Wireless communication method and device

Abstract

The invention provides a wireless communication method and device. The method comprises: a first UE receiving a switching command sent by a source network device, the switching command being used for instructing the first UE to switch from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and the target network device being a path between the first UE and the target network device; at least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path; the first UE starts to send uplink data and / or receive downlink data on the target path under the triggering of the switching command or a first message, the first message is a message sent to the first UE by a second UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on a relay path. According to the method and the device, the time when the UE starts to carry out data transmission on the target path in a switching scene involving the relay path is defined, and the UE can carry out data transmission according to a relatively determined mode.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 202180095951.X, entitled "Wireless Communication Method and Apparatus", which entered the Chinese national phase of PCT international patent application PCT / CN2021 / 110299, filed on August 3, 2021. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to a wireless communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] With technological advancements, some communication systems have introduced user equipment-to-network relay (UE-NW relay) technology to extend network coverage. In such systems, a UE can connect directly to network equipment or via a relay UE. The path through which a UE connects to a network device via a relay UE is called a relay path, while the path through which a UE connects directly to a network device is called a direct path.

[0004] In communication systems, UEs may sometimes need to switch from a source path to a target path. For example, a UE may switch from a relay path to a direct path, or from a direct path to a relay path, or from one relay path to another. How the UE should transmit data in handover scenarios involving relay paths (i.e., at least one of the source and target paths is a relay path) is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a wireless communication method and apparatus to solve the data transmission problem of UE in handover scenarios involving relay paths.

[0006] In a first aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a first UE receiving a handover command sent by a source network device, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path; triggered by the handover command or a first message, the first UE starting to transmit uplink data and / or receive downlink data on the target path, wherein the first message is a message sent by a second UE to the first UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0007] In a second aspect, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a first UE receiving a handover command sent by a source network device, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path; triggered by the handover command or a first message, a PDCP entity of the first UE performing a target operation; wherein the first message is a message sent by a second UE to the first UE, the second UE being a relay UE on the relay path; wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0008] Thirdly, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a second UE receiving a first configuration command sent by a network device, the second UE being a relay UE on a relay path between a first UE and the network device; the second UE performing a target operation according to the first configuration command, the target operation including at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0009] Fourthly, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a second UE receiving a first confirmation message sent by a network device, the first confirmation message indicating that the network device has correctly received uplink data sent by the second UE for a first UE; the second UE sending a second confirmation message for the uplink data back to the first UE based on the first confirmation message; and / or, the second UE receiving a third confirmation message sent by the first UE, the third confirmation message indicating that the first UE has correctly received downlink data sent by the second UE for the first UE; the second UE sending a fourth confirmation message for the downlink data back to the network device based on the third confirmation message; wherein the path between the first UE and the network device is a relay path, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0010] Fifthly, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a second UE sending a first message to a first UE, the first message being used to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on a target path, the target path being a path after the first UE performs a path switch from a source path, at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path, and the second UE being a relay UE on the relay path.

[0011] A sixth aspect provides a wireless communication method, the method comprising: a source network device sending a handover command to a first UE, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path, and the handover command triggering the first UE to begin transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path.

[0012] A seventh aspect provides a wireless communication method, the method comprising: a network device sending a first configuration command to a second UE, wherein the path between the network device and the first UE is a relay path, the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path, the first configuration command being used to instruct the second UE to perform a target operation, wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0013] Eighthly, a wireless communication method is provided, the method comprising: a target network device sending indication information to a first UE, the indication information being used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild an RLC entity corresponding to a source path in the first UE, the source path being a path before the first UE performs a path handover, the target network device being a network device on a target path after the first UE performs a path handover, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path.

[0014] A ninth aspect provides a wireless communication device, the device being a first UE, the device comprising: a first communication unit configured to receive a handover command sent by a source network device, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path; and a second communication unit configured to, upon triggering the handover command or a first message, begin transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path, wherein the first message is a message sent by a second UE to the first UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0015] A tenth aspect provides a wireless communication device, the device being a first UE, the device comprising: a first communication unit, configured to receive a handover command sent by a source network device, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path; and an execution unit, configured to perform a target operation using a PDCP entity upon triggering the handover command or a first message; wherein the first message is a message sent by a second UE to the first UE, the second UE being a relay UE on the relay path; wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0016] Eleventhly, a wireless communication device is provided, the device being a second UE, the second UE being a relay UE on a relay path between a first UE and the network device, the device comprising: a first communication unit for receiving a first configuration command sent by the network device; and an execution unit for performing a target operation according to the first configuration command, the target operation including at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0017] In a twelfth aspect, a wireless communication device is provided, the device being a second UE, the device comprising: a first communication unit configured to receive a first confirmation message sent by a network device, the first confirmation message indicating that the network device has correctly received uplink data for a first UE sent by the second UE; and, based on the first confirmation message, to send a second confirmation message to the first UE regarding the uplink data; and / or, a second communication unit configured to receive a third confirmation message sent by the first UE, the third confirmation message indicating that the first UE has correctly received downlink data for the first UE sent by the second UE; and, based on the third confirmation message, to send a fourth confirmation message to the network device regarding the downlink data; wherein the path between the first UE and the network device is a relay path, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0018] In a thirteenth aspect, a wireless communication device is provided, the device being a second UE, the device comprising: a communication unit configured to send a first message to a first UE, the first message being configured to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on a target path, the target path being a path after the first UE performs a path switch from a source path, at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path, and the second UE being a relay UE on the relay path.

[0019] In a fourteenth aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus being a source network device, the apparatus comprising: a first communication unit configured to send a handover command to a first UE, the handover command instructing the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, the source path being a path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path being a path between the first UE and a target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path, and the handover command being configured to trigger the first UE to begin transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path.

[0020] In a fifteenth aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus being a network device, the apparatus comprising: a first communication unit configured to send a first configuration command to a second UE, wherein the path between the network device and the first UE is a relay path, the second UE being a relay UE on the relay path, the first configuration command being configured to instruct the second UE to perform a target operation, wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0021] In a sixteenth aspect, a wireless communication apparatus is provided, the apparatus being a target network device, the apparatus comprising: a communication unit for sending indication information to a first UE, the indication information being used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild an RLC entity corresponding to a source path in the first UE, the source path being a path before the first UE performs a path handover, the target network device being a network device on a target path after the first UE performs a path handover, and at least one of the source path and the target path being a relay path.

[0022] In a seventeenth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising a memory and a processor, the memory for storing a program and the processor for invoking the program in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0023] Eighteenth aspect: A device is provided, including a processor for calling a program from memory to perform the method as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0024] In a nineteenth aspect, a chip is provided, including a processor for calling a program from a memory, causing a device on which the chip is mounted to perform the method as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0025] In a twentieth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a program stored thereon that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0026] A twenty-first aspect provides a computer program product, including a program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0027] In a twenty-second aspect, a computer program is provided that causes a computer to perform the method described in any one of the first to eighth aspects.

[0028] This application specifies that the first UE (the UE to be handed over) begins data transmission on the target path upon triggering a handover command or a first message from the relay UE (i.e., the second UE). In other words, this application clarifies the timing for the UE to begin data transmission on the target path in handover scenarios involving relay paths, which helps the UE to transmit data in a relatively deterministic manner. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is an example diagram of a wireless communication system used in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the protocol stack for Layer 2 relay.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a path switching method provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a path switching method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a schematic flowchart of a wireless communication method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0039] Figure 11 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 16 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 17 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0046] Figure 18 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The technical solutions in this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 This is the wireless communication system 100 used in this application embodiment. The wireless communication system 100 may include a network device 110 and a UE 120. The network device 110 may be a device that communicates with the UE 120. The network device 110 can provide network coverage for a specific geographical area and can communicate with the UE 120 (e.g., UE 120) located within that coverage area. Figure 1 The UE120 communicates with UE120a in the network. UE120 can access the network (such as a wireless network) through network device 110. Optionally, the wireless communication system 100 may also include other network entities such as a network controller and a mobility management entity, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0049] It should be understood that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: 5th generation (5G) systems or new radio (NR), long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, etc. The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as 6th generation mobile communication systems, satellite communication systems, and so on.

[0050] In this application embodiment, the UE can also be referred to as a terminal device, access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user equipment. In this application embodiment, the UE can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, and can be used to connect people, objects, and machines, such as a handheld device with wireless connectivity, vehicle-mounted device, etc. The UE in the embodiments of this application can be a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, etc. Optionally, the UE can be used to act as a base station. For example, the UE can act as a scheduling entity, providing sidelink signals between UEs in V2X or D2D, etc. For example, cellular phones and cars communicate with each other using sidelink signals. Cellular phones and smart home devices communicate without relaying communication signals through a base station.

[0051] The network device in this application embodiment can be a device for communicating with the UE. This network device can also be called an access network device or a radio access network device, such as a base station. In this application embodiment, the network device can refer to a radio access network (RAN) node (or device) that connects the UE to the wireless network. A base station can broadly encompass, or be replaced by, various names including: NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), relay station, access point, transmitting and receiving point (TRP), transmitting point (TP), master MeNB, auxiliary SeNB, multi-mode radio (MSR) node, home base station, network controller, access node, wireless node, access point (AP), transmission node, transceiver node, baseband unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. A base station can be a macro base station, micro base station, relay node, donor node, or similar entities, or combinations thereof.

[0052] UEs can communicate with each other via sidelinks (SL). Sidelink communication is also known as proximity services (ProSe) communication, one-way communication, sidelink communication, or device-to-device (D2D) communication.

[0053] Some communication systems (such as NR systems) have introduced UE-NW relay technology. This technology allows remote UEs to establish connections with the network (or network devices) through relay UEs. The remote UE can be located outside the coverage area of ​​the network device (hereinafter referred to as network coverage). Therefore, UE-NW relay technology can extend network coverage.

[0054] by Figure 1 For example, some UEs (such as Figure 1UE120a) is located within the coverage area of ​​network device 110, while some UEs (such as...) Figure 1 UE120b is located outside the network coverage area. UE120b located outside the network coverage area can be called a remote UE, and UE120a located within the network coverage area can act as a relay UE (or relay node) for the remote UE120b, thereby establishing a connection between the remote UE120b and the network.

[0055] Figure 1 The illustration shows a scenario where a remote UE connects to the network through a relay UE. However, this application embodiment is not limited to this, and a remote UE can also establish a connection with the network through multiple relay UEs.

[0056] The type of relay UE in this application embodiment can be a Layer 2 relay. Figure 2 The protocol stack for Layer 2 relay is shown. From Figure 2 It can be seen that both the relay UE and gNB have an adaptation layer (i.e. Figure 2 The adaptation (ADAPT) layer in the middle is used for data relay forwarding. This adaptation layer is placed at the Uu interface (or air interface) between the relay UE and gNB, and is set above the radio link control (RLC) layer. This adaptation layer is used for bearer mapping of the Uu interface between the relay UE and gNB and for remote UE identification. This adaptation layer can also be called the Uu adaptation layer. The two ends of the Uu-Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer / Uu-Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer terminate between the remote UE and gNB, while the RLC layer, the medium access control (MAC) layer, and the physical layer (i.e., Figure 2 Both ends of the PHY layer terminate in the link between adjacent nodes (i.e., the link between the remote UE and the relay UE, and the link between the relay UE and the gNB).

[0057] As mentioned above, a remote UE can establish a connection with the network through multiple relay UEs. If a remote UE establishes a connection with the network through multiple relay UEs, then... Figure 2 The RLC layer, MAC layer, and PHY layer shown can terminate at either end of the link between the remote UE and the relay UE (the relay UE adjacent to the remote UE), the link between two adjacent relay UEs, and the link between the relay UE (the relay UE adjacent to the gNB) and the gNB.

[0058] The adaptation layer for relay UEs and the adaptation layer for gNBs can be used to support uplink and downlink relay services. The following sections describe the adaptation layers for relay UEs and gNBs from the perspectives of uplink and downlink, respectively.

[0059] For the uplink, the adaptation layer of the relay UE and the gNB can be used to support uplink bearer mapping between PC5 RLC channels and Uu RLC channels. For example, for uplink relay services, different end-to-end radio bearers of the same remote UE and / or different remote UEs can be mapped and multiplexed in an N:1 manner on a single Uu RLC channel, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1. In other words, multiple end-to-end radio bearers of a remote UE can be mapped to a single Uu RLC channel of the relay UE. This radio bearer can be a signaling radio bearer (SRB) and / or a data radio bearer (DRB).

[0060] During uplink data transmission, the relay UE can receive uplink data sent by the remote UE through the PC5 RLC channel corresponding to the remote UE. After receiving the uplink data, the relay UE can map the uplink data for one or more remote UEs onto the relay UE's Uu RLC channel to send the uplink data to the network device.

[0061] Similarly, for the downlink, the adaptation layer of the relay UE and the gNB can be used to support downlink bearer mapping between Uu RLC channels and PC5 RLC channels. For example, for downlink relay services, the relay UE can receive downlink data sent to the remote UE by the network device through the Uu radio bearer corresponding to the remote UE. After receiving the downlink data, the relay UE can map the downlink data packets to the PC5 RLC channels associated with each remote UE to send the downlink data to the corresponding remote UE.

[0062] This application does not specifically limit the form of the RLC channel. For example, the RLC channel (such as the Uu RLC channel and the PC5 RLC channel) may include an RLC entity and its associated logical channel. The logical channel may, for example, include a logical channel between the RLC layer and the MAC layer.

[0063] For UEs supporting UE-NW relay technology, the UE can connect directly to the network device or indirectly through a relay UE. In this application embodiment, the path through which the UE connects to the network device via a relay UE is called a relay path (relay link or non-direct path), and the path through which the UE directly connects to the network device is called a direct path (direct link). During communication, the UE may switch paths. For example, the UE may switch from a relay path to a direct path. Or, the UE may switch from a direct path to a relay path. Or, the UE may switch from one relay path to another. In scenarios involving relay path switching (i.e., at least one of the source path and the destination path is a relay path), how the UE should transmit data is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0064] To solve the above problems, the following will combine... Figures 3-8 The embodiments of this application will be described in detail with examples.

[0065] Figure 3 This is a wireless communication method provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 3 The method can be applied to switching scenarios involving relay paths. Figure 3 The method can be performed by a first UE, a second UE, and a source network device. The first UE is the UE switching from the source path to the target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. The target network device and the source network device can be the same network device or different network devices. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path. For example, the source path is a relay path, and the target path is a direct path. Another example is that the source path is a direct path, and the target path is a relay path. Yet another example is that both the source path and the target path are relay paths.

[0066] like Figure 3 As shown, in step S310, the source network device sends a handover command to the first UE. This handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to hand over from the source path to the target path. Optionally, the handover command can also be used to trigger the first UE to begin transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path.

[0067] In step S320, the second UE sends a first message to the first UE. The second UE is a relay UE on a relay path. In other words, the first message can be a message from a relay UE. If the source path is a relay path, then the second UE is a relay UE on the source path. If the destination path is a relay path, then the second UE can be a relay UE on the destination path.

[0068] In step S330, triggered by a handover command or a first message, the first UE begins transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path. For ease of description, transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path will be referred to as data transmission on the target path. The data transmitted by the first UE on the target path may be data that was not successfully transmitted on the source path (such as retransmitted data), or it may be new data (i.e., data that has not been transmitted on the source path). This application does not specifically limit this.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first UE can begin data transmission on the target path upon triggering a handover command. If the first UE begins data transmission on the target path upon triggering a handover command, the first UE can switch to the target path as quickly as possible, thereby reducing handover latency.

[0070] In other embodiments, the first UE may begin data transmission on the target path upon being triggered by the first message.

[0071] For example, if the destination path is a relay path, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on the destination path. Similarly, if the source path is a relay path, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on the source path. Furthermore, if both the source and destination paths are relay paths, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on either the source or destination path.

[0072] The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the type of the first message, but can be set according to the requirements of transmission delay, transmission reliability, etc.

[0073] Taking the target path as the relay path and the second UE as the relay UE on the target path as an example, the complete connection establishment process between the first UE and the second UE can be divided into first establishing the connection between the first UE and the second UE, and then configuring the connection. Therefore, the first message can be a message indicating that the connection establishment between the first UE and the second UE is complete. Alternatively, the first message can be a message indicating that the connection configuration between the first UE and the second UE is complete. Of course, the first message can also simultaneously indicate that the connection establishment between the first UE and the second UE is complete, as well as that the connection configuration between the first UE and the second UE is complete; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0074] Taking the target path as the relay path and the second UE as the relay UE on the target path as an example, the complete connection establishment process between the second UE and the target network device can be divided into first establishing the connection between the second UE and the target network device, and then configuring the connection. Therefore, the first message can be a message indicating that the connection between the second UE and the target network device has been established. Alternatively, the first message can be a message indicating that the connection configuration between the second UE and the target network device has been completed.

[0075] The following describes the connection configuration process between the first UE and the second UE, using the second UE as a relay UE on the target path as an example. The first UE can send a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration sidelink request to the second UE. After receiving the RRC reconfiguration request, the second UE can perform RRC reconfiguration. It can be understood that this RRC reconfiguration is for establishing the connection between the second UE and the first UE. After completing the RRC reconfiguration, the second UE can send an RRC reconfiguration complete sidelink message to the first UE. The first message described above can be an RRC reconfiguration complete message, which can be used to indicate that the connection configuration between the first UE and the second UE is complete.

[0076] It should be noted that, in the example where the target path is a relay path, this embodiment of the application does not limit whether the second UE (i.e., the relay UE on the target path) first connects to the target network device or first establishes a connection with the first UE, which is the remote UE. For example, the second UE can first establish a connection with the first UE and then establish a connection with the target network device. Alternatively, the second UE can also first establish a connection with the target network device and then establish a connection with the first UE. Of course, the second UE can also establish connections with both the first UE and the target network device simultaneously.

[0077] Taking the example of the second UE establishing a connection with the first UE first, and then establishing a connection with the target network device. If the first message is selected to indicate that the connection between the first UE and the second UE is established or the connection configuration is complete, the first UE can send data to the second UE before the second UE establishes a connection with the target network device, which helps to reduce handover latency.

[0078] Taking the example of the second UE establishing a connection with the first UE first, and then establishing a connection with the target network device, if the first message is selected to indicate that the connection between the second UE and the target network device is established or the connection configuration is complete, then the first UE will send data to the second UE after the second UE establishes a connection with the target network device. This helps to avoid packet loss.

[0079] Therefore, it is evident that choosing the right first message can reduce path switching latency and / or avoid packet loss.

[0080] The previous section used the target path as the relay path and the second UE as the relay UE on the target path as an example to introduce the types of the first message sent by the second UE to the first UE. The following section uses the source path as the relay path and the second UE as the relay UE on the source path as an example to provide a more detailed illustration of the types of the first message sent by the second UE to the first UE.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first message may be a message indicating that the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is complete or the connection release is complete.

[0082] The following description uses the second UE as an example of a relay UE on the source path to illustrate the connection configuration process between the first UE and the second UE. The first UE can send a sidelink RRC reconfiguration request to the second UE. After receiving the RRC reconfiguration request, the second UE can perform RRC reconfiguration. It can be understood that this RRC reconfiguration is a configuration performed to release the connection between the second UE and the first UE. After performing RRC reconfiguration, the second UE can send a sidelink RRC reconfiguration completion message to the first UE. The first message described above can be this RRC reconfiguration completion message, which can be used to indicate that the connection configuration between the first UE and the second UE is complete.

[0083] Taking the second UE as a relay UE on the source path as an example, the connection release process between the first UE and the second UE is described. The first UE can send a link release request to the second UE. After receiving the link release request, the second UE can send a link release accept message to the first UE. The first message described above can be a link release accept message, which is used to indicate that the connection release between the first UE and the second UE is complete.

[0084] In other embodiments, the first message may be a message instructing the second UE to transmit the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device. In other words, the first message may indicate that the second UE has completed transmitting the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device. For example, when the source network device sends a handover command, the second UE may not have yet completely transmitted the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device. In this case, embodiments of this application require the second UE to complete transmitting these uplink data before triggering the first UE to transmit data through the target path, thereby avoiding the loss of data packets on the source path.

[0085] For example, the first message could be an instruction to the second UE that the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE has been transmitted to the first UE. In other words, the first message could be an instruction that the second UE has finished transmitting the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE. For instance, when the source network device sends a handover command, the second UE may not have yet fully transmitted the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE. In this case, embodiments of this application require the second UE to complete transmitting these downlink data before triggering the first UE to transmit data through the target path, thereby avoiding the loss of data packets on the source path.

[0086] It is understandable that if the first UE begins data transmission on the target path upon being triggered by a handover command, then... Figure 3 The method may include steps S310 and S330. If the first UE starts data transmission on the target path upon being triggered by the first message, then Figure 3 The method may include steps S320 and S330.

[0087] Before the first UE begins data transmission on the target path, it can establish a connection with a target device on that path. The type of target device depends on the type of target path. For example, if the target path is a relay path, the target device is a relay UE on that path. Or, if the target path is a direct connection between the first UE and a target network device, the target device is the target network device. As described above, the second UE can be a relay UE on the source path or a relay UE on the target path. When the second UE is a relay UE on the target path, the target device is that second UE, and the first UE can establish a connection with it.

[0088] Establishing a connection between the first UE and the target device on the target path may specifically include: the first UE establishing an RLC entity corresponding to the target path. For example, if the target path is a relay path, the first UE can establish a PC5 RLC entity corresponding to the relay path. As another example, if the target path is a direct path, the first UE can establish a Uu RLC entity corresponding to the direct path.

[0089] The following describes how the first UE processes data on the source path after the source network device sends a handover command to the first UE. Optionally, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to stop data transmission on the source path, or the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to continue data transmission on the source path.

[0090] In some embodiments, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to stop data transmission on the source path. Upon receiving the handover command, the first UE can stop data transmission on the source path, such as stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data on the source path. For example, the path handover of the first UE may be caused by poor transmission performance of the source path. Immediately stopping data transmission on the source path after receiving the handover command can avoid the problem of poor data transmission performance caused by continuing data transmission on the source path.

[0091] In other embodiments, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to continue data transmission on the source path. Upon receiving the handover command, the first UE can continue data transmission on the source path, such as continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data. For example, before handing over to the target path, the first UE needs to establish the target path, but the establishment of the target path may fail (e.g., the target path is a relay path, but the first UE cannot find a suitable relay UE). Therefore, in this case, the first UE continuing data transmission on the source path can improve the reliability of data transmission.

[0092] Optionally, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, so that the first UE can continue to transmit data on the source path. Alternatively, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, so that the first UE stops transmitting data on the source path.

[0093] If the first UE continues data transmission on the source path, it can retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path within its own memory, thus enabling continued data transmission. If the first UE stops data transmission on the source path, it can release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path within its own memory, thereby ceasing data transmission on the source path. Releasing the RLC entity of the source path can mean deleting the RLC entity of the source path. Rebuilding the RLC entity can mean stopping and resetting all timers in the RLC entity, resetting at least one state variable to its initial value, and discarding related data packets, such as RLC service data units (SDUs), RLCSDU segments, and / or RLC protocol data units (PDUs). Retaining or rebuilding the RLC entity of the source path is intended to account for the possibility that the first UE may switch back to the source path from the target path. If the first UE switches back to the source path, it can continue to use the retained or rebuilt RLC entity, thereby reducing handover latency. For example, if the source path is a direct path and the target path is a relay path. The first UE can retain or rebuild the RLC entity of the direct path. When the first UE switches from the trunk path back to the direct path, it can continue to use the RLC entity. For example, if the source path is a trunk path and the destination path is a direct path, the first UE can retain or rebuild the RLC entity of the trunk path. When the first UE switches from the direct path back to the trunk path, it can continue to use the RLC entity.

[0094] Taking a direct path as the source path and a relay path as the destination path as an example, this embodiment of the application refers to the process of the first UE switching from the direct path to the relay path as the first handover process, and the process of the first UE switching from the relay path back to the direct path as the second handover process. During both handover processes, regardless of whether the network device (the cell where the first UE is located) on the direct path during the first handover is the same as the network device on the direct path during the second handover, the handover latency can be reduced by reconstructing the RLC entity corresponding to the direct path. If the network devices on the two direct paths are different during the two handover processes, the first UE can still reconstruct the RLC entity corresponding to the direct path. Thus, when the first UE switches back from the relay path to the source path, the first UE can use the reconstructed RLC entity to complete the path handover, thereby reducing handover latency.

[0095] If the first UE continues to transmit data on the source path, the first UE can first retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, and then release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE after receiving the indication information sent by the target network device. Specifically, the target network device can send indication information to the first UE, which is used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0096] In addition to the RLC entity, the PDCP entity of the first UE also needs to perform some operations during the handover process to enable the first UE to complete the path handover. For example, the PDCP entity of the first UE can perform a target operation. The target operation may include at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0097] For PDCP reconstruction, the PDCP entity before reconstruction can be used to transmit data on the source path, and the PDCP entity after reconstruction can be used to transmit data on the target path. PDCP data recovery can be used to resume data transmission interrupted by the handover process. PDCP reconfiguration can be understood as reconfiguring the parameters of the PDCP entity, thereby changing the paths that the PDCP entity can support. For example, the PDCP entity before reconfiguration only supports data transmission on the source path, while the reconfigured PDCP entity can support data transmission on both the source and target paths simultaneously. Supporting data transmission on both the source and target paths can include supporting uplink data transmission on both the source and target paths simultaneously, and / or supporting downlink data transmission on both the source and target paths simultaneously. It is understood that after the first UE completes the path handover, the PDCP entity of the first UE can also be reconfigured so that the reconfigured PDCP entity only supports data transmission on the target path.

[0098] The specific operations performed by the PDCP entity can be related to data transmission on the source path. If the first UE continues data transmission on the source path after receiving a handover command, the first UE can reconfigure the PDCP entity and / or switch the PDCP data transmission path from the source path to the target path, enabling the first UE to continue data transmission on the source path. The reconfigured PDCP entity can support simultaneous communication on both the source and target paths, ensuring the first UE can transmit simultaneously on both paths. Optionally, after path handover, the first UE's PDCP entity can switch the PDCP data transmission path from the source path to the target path. If the first UE stops data transmission on the source path after receiving a handover command, the first UE can reconstruct the PDCP entity and / or restore PDCP data, thus stopping data transmission on the source path. For example, if the source and target network devices are the same network device, the first UE's PDCP entity can restore PDCP data; if the source and target network devices are different network devices, the first UE's PDCP entity can reconstruct the PDCP entity.

[0099] This application does not specifically limit the execution order of the first UE starting data transmission on the target path and the first UE's PDCP entity performing the target operation. For example, the first UE's PDCP entity can perform the target operation first, and then the first UE can start data transmission on the target path. Taking PDCP reconfiguration as an example, since the PDCP entity after PDCP reconfiguration supports data transmission on both the source path and the target path simultaneously, the first UE can start data transmission on the target path after PDCP reconfiguration. As another example, the first UE can start data transmission on the target path first, and then the first UE's PDCP entity can perform the target operation. Taking switching the PDCP data transmission path from the source path to the target path as an example, the first UE can perform data transmission on the target path first, and then switch the PDCP data transmission path from the source path to the target path.

[0100] The triggering conditions for the first UE to begin data transmission on the target path and the triggering conditions for the first UE's PDCP entity to execute the target operation can be the same or different. For example, the first UE can begin data transmission on the target path triggered by a handover command, while the first UE's PDCP entity can begin executing the target operation triggered by a first message. Alternatively, the first UE can begin data transmission on the target path triggered by a first message, while the first UE's PDCP entity can begin executing the target operation triggered by a handover command. Furthermore, both the first UE beginning data transmission on the target path and the first UE's PDCP entity beginning the target operation are triggered by a first message, but the content indicated by the first message in these two steps can be different.

[0101] To facilitate understanding, the following will be combined with... Figure 4 and Figure 5 Two specific examples are given from different perspectives of the handover process performed by the first UE. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The first UE in the above text can be the first UE described above.

[0102] Figure 4 This illustrates the process of the first UE switching from a direct path to a relay path. In other words, Figure 4 In the method shown, the source path is a direct path, and the destination path is a relay path. See also... Figure 4 In step S402, the source network device sends a handover command to the first UE. This handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to switch from a direct path to a relay path.

[0103] In step S404, the first UE may perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation. The first UE may perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation upon triggering a handover command. Here, RLC operation may refer to the source path RLC operation. In this step, the first UE may perform only the source path RLC operation, or simultaneously perform both source path RLC operation and PDCP operation. Whether to perform PDCP operation in this step may be determined based on the triggering condition for performing PDCP operation. For example, if the first UE starts performing PDCP operation upon triggering a handover command, then in this step, the first UE may perform both source path RLC operation and PDCP operation simultaneously. As another example, if the first UE starts performing PDCP operation upon triggering the first message as described above, then in this step, the first UE may perform only RLC operation.

[0104] For RLC operations on the source path, the first UE may retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, or the first UE may release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE. For PDCP operations, the PDCP entity of the first UE may perform at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0105] In step S406, the first UE can establish a connection with the target network device. The connection between the first UE and the target network device may include a connection between the first UE and a relay UE, and / or a connection between the relay UE and the target network device. The connection between the first UE and the relay UE may refer to a PC5 connection, and the connection between the relay UE and the target network device may refer to a Uu connection.

[0106] This application does not specifically limit the method by which the first UE establishes a connection with the target network device. For example, the first UE can first establish a connection with a relay UE and send a message to the relay UE, which can be used to indicate that the first UE needs to establish a connection with the target network device. After receiving the message, the relay UE can establish a connection with the target network device and send the message to the target network device. After receiving the message, the target network device can reply with an acknowledgment message to the first UE through the relay UE. Through the above steps, the connection between the first UE and the target network device is established.

[0107] In addition, the first UE can also perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation. For PDCP operation, if the PDCP operation is triggered by a handover command, the first UE can perform the PDCP operation in step S404. If the PDCP operation is triggered by a first message from the relay UE, the first UE can perform the PDCP operation in step S406. That is, the specific step in which the PDCP operation is performed can be determined based on the actual situation.

[0108] The first message can be used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection between the relay UE and the target network device is established; the connection configuration between the relay UE and the target network device is completed; the connection between the relay UE and the first UE is established; or, the connection configuration between the relay UE and the first UE is completed.

[0109] The RLC operation in step S406 can refer to the RLC operation of the target path. The first UE performing the RLC operation of the target path can refer to the first UE establishing an RLC entity corresponding to the target path, such as the PC5 RLC entity.

[0110] In step S408, the target network device may also send indication information to the first UE, which can be used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0111] If, in step S404, the first UE retains the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, the target network device may send the indication information to the first UE to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE. If, in step S404, the first UE releases or rebuilds the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, the target network device may not send the indication information to the first UE.

[0112] In step S410, after receiving the indication information, the first UE can release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0113] Understandable Figure 4 The target network device and the source network device can be the same network device or different network devices.

[0114] Figure 5 This illustrates the process of the first UE switching from a relay path to a direct path. In other words, Figure 5 In the method shown, the source path is a relay path, and the destination path is a direct path. See also... Figure 5 In step S502, the source network device sends a configuration command to the relay UE. This configuration command can be used to instruct the relay UE to release the connection with the first UE. For example, the configuration command can be used to instruct the relay UE to release or rebuild the PC5 RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the relay UE.

[0115] In step S504, the source network device sends a handover command to the first UE. This handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to switch from a relay path to a direct path.

[0116] Optionally, the source network device may not send configuration commands to the relay UE. In this case, the relay UE can maintain its connection with the first UE. If the first UE fails to switch to the target path, the first UE can still communicate with the source network device through the relay UE.

[0117] In step S506, the first UE may perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation. The first UE may perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation upon triggering a handover command. Here, RLC operation may refer to the source path RLC operation. In this step, the first UE may perform only the source path RLC operation, only the PDCP operation, or both the source path RLC operation and PDCP operation simultaneously. For the source path RLC operation, the first UE may retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, or the first UE may release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE. For the PDCP operation, the PDCP entity of the first UE may perform at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0118] In step S508, the first UE establishes a connection with the target network device. The connection between the first UE and the target network device is a direct connection.

[0119] In addition, the first UE can also perform RLC operation and / or PDCP operation. For PDCP operation, if the PDCP operation is triggered by a handover command, the first UE can perform the PDCP operation in step S506. If the PDCP operation is triggered by a first message from the relay UE, the first UE can perform the PDCP operation in step S508. That is, the specific step in which the PDCP operation is performed can be determined based on the actual situation.

[0120] The first message can be used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the relay UE and the first UE is complete; the connection release between the relay UE and the first UE is complete; the relay UE has sent the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the relay UE has sent the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0121] The RLC operation in step S508 can refer to the RLC operation of the target path. The first UE performing the RLC operation of the target path can refer to the first UE establishing an RLC entity corresponding to the target path, such as the Uu RLC entity.

[0122] In step S510, the target network device may also send indication information to the first UE, which can be used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0123] If, in step S506, the first UE retains the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, the target network device may send the indication information to the first UE. If, in step S506, the first UE releases or reconstructs the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, the target network device may not send the indication information to the first UE.

[0124] In step S512, after receiving the indication information, the first UE can release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0125] Understandable Figure 5 The target network device and the source network device can be the same network device or different network devices.

[0126] Figure 6 This is another embodiment of the wireless communication method provided in this application. Figure 6 The method shown can be performed by a first UE, a second UE, and a source network device. The first UE can be... Figure 3 or Figure 4 or Figure 5 The first UE in the game. Figure 6 For details not described in detail above, please refer to the description above. The first UE is the UE switching from the source path to the target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. The target network device and the source network device can be the same network device or different network devices. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path. For example, the source path is a relay path, and the target path is a direct path. Another example is that the source path is a direct path, and the target path is a relay path. Yet another example is that both the source path and the target path are relay paths.

[0127] In step S610, the source network device sends a handover command to the first UE. This handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to hand over from the source path to the target path. Optionally, the handover command can also be used to trigger the first UE's PDCP entity to perform the target operation.

[0128] In step S620, the second UE sends a first message to the first UE. The second UE is a relay UE on a relay path. In other words, the first message can be a message from a relay UE. If the source path is a relay path, then the second UE is a relay UE on the source path. If the destination path is a relay path, then the second UE can be a relay UE on the destination path.

[0129] In step S630, triggered by a handover command or a first message, the PDCP entity of the first UE performs a target operation. This target operation may include at least one of the following: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path. PDCP reconfiguration enables the PDCP entity to support simultaneous data transmission on both the source path and the target path.

[0130] The first message can be a message sent by a second UE acting as a relay node on the relay path. If the destination path is a relay path, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on the destination path. If the source path is a relay path, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on the source path. If both the source path and the destination path are relay paths, the first message can be a message sent by a relay UE on the source path or a message sent by a relay UE on the destination path.

[0131] In this application embodiment, the handover command or the first message is used as the triggering condition for the PDCP entity of the first UE to perform PDCP operation, so that the PDCP entity of the first UE knows the timing of PDCP operation, thereby helping the first UE to perform path handover.

[0132] If the second UE is a relay UE on the target path, the first message can be used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection between the second UE and the target network device is established; the connection configuration between the second UE and the target network device is completed; the connection between the second UE and the first UE is established; or, the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed. If the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, the first message can be used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the connection release between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the second UE has transmitted the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the second UE has transmitted the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0133] Figure 7 This illustration shows a wireless communication method provided in yet another embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The method shown can be performed by a second UE and a network device. The second UE can be a relay UE on the relay path between the first UE and the network device.

[0134] See Figure 7 In step S710, the network device sends a first configuration command to the second UE.

[0135] In one embodiment, the relay path can be the source path before the first UE performs path handover, and the network device can be a network device on the source path. In other words, the first UE is a UE that is handover from the source path to the target path, and the source path is a relay path. The second UE can be any relay UE on any of the source paths described above.

[0136] In step S720, the second UE performs a target operation according to the first configuration command. The target operation includes at least one of the following: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0137] Uplink data and downlink data refer to data transmitted between the second UE and the source network device that is intended for the first UE. Uplink data can refer to data sent by the second UE to the source network device that is intended for the first UE. Downlink data can refer to data sent by the source network device to the second UE that is intended for the first UE. Sidelink data refers to data transmitted between the second UE and the first UE. This sidelink data can be data sent by the first UE to the second UE that is intended for the first UE, or data sent by the second UE to the first UE that is intended for the first UE.

[0138] For ease of description, the sending and / or receiving of the above data can be referred to as data transmission on the source path in the following text.

[0139] The first configuration signaling can instruct the second UE to configure the RLC entity in the second UE, so as to enable the second UE to stop or continue data transmission on the source path.

[0140] For example, the first configuration signaling can be used to instruct the second UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the second UE. Further, the second UE can release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the second UE according to the first configuration signaling to stop data transmission on the source path. As another example, the first configuration signaling can be used to instruct the second UE to retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the second UE. Further, the second UE can retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the second UE according to the first configuration signaling to continue data transmission on the source path.

[0141] During the path handover process of the first UE, the second UE can continue to transmit data on the source path to ensure the reliability of the source path data transmission and avoid the loss of data packets on the source path.

[0142] The first configuration command may be the same as or different from the handover command described above. For example, if the first configuration command and the handover command are the same, the network device (such as the source network device) can send the same command to both the first UE and the second UE. This command can be used to instruct the first UE to perform a path handover and to instruct the second UE to perform the target operation. Alternatively, if the first configuration command and the handover command are different, the network device (such as the source network device) can send different commands to both the first UE and the second UE. The network device sends a handover command to the first UE to instruct it to perform a path handover; the network device sends the first configuration command to the second UE to instruct it to perform the target operation.

[0143] Optionally, the network device may also send a second configuration command to the second UE, which instructs the second UE to release its connection with the first UE. For example, the second configuration command may be used to instruct the second UE to release or rebuild the PC5 RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the second UE. Further, the second UE may release its connection with the first UE according to the second configuration command.

[0144] Similar to the first configuration command, the second configuration command and the switching command may be the same or different, and this application embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0145] It is understandable that the first configuration command and the second configuration command can be the same or different. For example, the source network device can send a configuration command to the second UE, which instructs the second UE to perform the target operation and release the connection with the first UE.

[0146] Figure 8 This is another embodiment of the wireless communication method provided in this application. Figure 8 The method shown can be performed by a first UE, a second UE, and a network device, wherein the second UE is a relay UE. Figure 8 The method shown can be applied to scenarios where the first UE communicates with the network device through the second UE. The path between the first UE and the network device is a relay path, and the second UE is a relay UE on this relay path.

[0147] like Figure 8 As shown, in step S810, the network device sends a first confirmation message to the second UE. This first confirmation message can be used to indicate that the network device has correctly received the uplink data sent by the second UE for the first UE.

[0148] Optionally, before step S810, the method may further include: the first UE sending the uplink data to the second UE. Further, the second UE may send the uplink data to the network device. If the network device correctly receives the uplink data, the network device may send a first acknowledgment message for the uplink data to the second UE.

[0149] In step S820, the second UE sends a second confirmation message to the first UE regarding the uplink data, based on the first confirmation message.

[0150] If the second UE does not receive the uplink data correctly, and / or the network device does not receive the uplink data correctly, the second UE will not send a second confirmation message for the uplink data to the first UE.

[0151] Figure 8 The method shown may also include steps S830 and S840. It is understood that... Figure 8 The method shown may include only steps S810 and S820, or only steps S830 and S840, or may include steps S810 to S840.

[0152] In step S830, the first UE sends a third confirmation message to the second UE. This third confirmation message can be used to indicate that the first UE has correctly received the downlink data sent by the second UE for the first UE.

[0153] Optionally, before step S830, the method may further include: the network device sending the downlink data to the second UE. Further, the second UE may send the downlink data to the first UE. If the first UE correctly receives the downlink data, the first UE may send a third acknowledgment message for the downlink data to the second UE.

[0154] In step S840, the second UE sends a fourth confirmation message to the network device for the downlink data based on the third confirmation message.

[0155] If the second UE does not receive the downlink data correctly, and / or if the first UE does not receive the downlink data correctly, the second UE will not send a fourth confirmation message for the downlink data to the network device.

[0156] The acknowledgment message described above can be carried in the PDU status (or receipt) (status PDU). For example, the status PDU may include acknowledgment (ACK) information and / or negative acknowledgment (NACK) information, where ACK indicates that the message was received correctly and NACK indicates that the message was not received correctly.

[0157] In related technologies, after the second UE correctly receives the uplink data sent by the first UE, it sends an acknowledgment message back to the first UE. However, if the second UE fails to successfully transmit the uplink data to the network device after sending the acknowledgment message, the first UE may misjudge the situation, mistakenly believing that the uplink data has been successfully transmitted and thus not retransmitting the data. This method cannot accurately reflect the transmission status of the uplink data and is prone to data packet loss. However, the solution in this application embodiment is that the second UE only sends an acknowledgment message to the first UE after the network device has correctly received the uplink data sent by the first UE, thereby avoiding data packet loss.

[0158] Similarly, for data sent by the network device, the second UE sends an acknowledgment message to the network device only after the first UE has correctly received the downlink data sent by the network device, rather than sending an acknowledgment message to the network device after the second UE has correctly received the downlink data sent by the network device. This allows the second UE to correctly report the transmission status of the downlink data to the network device and avoids the loss of data packets.

[0159] The above method can be applied to scenarios involving path switching via relay paths, such as... Figures 3-7 The scenario shown. For example, in a path switching scenario involving relay paths, if the target path is a relay path, then... Figure 8 The second UE can be a relay UE on the target path, and the network device can be a target network device on the target path. The second UE can send an acknowledgment message to the first UE after the target network has correctly received the uplink data sent by the first UE. Alternatively, the second UE can send an acknowledgment message to the target network device after the first UE has correctly received the downlink data sent by the target network device.

[0160] For example, in a path handover scenario involving a relay path, if the source path is a relay path, the second UE can be a relay UE on the source path, and the network device is the source network device on the source path. The second UE can send an acknowledgment message to the source network device after the first UE has correctly received the downlink data sent by the source network device. Alternatively, the second UE can send an acknowledgment message to the first UE after the source network device has correctly received the uplink data sent by the first UE.

[0161] Figure 8 This method is particularly suitable for use in scenarios involving relay paths during handover, as these scenarios involve the release of the source path and the establishment of the target path, a process highly susceptible to packet loss. With the implementation of this application, the second UE, acting as a relay UE, will only send feedback to the data sender after receiving confirmation of correct data reception from the data receiver. This effectively mitigates packet loss during path handover.

[0162] Figure 9 This is another embodiment of the wireless communication method provided in this application. Figure 9 The method shown can be performed by a target network device and a first UE. The first UE is a UE that switches from the source path to the target path, and the first UE can be any of the first UEs described above. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. The target network device is a network device on the target path, such as any of the target network devices described above. Figure 9 For details not described in detail, please refer to the description above.

[0163] In step S910, the target network device may send indication information to the first UE, which may be used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0164] In step S920, the first UE can release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE according to the indication information.

[0165] The target network device can send this indication information to the first UE after the first UE completes the path handover.

[0166] As described above, the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, or the handover command can be used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE. If the handover command is used to instruct the first UE to retain the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE, the target network device can instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE through the indication information.

[0167] The above description uses the example of the first UE being a remote UE and the second UE being a relay UE. However, this is only an example. The method described above is also applicable to the scenario of relay UE communicating with each other. In other words, the first UE and the second UE in the embodiments of this application can both be relay UEs.

[0168] Figures 3-9 The methods of the various embodiments shown can be implemented individually or in combination with each other, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit them.

[0169] The above text combined Figures 1 to 9 The method embodiments of this application are described in detail below, in conjunction with... Figures 10 to 18 The present application provides a detailed description of the apparatus embodiments. It should be understood that the descriptions of the method embodiments correspond to the descriptions of the apparatus embodiments; therefore, any parts not described in detail can be found in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0170] Figure 10 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 10 The wireless communication device 1000 can correspond to Figure 3 The first UE in the network. The wireless communication device 1000 includes a first communication unit 1010 and a second communication unit 1020. The first communication unit 1010 can be used to receive a handover command sent by a source network device. The handover command is used to instruct the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path, wherein the source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device, and at least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path.

[0171] The second communication unit 1020 is used to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path when triggered by the handover command or the first message, wherein the first message is a message sent by the second UE to the first UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0172] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the target path, and the first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection between the second UE and the target network device is established; the connection configuration between the second UE and the target network device is completed; the connection between the second UE and the first UE is established; or, the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed.

[0173] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the connection release between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the second UE has sent the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the second UE has sent the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0174] Optionally, the apparatus 1000 further includes: a connection establishment unit for establishing a connection with a target device on the target path; wherein the target path is a relay path and the target device is a relay UE on the target path; or, the target path is a direct connection path between the first UE and the target network device, and the target device is the target network device.

[0175] Optionally, the connection establishment unit is used to establish the RLC entity corresponding to the target path.

[0176] Optionally, the apparatus 1000 further includes: an execution unit, configured to perform a target operation using a PDCP entity upon triggering the switching command or the first message; wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0177] Optionally, the PDCP reconfiguration is used to enable the PDCP entity to support simultaneous data transmission on the source path and the destination path.

[0178] Optionally, the device further includes a third communication unit, configured to stop or continue the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data on the source path according to the switching command.

[0179] Optionally, the third communication unit is configured to: release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE according to the handover command.

[0180] Optionally, the apparatus further includes: a fourth communication unit, configured to receive indication information sent by the target network device, the indication information being configured to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0181] Optionally, the source network device and the target network device are the same network device.

[0182] Figure 11 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 11 The device 1100 can correspond to Figure 6 The first UE in the system. The communication device 1100 includes a first communication unit 1110 and an execution unit 1120.

[0183] The first communication unit 1110 is used to receive a handover command sent by the source network device. The handover command is used to instruct the first UE to switch from the source path to the target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path.

[0184] Execution unit 1120 is configured to perform a target operation using a PDCP entity upon triggering the handover command or the first message. The first message is a message sent by the second UE to the first UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path. The target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0185] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the target path, and the first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection between the second UE and the target network device is established; the connection configuration between the second UE and the target network device is completed; the connection between the second UE and the first UE is established; or, the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed.

[0186] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the connection release between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the second UE has sent the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the second UE has sent the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0187] Optionally, the PDCP reconfiguration is used to enable the PDCP entity to support simultaneous data transmission on the source path and the destination path.

[0188] Optionally, the source network device and the target network device are the same network device.

[0189] Figure 12 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 12 The device 1200 can correspond to Figure 7 The second UE in the device 1200. The device 1200 includes a first communication unit 1210 and an execution unit 1220.

[0190] The first communication unit 1210 is used to receive the first configuration command sent by the network device.

[0191] The execution unit 1220 is configured to perform a target operation according to the first configuration command. The target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0192] Optionally, the target operation is to stop the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; and / or to stop the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE, wherein the execution unit 1220 is configured to: release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the relay path in the second UE according to the first configuration command.

[0193] Optionally, the target operation is to continue transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data for the first UE; and / or to continue transmitting sideline data and / or receiving sideline data for the first UE, wherein the execution unit 1220 is configured to: retain the RLC entity corresponding to the relay path in the second UE according to the first configuration command.

[0194] Optionally, the device 1200 further includes: a second communication unit, configured to receive a second configuration command sent by the network device, the second configuration command being configured to instruct the second UE to release its connection with the first UE.

[0195] Optionally, the device 1200 further includes: a third communication unit, configured to receive a first confirmation message sent by the network device, the first confirmation message indicating that the network device has correctly received uplink data sent by the second UE for the first UE; and to send a second confirmation message for the uplink data back to the first UE based on the first confirmation message; and / or, a fourth communication unit, configured to receive a third confirmation message sent by the first UE, the third confirmation message indicating that the first UE has correctly received downlink data sent by the second UE for the first UE; and to send a fourth confirmation message for the downlink data back to the network device based on the third confirmation message.

[0196] Optionally, the relay path is the source path before the first UE performs path switching, and the network device is the network device on the source path.

[0197] Optionally, the device 1200 further includes: a fifth communication unit, configured to send a first message to the first UE, the first message being configured to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on a target path, the target path being the path after the first UE performs a path switch.

[0198] Optionally, the first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is complete; the connection release between the second UE and the first UE is complete; the second UE has sent the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the second UE has sent the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0199] Figure 13 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 13 The device 1300 can correspond to Figure 8 The second UE in the device 1300. The device 1300 includes a first communication unit 1310 and a second communication unit 1320.

[0200] The first communication unit 1310 is configured to receive a first confirmation message sent by a network device, the first confirmation message being used to instruct the network device to correctly receive uplink data sent by the second UE for the first UE; and to send a second confirmation message to the first UE for the uplink data based on the first confirmation message.

[0201] The second communication unit 1320 is configured to receive a third confirmation message sent by the first UE, the third confirmation message being used to instruct the first UE to correctly receive downlink data sent by the second UE for the first UE; and to send a fourth confirmation message for the downlink data back to the network device based on the third confirmation message.

[0202] Wherein, the path between the first UE and the network device is a relay path, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0203] Optionally, the relay path is the source path before the first UE performs path switching, and the network device is a network device on the source path; or, the relay path is the target path after the first UE performs path switching, and the network device is a network device on the target path.

[0204] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 14 The device 1400 can correspond to Figure 3The second UE in the device 1400. The device 1400 includes a communication unit 1410.

[0205] The first communication unit 1410 is used to send a first message to the first UE. The first message is used to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path. The target path is the path after the first UE performs a path switch from the source path. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path. The second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

[0206] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the target path, and the network device on the target path is a target network device. The first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection between the second UE and the target network device is established; the connection configuration between the second UE and the target network device is completed; the connection between the second UE and the first UE is established; or, the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed.

[0207] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the network device on the source path is a source network device. The first message is used to indicate at least one of the following: the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the connection release between the second UE and the first UE is completed; the second UE has sent the uplink data sent by the first UE to the source network device to the source network device; or, the second UE has sent the downlink data sent by the source network device to the first UE to the first UE.

[0208] Optionally, the first message is used to trigger the PDCP entity of the first UE to perform a first target operation, wherein the first target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0209] Optionally, the PDCP reconfiguration is used to enable the PDCP entity to support simultaneous data transmission on the source path and the destination path.

[0210] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the network device on the source path is a source network device. The apparatus 1400 further includes: a second communication unit 1420, configured to receive a first configuration command sent by the source network device; and an execution unit, configured to execute a second target operation according to the first configuration command. The second target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0211] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the network device on the source path is a source network device. The apparatus 1400 further includes: a third communication unit, configured to receive a second configuration command sent by the source network device, the second configuration command being used to instruct the second UE to release its connection with the first UE.

[0212] Figure 15 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 15 The device 1500 can correspond to Figure 3 The source network device in the device 1500 includes a first communication unit 1510.

[0213] The first communication unit 1510 is configured to send a handover command to the first UE. The handover command is configured to instruct the first UE to switch from a source path to a target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path. The handover command is configured to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the target path.

[0214] Optionally, the handover command is used to trigger the PDCP entity of the first UE to perform a first target operation, wherein the first target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; PDCP data recovery; PDCP reconfiguration; or, switching the transmission path of PDCP data from the source path to the target path.

[0215] Optionally, the PDCP reconfiguration is used to enable the PDCP entity to support simultaneous data transmission on the source path and the destination path.

[0216] Optionally, the handover command is used to instruct the first UE to stop or continue sending uplink data and / or receiving downlink data on the source path.

[0217] Optionally, the switching command is used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE.

[0218] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the device 1500 further includes: a second communication unit 1520, configured to send a first configuration command to the second UE, the first configuration command being configured to instruct the first UE to perform a second target operation, wherein the second target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0219] Optionally, the second target operation is to stop the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; and / or to stop the transmission of lateral data and / or the reception of lateral data for the first UE. The first configuration command is further used to instruct the second UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the relay path in the second UE.

[0220] Optionally, the second target operation is to continue transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data for the first UE; and / or to continue transmitting sideline data and / or receiving sideline data for the first UE, wherein the first configuration command is further used to instruct the second UE to retain the RLC entity in the second UE corresponding to the relay path.

[0221] Optionally, the second UE is a relay UE on the source path, and the device 1500 further includes: a third communication unit, configured to send a second configuration command to the second UE, the second configuration command being configured to instruct the second UE to release its connection with the first UE.

[0222] Figure 16 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 16 The device 1600 can correspond to Figure 7 The network device in the device 1600 includes a first communication unit 1610.

[0223] The first communication unit 1610 is configured to send a first configuration command to the second UE, wherein the path between the network device and the first UE is a relay path, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path. The first configuration command is configured to instruct the second UE to perform a target operation, wherein the target operation includes at least one of the following operations: stopping the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; stopping the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE; continuing the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; or continuing the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE.

[0224] Optionally, the target operation is to stop the transmission of uplink data and / or the reception of downlink data for the first UE; and / or to stop the transmission of sideline data and / or the reception of sideline data for the first UE. The first configuration command is further used to instruct the second UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the relay path in the second UE.

[0225] Optionally, the target operation is to continue transmitting uplink data and / or receiving downlink data for the first UE; and / or to continue transmitting sidelink data and / or receiving sidelink data for the first UE, wherein the first configuration command is further used to instruct the second UE to retain the RLC entity in the second UE corresponding to the source path.

[0226] Optionally, the device 1600 further includes: a second communication unit 1620, configured to send a second configuration command to the second UE, the second configuration command being configured to instruct the second UE to release its connection with the first UE.

[0227] Figure 17 This is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication device provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 17 The device 1700 can correspond to Figure 9 The target network device in the system. The device 1700 includes a communication unit 1710.

[0228] The communication unit 1710 is used to send indication information to the first UE. The indication information is used to instruct the first UE to release or rebuild the RLC entity corresponding to the source path in the first UE. The source path is the path before the first UE performs path switching. The target network device is the network device on the target path after the first UE performs path switching. At least one of the source path and the target path is a relay path.

[0229] Figure 18 This is a schematic structural diagram of the wireless communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 18 The dashed lines indicate that the unit or module is optional. The device 1800 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The device 1800 can be a chip, a UE, or a network device.

[0230] Apparatus 1800 may include one or more processors 1810. The processor 1810 may support apparatus 1800 in implementing the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The processor 1810 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor. For example, the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU). Alternatively, the processor may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (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 may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0231] The apparatus 1800 may further include one or more memories 1820. The memories 1820 store a program that can be executed by the processor 1810, causing the processor 1810 to perform the methods described in the preceding method embodiments. The memories 1820 may be independent of the processor 1810 or integrated within the processor 1810.

[0232] The device 1800 may also include a transceiver 1830. The processor 1810 can communicate with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1830. For example, the processor 1810 can send and receive data with other devices or chips via the transceiver 1830.

[0233] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing a program. This computer-readable storage medium can be applied to a UE (such as the first UE or second UE mentioned above) or a network device (such as the source network device or target network device mentioned above) provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the UE or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0234] This application also provides a computer program product. The computer program product includes a program. This computer program product can be applied to a UE (such as the first UE or second UE mentioned above) or network device (such as the source network device or target network device mentioned above) provided in this application embodiment, and the program causes a computer to execute the methods performed by the UE or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0235] This application also provides a computer program. This computer program can be applied to a UE (such as the first UE or second UE mentioned above) or network device (such as the source network device or target network device mentioned above) provided in this application embodiment, and the computer program causes the computer to execute the methods performed by the UE or network device in various embodiments of this application.

[0236] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0237] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0238] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0239] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially 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, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. 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 one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can read or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, include: A first user equipment (UE) receives a handover command sent by a source network device. The handover command is used to instruct the first UE to handover from a source path to a target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. The target path is a relay path. Upon triggering the first message, the first UE begins transmitting uplink data on the target path, wherein the first message is a message sent by the second UE to the first UE, and the second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second UE is a relay UE on the target path, and the first message is used to indicate that the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is complete.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before the first UE begins transmitting uplink data on the target path, the method further includes: The first UE establishes a connection with the target device on the target path; The target device is a relay UE on the target path.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first UE establishes a connection with the target device on the target path, including: The first UE establishes the Radio Link Control (RLC) entity corresponding to the target path.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Upon triggering the handover command, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity of the first UE performs the target operation; The target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; and PDCP data recovery.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first UE stops sending uplink data on the source path according to the handover command.

7. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, include: The second user equipment (UE) sends a first message to the first UE. The first message is used to trigger the first UE to start sending uplink data on the target path. The target path is the path after the first UE performs a path switch from the source path. The target path is a relay path. The second UE is a relay UE on the relay path.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second UE is a relay UE on the target path, the network device on the target path is the target network device, and the first message is used to indicate that the connection configuration between the second UE and the first UE is complete.

9. A wireless communication method, characterized in that, include: The source network device sends a handover command to the first user equipment (UE). The handover command is used to instruct the first UE to switch from the source path to the target path. The source path is the path between the first UE and the source network device, and the target path is the path between the first UE and the target network device. The target path is a relay path.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The handover command is used to trigger the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity of the first UE to perform a first target operation, wherein the first target operation includes at least one of the following operations: PDCP reconstruction; and PDCP data recovery.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The handover command is used to instruct the first UE to stop sending uplink data on the source path.

12. A wireless communication device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor, the memory being used to store a program, and the processor being used to invoke the program in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-11.

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