Enabling passive listening of data traffic

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to enabling a terminal device to operate as a listener of data traffic sent by an access node of a communication network to another device. A tethered device may comprise: means for receiving, from a terminal device, a request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of a data traffic sent by an access node of a communication network to the tethered device; and means for sending signaling information to the terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable reception of data traffic by the terminal device over a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The various example embodiments generally relate to the field of data communications. Some example embodiments relate to enabling a terminal device to operate as a listener for data services sent from an access node of a communication network to another device. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless tethering in a communication network enables terminal devices to communicate with the network via a tethered device configured to relay data transmission between the terminal device and an access node of the communication network. Wireless tethering can be implemented using any suitable communication protocol. For example, in the case of cellular communication networks, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) and non-3GPP protocols can be used. XR (Extended Reality) can be used to provide new experiences for immersive media services, such as through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), or mixed reality (MR). Summary of the Invention

[0003] This summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form, which will be further described in the detailed embodiments below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein improve various aspects of wireless tethering, such as enabling lower power consumption, lower device complexity, lower latency, and higher transmission capacity. This and other benefits can be realized through the features of the independent claims. Further exemplary embodiments are provided in the dependent claims, the specification, and the drawings.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a tethering device is disclosed. The tethering device may include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethering device to at least: receive from a terminal device a request for the terminal device to act as a listener of a data service, the data service being transmitted to the tethering device by an access node of a communication network; and send signaling information to the terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of data services by the terminal device through a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0006] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: establish a secure connection with the terminal device; and send signaling information to the terminal device via the secure connection.

[0007] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, a request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of data services includes: a request for the terminal device to enter a passive listening mode, the instruction being configured, when executed by the at least one processor, to cause the tethered device to: send an indication to the terminal device of a successful switch to the passive listening mode.

[0008] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the signaling information includes at least one of the following: at least one identifier of the tethered device, at least one security key, the at least one security key being configured to enable decryption of data services from the terminal device, or a subset of information elements configured at the tethered device for establishing a connection between the tethered device and the access node.

[0009] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for the cell radio network.

[0010] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: receive a data service from an access node, wherein the data service includes a plurality of data packets; and send at least one data packet of the data service to a terminal device.

[0011] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: receive from the terminal device a request for at least one data packet that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device; and send at least one data packet to the terminal device based on the request.

[0012] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: receive information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device from the terminal device; and send link quality information from the tethered device to the access node, the link quality information including: a combination of information about the link quality between the access node and the tethered device and information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device, or information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device.

[0013] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device includes at least one of the following: data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device, channel state information of the terminal device indicating the state of the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device, or reference signal received power at the terminal device.

[0014] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: combine the channel state information of the terminal device with the channel state information of the tethered device indicating the state of the radio channel between the access node and the tethered device; or, based on sending a retransmission request to the access node for data packets that were not successfully decoded by both the terminal device and the tethered device, and without sending a retransmission request for data packets that were successfully decoded by either the terminal device or the tethered device, combine the data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device with the data packet retransmission feedback information of the tethered device.

[0015] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: combine the channel state information of the terminal device with the channel state information of the tethered device based on selecting channel state information indicating the weakest or strongest radio channel conditions from among the channel state information of the terminal device and the channel state information of the tethered device.

[0016] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the tethered device to: receive from the terminal device an indication of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter; and send the indication of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter to the access node.

[0017] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the requested at least one physical downlink control channel parameter includes the aggregation level of the physical downlink control channel.

[0018] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the data service includes physical downlink control channel data and / or physical downlink shared channel data.

[0019] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the data service includes extended reality data.

[0020] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the terminal device includes a head-mounted device configured to render extended reality data.

[0021] According to a second aspect, a terminal device is disclosed. The terminal device may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause a tethered device to at least: send a request to the tethered device for the terminal device to operate as a listener of a data service, the data service being transmitted to the tethered device from an access node of a communication network; receive signaling information from the tethered device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of a data service by the terminal device through a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device; and receive the data service from the access node through the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device based on the signaling information.

[0022] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: establish a secure connection with the tethered device; and receive signaling information from the tethered device via the secure connection.

[0023] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of data services includes: a request for the terminal device to enter a passive listening mode, and the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: receive an indication from the tethered device of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode; and, in response to or based on receiving the indication of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode, initiate the reception of data services from the access node via a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0024] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to power off its uplink transmission circuitry in response to or based on receiving an indication of a successful switch to passive listening mode, wherein the uplink transmission circuitry is used for uplink transmission directly to the access node.

[0025] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the signaling information includes at least one of the following: at least one identifier of the tethered device, at least one security key, the at least one security key being configured to enable decryption of data services from the terminal device, or a subset of information elements configured at the tethered device for establishing a connection between the tethered device and the access node.

[0026] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for the cell radio network.

[0027] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: detect data traffic from signals transmitted by the access node using at least one identifier of the tethered device; and / or decrypt the data traffic based on at least one security key.

[0028] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the data service includes multiple data packets, and the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: receive at least one data packet of the data service from a tethered device; and combine the data of the at least one data packet received from the tethered device with the data of at least one data packet from a direct radio connection to an access node that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device.

[0029] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: send a request to the tethered device for at least one data packet of a data service that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device.

[0030] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: combine the data of at least one data packet that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device with the data of at least one data packet requested and received from the tethered device.

[0031] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: send information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device to the tethered device.

[0032] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device includes at least one of the following: data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device, channel state information of the terminal device indicating the radio channel state between the access node and the terminal device, and reference signal received power at the terminal device.

[0033] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: send an indication of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter to the tethered device.

[0034] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the requested at least one physical downlink control channel parameter includes the aggregation level of the physical downlink control channel.

[0035] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the data service includes physical downlink control channel data and / or physical downlink shared channel data.

[0036] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the data service includes extended reality data.

[0037] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the terminal device includes a head-mounted device, and the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the head-mounted device to render extended reality data.

[0038] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to: decode data services without subscribing to a communication network.

[0039] According to a third aspect, a method is disclosed. This method may include: receiving, by a tethered device, a request from a terminal device for the terminal device to act as a listener of a data service transmitted from an access node of a communication network to the tethered device; and sending, by the tethered device, signaling information to the terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of a data service by the terminal device via a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0040] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: establishing a secure connection between a tethered device and a terminal device; and sending signaling information from the tethered device to the terminal device via the secure connection.

[0041] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of data services includes: a request for the terminal device to enter a passive listening mode, the method further including: a tethered device sending an indication to the terminal device that the terminal device has successfully switched to the passive listening mode.

[0042] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the signaling information includes at least one of the following: at least one identifier of the tethered device, at least one security key, the at least one security key being configured to enable decryption of data services from the terminal device, or a subset of information elements configured at the tethered device for establishing a connection between the tethered device and the access node.

[0043] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for the cell radio network.

[0044] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: receiving a data service from an access node by a tethered device, wherein the data service includes a plurality of data packets; and sending at least one data packet of the data service from the tethered device to a terminal device.

[0045] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: receiving from a terminal device a request for at least one data packet that has not been successfully decoded by the terminal device; and sending at least one data packet to the terminal device based on the request.

[0046] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: receiving information about the link quality between an access node and a terminal device from a terminal device by a tethered device; and sending link quality information from the tethered device to the access node, the link quality information including: a combination of information about the link quality between the access node and the tethered device and information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device, or information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device.

[0047] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device includes at least one of the following: data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device, channel state information of the terminal device indicating the state of the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device, or reference signal received power at the terminal device.

[0048] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: combining channel state information of a terminal device with channel state information of the tethered device that indicates the state of the radio channel between the access node and the tethered device by the tethered device; or combining data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device with data packet retransmission feedback information of the tethered device based on sending a retransmission request to the access node for data packets that were not successfully decoded by both the terminal device and the tethered device, and not sending a retransmission request for data packets that were successfully decoded by either the terminal device or the tethered device.

[0049] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: combining the channel state information of the terminal device with the channel state information of the tethered device based on selecting channel state information indicating the weakest or strongest radio channel conditions from channel state information of the terminal device and channel state information of the tethered device.

[0050] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the method includes: receiving an indication of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter from a terminal device by a tethered device; and sending the indication of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter to an access node by the tethered device.

[0051] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the requested at least one physical downlink control channel parameter includes the aggregation level of the physical downlink control channel.

[0052] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the data service includes physical downlink control channel data and / or physical downlink shared channel data.

[0053] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the data service includes extended reality data.

[0054] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the terminal device includes a head-mounted device configured to render extended reality data.

[0055] According to the fourth aspect, a method is disclosed. This method may include: a terminal device sending a request to a tethered device for the terminal device to act as a listener of a data service, the data service being transmitted from an access node of a communication network to the tethered device; the terminal device receiving signaling information from the tethered device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of a data service by the terminal device through a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device; and the terminal device receiving the data service from the access node based on the signaling information through the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0056] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: establishing a secure connection between a terminal device and a tethered device; and receiving signaling information from the tethered device via the secure connection.

[0057] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the request to operate the terminal device as a listener of data services includes: a request for the terminal device to enter a passive listening mode, the method further including: the terminal device receiving an indication from a tethered device of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode; and in response to or based on receiving the indication of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode, initiating the reception of data services from the access node via a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0058] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: powering off the uplink transmission circuitry of the terminal device in response to or based on receiving an indication that the terminal device has successfully switched to a passive listening mode, wherein the uplink transmission circuitry is used for uplink transmission directly to the access node.

[0059] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the signaling information includes at least one of the following: at least one identifier of the tethered device, at least one security key, the at least one security key being configured to enable decryption of data services from the terminal device, or a subset of information elements configured at the tethered device for establishing a connection between the tethered device and the access node.

[0060] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for the cell radio network.

[0061] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: detecting data traffic from signals transmitted by an access node using at least one identifier of the tethered device; and / or decrypting the data traffic based on at least one security key.

[0062] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the data service includes a plurality of data packets, and the method further includes: receiving at least one data packet of the data service from a tethered device; and combining data of the at least one data packet received from the tethered device with data of at least one data packet from a direct radio connection to an access node that was not successfully decoded by a terminal device.

[0063] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: sending a request from a terminal device to a tethered device for at least one data packet of a data service that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device.

[0064] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: combining data of at least one data packet that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device with data of at least one data packet requested and received from the tethered device.

[0065] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: sending information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device to the tethered device from the terminal device.

[0066] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device includes at least one of the following: data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device, channel state information of the terminal device indicating the radio channel state between the access node and the terminal device, and reference signal received power at the terminal device.

[0067] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: sending an indication from a terminal device to a tethered device of at least one requested physical downlink control channel parameter.

[0068] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the requested at least one physical downlink control channel parameter includes the aggregation level of the physical downlink control channel.

[0069] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the data service includes physical downlink control channel data and / or physical downlink shared channel data.

[0070] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the data service includes extended reality data.

[0071] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the terminal device includes a head-mounted device, and the method further includes: rendering extended reality data through the head-mounted device.

[0072] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the method includes: decoding data services by a terminal device without subscribing to a communication network.

[0073] According to a fifth aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. This apparatus may include components for performing the method according to the third or fourth aspect or any example embodiment thereof.

[0074] According to a sixth aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer program, computer program product, or (non-transitory) computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to the third or fourth aspect or any example embodiment thereof.

[0075] Therefore, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can provide apparatus, methods, computer programs, computer program products, or computer-readable media for improving various aspects of wireless tethering. Any exemplary embodiment may be combined with one or more other exemplary embodiments. These and other aspects of this disclosure will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments(s) described below. The subject matter of the independent claims is provided according to some aspects. Additional aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Attached Figure Description

[0076] The accompanying drawings, which are included and form part of this specification to provide a further understanding of the exemplary embodiments, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the specification, help to explain the exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0077] Figure 1 An example of a communication network is illustrated;

[0078] Figure 2 The illustration shows an example of a device configured to practice one or more example embodiments;

[0079] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example of communication between a terminal device, a tethered device, and an access node.

[0080] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example of communication between an access node, a tethered device, and a terminal device configured to passively monitor downlink data services.

[0081] Figure 5 The illustration shows an example of signaling and operations used to enable terminal devices to listen to data services sent from the access node to the tethered device;

[0082] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates an example of data packet flow at the access node, tethered device, and terminal device;

[0083] Figure 7 The illustration shows an example of a method for enabling a terminal device to receive data services sent from an access node to a tethered device; and

[0084] Figure 8 The illustration shows an example of a method for a terminal device to receive data services sent from an access node to a tethered device.

[0085] In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same parts. Detailed Implementation

[0086] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below, in conjunction with the drawings, is intended as a description of this example and is not intended to represent the only form in which this example can be constructed or used. This description illustrates the functionality of the example and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example. However, the same or equivalent functionality and sequence can be implemented through different examples.

[0087] Figure 1 An example of a communication network is illustrated. Communication network 100 may include one or more access nodes 122, 124, 126. Access nodes 122, 124, 126 may be part of a radio access network 120 (RAN) configured to enable tethered device 110 and terminal device 112 to access communication services provided by core network 130. Terminal device 112 may be configured to wirelessly connect to tethered device 110 so that terminal device 112 can communicate with access nodes 122, 124, 126 and core network 130 via tethered device 110. The connection between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112 may be based on any suitable system or protocol, such as 3GPP or non-3GPP protocols. Tethered device 110 and terminal device 112 may also be referred to as devices or user equipment (UE). Transmissions from access nodes to UEs may be referred to as downlink (DL) transmissions. Transmissions from UEs to access nodes may be referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. In the 3GPP 5G specification examples, the interface between the UE and the access node can be called the Uu interface.

[0088] The tethering device 110 can be referred to as the first terminal device, and the terminal device 112 can be referred to as the second terminal device.

[0089] In the context of extended reality (XR) applications, terminal device 112 may be referred to as an XR device. XR provides new experiences for immersive media services. One type of device that enables XR applications is XR glasses. The shape factor of these devices may not deviate significantly from that of non-XR glasses, which may be referred to as regular glasses. Compared to smartphones, the smaller shape factor results in less physical space for various required components such as sensors, circuit boards, antennas, cameras, or batteries. This physical limitation may reduce the media processing and communication capabilities supported by AR / MR glasses devices, and in some cases, it may be necessary for XR devices to offload certain processing functions to tethered devices and / or servers.

[0090] Wireless tethering of XR devices can be used to enhance the XR experience. The table below provides examples of possible wireless tethering options. The first column indicates the type of terminal device 112. The second column indicates examples of possible technologies used for the connection between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112 (XR device). The third column indicates whether the data communication circuitry (in this example, a 5G Uu interface modem) is located at terminal device 112 or external to terminal device 112, such as at a hockey puck, mobile phone, smartphone, or other external / remote device communicatively coupled to terminal device 112. The fourth column indicates whether the XR engine, which can be configured to process the received XR data, is located at terminal device 112, at a device external to terminal device 112, or split between the terminal device and the external device. The fifth column indicates whether the power supply is internal or external to terminal device 112. The sixth column indicates examples of the maximum power that can be consumed.

[0091] Terminal device 112 can be embodied as a head-mounted device, such as headphones, a head-mounted display (HMD), smart glasses, see-through glasses, etc. The head-mounted device can be configured to render XR data. As described above, examples of terminal device 112 include simple and smart VR / AR viewer devices. A smart VR viewer device may include sensors for tracking the device's position and / or orientation, a display, wireless connectivity (e.g., WiFi-based or 5G-based connectivity), at least some XR processing, and a power supply. An external device (e.g., a remote device) can be configured to perform the remaining processing of the XR data. Furthermore, a device referred to as a standalone VR HMD device can be configured to operate as terminal device 112. For such a device, a cellular modem (e.g., a 5G modem), power supply, and (all) XR-related media processing can be integrated into a single device. Terminal device 112 can also be embodied as a hybrid XR device that has a cellular modem and is capable of connecting to a network directly and via a tethered link.

[0092] Tethered device 110 and / or terminal device 112 can be configured to communicate with access nodes(s) 122, 124, 126 via a radio interface (also known as an air interface). The radio interface can be configured, for example, based on the 5G NR (New Radio) standard defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Therefore, communication network 100 can include a wireless communication network or a mobile communication network, such as, for example, a cellular communication network.

[0093] The core network 130 can be implemented using various network functions, including, for example, one or more User Plane Functions (UPFs) and one or more Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMFs). The UPF can be configured to handle the user data portion of a communication session. Therefore, the UPF can provide an interconnection point between the radio access network and the data network, which is configured to provide application services to tethered equipment 110 or terminal equipment 112 via the core network 130 and RAN 120. For example, the UPF can be configured to handle encapsulation and decapsulation of user plane protocols, such as the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Tunneling Protocol (GTP-U) for the user plane. The AMF can be configured to receive connection and session request related data from tethered equipment 110 (via the access node). The AMF can be configured to control connection and mobility management in the wireless communication network.

[0094] The communication network 100 may include other network functions, network devices, or protocols, as... Figure 1 The examples shown are supplementary or alternatives. Network devices can be configured to implement one or more network functions. Although some embodiments are described in the context of 5G, it should be understood that the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to this example network. Therefore, the example embodiments can be applied to any current or future communication network. Devices may include or be configured to implement one or more protocol layers described herein, for example, by means of software.

[0095] Figure 2An example of a device configured to practice one or more exemplary embodiments is illustrated. Device 200 may include tethered device 110, terminal device 112, access node, access point, base station, wireless network node, or a subset thereof, or generally includes devices configured to implement the functions described herein. Device 200 may include at least one processor 202. At least one processor 202 may include one or more of a variety of processing devices, such as, for example, a coprocessor, microprocessor, controller, digital signal processor (DSP), processing circuitry system with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits, such as, for example, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microcontroller units (MCUs), hardware accelerators, dedicated computer chips, etc.

[0096] Device 200 may also include at least one memory 204. Memory 204 may be configured to store, for example, computer program code, such as operating system software and application software. Memory 204 may include one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or combinations thereof. For example, memory may be embodied as a magnetic storage device (such as a hard disk drive, magnetic tape, etc.), an optical-magnetic storage device, or a semiconductor memory (such as a mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). Memory 204 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM and ROM).

[0097] Device 200 may also include a communication interface 208 configured to enable device 200 to transmit and / or receive information. Communication interface 208 may include external communication interfaces, such as a radio interface (e.g., a Uu interface) between an access node and a UE and / or a tethered interface (e.g., a sidechain) between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112. Communication interface 208 may include one or more radio transmitters or receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas or device 200, or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas external to device 200.

[0098] The device 200 may also include other components and / or functions, such as a user interface (not shown) including, for example, at least one input device and / or at least one output device. Input devices may take various forms, such as a keyboard, a touchscreen, or one or more embedded control buttons. Output devices may include, for example, a display, a speaker, etc.

[0099] When device 200 is configured to perform a certain function, a component and / or some components of device 200 (such as, for example, at least one processor 202 and / or at least one memory 204) can be configured to perform that function. Furthermore, when at least one processor 202 is configured to perform a certain function, that function can be implemented using, for example, program code 206 included in at least one memory 204.

[0100] The functions described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program product components, such as software components. According to one example embodiment, device 200 includes a processor or processor circuitry, such as, for example, a microcontroller, configured by program code 206 (when executed) to perform embodiments of the operations and functions described herein. Program code 206 is provided as an example of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor 202, cause execution of device 200.

[0101] Alternatively or additionally, the functions described herein may be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, illustrative types of hardware logic components that may be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and the like.

[0102] Device 200 may be configured to perform or cause the methods(s) described herein to be performed, or may include components for performing the methods(s) described herein. In one example, the components include at least one processor 202 and at least one memory 204 including instructions (e.g., program code 206) configured to cause device 300 to perform the methods(s) when executed by at least one processor 202. Typically, computer program instructions can be executed on components that provide general processing functionality. Such components can be embedded, for example, in personal computers, smartphones, network devices, etc. Thus, the methods(s) can be implemented by a computer, for example, by algorithms(s) executable by general processing functionality, an example of which is at least one processor 202. The components may include transmitting or receiving components, such as one or more radio transmitters or receivers (which may be coupled or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas). Device 200 may include, for example, network devices, such as access nodes, access points, base stations, or their central / distributed units. Although device 200 is illustrated as a single device, it should be understood that, where applicable, the functionality of device 200 may be distributed to multiple devices.

[0103] Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example of communication between a terminal device, a tethered device, and an access node. Figure 3 In example (a), terminal device 112 cannot communicate directly with access node 122, for example, due to a lack of necessary data communication circuitry (e.g., a required cellular modem) or a lack of subscription to communication network 100. Terminal device 112 may include, for example, a smart VR viewer device with wireless tethering. Therefore, terminal device 112 can be configured to use the subscription of tethered device 110 for communication with access node 122. Terminal device 112 can be configured to utilize tethered device 110 for uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) communication with access node 122 via a tethered communication link. In this example, terminal device 112 can provide an XR experience at the expense of tethering, utilizing processing power and cellular connectivity with the tethered device. Furthermore, as part of the total latency budget, Figure 3 The arrangement of (a) may result in additional delays, such as mooring delays.

[0104] exist Figure 3 In the example of (b), terminal device 112 does not have this dependency because it has an integrated cellular modem and the ability to communicate directly with access node 122 (e.g., subscribe to communication network 100 itself). Therefore, greater mobility can be provided. Terminal device 112 may, for example, include a standalone VR HMD device. Due to space constraints, such devices may have lower processing power, connection speed, and / or power compared to smartphones. On the other hand, direct connectivity avoids tethered latency. Direct connectivity can refer to a direct radio connection where signals are transmitted between the antennas of the relevant devices via an air interface without involving any intermediate devices. Direct radio connectivity can be a one-way radio connection, such as a radio connection that does not involve any connection establishment process between the relevant devices (e.g., terminal device 112 and access node 122).

[0105] The design aspects of terminal device 112 may include terminal device 112 being equipped with a cellular modem (see...) Figure 3 (a) or no cellular modem (see reference) Figure 3 (b) Cost, weight, and power consumption (including device heating). Typically, tethered circuit systems can be significantly less expensive, lighter, and consume less power compared to cellular modems. Therefore, 5G-equipped terminal devices can be supplemented with tethered circuit systems to take advantage of the mobility offered by 5G connectivity and the superior capabilities of smartphones. Figure 3 (c) The hybrid XR device can be configured with Figure 3 (a) and Figure 3 (b) function. Figure 3The arrangement in (c) can be referred to as a tethered group. Therefore, terminal device 112 can have an integrated cellular modem and the ability to connect to the network directly and via a tethered link. For this type of device, there are several configurations where terminal device 112 can improve the utilization of available connectivity options, some examples of which are as follows:

[0106] Configuration 1: Terminal device 112 may have its own cellular subscription. Terminal device 112 may communicate with the network using a direct radio link. Terminal device 112 may additionally use the tethered link between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110 to enhance the XR experience in both uplink and downlink. Terminal device 112 may still be able to communicate directly with access node 122.

[0107] Configuration 2: Terminal device 112 does not have its own cellular subscription. Terminal device 112 can use the subscription of tethered device 110 for uplink and / or downlink communication with the network using the tethered link. Terminal device 112 can communicate with the network (access node 122) solely via the tethered link.

[0108] Configuration 3: Terminal device 112 does not have its own cellular subscription. Terminal device 112 can use the subscription of tethered device 110, at least for uplink communication with the network using the tethered link. Additionally, terminal device 112 can use its cellular modem to enhance downlink communication with the network.

[0109] For devices equipped with both a cellular modem and a tethered circuit system, any of the above configurations can be selected.

[0110] Considering Figure 3 In the case where terminal device 112 (a) is also equipped with a cellular modem, in configuration 2, the additional link (direct radio link) between terminal device 112 and access node 122 may not be available, and therefore the cellular modem of terminal device 112 is not used. With configuration 1, one can benefit from the direct radio link, but at the cost of additional complexity and power consumption in the uplink. When combining functional configurations 1 and 2 to produce configuration 3, some challenges arise. For example, any direct communication with access node 122 may require subscription in order to be able to decode downlink data. On the other hand, uplink routing via tethered device 110 allows for the use of lower uplink power at terminal device 112, or avoids fully including the uplink transmission circuitry (hardware) for the cellular modem on terminal device 112.

[0111] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure address some of the challenges of operation based on configuration 3 by configuring terminal device 112 to operate as a passive listener of downlink data services sent from access node 122 to tethered device 110, without requiring cellular subscription to the network at terminal device 112, or even without requiring cellular subscription to the network at terminal device 112. This is as described in reference to... Figure 4 and Figure 5 Further description: Similar to configuration 2, uplink data services generated by terminal device 112 can be routed to access node 122 via tethered device 110.

[0112] Figure 4 The illustration shows an example of communication between an access node, a tethered device, and a terminal device configured to passively listen for downlink data traffic. Tethered device 110 can be configured to access application services via RAN 120, which includes one or more access nodes (e.g., access node 122). Terminal device 112 can be configured to send uplink data traffic to access node 122 via tethered device 110. In other words, uplink data traffic from the terminal device can be routed to access node 122 via the tethered link between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110. Terminal device 112 can be configured to receive downlink traffic from access node 122 via tethered device 110. In other words, downlink data traffic from access node 122 can be routed to terminal device 112 via the tethered link between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112. In other words, tethered device 110 can be configured to receive downlink data services from access node 122 via a direct radio link, and forward downlink data services received from access node 122 to terminal device 112 via the tethered link between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112. Forwarding of data services from tethered device 110 and terminal device 112 is performed on demand based on display requests from terminal device 112. Terminal device 112 can be configured to receive downlink data services sent from access node 122 to tethered device 110. The reception of DL data services sent from access node 122 to tethered device 110 by terminal device 112 can be referred to as passive listening by terminal device 112. Furthermore, tethered device 110 can be configured to send its own uplink data services to access node 122 and receive its own downlink data services from access node 122.

[0113] Tethering device 110 can initially establish a secure connection with terminal device 112. Tethering device 110 can exchange tethering support information with terminal device 112 to enable terminal device 112 to perform passive interception of downlink data traffic sent from access node 122 to tethering device 110. Passive interception may include detecting and decoding transmissions from access node 122 targeted at tethering device 110. The tethering support information sent from tethering device 110 to terminal device 112 may include, for example, identifiers of tethering device 110, such as Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI), security keys, or other physical and / or higher-layer configurations configured for downlink communication between access node 122 and tethering device 110, as further described below. If terminal device 112 cannot decode at least a portion of the downlink data traffic, tethering device 110 may provide on-demand forwarding of lost downlink data packets to terminal device 110, as further described below. Decoding can include forward error correction (FEC) decoding and / or checking error detection codes, such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC) codes.

[0114] Figure 5 The illustration depicts an example of signaling and operations used to enable a terminal device to listen for data traffic sent from an access node to a tethered device. Terminal device 112 may include a cellular modem, for example, a cellular modem configured to operate based on a specific standard or its version or profile. Reference Figure 5 The described operation enables terminal device 112 to operate as a passive listener for downlink data services targeted at tethered device 110. Tethered device 110 can be authenticated relative to core network 130 via a radio interface (e.g., a Uu interface) between tethered device 110 and access node 122. Terminal device 112 can be configured to listen to the Uu interface used for downlink transmissions. Terminal device 112 can be configured to transmit uplink data to access node 122 using tethered device 110. Although some aspects are described in the context of a 3GPP network, it should be understood that similar functionality can be configured in any non-3GPP system.

[0115] At operation 501, tethered device 110 may establish a connection with access node 122 or typically with communication network 100. In an example of a 3GPP 5G system, this operation may include establishing a connection in the Uu interface. Typically, tethered device 110 may establish a radio connection to access node 122.

[0116] At operation 502, a non-access stratum (NAS) procedure can be completed between tethered device 110 and core network 130.

[0117] At operation 503, terminal device 112 can connect to tethered device 110 using a tethered link. The tethered link can include any suitable communication link between tethered device 110 and terminal device 112, such as a side-link port like a 3GPP PC5 interface, or a short-range wireless interface like a Wi-Fi interface or a Bluetooth interface. The tethered link can be provided as a Personal Internet of Things (IoT) network (PIN). Therefore, connecting to tethered device 110 can include PC5 connection establishment, as shown in operation 504.

[0118] At operation 505, terminal device 112 may send a request to tethered device 110 for operation as a listener of data services transmitted by access node 122. For example, this request may be sent as a device mode switching request. The request may instruct terminal device 112 to request entry into passive listening mode. This request may include a request for passive listening (PL) auxiliary information, such as signaling fields (e.g., such as...). passive_listening_assistance_info_sharing A specific value (e.g., "Yes") of a signaling field (such as a flag) can be included in the request or sent separately. The request may also include a request for a secure connection between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110, for example as a signaling field (e.g., such as...). secure_mode A specific value (e.g., "yes") of a flag (such as an access node 122) may be included in the request or sent separately. Passive listening assistance information may include signaling information configured to enable terminal device 112 to receive data traffic sent from access node 122 to tethered device 110 via a radio channel between access node 122 and terminal device 112. This enables terminal device 112 to notify tethered device 110 that it wants to operate in passive listening mode. It also enables terminal device 112 to notify tethered device 110 of its need for assistance information to enable operation in passive listening mode. Passive listening assistance information may generally be referred to as signaling information or tethering support information.

[0119] Alternatively, terminal device 112 can be configured to enter passive listening mode in response to or based on a request received from tethered device 112 to enter passive listening mode. This enables tethered device 110 to instruct terminal device 110 to initiate passive listening to downlink data services targeted at tethered device 110, without requiring terminal device 112 to request a switch to passive listening mode.

[0120] At operation 506, a secure connection can be established between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110. The secure connection established by these devices may include a secure communication channel, such as a data-encrypted communication channel. Establishing a secure connection may include exchanging secure data (e.g., encryption keys) between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110, and configuring secure data at terminal device 112 and / or tethered device 110 for communication between these devices. For example, terminal device 112 may be configured to receive secure data from tethered device 110 and configure its communication with tethered device 110 based on the received secure data, or vice versa.

[0121] At operation 507, tethered device 110 can, for example, send passive listening (PL) assistance information to terminal device 112 in a passive listening assistance information sharing request message, such as... Figure 5 As shown. Passive eavesdropping assistance information may include signaling information configured to enable terminal device 112 to receive (downlink) data traffic sent by access node 122 and targeted at tethered device 110 (e.g., addressed to tethered device 110). Passive eavesdropping assistance information may be sent as a container, for example, on a secure communication channel established at operation 506.

[0122] Passive listening assistance information can be configured to enable reception of multiple specific downlink channels, such as the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). The PDSCH can be shared with multiple devices (e.g., UEs). The PDSCH may include downlink data for multiple devices, such as tethered device 110 and at least one other device that is not terminal device 112. Tethered device 110 can be configured to extract data targeting itself from the PDSCH based on multiple identifiers (e.g., C-RNTI) of tethered device 110. Passive listening assistance information may include multiple identifiers of tethered device 110, such as C-RNTI. This provides the benefit of enabling terminal device 112 to detect and extract data targeting tethered device 110 from the PDSCH when passively listening to the PDSCH.

[0123] Based on passive eavesdropping assistance information (e.g., multiple identifiers of tethered device 110), terminal device 112 can receive downlink control channel data (e.g., physical downlink control channel PDCCH data) targeted at tethered device 110. By decoding the downlink control channel data, terminal device 112 can obtain information for receiving / decoding PDCCH data (e.g., data reception / decoding parameters). The passive eavesdropping assistance information may include multiple security keys configured to enable decryption of data services targeted at tethered device 110. These multiple security keys may include, for example, at least one of the following keys: K NASAint , K NASenc , K UPint , K UPenc Here, "int" represents the integrity protection key, and "enc" represents the encryption key. These keys can be dedicated to protecting NAS layer and user plane (UP) communication, respectively. A specific security key (e.g., the NAS key) K NASAint and K NASenc The security keys can be generated by the core network 130 (e.g., by the AMF) and delivered to the access node 122 and the tethered device 110, which can then forward the security keys to the terminal device 112 via the tethered link. Some keys (e.g., user plane keys) K UPint and K UPenc The ) can be generated by the UE (in this case, tethered device 110) and provided to the terminal device 112 via the tethered link.

[0124] The passive listening assistance information may also include physical and higher-layer configurations for downlink communication between access node 122 and tethered device 110. Typically, the passive listening assistance information may include information elements (IEs) (a subset thereof) configured at tethered device 110 for establishing a connection between tethered device 110 and access node 122, examples of which include identifier(s) and security keys(s) of tethered device 110. Note that not all configuration information associated with the connection between access node 122 and tethered device 110 needs to be included in the passive listening assistance information; therefore, a subset of the IEs configured at tethered device 110 for establishing the connection can be provided to terminal device 112. This provides the benefit of reducing signaling overhead at the tethered link. Tethered device 110 may be configured to send the passive listening assistance information via a secure connection established at operation 506.

[0125] At operation 508, terminal device 112 can send an acknowledgment of receipt of passive listening assistance information to tethered device 110, for example as a passive listening assistance information sharing response message. The passive listening assistance information sharing response message can include an indication of successful reception of the passive listening assistance information, for example, through a specific value in the information field of the response message (e.g., "success"). This enables tethered device 110 to be notified that terminal device 112 has entered passive listening mode.

[0126] Tethered device 110 can be configured to switch terminal device 112 to passive listening mode. This can be in response to or based on an indication of successful reception of passive listening assistance information received from terminal device 112. Switching terminal device 112 to passive listening mode may include terminating the forwarding of downlink data packets to terminal device 112. However, for example, in the event of unsuccessful reception of data packets directly from access node 122 at terminal device 112, some data packets may still be forwarded to terminal device 112 upon request.

[0127] At operation 509, terminal device 112 may store passive eavesdropping assistance information, such as the contents of a received passive eavesdropping assistance information container. Terminal device 112 may securely store the passive eavesdropping assistance information in a secure storage device. Terminal device 112 may configure its data communication circuitry, such as its cellular modem, for receiving / decoding data services, such as those from a PDSCH, targeted at tethered device 110. The data service may include multiple data packets, such as a sequence of data packets.

[0128] At operation 510, tethered device 110 can send an indication of a successful switch of terminal device 112 to passive listening mode, for example, as a device mode switch response message. This allows terminal device 112 to be informed that the tethered device is configured to treat terminal device 112 as operating in passive listening mode. For example, tethered device 110 can be configured not to forward downlink data packets to terminal device 112 unless specifically requested by terminal device 112. However, based on this indication, terminal device 112 can determine that tethered device 110 is still configured to relay uplink transmissions of terminal device 112 to access node 122.

[0129] At operation 511, terminal device 112 can initiate passive listening. In other words, terminal device 112 can activate passive listening mode. This can be performed in response to or based on receiving an indication that terminal device 112 has successfully switched to passive listening mode. Terminal device 112 can initiate reception of data services from access node 122 based on passive listening assistance information via a radio channel (e.g., a direct radio channel) between access node and terminal device 112. Note that terminal device 112 can be configured to decode data services without subscribing to a communication network, since interaction with the network is performed via tethered device 110. In at least some embodiments, for example, the terminal device has a subscription to a communication network but is configured to interact with the network via tethered device to save power.

[0130] When entering passive listening mode, terminal device 112 can initiate the reception of data services from access node 122, such as detection and decoding. The data service may target tethered device 110. Therefore, terminal device 112 can initiate operations as a listener (e.g., a passive listener) of the data service between access node 122 and tethered device 110. The data service between access node 122 and tethered device 110 may include downlink data. The data service may be formatted as data packets(s). The data service may include PDCCH data and / or PDSCH data, or data from any other associated physical or logical downlink channel. In the context of extended reality (XR), the data may include XR data, such as 3D video data, or other visual or auditory data configured to be output by a head-mounted device.

[0131] Based on passive listening assistance information, such as C-RNTI, transmitted from tethered device 110 to terminal device 112, terminal device 112 can attempt to decode downlink data services. Terminal device 112 can be configured to detect data services from signals transmitted by access node 122 using multiple identifiers of tethered device 110. Terminal device 112 can use multiple identifiers (e.g., C-RNTI) shared by tethered device 110 to identify and / or decrypt data packets targeted at tethered device 110. Terminal device 112 can be configured to decode downlink data based on C-RNTI and / or multiple security keys received from tethered device 110. For example, terminal device 112 can be configured to decrypt data services, such as data packets, based on multiple security keys received from tethered device 110. Terminal device 112 can use the received multiple keys (e.g., K... Upenc K UPint Perform integrity checks and decryption on user plane (UP) or control plane (CP) data packets.

[0132] Terminal device 112 can pass successfully decoded physical layer data to higher protocol layers, such as the Media Access Control (MAC) layer, Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, for further processing. Terminal device 112 can be configured to request lost or unsuccessfully received data packets from tethered device 110, as further described with reference to operation 512. For example, if PDCCH or PDSCH data is not successfully decoded by the terminal device, the terminal device can request tethered device 110 to forward (multiple) corresponding data packets to terminal device 112.

[0133] Terminal device 112 can also be configured to power down its uplink transmission circuitry in passive listening mode, which is used for direct uplink transmission to access node 122. At operation 510, powering down the uplink transmission circuitry can be performed in response to or based on terminal device 112 receiving an indication of a successful switch to passive listening mode. Powering down the uplink transmission circuitry can include shutting down or otherwise reducing the power consumption of the uplink transmission circuitry used for direct uplink transmission to access node 122. For example, the uplink transmission circuitry can be switched to a power-down mode, in which the ability of the uplink transmission circuitry to send data to access node 122 is disabled or limited. This provides the benefit of reducing the power consumption of terminal device 112 because the uplink transmission is relayed via tethered device 110 and therefore generally requires less transmission power compared to sending directly to access node 122. The uplink transmission circuitry used for transmission to tethered device 110 may not be shut down. Transmission between terminal device 112 and tethered device 110 can be based on a device-to-device (D2D) protocol, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, or sidechain communication. Communication between the terminal device and access node 122 can be implemented using a transceiver, such as a 5G transceiver. The transceiver's UL circuitry can be powered down based on the terminal device receiving an indication of a successful switch to passive listening mode. Operations 512 and 513 relate to the functionality of terminal device 112 and tethered device 110 when terminal device 112 detects a packet error. A packet error may be detected when a data packet is lost or incorrectly decoded.

[0134] At operation 512, terminal device 112 may send a request for data packets(s) that were not successfully decoded by terminal device 112. Data traffic may again include data traffic between access node 122, which is passively monitored by terminal device 112, and tethered device 110. Undecoded data packets may include lost or incorrectly decoded data packets. The request may include an indication (e.g., multiple identifiers) of the requested data packets(s), such as multiple sequence numbers of the requested data packets(s). Alternatively, tethered device 112 may be configured to forward received data packets to terminal device 112 by default. This provides the benefit of enabling terminal device 112 to combine data packets received by terminal device 112 via a direct radio connection with data packets received via tethered device 110. Terminal device 112 may be configured to send an indication (e.g., multiple identifiers) of data packets(s) that were not forwarded to terminal device 112 by tethered device 110 to the tethered device. Terminal device 112 can be configured to send such an indication to access node 120 of data packets(s) successfully decoded from a direct connection.

[0135] At operation 513, tethered device 110 may send the requested data packets(s) to terminal device 112. If tethered device 110 successfully receives the requested data packets(s) from access node 122, the data packets(s) become available at tethered device 110. When terminal device 112 operates in passive listening mode, tethered device 110 may be configured to store (e.g., temporarily store) the data packets(s) received from access node 122 in a data cache, which may be referred to as a tethered buffer. Tethered device 110 may be configured to retrieve the corresponding data packets(s) from the tethered buffer upon request by terminal device 112.

[0136] Terminal device 112 can be configured to forward multiple data packets requested and received from tethered device 110 to a higher protocol layer. Reception diversity is improved because terminal device 112 can correctly receive data packets if they are correctly received by terminal device 112 itself or by tethered device 110. This mode of operation can be referred to as diversity combining.

[0137] Alternatively, terminal device 112 can be configured to combine data from data packets(s) requested and received from tethered device 110 with corresponding data packets that were not successfully decoded, upon direct receipt from access node 122. Thus, tethered device 110 can be configured to store erroneously received or decoded data packets in its tether buffer for subsequent delivery to terminal device 112. This provides the benefit of improved versatility, as the combination allows terminal device 112 to recover data packets erroneously received by both terminal device 112 and tethered device 110. The combination can include soft combination or any other combination method at any suitable protocol layer.

[0138] At operation 514, terminal device 112 may send passive listening auxiliary feedback to tethered device 110. For example, the terminal device may send data packet retransmission feedback information to the tethered device. For example, the terminal device may indicate to the tethered device whether a data packet has been successfully decoded at the terminal device. For example, passive listening auxiliary feedback may include data packet retransmission feedback information. The data packet retransmission feedback information may indicate whether a data packet has been successfully decoded at terminal device 112. For example, passive listening auxiliary feedback may include information about the radio link quality between access node 122 and terminal device 112. This link quality information (LQI) may include data packet retransmission feedback information from terminal device 112 (e.g., Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback), such as acknowledgments (ACK) for correctly decoded (PDSCH) data packets and / or negative acknowledgments (NACK) for incorrectly decoded or lost (PDSCH) data packets. The link quality information may include channel state information (CSI) from terminal device 112, which may indicate the state of the radio channel between access node 122 and terminal device 112. CSI can indicate, for example, the frequency response of a radio channel during a certain time interval. Link quality information may include, for example, the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP). For example, terminal device 112 can be configured to measure the received signal strength based on a reference signal transmitted by access node 122. Link quality information may include, for example, the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of access node 122 measured by terminal device 112. In other words, received signal strength may include the received signal strength of the reference signal(s) ...

[0139] Providing link quality information as feedback to tethered device 110 enables it to consider the link quality between access node 122 and terminal device 112 when transmitting link quality information to access node 122. Therefore, even if access node 122 is unaware of terminal device 112, it can still be configured to transmit downlink data services to improve the link quality at terminal device 112.

[0140] Passive listening auxiliary information may include indications of the requested PDCCH(s) parameters, such as the aggregation level (AL) of the PDCCH, or typically the control channel. The aggregation level may include the minimum aggregation level to be used for control channel transmissions by access node 122. The aggregation level may indicate the amount of physical layer time and / or frequency resources used to transmit the same information. Therefore, the aggregation level may indicate the level of robustness of data transmission. For example, the aggregation level may indicate the number of control channel elements (CCEs) used to carry the control channel (e.g., PDCCH).

[0141] At operation 515, tethering device 110 can combine the link quality information of terminal device 112 with the link quality information of tethering device 110. Tethering device 110 can be configured to combine the CSI of terminal device 112 with the CSI of tethering device 110. The CSI of tethering device 110 can indicate the state of the radio channel between access node 122 and tethering device 110. Tethering device 110 can perform this combination based on selecting the CSI indicating the weakest radio channel condition (e.g., in terms of fading) from the CSI of terminal device 112 and the CSI of tethering device 110. This causes access node 122 to configure the transmission of downlink data services, making it more likely to be correctly decoded by both tethering device 110 and terminal device 112. For example, reporting the weakest CSI can be beneficial when reporting the requested aggregation level of the PDCCH. Alternatively, tethering device 110 may perform a combination based on selecting the CSI indicating the strongest radio channel condition from among the CSI of terminal device 112 and the CSI of tethering device 110. This can be beneficial, for example, when the reported CSI is used for modulation and coding scheme (MCS) selection.

[0142] Tethering device 110 can be configured to combine data packet retransmission (e.g., HARQ) feedback information from terminal device 112 with data packet retransmission feedback information from tethering device 110. Tethering device 110 can be configured to combine data packet retransmission feedback based on sending a retransmission request to access node 122 for data packets that were not successfully decoded by both terminal device 112 and tethering device 110 (e.g., incorrectly decoded by both devices), and without sending a retransmission request for data packets successfully decoded by either terminal device 112 or tethering device 110. Therefore, tethering device 110 can be configured to send a retransmission request in response to or based on the determination that both devices failed to successfully decode the relevant data packet. This reduces the number of retransmissions because if either device can successfully decode the data packet, no retransmission is needed. If terminal device 112 cannot successfully decode the data packet, the data packet can be provided to terminal device 112 by tethering device 110.

[0143] At operation 516, tethered device 110 can be configured to send link quality information to access node 122. This allows access node 122 to consider the link quality information of terminal device 112, which may be combined with the link quality information of tethered device 110, when configuring the transmission of downlink data services to tethered device 110. This allows the transmission of data services to be configured to be more likely to be correctly decoded by terminal device 112, and / or to improve spectral efficiency when passively monitoring downlink data services targeting tethered device 110.

[0144] Tethered device 110 can be configured to send an indication of requested PDCCH(s) parameters(s) to access node 122. This allows the transmission of PDCCH to be configured such that it is more likely to be correctly decoded by terminal device 112 when passively listening for downlink data traffic targeting tethered device 110. The indication is not necessarily sent in the same format as received from terminal device 112.

[0145] It should be noted that even Figure 5 The diagram illustrates certain operation sequences, which can be modified in various ways to achieve the functions described herein. Some operations can be omitted, combined, reordered, etc. For example, terminal device 112 and tethered device 110 can be configured to operate with or without packet error detection capabilities (see operations 512, 513) or with or without the availability of link quality information and / or PDCCH parameters. The indications, signaling information, parameters, etc., can alternatively be combined with... Figure 5 Different signals or messages are used to send or receive. Figure 5It is not intended to provide an exhaustive description of the operation of terminal device 112, tethered device 110, or access node 122, and therefore various other operations can be performed. Figure 5 It can be executed before, during, or after an operation.

[0146] Figure 6 The illustration shows an example of data packet flow at access nodes, tethered devices, and terminal devices. The communication network 100 can operate based on a protocol stack comprising multiple protocol layers. The protocol stack can be arranged based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model or a layer model specific to a particular standard. In one example, the protocol stack may include a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, which can receive data from the application layer for transmission. The SDAP layer can be configured to exchange data with a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. The PDCP layer can be responsible for, for example, generating data bursts comprising one or more data packets based on data obtained from the SDAP layer.

[0147] The PDCP layer can provide data to one or more instances of the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. For example, PDCP data can be transmitted on one or more RLC transmission tributaries. Each RLC instance can be associated with a corresponding MAC instance in the MAC layer. The MAC layer can provide mapping between upper-layer logical channels(s) and physical layer transport channels, handling the multiplexing and demultiplexing of MAC Service Data Units (SDUs). Furthermore, the MAC layer can provide error correction functionality based on packet retransmission, such as according to the Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) procedure. Physically independent transmission tributaries can be provided by the Physical (PHY) layer (also known as Layer 1 (L1)). Figure 6 As shown, the corresponding protocol stack can be applied at access node 122, tethered device 110 and terminal device 112.

[0148] Application data (see Data Services) can be provided by the core network 130 to the SDAP layer of access node 122 for transmission. Access node 122 can be configured to process data at the PDCP, RLC, MAC, and PHY layers to acquire signals to be sent to tethered device 110 via the Uu interface. Tethered device 110 can be configured to process signals at least at the PHY layer. However, if passive listening is configured at terminal device 112, data services targeted at tethered device 110 can be identified and extracted from the signals. Terminal device 112 can process signals at the PHY layer and pass the decoded data to higher protocol layers (e.g., MAC, RLC, PDCP, and / or SDAP). In the case of Extended Reality (XR), data can be provided to the XR functionality of terminal device 112, for example, for rendering XR data to a user. As described above, the tethered link can be provided by any suitable technology, such as PC5, WiFi, Bluetooth (BT), or other wireless interfaces. The tethered link can be configured to deliver both uplink and downlink data. However, downlink data can be delivered directly from access node 122 to terminal device 112.

[0149] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure enhance wireless tethering capabilities for various applications, such as XR data delivery. The disclosed set of devices and configurations can utilize cellular (e.g., 5G) modems applied at both tethering device 110 and terminal device 112. This, for example, can bring low-cost XR devices to market. These configurations can be useful, for example, when the quality of both the tethered link and the direct link is below a certain threshold, such as when selection or diversity combination gain can be achieved by enabling reception at both tethering device 110 and terminal device 112. This provides benefits in improving reliability, robustness, and spectral efficiency in downlink reception. This can be useful, for example, in the case of virtual reality (VR) applications, which can be associated with heavy downlink traffic.

[0150] Figure 7 An example of a method 700 for enabling a terminal device to receive data services sent from an access node to a tethered device is illustrated. Method 700 may be performed by the tethered device (e.g., device 110) or by a control device configured to control the functions of the tethered device when installed in the tethered device.

[0151] At operation 701, the method may include: receiving a request from a terminal device by the tethered device to operate the terminal device as a listener of a data service, the data service being sent to the tethered device by an access node of the communication network.

[0152] At operation 702, the method may include: sending signaling information from the tethered device to the terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of data services by the terminal device through the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0153] Figure 8 An example of a method 800 for receiving data services sent from an access node to a tethered device by a terminal device is illustrated. Method 800 can be performed by the terminal device (e.g., device 112) or by a control device configured to control the functions of the terminal device when installed in the terminal device.

[0154] At operation 801, the method may include: sending a request from the terminal device to the tethered device for the terminal device to act as a listener of a data service, the data service being sent from an access node of the communication network to the tethered device.

[0155] At operation 802, the method may include: receiving signaling information from a tethered device by a terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable data service reception by the terminal device via a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

[0156] At operation 803, the method may include: the terminal device receiving data services from the access node through a radio channel between the access node and the terminal device based on signaling information.

[0157] Other features of these methods derive directly from the functionality of, for example, tethered device 110, terminal device 112, and access node 122, as described throughout the specification, claims, and drawings, and therefore will not be repeated here. An apparatus may be configured to perform or cause the execution of any aspect of the methods(s) described herein. Furthermore, a computer program or computer program product may include instructions for causing the apparatus to perform any aspect of the methods(s) described herein when executed by the apparatus. Additionally, an apparatus may include components for performing any aspect of the methods(s) described herein. According to one example embodiment, the components include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least any aspect of the methods(s) described herein.

[0158] Any ranges or device values ​​given herein may be extended or modified without losing the desired effect. Furthermore, unless expressly prohibited, any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment.

[0159] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or actions, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and actions are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0160] It should be understood that the above benefits and advantages may relate to one embodiment or several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to embodiments that solve any or all of the described problems, nor are they limited to embodiments that have any or all of the described benefits and advantages. It should also be understood that reference to "one" item can mean one or more of these items.

[0161] The steps or operations of the methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Furthermore, individual blocks can be deleted from any method without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the above example embodiments can be combined with aspects of any other example embodiments described above to form further example embodiments without losing the desired effect.

[0162] The term “comprising” is used herein to mean including the identified method, block or element, but such block or element does not include an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may include additional blocks or elements.

[0163] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0164] Although a subject may be referred to as the "first" or "second" subject, this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance of the subject. Rather, such an attribute may be used solely for the purpose of distinguishing subjects.

[0165] As used in this application, the term "circuit system" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a purely hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation solely in analog and / or digital circuit systems), and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as (if applicable): (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuitry with software / firmware, and (ii) any portion of (multiple) hardware processors (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories having software, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions; and (c) (multiple) hardware circuitry and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate. This definition of circuit system applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claim.

[0166] As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuit system" also encompasses implementations of hardware circuitry or processors (or processors) or a portion thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. For instance, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term "circuit system" also encompasses baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices, or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0167] It should be understood that the above description is given by way of example only, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a degree of clarity or by referring to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art can make many modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A tethering device, comprising: A component for receiving a request from a terminal device to operate the terminal device as a listener of a data service, the data service being sent from an access node of a communication network to the tethered device; as well as A component for sending signaling information to the terminal device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of the data service by the terminal device through the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device.

2. The tethering device according to claim 1, further comprising: Components used to establish a secure connection with the terminal device; as well as Components for sending the signaling information to the terminal device via the secure connection.

3. The tethered device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of the data service includes: In response to the terminal device's request to enter passive listening mode, the tethered device further includes: A component for sending an indication to the terminal device of a successful switch to the passive listening mode.

4. The tethering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the signaling information includes at least one of the following: At least one identifier of the tethering device. At least one security key, configured to enable decryption of the data service by the terminal device, or A subset of information elements configured at the tethering device is used to establish a connection between the tethering device and the access node.

5. The tethered device of claim 4, wherein the at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for a cell radio network.

6. The tethering device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A component for receiving the data service from the access node, wherein the data service includes multiple data packets; as well as A component for sending at least one data packet of the data service to the terminal device.

7. The tethering device according to claim 6, further comprising: A component for receiving from the terminal device a request for at least one data packet that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device; as well as A component for sending the at least one data packet to the terminal device based on the request.

8. The tethering device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Components for receiving information about the link quality between the access node and the terminal device from the terminal device; as well as A component for sending link quality information to the access node, the link quality information including: A combination of information regarding the link quality between the access node and the tethered device and information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device, or Information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device.

9. The tethered device of claim 8, wherein the information regarding the link quality between the access node and the terminal device includes at least one of the following: The terminal device's data packet retransmission feedback information The channel state information of the terminal device, indicating the state of the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device, or The reference signal receiving power at the terminal device.

10. The tethering device according to claim 9, further comprising: A component for combining the channel state information of the terminal device with the channel state information of the tethered device that indicates the state of the radio channel between the access node and the tethered device; or A component for combining data packet retransmission feedback information of the terminal device with data packet retransmission feedback information of the tethered device based on sending a retransmission request to the access node for data packets that were not successfully decoded by both the terminal device and the tethered device, and not sending a retransmission request for data packets that were successfully decoded by either the terminal device or the tethered device.

11. The tethering device according to claim 10, further comprising: A component for combining the channel state information of the terminal device with the channel state information of the tethered device based on selecting channel state information indicating the weakest or strongest radio channel conditions from among the channel state information of the terminal device and the channel state information of the tethered device.

12. A terminal device, comprising: A component for sending a request to a tethered device for the terminal device to act as a listener for data services, the data services being sent from an access node of a communication network to the tethered device; A component for receiving signaling information from the tethered device, the signaling information being configured to enable the reception of the data service by the terminal device via the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device; as well as A component for receiving data services from the access node via the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device based on the signaling information.

13. The terminal device according to claim 12, further comprising: Components used to establish a secure connection with the tethering device; as well as Components for receiving signaling information from the tethered device via the secure connection.

14. The terminal device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the request for the terminal device to operate as a listener of the data service includes: In response to the request for the terminal device to enter passive listening mode, the terminal device further includes: A component for receiving an indication from the tethered device of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode; and A component for initiating the reception of data services from the access node via the radio channel between the access node and the terminal device in response to or based on receiving an indication of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode.

15. The terminal device according to claim 14, further comprising: Components for powering off the uplink transmission circuitry of the terminal device in response to or based on receiving an indication of a successful switch of the terminal device to the passive listening mode, wherein the uplink transmission circuitry is used for direct uplink transmission to the access node.

16. The terminal device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the signaling information includes at least one of the following: At least one identifier of the tethering device. At least one security key, configured to enable decryption of the data service by the terminal device, or A subset of information elements configured at the tethering device is used to establish a connection between the tethering device and the access node.

17. The terminal device of claim 16, wherein the at least one identifier of the tethered device includes a temporary identifier for a cell radio network.

18. The terminal device according to claim 16 or 17, further comprising: Components for detecting the data service from signals sent by the access node using at least one identifier of the tethered device, and / or A component used to decrypt the data service based on the at least one security key.

19. The terminal device according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the data service comprises a plurality of data packets, and the terminal device further comprises: A component for receiving at least one data packet of the data service from the tethered device; A component for combining data from at least one data packet received from the tethered device with data from at least one data packet from a direct radio connection to the access node that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, further comprising: A component for sending a request to the tethered device for at least one data packet of the data service that was not successfully decoded by the terminal device.

21. The terminal device according to any one of claims 12 to 20, wherein the data service includes extended reality data, and / or wherein the terminal device includes a head-mounted device, the head-mounted device including components for rendering the extended reality data.

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