network relay discovery response messages can be transmitted, taking into account the available paths between them and the defined selection criteria.

[0091] As described above, since multiple nth UE to NW relays can receive discovery request messages from the 2nd UE to UE relay UE, each nth UE to NW relay UE can perform operations 407 and 408.

[0092] At operation 409.1, the second hop UE to UE relay UE determines whether to forward the discovery response message after receiving it at operation 408. In various embodiments, the second-hop UE to the UE relay UE determines how to extend the multi-hop path selection process (e.g., which multi-hop UE to network relay discovery response message should be transmitted back to the previous hop (i.e., backward toward the remote UE)). In cases where two or more response messages are received for the same initiator / remote UE or from the same UE to the NW relay UE, the number of transmitted messages is reduced by applying one or more of the following processes: transmitting the multi-hop UE to network relay discovery response message only once (e.g., upon first receipt of the response message), waiting a time Tr (i.e., from the moment the first discovery response message is received) to receive other multi-hop UE to network relay discovery response messages before deciding which candidate relay UE IDs can be added to the response, retransmitting a maximum number (Max_Txr) of discovery response messages, and / or according to defined transmission criteria (e.g., measured radio and / or congestion and / or QoS parameters, timing, etc.). In various embodiments, discovery response messages received from a number of hops greater than a threshold (e.g., N+1 hops) are not forwarded.

[0093] At operation 410.1, the second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE updates the discovery response message and transmits the updated discovery response message to one or more first-hop UE-to-UE relay UEs. The discovery response message can be updated, for example, by updating one or more selection information within it. Various examples of selection information have been described above. The second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can transmit the updated discovery response message based on a list of candidate relay UE IDs that have been discovered in previous steps (i.e., during the transmission of the discovery request message). The second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can utilize selection information to update the discovery response message, which includes one or more of the following: candidate relay UE ID, measured radio link information (e.g., RSRP), congestion at the candidate relay UE (e.g., CBR, CR) and QoS parameters (e.g., threshold data rate, packet loss rate, threshold delay), the location of the candidate UE-to-UE relay UE, and the mobility information of the candidate UE-to-UE relay UE.

[0094] As described above, since multiple second-hop UE-to-UE relays can receive discovery response messages from the nth-hop UE-to-NW relay UE, each second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can perform operations 409.1 and 410.1.

[0095] At operation 409.2, in various embodiments, after receiving the discovery response message at operation 410.1, the first-hop UE to UE relay UE determines whether to forward the discovery response message. In various embodiments, the first-hop UE to UE relay UE may utilize a similar determination as described above for the second-hop UE to UE relay UE at operation 409.1.

[0096] Therefore, at operation 410.2, the first-hop UE to UE relay UE updates the discovery response message and transmits the updated discovery response message to the remote UE, and the remote UE receives the updated discovery response message. In various embodiments, the first-hop UE to UE relay UE may update and transmit the discovery response message as described above for the second-hop UE to UE relay UE at operation 410.1.

[0097] As described above, since multiple second-hop UE-to-UE relays can receive discovery response messages from the nth-hop UE-to-NW relay UE, each second-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can perform operations 409.1 and 410.1.

[0098] As described above, since multiple 1-hop UE-to-UE relays can receive discovery response messages from 2-hop UE-to-NW relay UEs, each 1-hop UE-to-UE relay UE can perform operations 409.2 and 410.2.

[0099] At operation 411, the remote UE selects a multi-hop path for implementing multi-hop communication. In various embodiments, the remote UE may determine the multi-hop path based on criteria received in an updated discovery response message received from the first-hop UE to the UE relay.

[0100] In various embodiments, the remote UE may select the multi-hop path when the waiting timer (Tm) expires or due to other triggered criteria (e.g., the number of discovery response messages received, the quality of the received discovery response messages in terms of radio / QoS parameters), and / or select the multi-hop path based on one or more of the following selection information: received information (e.g., end-to-end information, the time taken for the discovery response message to reach the remote UE, the number of hops the discovery response message has traversed to reach the remote UE, next-hop information, etc.), and / or the type of multi-hop relay.

[0101] At operation 412, the remote UE establishes the multi-hop path by establishing a first hop (i.e., from the first hop UE to the UE relay UE) based on the selected multi-hop relay UE to the network relay UE.

[0102] therefore, Figure 4 The document describes the signals and operations involved in various UEs, including remote UEs, UE-to-UE relay UEs, and UE-to-NW relay UEs. The operations will be described from the perspective of each UE below.

[0103] The operation is described below from the perspective of a remote UE. From this perspective, a method may include a first user equipment (UE) receiving a first message from a second UE, the first message including an indication of a request for a multi-hop relay and a first criterion for communication via the multi-hop relay. Performance information of the first UE is determined. A determination is made to transmit the first message to a third UE, the determination being based on the performance information of the first UE and on the satisfaction of the first criterion. A determination is made that at least one of the first criteria should be updated. At least one of the second criteria is generated based on the performance information of the first UE and the first message, the first message is updated using the at least one of the second criteria and the performance information of the first UE, and after updating the first message, the first UE transmits the first message to the third UE. The first UE receives a second message from the third UE, the second message including information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the information related to the multi-hop relay to be established including the performance information of the third UE and first selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established. The second message is updated by using the second selection information to update the first selection information, and the first UE transmits the second message to the second UE after updating the second message, the transmission being based on the performance information of the third UE and satisfied based on the first selection information.

[0104] The following description of the operation is from the perspective of a UE relaying a UE. From this perspective, a method may include transmitting a first message from a first user equipment (UE) to a second UE, the first message including an indication of a request for multi-hop relaying and a first criterion for communication via the multi-hop relay. The first UE receives a second message from the second UE, the second message including information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the second message including selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, and transmits a third message to the second UE, the transmission of the third message being based on the selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established satisfying the first criterion.

[0105] The following describes the operation from the perspective of a UE to an NW relay UE. From such a perspective, a method may include a first user equipment (UE) receiving a first message from a second UE, the first message including a first criterion for communication via a multi-hop relay, and the first UE transmitting a second message to the second UE, the second message including selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the transmission being based on the satisfaction of the first criterion.

[0106] Figure 4 The signals and operations described are illustrative only, and variations are expected within the scope of this disclosure. In embodiments, the signals and operations may include... Figure 4Other signals and operations not shown. In embodiments, the signals and operations may not include... Figure 4 Each signal and operation is shown in the diagram. In an embodiment, the signals and operations can be coupled with... Figure 4 The different sequences shown are implemented. Such embodiments and other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0107] Now for reference Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a block diagram of example components of a UE, a connectivity device, or a network device (e.g., a RAN or core network network device). The device includes electronic storage 510, a processor 520, a network interface 540, and memory 550. The various components can be communicatively coupled to each other. The processor 520 can be and may include any type of processor, such as a single-core central processing unit (CPU), a multi-core CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), or any other type of processor. The memory 550 can be a volatile type of memory (e.g., RAM) or a non-volatile type of memory (e.g., NAND flash memory). The memory 550 includes processor-readable instructions executable by the processor 520 to cause the device to perform various operations, including those mentioned herein, such as those shown and described in conjunction with Figures 3-4.

[0108] Electronic storage 510 can be and includes any type of electronic storage for storing data, such as hard disk drives, solid-state drives, and / or optical discs, as well as other types of electronic storage. Electronic storage 510 stores processor-readable instructions for causing the device to perform its operations, and stores data associated with these operations, such as data related to the 5G NR standard and other data. Network interface 540 can implement wireless networking technologies, such as 5G NR and / or other wireless networking technologies.

[0109] Figure 5 The components shown are merely examples, and those skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus includes other components not shown, and may include multiples of any of the components shown. Such embodiments and other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.

[0110] Other embodiments of this disclosure include the following examples.

[0111] Example 1.1. A user equipment (UE) comprising: A component for receiving a first message from a second UE by a first user equipment (UE), the first message including: Instructions for multi-hop relay requests, and first criteria for communicating via multi-hop relays; Components used to determine the performance information of the first UE; The component for determining to transmit the first message to the third UE, the determination being based on the performance information of the first UE and based on the satisfaction of the first criterion; Components for determining that at least one of the first criteria should be updated, and: A component for generating at least one of the second criteria based on the performance information of the first UE and the first message; A component for updating the first message using at least one criterion in the second criterion and the performance information of the first UE; and A component for transmitting the first message from the first UE to the third UE after the first message has been updated; A component for receiving a second message by the first UE from the third UE, the second message including information related to a multi-hop relay to be established, the information including: The performance information of the third UE, and First selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established; A component for updating the second message by updating the first selection information using the second selection information; and A component for transmitting the second message from the first UE to the second UE after the second message is updated, the transmission being based on the performance information of the third UE and satisfied based on the first selection information.

[0112] Example 1.2. The UE of Example 1.1, wherein the first criterion includes at least one criterion for extending or not extending the multi-hop relay request.

[0113] Example 1.3. The UE of Example 1.2, wherein the first criterion includes one or more of the following: radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, quality of service (QoS) parameters, maximum number of hops to the target device, maximum duration of multi-hop relay discovery process, or mobility profiles of one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0114] Example 1.4. The UE of Example 1.3, wherein the radio link condition parameter includes a threshold of the measured side link discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP).

[0115] Example 1.5. The UE of Example 1.3, wherein the congestion parameter includes a threshold of the measured Channel Busy Rate (CBR) value.

[0116] Example 1.6. The UE of Example 1.3, wherein the QoS parameters include one or more of the following: data rate threshold, latency threshold, or packet loss.

[0117] Example 1.7. The UE of Example 1.3, wherein the mobility profile of the one or more candidate relay UEs includes one or more of the following: the speed threshold of the one or more candidate relay UEs, the direction of the one or more candidate relay UEs, or the destination of the one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0118] Example 1.8. The UE of Example 1.1, wherein the performance information of the first UE includes parameters for communicating via multi-hop relay.

[0119] Example 1.9. The UE of Example 1.8, wherein the second criterion includes any one of the following: the location information of the first UE, the timing information of the first UE, or the mobility information of the first UE.

[0120] Example 1.10. The UE of Example 1.8, wherein the second criterion includes any of the following: measured radio link parameters, congestion parameters, mobility profile of the first UE, or QoS parameters at the first UE.

[0121] Example 1.11. A UE of any of Examples 1.8-1.10, wherein the second criterion includes the estimated QoS of the multi-hop path up to the first UE.

[0122] Example 1.12. The UE of Example 1.1 also includes: A component for the first UE to receive one or more other messages that are different from the first message. Each of the one or more of the other messages includes an indication of a multi-hop relay request.

[0123] Example 1.13. The UE of Example 1.12 also includes: A component for the first UE to wait for a predefined time to receive the one or more other messages; and A component used to determine which of the first message and the one or more other messages will be transmitted to the third UE.

[0124] Example 1.14. The UE of Example 1.1, wherein the first UE transmits the second message to the second UE based on a third criterion satisfying the first criterion.

[0125] Example 1.15. The UE of Example 1.1 also includes: A component for receiving one or more other messages different from the second message by the first UE. Each of the one or more other messages includes information related to the multi-hop relay to be established.

[0126] Example 1.16. The UE according to Example 1.15 further includes: A component for the first UE to wait for a predefined time to receive the one or more other messages; and Determine which of the second message and the one or more other messages should be transmitted to the second UE.

[0127] Example 1.17. The UE according to Example 1.1, wherein the first selection information includes the third criterion.

[0128] Example 1.18. The UE according to Example 1.17, wherein the first selection information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the candidate relay UE, a measured radio link condition parameter, a congestion parameter, a QoS parameter at the candidate relay UE, the location of the candidate relay UE, or mobility information of the first UE.

[0129] Example 2.1. A method comprising: A first message is transmitted from a first user equipment (UE) to a second UE, the first message including: Instructions for multi-hop relay requests, and The first criterion for communication via multi-hop relay; The first UE receives a second message from the second UE, the second message including information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, and selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established; and The first UE transmits a third message to the second UE, the transmission of the third message being based on the selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established satisfying the first criterion.

[0130] Example 2.2. The method according to Example 2.1, wherein the first criterion includes at least one criterion for extending or not extending the multi-hop relay request.

[0131] Example 2.3. According to the method of Example 2.2, the first criterion includes one or more of the following: radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, quality of service (QoS) parameters, maximum number of hops to the target device, maximum discovery time duration of multi-hop relays, or mobility profiles of one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0132] Example 2.4. The method according to Example 2.3, wherein the wireless link condition parameter includes a threshold of the measured sidelink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP).

[0133] Example 2.5. The method according to Example 2.3, wherein the congestion parameter includes a threshold of the measured channel busy rate (CBR) value.

[0134] Example 2.6. The method according to Example 2.3, wherein the QoS parameter includes one or more of the following: data rate threshold, latency threshold, or packet loss rate.

[0135] Example 2.7. According to the method of Example 2.3, the mobility profile of the one or more candidate relay UEs includes a speed threshold of the one or more candidate relay UEs, the direction of the one or more candidate relay UEs, or the destination of the one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0136] Example 2.8. According to the method of Example 2.1, the selection information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of the candidate relay UE, a measured radio link condition parameter, a congestion parameter, a QoS parameter at the candidate relay UE, the location of the candidate relay UE, or the mobility information of the first UE.

[0137] Example 2.9. The method according to Example 2.1 further includes the first UE selecting a multi-hop path for the multi-hop relay to be established.

[0138] Example 2.10. The method according to Example 2.1 further includes the first UE waiting for a predefined time to receive the second message before transmitting the third message to the second UE.

[0139] Example 3.1. A method comprising: A first message is received by a first user equipment (UE) from a second UE, the first message including a first criterion for communication via multi-hop relay; and The first UE transmits a second message to the second UE, the second message including selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the transmission being based on the first criterion being satisfied.

[0140] Example 3.2. The method according to Example 3.1, wherein the first criterion includes at least one criterion for extending or not extending the multi-hop relay request.

[0141] Example 3.3. The method according to Example 3.2, wherein the first criterion includes one or more of the following: radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, quality of service (QoS) parameters, maximum number of hops to the target device, maximum discovery time duration for multi-hop relays, or mobility profiles of one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0142] Example 3.4. The method according to Example 3.3, wherein the wireless link condition parameter includes a threshold of the measured sidelink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP).

[0143] Example 3.5. The method according to Example 3.3, wherein the congestion parameter includes a threshold of the measured channel busy rate (CBR) value.

[0144] Example 3.6. The method according to Example 3.3, wherein the QoS parameter includes one or more of the following: data rate threshold, latency threshold, or packet loss rate.

[0145] Example 3.7. According to the method of Example 3.3, the mobility profile of the one or more candidate relay UEs includes a speed threshold of the one or more candidate relay UEs, the direction of the one or more candidate relay UEs, or the destination of the one or more candidate relay UEs.

[0146] Example 3.8. According to the method of Example 3.1, the selection information includes one or more of the following: the identifier of the candidate relay UE, the location of the candidate relay UE, the total time of the discovery process, or the mobility information of the first UE.

[0147] The embodiments and aspects disclosed herein are examples of this disclosure and can be implemented in various forms. For example, although some embodiments herein are described as separate embodiments, each embodiment herein may be combined with one or more other embodiments herein. The specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather serve as the basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt this disclosure in various ways with virtually any appropriately detailed structure. The same reference numerals may refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the drawings.

[0148] The phrases “in one aspect,” “in multiple aspects,” “in various aspects,” “in some aspects,” or “in other aspects” may each refer to one or more of the same or different aspects according to this disclosure. The phrase “multiple” may refer to two or more.

[0149] The phrases "in one embodiment," "in multiple embodiments," "in various embodiments," "in some embodiments," or "in other embodiments" may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments according to this disclosure. A phrase of the form "A or B" means "(A), (B), or (A and B)." A phrase of the form "at least one of A, B, or C" means "(A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C)."

[0150] Any method, program, algorithm, or code described herein can be converted into or expressed as a programming language or computer program. As used herein, the terms "programming language" and "computer program" each include any language used to specify instructions to a computer, and include (but are not limited to) the following languages ​​and their derivatives: Assembler, Basic, batch files, BCPL, C, C+, C++, Delphi, Fortran, Java, JavaScript, machine code, operating system command languages, Pascal, Perl, PL1, Python, scripting languages, Visual Basic, meta-languages ​​that specify programs themselves, and all first-, second-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, or higher-generation computer languages. Databases and other data schemas, as well as any other meta-languages, are also included. No distinction is made between languages ​​that are interpreted, compiled, or use both compilation and interpretation methods. No distinction is made between compiled and source versions of a program. Therefore, a reference to a program (where a programming language may exist in more than one state, such as source, compiled, target, or linked) is a reference to any and all such states. A reference to a program may encompass the actual instructions and / or the intent of those instructions.

[0151] While various aspects of this disclosure have been shown in the accompanying drawings, they are not intended to limit the disclosure thereto, as it is intended to make the scope of the disclosure as broad as is permitted in the art, and the specification should be interpreted in the same manner. Therefore, the foregoing description should not be construed as restrictive, but merely as examples of particular aspects. Other modifications will be contemplated by those skilled in the art within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: A first message is received by a first user equipment (UE) from a second UE, the first message including: Instructions for multi-hop relay requests, and A first criterion for communication via multi-hop relay, wherein the first criterion includes at least one criterion for extending or not extending the multi-hop relay request, wherein the at least one criterion includes one or more of the following: radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, quality of service (QoS) parameters, maximum duration of the multi-hop relay discovery process, or mobility profiles of one or more candidate relay UEs. Determine the performance information of the first UE; The decision is made to transmit the first message to the third UE, the decision being based on the performance information of the first UE and the satisfaction of the first criterion; Determine that at least one criterion of the first criterion should be updated, and: At least one criterion of the second criterion is generated based on the performance information of the first UE and the first message; The first message is updated using at least one criterion of the second criterion and the performance information of the first UE; and After the update of the first message, the first UE transmits the first message to the third UE; The first UE receives a second message from the third UE, the second message including information related to the multi-hop relay to be established, the information related to the multi-hop relay to be established including: The performance information of the third UE, and First selection information related to the multi-hop relay to be established; The second message is updated by using the second selection information to update the first selection information; and After the second message is updated, the first UE transmits the second message to the second UE, the transmission being based on the performance information of the third UE and satisfied based on the first selection information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless link condition parameter includes a threshold of the measured sidelink discovery reference signal received power (SD-RSRP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the congestion parameter includes a threshold of the measured channel busy rate (CBR) value.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the QoS parameter includes one or more of the following: data rate threshold, latency threshold, or packet loss rate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobility profile of one or more candidate relay UEs includes one or more of the following: a speed threshold of the one or more candidate relay UEs, the direction of the one or more candidate relay UEs, or the destination of the one or more candidate relay UEs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information of the first UE includes parameters for communication via multi-hop relay.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second criterion includes any one of the following: the location information of the first UE, the timing information of the first UE, or the mobility information of the first UE.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second criterion comprises any one of the following: measured radio link parameters, congestion parameters, mobility profile of the first UE, or QoS parameters at the first UE.

9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the second criterion includes an estimated QoS of the multi-hop path up to the first UE.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first UE receives one or more other messages different from the first message. Each of the one or more of the other messages includes an indication of a multi-hop relay request.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: The first UE waits for a predefined time to receive one or more other messages; as well as Determine which of the first message and the one or more other messages should be transmitted to the third UE.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first UE transmits the second message to the second UE based on the third criterion satisfying the first criterion.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first UE receives one or more other messages that are different from the second message. Each of the one or more other messages includes information related to the multi-hop relay to be established.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: The first UE waits for a predefined time to receive one or more other messages; as well as Determine which of the second message and the one or more other messages should be transmitted to the second UE.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first selection information includes the third criterion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first selection information includes one or more of the following: an identifier of a candidate relay UE, measured radio link condition parameters, congestion parameters, QoS parameters at the candidate relay UE, the location of the candidate relay UE, or mobility information of the first UE.

17. A user equipment (UE), comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A processor-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

19. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

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