Relay communication methods, terminal equipment and network equipment

Abstract

This application relates to a relay communication method, a terminal device, and a network device; wherein, the relay communication method includes: the terminal device receiving a short-range communication rule, the short-range communication rule including an RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC, wherein the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: whether multi-hop relay is allowed; and the maximum number of allowed multi-hop relay hops. This application enables multi-hop relay communication through multiple relay UEs.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 202480038989.7, entitled "Relay Communication Method, Terminal Equipment and Network Equipment", which entered the Chinese national phase of PCT international patent application PCT / CN2024 / 075829 filed on February 4, 2024. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communications, and more specifically, to relay communication methods, terminal equipment, and network equipment. Background Technology

[0003] In related technologies, when a remote user equipment (UE) needs to communicate with the network, if it cannot directly access the network, it can discover and select a relay UE and communicate with the network through this relay UE. Alternatively, when one UE needs to communicate with another UE, if direct short-range communication is not possible, it can discover and select a relay UE and communicate with the other UE through this relay UE. However, existing relay communication can only be achieved through a single relay UE. How to achieve multi-hop relay communication through multiple relay UEs is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a relay communication method, a terminal device, and a network device, which can realize multi-hop relay communication through multiple relay UEs.

[0005] This application provides a relay communication method, including: a terminal device receiving a short-range communication rule, the short-range communication rule including an RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC. The multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: whether multi-hop relay is allowed; and the maximum number of allowed multi-hop relay hops.

[0006] This application provides a relay communication method, including: a network device sending a short-range communication rule to a terminal device, the short-range communication rule including an RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0007] This application provides a terminal device, including: a first transceiver module, configured to receive short-range communication rules, the short-range communication rules including an RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC. The multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: whether multi-hop relay is allowed; and the maximum allowed number of multi-hop relay hops.

[0008] This application provides a network device, including: a second transceiver module, used to send short-range communication rules to a terminal device, the short-range communication rules including a relay service code (RSC) and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0009] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device receives a short-range communication rule, which includes multi-hop relay authorization information, thereby enabling the authorization of the terminal device's multi-hop relay capability and thus realizing multi-hop relay communication. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network system architecture. Figure 1 .

[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a 5G network system architecture. Figure 2 .

[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture model for relay communication using UE-to-Network Relay devices.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture model for relay communication using UE-to-UE relay equipment.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a relay communication method 500 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model using multi-hop relay between a remote UE and a core network element according to an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model for using multi-hop relay between two UEs according to an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 1 of this application.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 2 of this application.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 3 of this application.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 4 of this application.

[0021] Figure 12 This is a schematic flowchart of a relay communication method 1200 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1300 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 14 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1400 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a network device 1500 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 16 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1600 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0026] Figure 17 This is a schematic structural diagram of chip 1700 according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] The technical solutions of this application embodiment can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE-A) systems, New Radio (NR) systems, evolution systems of NR systems, LTE-based access to unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) systems, NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) systems, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), 5th-Generation (5G) systems, or other communication systems.

[0029] Traditional communication systems typically support a limited number of connections and are easy to implement. However, with the development of communication technology, mobile communication systems will not only support traditional communication but also, for example, device-to-device (D2D) communication, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The embodiments of this application can also be applied to these communication systems.

[0030] In one implementation, the communication system in this application embodiment can be applied to a carrier aggregation (CA) scenario, a dual connectivity (DC) scenario, or a standalone (SA) network deployment scenario.

[0031] In one embodiment, the communication system in this application can be applied to unlicensed spectrum, wherein the unlicensed spectrum can also be considered as shared spectrum; or, the communication system in this application can also be applied to licensed spectrum, wherein the licensed spectrum can also be considered as non-shared spectrum.

[0032] This application describes various embodiments in conjunction with network devices and terminal devices. The terminal device may also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, user unit, user station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, terminal, wireless communication device, user agent, or user device, etc.

[0033] Terminal devices can be stations (STAION, ST) in WLANs, cellular phones, cordless phones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) devices, handheld devices with wireless communication capabilities, computing devices or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices in next-generation communication systems such as NR networks, or terminal devices in future evolved Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, etc.

[0034] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld, wearable or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as ships); and it can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites).

[0035] In the embodiments of this application, the terminal device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical care, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, or a wireless terminal device in a smart home, etc.

[0036] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the terminal device can also be a wearable device. Wearable devices, also known as wearable smart devices, are a general term for devices that utilize wearable technology to intelligently design and develop everyday wearables, such as glasses, gloves, watches, clothing, and shoes. Wearable devices are portable devices that are worn directly on the body or integrated into the user's clothing or accessories. Wearable devices are not merely hardware devices, but also achieve powerful functions through software support, data interaction, and cloud interaction. Broadly speaking, wearable smart devices include those that are feature-rich, large in size, and can achieve complete or partial functions without relying on a smartphone, such as smartwatches or smart glasses, as well as those that focus on a specific type of application function and require the use of other devices such as smartphones, such as various smart bracelets and smart jewelry for vital sign monitoring.

[0037] In the embodiments of this application, the network device can be a device for communicating with mobile devices, such as an access point (AP) in a WLAN, an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, a relay station or access point, or a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a network device (gNB) in an NR network, or a network device in a future evolved PLMN network or an NTN network, etc.

[0038] By way of example and not limitation, in this embodiment, the network device may have mobility characteristics; for example, the network device may be a mobile device. Optionally, the network device may be a satellite or a balloon station. For example, the satellite may be a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite, etc. Optionally, the network device may also be a base station located on land, water, or other similar locations.

[0039] In this embodiment, the network device can provide services to a cell. The terminal device communicates with the network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) used by the cell. The cell can be the cell corresponding to the network device (e.g., a base station). The cell can belong to a macro base station or to a base station corresponding to a small cell. The small cell can include: metro cell, micro cell, pico cell, femto cell, etc. These small cells have the characteristics of small coverage area and low transmission power, and are suitable for providing high-speed data transmission services.

[0040] In the embodiments of this application, the network equipment may include access network equipment and core network equipment. The access network equipment may be an evolved Node B (eNB or e-NodeB), macro base station (also known as a "small base station"), micro base station (also known as a "small cell"), pico base station, access point (AP), transmission point (TP), or new generation Node B (gNodeB) in a long-term evolution (LTE) system, a next-generation (mobile communication system) (NR) system, or an authorized auxiliary access long-term evolution (LAA-LTE) system.

[0041] It should be understood that devices with communication functions in the network / system of this application embodiment can be referred to as communication devices. Communication devices may include network devices and terminal devices with communication functions. Network devices and terminal devices can be specific devices in this application embodiment, which will not be described in detail here. Communication devices may also include other devices in the communication system, such as network controllers, mobility management entities, and other network entities. This application embodiment does not limit these.

[0042] It should be understood that the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably in this document. The term "and / or" in this document merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0043] It should be understood that the term "instruction" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct instruction, an indirect instruction, or an indication of a relationship. For example, A instructing B can mean that A directly instructs B, such as B being able to obtain information through A; it can also mean that A indirectly instructs B, such as A instructing C, so B can obtain information through C; or it can mean that there is a relationship between A and B.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the term "correspondence" may indicate that there is a direct or indirect correspondence between two things, or that there is an association between two things, or that there is a relationship of instruction and being instructed, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0045] To facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the relevant technologies of the embodiments of this application are described below. The following relevant technologies are optional solutions and can be combined with the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application in any way, and they all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0046] This application's embodiments are applicable to mobile networks, also known as cellular networks. The following embodiments use a 5G network as an example for illustration; however, this application's embodiments are not limited to 5G networks and can also be used for future mobile networks, such as 6G networks. A 5G network system architecture diagram is shown below. Figure 1 , 2 As shown, Figure 1 The core network elements shown are connected in pairs through agreed interfaces. Figure 2The core network elements shown interact by calling services provided by the network elements. This application embodiment does not limit the interface method or service call mode used between network elements. Specifically, the UE connects to the AN via the Uu interface to establish an access layer connection, exchanging access layer messages and radio data transmissions. The UE connects to the AMF via the N1 interface to establish a non-access layer (NAS) connection, exchanging NAS messages. The AMF is the mobility management function in the core network, and the SMF is the session management function in the core network. In addition to managing the UE's mobility, the AMF is also responsible for forwarding session management-related messages between the UE and the SMF. The PCF is the policy management function in the core network, responsible for formulating policies related to UE mobility management, session management, and charging. The UPF is the user plane function in the core network, transmitting data with the external data network via the N6 interface and with the AN via the N3 interface. After the UE accesses the 5G network via the Uu interface, it establishes a PDU session for data transmission under the control of the SMF.

[0047] A UE with Proximity-based Services (Prose) capability can also communicate directly with another UE with Prose capability via the PC5 interface.

[0048] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model for relay communication using UE-to-Network Relay devices. For example... Figure 3 When a UE can connect to an external data network via a 5G network and also has Prose capability, this UE can act as a relay UE. Another remote UE with Prose capability can establish a direct connection with the relay UE via the PC5 interface and interact with the external network through a PDU session established between the relay UE and the 5G network. This connection between the relay UE and the operator's network can be termed a UE-to-Network Relay.

[0049] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model for relay communication using UE-to-UE relay equipment. For example... Figure 4 When two UEs with Prose capability are far apart and cannot directly establish communication through the PC5 interface, they can be relayed through a relay UE with Prose capability. For example... Figure 4The relay UE can communicate directly with UE-1 via the PC5 interface, and can also communicate directly with UE-2 via the PC5 interface. UE-1 and UE-2 can then perform service interactions through the relay UE. This relay UE can be referred to as a UE-to-UE relay.

[0050] The above Figure 3 and Figure 4 The example shown illustrates single-hop relay, where a remote UE establishes communication with the network through a relay UE, or two UEs establish communication through a relay UE. However, in some cases, communication cannot be established via single-hop relay. For example, in scenarios where a UE establishes relay communication with the network, if there is no relay UE that can communicate with both the remote UE and the network, multiple relay UEs may be needed for the remote UE to communicate with the network. However, current technology does not support remote UEs communicating with the network through multi-hop relay UEs. Similarly, in scenarios where two UEs establish relay communication, if there is no relay UE that is adjacent to both UE1 and UE2, multiple relay UEs may be needed for UE1 to communicate with UE2. However, current technology does not support UE1 discovering UE2 through multi-hop relay UEs, nor does it support UE1 communicating with UE2 through multi-hop relay UEs.

[0051] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a relay communication method 500 according to an embodiment of this application. The method can optionally be applied to... Figure 1-4 The system shown is not limited to this. The method includes at least a portion of the following.

[0052] S510. The terminal device receives a short-range communication rule, which includes a Relay Service Code (RSC) and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0053] RSC stands for Relay service that can be provided.

[0054] In one example, the short-range communication rule includes an RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to that RSC.

[0055] In one example, the short-range communication rule includes multiple RSCs, and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to each RSC in some or all of the multiple RSCs.

[0056] Terminal devices can receive the short-range communication rule from core network elements. For example, the PCF can send the short-range communication rule directly to the terminal device, or the PCF can forward the short-range communication rule to the terminal device through the AMF.

[0057] In some implementations, the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0058] The maximum number of allowed multi-hop relays can be represented as the maximum number of relay nodes that the relay service represented by the corresponding RSC is allowed to pass through.

[0059] The relay communication method proposed in this application can support multi-hop relay between a remote UE and the network, and / or support multi-hop relay between two UEs.

[0060] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model using multi-hop relays between a remote UE and a core network element, according to an embodiment of this application. The remote UE and the core network element can be connected through multiple relays. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the relay UE is connected to the operator's network. For ease of distinction, the relay UE connected to the operator's network will be referred to as the first relay UE. The remote UE accesses the operator's network through one or more intermediate relays and the first relay UE. The one or more intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE. The intermediate relay is a new type of relay proposed in this application embodiment, which will be described in detail below. Figure 6 In the example, there is an intermediate relay between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0061] In some implementations, the intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE, in which case there is an intermediate relay between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0062] In some implementations, an intermediate relay is connected to a remote UE and another intermediate relay; or, an intermediate relay is connected to two other intermediate relays; or, an intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and a first relay UE. In this case, there are multiple intermediate relays between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0063] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an architecture model using multi-hop relay between two UEs according to an embodiment of this application. The two endpoint UEs (e.g., Figure 7 UE-1 and UE-2 can be connected through multiple relay UEs. For ease of distinction, the relay UE located between the two endpoint UEs will be referred to as the second relay UE. An endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE through multiple second relay UEs.

[0064] In some implementations, the second relay UE is connected to both the endpoint UE and another second relay UE; or, the second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs.

[0065] exist Figure 6 In the scenario shown, the aforementioned short-range communication rules can also authorize a UE as a remote UE, or authorize a UE as an intermediate relay, or authorize a UE as a first relay UE. Figure 7 In the scenario shown, the aforementioned short-range communication rules can also authorize one UE as an endpoint UE or authorize one UE as a second relay UE. After UE authorization is completed, relay information can be obtained using the multi-hop relay discovery process, thereby establishing a connection through multi-hop relays. Specific embodiments are given below for... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The scenarios shown will be described separately.

[0066] Example 1: Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 1 of this application. This embodiment can be applied to... Figure 6 The scenario shown is a scenario where a remote UE communicates with the network through multiple relay UEs.

[0067] In some examples, core network elements (such as PCF) configure short-range communication rules for UEs. Short-range communication rules can authorize a UE as a remote UE; or authorize a UE as a first relay UE (or UE-to-Network Relay); or authorize a UE as an intermediate relay (or intermediate UE-to-Network Relay).

[0068] Methods for authorizing a UE as an intermediate relay through short-range communication rules include, for example, at least one of the following: Directly instruct the UE to be authorized as an intermediate relay; The UE is authorized as both a remote UE and a first relay UE.

[0069] Short-range communication rules include one or more RSCs and multi-hop relay authorization information for each RSC. An RSC represents the relay service that can be provided.

[0070] Multi-hop relay authorization information includes, for example, at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0071] After authorizing the remote UE and relay UEs (including the first relay UE and intermediate relays), the remote UE obtains the relay UE's information through the multi-hop relay discovery process, thereby accessing the network via the multi-hop relay. Multi-hop relay discovery includes two modes: Mode A and Mode B, which correspond to... Figure 8 The dashed box encloses two discovery methods, which are two parallel options; the remote UE can use either discovery method. For example... Figure 8 As shown, it includes at least a portion of the following steps: Step 801: Core network elements, such as the PCF, configure near-field communication rules for the UE. This can be either directly sent messages or forwarded to the UE via other network elements, such as the AMF. Configuration for the UE-to-Network Relay is step 801a, configuration for the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay is step 801b, and configuration for the Remote UE is step 801c. Steps 801a, 801b, and 801c have no chronological order. Specifically: In step 801a, the core network element sends a short-range communication rule to the UE, authorizing the UE as a UE-to-NetworkRelay. The short-range communication rule includes one or more relay service codes (RSCs) and multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC.

[0072] In step 801b, the core network element sends a near-field communication rule to the UE, authorizing the UE as a Remote UE. The near-field communication rule includes one or more Relay Service Codes (RSCs) and multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC.

[0073] In step 801c, the core network element sends a near-field communication rule to the UE, authorizing the UE as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay.

[0074] In step 801c, the short-range communication rule can directly indicate that the UE is authorized as an intermediate UE-to-NetworkRelay. The short-range communication rule includes one or more relay service codes (RSCs) and multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC. Alternatively, the short-range communication rule can include information authorizing the UE as both a Remote UE and a UE-to-Network Relay. In other words, by granting the UE two identities, it authorizes the UE to act as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. The short-range communication rule includes one or more Relay Service Codes (RSCs) and the multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC.

[0075] The discovery of pattern A includes the following steps 802 to 803: Step 802: The UE acting as a UE-to-Network Relay sends a discovery announcement message, carrying an RSC (Relay Service Code), announcing that it can provide relay services (UE-to-Network Relay service) between the UE and the network for that RSC. The discovery announcement message can be a broadcast message. This discovery announcement message may carry a first relay hop count, which is the current relay hop count information (or the number of relay hops that have occurred), and the value of this current relay hop count information can be 1. Alternatively, if the discovery announcement message does not carry the current relay hop count information, it can be understood that the current relay hop count is an initial default value. For example, the initial default value of the current relay hop count = 1, representing that the UE is the first relay UE connected to the network. Specific values ​​are not specified in this application; the specific values ​​appearing in this embodiment and subsequent embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit this application.

[0076] Step 803: The UE acting as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery announcement message. This message carries the RSC and / or the first relay hop count, which is the current relay hop count. This discovery announcement message can be received from a UE-to-Network Relay or from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. In other words, there can be multiple intermediate UE-to-Network Relays between the UE and the network.

[0077] The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery announcement messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay based on the RSC and / or current relay hop count in the received discovery announcement message, as well as the authorized RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information in step 801c. If it determines to continue sending discovery announcement messages, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay updates or determines the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message and continues to send discovery announcement messages, carrying the RSC and current relay hop count in the sent discovery announcement message. In one example, the current relay hop count carried in the sent discovery announcement message is equal to the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message (or the default value of the current relay hop count) + 1.

[0078] For example, if the discovery announcement message received by the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay from the UE-to-Network Relay carries RSC 1, and the discovery announcement message does not carry the current relay hop count, it indicates that the default value of the current relay hop count is 1; and, in step 801c of the authorization process, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives RSC 1, and the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is 3; based on this information, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines that the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is greater than the initial default value of the relay hop count. Therefore, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay can continue to send discovery announcement messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, and the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message is 2 (i.e., the default value of the current relay hop count + 1).

[0079] For example, if an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery announcement message from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay containing RSC 1 and the current relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 = 2; and if this intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives RSC 1 and the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 = 3 in step 801c of the authorization process; based on this information, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines that the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is greater than the current relay hop count. Therefore, this intermediate UE-to-Network Relay can continue to send discovery announcement messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, and the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message = 3 (i.e., the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message + 1).

[0080] If the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines that the maximum allowed number of hops for a multi-hop relay corresponding to an RSC is less than or equal to the current number of hops for that RSC in the received discovery announcement message, it will stop sending discovery announcement messages.

[0081] Remote UEs can receive discovery announcement messages from multiple devices. Based on the received discovery announcement messages, Remote UEs can obtain the relay services that intermediate UE-to-Network Relays can support (identified by RSC). They can also determine how many relays they need to go through to reach the network based on the current relay hop count, and thus select appropriate relays to access the network, such as prioritizing relays with fewer current relay hop counts.

[0082] The discovery of Pattern B includes the following steps 804 to 807: Step 804: The remote UE sends a discovery request message carrying an RSC indicating the UE-to-Network Relay service that requires the RSC. The discovery request message can be a broadcast message.

[0083] Step 805: The UE acting as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery request message. This message can be received from a remote UE and does not carry the current relay hop count (in this case, the default current relay hop count is 0); or it can be received from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay and carries the current relay hop count. In other words, there can be multiple intermediate UE-to-Network Relays between the UE and the network. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery request messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay based on the RSC and / or current relay hop count in the received discovery request message, as well as the authorized RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information in step 801c. If it determines to continue sending discovery request messages, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay updates or determines the current relay hop count carried in the discovery request message and continues sending discovery request messages, carrying the RSC and current relay hop count in the sent discovery request messages. In one example, the current relay hop count carried in the sent discovery request message is equal to the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery request message (or the default value of the current relay hop count) + 1.

[0084] The specific method by which the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether to continue sending discovery request messages can be found in the example in step 803 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] Step 806: The UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery request message from the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. Based on the RSC and / or current relay hop count in the received discovery request message, and the authorized RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information in step 801a, it determines whether it can provide services as a UE-to-Network Relay. If so, it determines the final relay hop count. For example, the final relay hop count can be equal to the current relay hop count carried in the discovery request message + 1, representing the number of relays including the UE-to-Network Relay. The UE-to-Network Relay returns a discovery response message to the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, carrying the RSC and the final relay hop count.

[0086] For example, the received discovery request message carries RSC 1, and the current relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is 2, and the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is 3. Based on this information, the UE-to-Network Relay determines that the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is greater than the current relay hop count. Therefore, this UE-to-Network Relay can provide services as a UE-to-Network Relay and return a discovery response message to the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. The final relay hop count carried in the discovery response message is 3 (i.e., the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery request message + 1).

[0087] If the UE-to-Network Relay determines that the maximum allowed number of hops for a multi-hop relay corresponding to an RSC is less than or equal to the current number of hops for that RSC in the received discovery announcement message, then the discovery request message is ignored.

[0088] Step 807: An intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery response message, which can be received from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. The discovery response message carries the RSC and the final relay hop count. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay then sends a discovery response message, carrying the RSC and the final relay hop count, to the previous intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or to the Remote UE.

[0089] The remote UE obtains the relay services that the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay can support based on the received discovery response message (identified by RSC). It can also obtain how many relays it needs to go through to reach the network based on the final relay hop count, and thus select the appropriate relay to access the network, such as prioritizing the relay with the fewest final relay hops.

[0090] Example 2: Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 2 of this application. This embodiment can be applied to... Figure 6 The scenario shown is a scenario where a remote UE communicates with the network through multiple relay UEs.

[0091] In this embodiment, the authorization method for each UE is the same as in Embodiment 1. After authorizing the remote UE and the relay UE (including the first relay UE and intermediate relays), the remote UE obtains the relay UE's information through the multi-hop relay discovery process, thereby accessing the network through the multi-hop relay. The multi-hop relay discovery includes two discovery methods: Mode A and Mode B, which correspond to... Figure 9 The dashed box encloses two discovery methods, which are two parallel options; the remote UE can use either discovery method. For example... Figure 9 As shown, it includes at least a portion of the following steps: Step 901: The core network element configures the near-field communication rules to the UE, which can be referred to step 801 in Implementation Example 1.

[0092] The discovery of pattern A includes the following steps 902 to 903: Step 902: The UE, acting as a UE-to-Network Relay, sends a discovery announcement message carrying the RSC, announcing that it can provide UE-to-Network Relay service for that RSC. The discovery announcement message can be a broadcast message. This discovery announcement message may carry the first relay hop count, which is the remaining relay hop count information. The UE-to-Network Relay sets the remaining relay hop count to the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count in step 901a - 1. Alternatively, the discovery announcement message may not carry the remaining relay hop count information. In this case, the default initial value of the remaining relay hop count = the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count in step 901a - 1.

[0093] Step 903: The UE acting as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery announcement message. This message carries the RSC and / or the first relay hop count, which represents the remaining relay hop count. This discovery announcement message can be received from a UE-to-Network Relay or from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. In other words, there can be multiple intermediate UE-to-Network Relays between the UE and the network.

[0094] The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery announcement messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay based on the remaining relay hop count in the received discovery announcement message. If it decides to continue sending discovery announcement messages, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay updates or determines the remaining relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message and continues to send discovery announcement messages, which carry the RSC and the remaining relay hop count. In one example, the current relay hop count carried in the sent discovery announcement message is equal to the remaining relay hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message (or the default initial value of the remaining relay hop count) - 1.

[0095] For example, if the discovery announcement message received by the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay carries RSC 1 and the remaining relay hops corresponding to RSC 1, and the remaining relay hops = 2; and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives RSC 1 and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 in step 901c of the authorization process, and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 includes information allowing multi-hop relays; based on this information, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines that it can continue to send discovery announcement messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, and the remaining relay hops carried in the discovery announcement message = 1 (i.e., the remaining relay hops carried in the received discovery announcement message - 1).

[0096] If the remaining relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message received by the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay is equal to 0, then the discovery announcement message will no longer be sent. Alternatively, if the discovery announcement message received by the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay carries RSC 1 and the corresponding remaining relay hop count, and the remaining relay hop count is greater than 0, but the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay does not receive the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 in step 901c (or receives the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1, but the multi-hop relay authorization information includes information that multi-hop relays are not allowed), then the discovery announcement message will no longer be sent.

[0097] Remote UEs can receive discovery announcement messages from multiple devices. Based on the received discovery announcement messages, remote UEs can obtain the relay services that intermediate UE-to-Network Relays can support (identified by RSC). They can also determine how many relays they need to go through to reach the network based on the remaining relay hop count, and thus select appropriate relays to access the network, such as prioritizing relays with more remaining relay hop counts.

[0098] The discovery of Pattern B includes the following steps 904 to 907: Step 904: The remote UE sends a discovery request message carrying an RSC indicating the UE-to-Network Relay service that requires the RSC. The discovery request message can be a broadcast message.

[0099] Step 905: The UE acting as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery request message. This message can be received from a remote UE without carrying the remaining relay hop count (in this case, for example, the default remaining relay hop count is the maximum relay hop count obtained in step 901c); or it can be received from another intermediate UE-to-Network Relay carrying the remaining relay hop count. In other words, there can be multiple intermediate UE-to-Network Relays between the UE and the network. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery request messages as an intermediate UE-to-Network Relay based on the remaining relay hop count in the received discovery request message. If it decides to continue sending discovery request messages, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay updates or determines the remaining relay hop count carried in the discovery request message and continues sending discovery request messages, carrying the RSC and the remaining relay hop count. In one example, the remaining relay hops carried in the sent discovery request message are equal to the remaining relay hops carried in the received discovery request message (or the default value of the remaining relay hops) - 1.

[0100] The specific method by which the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines whether to continue sending discovery request messages can be referred to the example in step 903 of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0101] Step 906: The UE-to-Network Relay receives a discovery request message from the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. Based on the remaining relay hops in the received discovery request message, it determines whether it can provide services as a UE-to-Network Relay. The final relay hop count is then determined. In one example, this final relay hop count = maximum allowed multi-hop relay hops - remaining relay hops + 1.

[0102] For example, if the maximum allowed number of hops for multi-hop relays corresponding to the RSC configured in step 901a is 4, and the remaining relay hop count in the received discovery request message is 3, this means that after passing through one intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, plus the UE-to-Network Relay itself, a total of 2 relay UEs are needed to connect to the network. Therefore, 2 is taken as the final relay hop count, representing the number of relays including the UE-to-Network Relay. The UE-to-Network Relay returns a discovery response message to the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count.

[0103] Step 907: This step can be referred to as step 807 in Embodiment 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0104] Example 3: Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 3 of this application. This embodiment can be applied to... Figure 7 The scenario shown is that UE1 communicates with UE2 through a multi-hop relay UE.

[0105] In some examples, core network elements (such as PCF) configure short-range communication rules for UEs. Short-range communication rules can authorize a UE as an end UE or authorize a UE as a second relay UE (or UE-to-UE relay).

[0106] Short-range communication rules include one or more RSCs and multi-hop relay authorization information for each RSC. An RSC represents the relay service that can be provided.

[0107] Multi-hop relay authorization information includes, for example, at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0108] After authorizing the End UE and the second relay UE, the End UE obtains multi-hop relay information through the multi-hop relay discovery process, thereby communicating with the other End UE via the multi-hop relay. Multi-hop relay discovery includes two modes: Mode A and Mode B, which correspond to... Figure 10 The dashed box indicates two discovery methods, which are two parallel options; the remote UE can use either discovery method. For example... Figure 10 As shown, it includes at least a portion of the following steps: Step 1001: Core network elements, such as the PCF, configure near-field communication rules for the UE. This can be either directly sent messages or forwarded to the UE via other network elements, such as the AMF. Configuration for the End UE is step 1001a, and configuration for the UE-to-UE Relay is step 1001b. Steps 1001a and 1001b are not sequential. Specifically: In step 1001a, the core network element sends a near-field communication rule to the UE, authorizing the UE as an endpoint UE, which can communicate with another End UE through UE-to-UE Relay. The near-field communication rule includes one or more Relay Service Codes (RSCs) and multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC.

[0109] In step 1001b, the core network element sends a short-range communication rule to the UE, authorizing the UE to provide UE-to-UERelay service. The short-range communication rule includes one or more relay service codes (RSCs) and multi-hop relay information corresponding to each RSC.

[0110] The discovery of pattern A includes the following steps 1002 to 1004: Step 1002: UE2 sends a discovery announcement message, which carries RSC and UE2 information. The discovery announcement message can be a broadcast message.

[0111] Steps 1003-1004: The UE acting as a UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery announcement message. This message can be received from UE2 or from other UE-to-UE Relays. In other words, there can be multiple UE-to-UE Relays between UE1 and UE2. This discovery announcement message includes RSC and UE2 information. If received from UE2, it does not carry relay hop count information; in this case, the default relay hop count is 0. If received from other UE-to-UE Relays, it may also carry the first relay hop count, which is the current relay hop count (or the number of relay hops that have occurred).

[0112] The UE-to-UE Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery announcement messages as a UE-to-UE Relay based on the RSC and / or current relay hop count in the received discovery announcement message, as well as the authorized RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information in step 1001b. If it determines to continue sending discovery announcement messages, the UE-to-UE Relay updates or determines the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message and continues sending discovery announcement messages, which also carry the RSC and UE2 information. In one example, the current relay hop count carried in the sent discovery announcement message is equal to the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message (or the default value of the current relay hop count) + 1.

[0113] For example, if the discovery announcement message received by the UE-to-UE Relay from UE2 carries RSC 1, and the discovery announcement message does not carry the current relay hop count, it indicates that the initial default value of the current relay hop count is 0; and, in step 1001b of the authorization process, the intermediate UE-to-UE Relay receives RSC 1, and the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is 3; based on this information, the UE-to-UE Relay determines that the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is greater than the default value of the current relay hop count. Therefore, the UE-to-UE Relay can continue to send discovery announcement messages as a UE-to-UE Relay, and the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message is 1 (i.e., the default value of the current relay hop count + 1).

[0114] For example, if a UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery announcement message from another UE-to-UE Relay containing RSC 1 and the current relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 = 2; and the UE-to-UE Relay receives RSC 1 and the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 = 4 in step 1001b of the authorization process; based on this information, the UE-to-UE Relay determines that the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to RSC 1 is greater than the current relay hop count. Therefore, the UE-to-UE Relay can continue to send discovery announcement messages as a UE-to-UE Relay, and the current relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message = 3 (i.e., the current relay hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message + 1).

[0115] If the UE-to-UE Relay determines that the maximum allowed number of hops for a multi-hop relay corresponding to an RSC is less than or equal to the current number of hops for that RSC in the received discovery announcement message, it will stop sending discovery announcement messages.

[0116] UE1 can receive discovery announcement messages from multiple devices. Based on the received discovery announcement messages, UE1 can obtain the relay services that UE-to-UE Relay can support (identified by RSC). UE1 can also determine how many relays it needs to go through with UE2 based on the current relay hop count, and thus select a suitable relay for UE2 communication, such as prioritizing the relay with the lowest current relay hop count.

[0117] The discovery of Pattern B includes the following steps 1005 to 1010: Step 1005: UE1 sends a discovery request message, which carries RSC and UE1 information. The discovery request message can be a broadcast message.

[0118] Steps 1006-1007: The UE acting as a UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery request message. This message can be received from UE1 or from other UE-to-UE Relays. In other words, there can be multiple UE-to-UE Relays between UE1 and UE2. This discovery announcement message includes RSC and UE1 information. If received from UE1, it does not carry relay hop count information; in this case, for example, the current relay hop count is assumed to be 0. If received from other UE-to-UE Relays, it also carries the current relay hop count. Based on the RSC and / or current relay hop count in the received discovery request message, and the authorized RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information in step 1001b, the UE-to-UE Relay determines whether it can continue to send discovery request messages as a UE-to-UE Relay. If it is determined that discovery request messages will continue to be sent, the UE-to-UE Relay updates or determines the current trunk hop count carried in the discovery request message and continues to send discovery request messages. The sent discovery request message carries the RSC and the current trunk hop count, as well as the UE1 information for that RSC. In one example, the current trunk hop count carried in the sent discovery request message is equal to the current trunk hop count carried in the received discovery request message (or the default value of the current trunk hop count) + 1.

[0119] The specific method by which the UE-to-UE Relay determines whether to continue sending discovery request messages can be found in the examples in steps 1003-1004 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0120] Step 1008: After receiving the discovery request message, UE2 can send a discovery response message to the UE-to-UE Relay. This includes RSC, UE1 information, UE2 information, and the final relay hop count. The final relay hop count is the current relay hop count in the discovery request message received by the UE.

[0121] Steps 1009-1010: The UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery response message, which can be received from either the UE-to-UE Relay or UE2. The UE-to-UE Relay then sends a discovery response message to the previous UE-to-UE Relay or to UE1, carrying the RSC, UE1 information, UE2 information, and the final relay hop count.

[0122] UE1 obtains UE-to-UE Relay information based on the received discovery response message, and determines how many relays it needs to go through between itself and UE2 through the final relay hop count, thereby selecting a suitable relay access network, such as prioritizing relays with fewer final relay hop counts.

[0123] Example 4: Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the implementation of Embodiment 4 of this application. This embodiment can be applied to... Figure 7 The scenario shown is that UE1 communicates with UE2 through a multi-hop relay UE.

[0124] In this embodiment, the authorization method for each UE is the same as in Embodiment 3. After authorizing the endpoint UE and the second relay UE (i.e., UE-to-UE Relay), the endpoint UE obtains the relay UE's information through the multi-hop relay discovery process, thereby communicating with another endpoint UE through the multi-hop relay. The multi-hop relay discovery includes two discovery methods: Mode A and Mode B, which correspond to... Figure 11 The dashed box includes two discovery methods, which are two parallel options; the endpoint UE can use either discovery method. For example... Figure 11 As shown, it includes at least a portion of the following steps: Step 1101: The core network element configures the near-field communication rules to the UE, which can be referred to step 1001 in Example 3.

[0125] The discovery of pattern A includes the following steps 1102 to 1104: Step 1102: UE2 sends an announcement message, which carries RSC and UE2 information. The discovery announcement message can be a broadcast message.

[0126] Steps 1103-1104: The UE acting as a UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery announcement message. This message can be received from UE2 or from other UE-to-UE Relays. In other words, there can be multiple UE-to-UE Relays between UE1 and UE2. This discovery announcement message includes RSC and UE2 information. If it is received from UE2, it does not carry the remaining relay hop count information; in this case, for example, the default remaining relay hop count is the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count obtained in step 1101b. If it is received from other UE-to-UE Relays, it also carries the remaining relay hop count.

[0127] The UE-to-UE Relay determines whether it can continue sending discovery announcement messages as a UE-to-UE Relay based on the RSC and / or remaining trunk hop count in the received discovery announcement message, as well as the authorized RSC and multi-hop trunk authorization information in step 1101b. If it determines to continue sending discovery announcement messages, the UE-to-UE Relay updates or determines the remaining trunk hop count carried in the discovery announcement message and continues sending discovery announcement messages, which also carry the RSC and UE2 information. In one example, the remaining trunk hop count carried in the sent discovery announcement message is equal to the remaining trunk hop count carried in the received discovery announcement message (or the default value of the remaining trunk hop count) - 1.

[0128] For example, if the discovery announcement message received by the UE-to-UE Relay carries RSC 1 and the remaining relay hops corresponding to RSC 1, and the remaining relay hops = 2; and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay receives RSC 1 and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 in step 1101b of the authorization process, and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 includes information allowing multi-hop relays; based on this information, the UE-to-UE Relay determines that it can continue to send discovery announcement messages as a UE-to-UE Relay, and the remaining relay hops carried in the discovery announcement message = 1 (i.e., the remaining relay hops carried in the received discovery announcement message - 1).

[0129] If the remaining relay hop count carried in the discovery announcement message received by the UE-to-UE Relay is equal to 0, then the discovery announcement message will not be sent again. Alternatively, if the discovery announcement message received by the UE-to-UE Relay carries RSC 1 and the corresponding remaining relay hop count, and the remaining relay hop count is greater than 0, but the UE-to-UE Relay does not receive the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1 in step 1101b (or receives the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to RSC 1, but the multi-hop relay authorization information includes information that multi-hop relays are not allowed), then the discovery announcement message will not be sent again.

[0130] UE1 can receive discovery announcement messages from multiple devices. Based on the received discovery announcement messages, UE1 obtains the relay services (identified by RSC) that UE-to-UE Relay can support and the information of the peer UE2. UE1 can also determine how many relays it needs to go through with UE2 through the remaining relay hops (e.g., equal to the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hops minus the remaining relay hops), and thus select a suitable relay to communicate with UE2, such as prioritizing relays with more remaining hops.

[0131] The discovery of Pattern B includes the following steps 1105 to 1110: Regarding the discovery method for Model B: Step 1105: UE1 sends a discovery request message, which carries RSC and UE1 information. The discovery request message can be a broadcast message.

[0132] Steps 1106-1107: The UE acting as a UE-to-UE Relay receives a discovery request message. This message can be received from UE1 or from other UE-to-UE Relays. In other words, there can be multiple UE-to-UE Relays between UE1 and UE2. The discovery request message includes RSC and UE1 information. If received from UE1, it does not carry relay hop count information; in this case, for example, the default remaining relay hop count is the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count obtained in step 1101b. If received from other UE-to-UE Relays, it also carries the remaining relay hop count. Based on the remaining relay hop count in the received discovery request message, the UE-to-UE Relay can determine whether it can continue sending discovery request messages as a UE-to-UE Relay. If it is determined that discovery request messages will continue to be sent, the UE-to-UE Relay updates or determines the remaining trunk hops carried in the discovery request message and continues to send discovery request messages. The sent discovery request message carries the RSC and UE1 information, as well as the remaining trunk hops. In one example, the remaining trunk hops carried in the sent discovery request message are equal to the remaining trunk hops carried in the received discovery request message (or the default value of the remaining trunk hops) - 1.

[0133] The specific method by which the UE-to-UE Relay determines whether to continue sending discovery request messages can be referred to the examples in steps 1103-1104 of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0134] Step 1108: After receiving the discovery request message, UE2 can send a discovery response message to the UE-to-UE Relay. This includes the RSC, UE1 information, UE2 information, and the final relay hop count. For example, if the maximum allowed multi-hop relay hop count corresponding to the RSC configured in step 1101a is 4, and the remaining relay hop count in the received discovery request message is 1, it means that after passing through 3 intermediate UE-to-Network Relays, a total of 3 relay UEs are needed to connect to the network. Therefore, 3 is taken as the final relay hop count, representing the total number of relays required between UE1 and UE2.

[0135] Steps 1109-1110: These steps can be referred to as steps 1009-1010 in Example 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0136] This application's embodiments address the problem of how to discover relay UEs and obtain relay hop counts when communication between a UE and the network requires multiple relay UEs, or when communication between two UEs requires multiple relay UEs. This allows the UE to select a suitable relay UE to access the network or communicate with the peer UE.

[0137] In addition to the above embodiments, in some implementations, the relay communication method proposed in this application may further include: The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message or discovery request message, which carries the RSC and / or the first relay hop count; The terminal device determines whether to continue sending the discovery announcement message or discovery request message based on the content carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message and the multi-hop relay authorization information.

[0138] The terminal device can be a terminal device authorized as an intermediate relay, a first relay UE, or a second relay UE.

[0139] In one example, if it is determined that the discovery announcement message or discovery request message should continue to be sent, the terminal device updates or determines the first relay hop number carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message, and continues to send the discovery announcement message or discovery request message.

[0140] The first relay hop count may include at least one of the following: Number of relay hops that have occurred; Remaining relay hops.

[0141] In one example, the terminal device also receives a discovery response message carrying the RSC and the final relay hop count; the terminal device then sends the discovery response message.

[0142] In addition to the above embodiments, in some implementations, the relay communication method proposed in this application may further include: The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message from one or more first terminals, the discovery announcement message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the first relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The terminal device selects the first terminal based on the content carried by the one or more discovery announcement messages.

[0143] The terminal device can be a terminal device authorized as a remote UE or an endpoint UE.

[0144] In one example, the first terminal includes at least one of an intermediate relay, a first relay UE, and a second relay UE. For example, if the terminal device is authorized as a remote UE, the terminal device can receive discovery announcement messages from the intermediate relay and / or the first relay UE; or, if the terminal device is authorized as an endpoint UE, the terminal device can receive discovery announcement messages from the second relay UE.

[0145] The first relay hop count can include at least one of the following: Number of relay hops that have occurred; Remaining relay hops.

[0146] In one example, the terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried by one or more discovery announcement messages, including: If the first trunk hop count includes the number of trunk hops already occurred, the terminal device selects the first terminal with the fewest trunk hops already occurred; and / or, If the first trunk hop count includes the remaining trunk hop count, the terminal device selects the first terminal with the most remaining trunk hop count.

[0147] In one example, the method further includes receiving a discovery response message from one or more first terminals. This discovery response message carries the RSCs supported by the first terminals and the final relay hop count corresponding to those RSCs. The terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried in the one or more discovery response messages. For example, the terminal device can select the first terminal with the fewest final relay hop counts.

[0148] In summary, when the terminal device is a terminal device authorized as a first relay UE or an endpoint UE, in some embodiments, the relay communication method proposed in this application may further include: the terminal device sending a discovery announcement message, which carries RSC and / or the first relay hop count.

[0149] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the relay communication method proposed in this application may further include: The terminal device receives a discovery request message, which carries the RSC and the first relay hop count; The terminal device determines the final number of relay hops based on the first relay hop number carried in the discovery request message; The terminal device sends a discovery response message, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count.

[0150] The first relay hop count may include at least one of the following: Number of relay hops that have occurred; Remaining relay hops.

[0151] In some implementations, the number of relay hops already occurred (or the current number of relay hops) includes: the number of intermediate relays and the number of first relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message, or the number of second relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message. The former corresponds to... Figure 6 The scenario shown is one where a remote UE communicates with the network through multiple relay UEs; the latter corresponds to... Figure 7 The scenario shown is a scenario where two UEs communicate with each other through a multi-hop relay UE.

[0152] In some implementations, the remaining trunk hop count includes the difference between the maximum allowed number of multi-hop trunks corresponding to the RSC and the number of trunk hops that have occurred.

[0153] In some implementations, the final relay hop count includes: the number of intermediate relays traversed by the discovery request message when it reaches the first relay UE plus 1, or the number of second relay UEs traversed by the discovery request message when it reaches the endpoint UE. The former corresponds to... Figure 6 The scenario shown is one where a remote UE communicates with the network through multiple relay UEs; the latter corresponds to... Figure 7 The scenario shown is a scenario where two UEs communicate with each other through a multi-hop relay UE.

[0154] This application also proposes a relay communication method. Figure 12 This is a schematic flowchart of a relay communication method 1200 according to an embodiment of this application. The method can optionally be applied to... Figure 1-6 The system shown is not limited to this. The method includes at least a portion of the following.

[0155] S1210. The network device sends a short-range communication rule to the terminal device. The short-range communication rule includes the RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0156] The relay communication method proposed in this application sends short-range communication rules from the network device to the terminal device, which can authorize the multi-hop relay capability of the terminal device. This solves the problem of how to discover relay UEs and obtain the relay hop count when the UE and the network device need to communicate through multiple relay UEs, or when two UEs need to communicate through multiple relay UEs. This enables the support of multi-hop relay between remote UEs and network devices, and / or support of multi-hop relay between two UEs.

[0157] In some implementations, the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0158] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device acts as an intermediate relay.

[0159] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device is an intermediate relay, including: The short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a remote UE, and the authorized terminal device is the first relay UE.

[0160] In some implementations, one or more intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0161] In some implementations, the intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE; or, The intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and another intermediate relay; or, The intermediate relays are connected to two other intermediate relays respectively; or, The intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and the first relay UE respectively.

[0162] In some implementations, the remote UE accesses the operator network through one or more intermediate relays and a first relay UE.

[0163] In some implementations, the first relay UE is connected to the operator network.

[0164] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorized terminal device is a second relay UE.

[0165] In some implementations, multiple second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

[0166] In some implementations, the second relay UE is connected to both the endpoint UE and another second relay UE; or, The second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs.

[0167] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as the endpoint UE.

[0168] In some implementations, the endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE via multiple second relay UEs.

[0169] For a specific example of the network device executing method 1200 in this embodiment, please refer to the above-described method 500 and the relevant descriptions of network devices, such as core network elements, in embodiments one to four. For the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0170] Figure 13 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1300 according to an embodiment of this application. The terminal device 1300 may include: The first transceiver module 1310 is used to receive short-range communication rules, which include RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0171] In some implementations, the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0172] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device acts as an intermediate relay.

[0173] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device is an intermediate relay, including: The short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a remote UE, and the authorized terminal device is the first relay UE.

[0174] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorized terminal device is a second relay UE.

[0175] The first transceiver module 1310 is also used to receive discovery announcement messages or discovery request messages, which carry RSC and / or the first relay hop count.

[0176] Figure 14 This is a schematic block diagram of a terminal device 1400 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 14 As shown, the terminal device 1400 also includes: The first processing module 1420 is used to determine whether to continue sending the discovery announcement message or discovery request message based on the content carried by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message and the multi-hop relay authorization information.

[0177] In some implementations, the first processing module 1420 is further configured to update or determine the first relay hop number carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message if it is determined that the discovery announcement message or discovery request message should continue to be sent, and to continue sending the discovery announcement message or discovery request message.

[0178] In some implementations, the first transceiver module 1310 is further configured to receive a discovery response message, the discovery response message carrying the RSC and the final relay hop count; and send the discovery response message.

[0179] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a remote UE or an endpoint UE.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first transceiver module 1310 is further configured to receive a discovery announcement message from one or more first terminals, the discovery announcement message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the first relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The first processing module 1420 is used to select a first terminal based on the content carried by one or more discovery announcement messages.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first processing module 1420 is configured to select a first terminal with the fewest occurred relay hops, provided that the first relay hop count includes the number of occurred relay hops; and / or, If the number of the first trunk hops includes the number of remaining trunk hops, select the first terminal with the most remaining trunk hops.

[0182] In some implementations, the first transceiver module 1310 is further configured to receive a discovery response message from one or more first terminals, the discovery response message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the final relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The first processing module 1420 is also used to select a first terminal based on the content carried by one or more discovery response messages.

[0183] In some implementations, the first processing module 1420 is used to select the first terminal with the fewest final relay hops.

[0184] In some implementations, the first terminal includes at least one of an intermediate relay, a first relay UE, and a second relay UE.

[0185] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device is a first relay UE or an endpoint UE.

[0186] The first transceiver module 1310 is also used to send a discovery announcement message, which carries the RSC and / or the first relay hop count.

[0187] In some implementations, the first transceiver module 1310 is further configured to receive a discovery request message, the discovery request message carrying an RSC and a first relay hop count; The first processing module 1420 is also used to determine the final number of relay hops based on the first relay hop number carried in the discovery request message; The first transceiver module 1310 is also used to send a discovery response message, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count.

[0188] In some implementations, the first relay hop count includes at least one of the following: Number of relay hops that have occurred; Remaining relay hops.

[0189] In some implementations, the number of relay hops that have occurred is the number of intermediate relays and first relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message, or the number of second relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message.

[0190] In some implementations, the remaining trunk hop count includes the difference between the maximum allowed number of multi-hop trunks corresponding to the RSC and the number of trunk hops that have occurred.

[0191] In some implementations, the final relay hop count is the number of intermediate relays that the discovery request message passes through when it reaches the first relay UE plus 1, or the number of second relay UEs that the discovery request message passes through when it reaches the endpoint UE.

[0192] In some implementations, one or more intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0193] In some implementations, the intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE; or, The intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and another intermediate relay; or, The intermediate relays are connected to two other intermediate relays respectively; or, The intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and the first relay UE respectively.

[0194] In some implementations, the remote UE accesses the operator network through one or more intermediate relays and a first relay UE.

[0195] In some implementations, the first relay UE is connected to the operator network.

[0196] In some implementations, multiple second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

[0197] In some implementations... The second relay UE is connected to both the endpoint UE and another second relay UE; or, The second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs.

[0198] In some implementations, the endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE via multiple second relay UEs.

[0199] Terminal devices 1300 and 1400 in this application embodiment can implement the corresponding functions of the terminal devices in the aforementioned method embodiments. The processes, functions, implementation methods, and beneficial effects of each module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.) in terminal devices 1300 and 1400 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described for each module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.) in terminal devices 1300 and 1400 in this application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.).

[0200] Figure 15 This is a schematic block diagram of a network device 1500 according to an embodiment of this application. The network device 1500 may include: The second transceiver module 1510 is used to send short-range communication rules to the terminal device. The short-range communication rules include RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0201] In some implementations, the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0202] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device acts as an intermediate relay.

[0203] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorizing terminal device is an intermediate relay, including: The short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a remote UE, and the authorized terminal device is the first relay UE.

[0204] In some implementations, one or more intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0205] In some implementations, the intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE; or, The intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and another intermediate relay; or, The intermediate relays are connected to two other intermediate relays respectively; or, The intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and the first relay UE respectively.

[0206] In some implementations, the remote UE accesses the operator network through one or more intermediate relays and a first relay UE.

[0207] In some implementations, the first relay UE is connected to the operator network.

[0208] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule-authorized terminal device is a second relay UE.

[0209] In some implementations, multiple second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

[0210] In some implementations, the second relay UE is connected to both the endpoint UE and another second relay UE; or, The second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs.

[0211] In some implementations, the short-range communication rule authorizes the terminal device as the endpoint UE.

[0212] In some implementations, the endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE via multiple second relay UEs.

[0213] The network device 1500 of this application embodiment can realize the corresponding functions of the network device in the foregoing method embodiments. The processes, functions, implementation methods, and beneficial effects of each module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.) in the network device 1500 can be found in the corresponding descriptions in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the functions described for each module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.) in the network device 1500 of the application embodiment can be implemented by different modules (sub-modules, units, or components, etc.) or by the same module (sub-module, unit, or component, etc.).

[0214] Figure 16 This is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device 1600 according to an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1600 includes a processor 1610, which can call and run computer programs from memory to enable the communication device 1600 to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0215] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 may further include a memory 1620. The processor 1610 can retrieve and run computer programs from the memory 1620 to enable the communication device 1600 to implement the methods described in the embodiments of this application.

[0216] The memory 1620 can be a separate device independent of the processor 1610, or it can be integrated into the processor 1610.

[0217] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 may further include a transceiver 1630, and the processor 1610 may control the transceiver 1630 to communicate with other devices. Specifically, it may send information or data to other devices or receive information or data sent by other devices.

[0218] The transceiver 1630 may include a transmitter and a receiver. The transceiver 1630 may further include an antenna, and the number of antennas may be one or more.

[0219] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be a network device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 1600 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0220] In one embodiment, the communication device 1600 may be a terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the communication device 600 may implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0221] Figure 17This is a schematic structural diagram of a chip 1700 according to an embodiment of this application. The chip 1700 includes a processor 1710, which can call and run computer programs from memory to implement the methods in the embodiments of this application.

[0222] In one embodiment, chip 1700 may further include memory 1720. Processor 1710 can retrieve and run computer programs from memory 1720 to implement the methods executed by a terminal device or network device in this embodiment.

[0223] The memory 1720 can be a separate device independent of the processor 1710, or it can be integrated into the processor 1710.

[0224] In one embodiment, the chip 1700 may further include an input interface 1730. The processor 1710 can control the input interface 1730 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can acquire information or data sent by other devices or chips.

[0225] In one embodiment, the chip 1700 may further include an output interface 1740. The processor 1710 can control the output interface 1740 to communicate with other devices or chips; specifically, it can output information or data to other devices or chips.

[0226] In one implementation, the chip can be applied to the network device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the network device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0227] In one embodiment, the chip can be applied to the terminal device in the embodiments of this application, and the chip can implement the corresponding processes implemented by the terminal device in the various methods of the embodiments of this application. For the sake of brevity, it will not be described in detail here.

[0228] The chips used in network equipment and terminal equipment can be the same chip or different chips.

[0229] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0230] The processors mentioned above can be general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. Among them, the general-purpose processors mentioned above can be microprocessors or any conventional processor.

[0231] The aforementioned memory can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or a combination of both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM).

[0232] It should be understood that the above-described memory is exemplary and not a limiting description. For example, the memory in the embodiments of this application may also be static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DR RAM), etc. That is to say, the memory in the embodiments of this application is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0233] The embodiments of this application also disclose at least the following solutions.

[0234] 1. A relay communication method, comprising: The terminal device receives a short-range communication rule, which includes a relay service code (RSC) and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0235] 2. The method according to Scheme 1, wherein the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0236] 3. The method according to scheme 1 or 2, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as an intermediate relay.

[0237] 4. The method according to Scheme 3, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as an intermediate relay, including: The near-field communication rules authorize the terminal device as a remote user equipment (UE) and authorize the terminal device as a first relay UE.

[0238] 5. The method according to scheme 1 or 2, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a second relay UE.

[0239] 6. The method according to any one of schemes 1-5 further includes, The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message or a discovery request message, wherein the discovery announcement message or discovery request message carries an RSC and / or a first relay hop count; The terminal device determines whether to continue sending the discovery announcement message or discovery request message based on the content carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message and the multi-hop relay authorization information.

[0240] 7. The method according to Scheme 6 further includes, If it is determined that the discovery announcement message or discovery request message should continue to be sent, the terminal device updates or determines the first relay hop number carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message, and continues to send the discovery announcement message or discovery request message.

[0241] 8. The method according to scheme 6 or 7 further includes, The terminal device receives a discovery response message, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count. The terminal device sends the discovery response message.

[0242] 9. The method according to scheme 1 or 2, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a remote UE or an endpoint UE.

[0243] 10. The method according to scheme 1, 2 or 9 further includes, The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message from one or more first terminals, the discovery announcement message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the first relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried in one or more discovery announcement messages.

[0244] 11. The method according to Scheme 10, wherein the terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried by the one or more discovery announcement messages, including: If the first relay hop count includes the number of relay hops that have already occurred, the terminal device selects the first terminal with the fewest relay hops that have already occurred; and / or, If the first number of relay hops includes the remaining number of relay hops, the terminal device selects the first terminal with the most remaining relay hops.

[0245] 12. The method according to scheme 1, 2 or 9 further includes, The terminal device receives a discovery response message from one or more first terminals, the discovery response message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the final relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried in one or more discovery response messages.

[0246] 13. The method according to Scheme 12, wherein the terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried by the one or more discovery response messages, including: The terminal device selects the first terminal with the fewest final relay hops.

[0247] 14. The method according to any one of schemes 10-13, wherein the first terminal includes at least one of an intermediate relay, a first relay UE, and a second relay UE.

[0248] 15. The method according to scheme 1 or 2, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a first relay UE or an endpoint UE.

[0249] 16. The method according to scheme 1, 2, or 15 further includes, The terminal device sends a discovery announcement message, which carries the RSC and / or the first relay hop count.

[0250] 17. The method according to scheme 1, 2 or 15 further includes, The terminal device receives a discovery request message, the discovery request message carrying an RSC and a first relay hop count; The terminal device determines the final number of relay hops based on the first relay hop number carried in the discovery request message; The terminal device sends a discovery response message, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count.

[0251] 18. The method according to any one of schemes 6-8, 10-11, and 16-17, wherein the first relay hop count includes at least one of the following: Number of relay hops that have occurred; Remaining relay hops.

[0252] 19. The method according to Scheme 18, wherein the number of relay hops that have occurred is the number of intermediate relays and the number of first relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message, or the number of second relay UEs traversed by the discovery announcement message or discovery request message.

[0253] 20. The method according to scheme 18 or 19, wherein the remaining trunk hop count includes the difference between the maximum allowed multi-hop trunk hop count corresponding to the RSC and the trunk hop count that has occurred.

[0254] 21. The method according to schemes 8, 12, 13 or 17, wherein the final relay hop count is the number of intermediate relays traversed when the discovery request message reaches the first relay UE plus 1, or the number of second relay UEs traversed when the discovery request message reaches the endpoint UE.

[0255] 22. The method according to scheme 3, 4 or 14, wherein one or more of the intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0256] 23. The method according to scheme 22, wherein, The intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE; or... The intermediate relay is connected to the remote UE and another intermediate relay respectively; or, The intermediate relays are connected to two other intermediate relays respectively; or, The intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and the first relay UE, respectively.

[0257] 24. The method according to schemes 4, 9, 22 or 23, wherein the remote UE accesses the operator network through one or more intermediate relays and a first relay UE.

[0258] 25. The method according to schemes 4, 14, 15, 22, 23 or 24, wherein the first relay UE is connected to the operator network.

[0259] 26. The method according to scheme 5 or 14, wherein a plurality of the second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

[0260] 27. The method according to scheme 26, wherein, The second relay UE is connected to the endpoint UE and another second relay UE, respectively; or, The second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs respectively.

[0261] 28. The method according to schemes 9, 15, 26 or 27, wherein the endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE through a plurality of second relay UEs.

[0262] 29. A relay communication method, comprising: The network device sends a short-range communication rule to the terminal device. The short-range communication rule includes a relay service code (RSC) and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0263] 30. The method according to Scheme 29, wherein the multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

[0264] 31. The method according to scheme 29 or 30, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as an intermediate relay.

[0265] 32. The method according to Scheme 31, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as an intermediate relay, including: The near-field communication rules authorize the terminal device as a remote UE and authorize the terminal device as a first relay UE.

[0266] 33. The method according to scheme 31 or 32, wherein one or more of the intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

[0267] 34. The method according to scheme 33, wherein, The intermediate relay is connected to both the remote UE and the first relay UE; or... The intermediate relay is connected to the remote UE and another intermediate relay respectively; or, The intermediate relays are connected to two other intermediate relays respectively; or, The intermediate relay is connected to another intermediate relay and the first relay UE, respectively.

[0268] 35. The method according to scheme 32 or 33, wherein the remote UE accesses the operator network through one or more intermediate relays and a first relay UE.

[0269] 36. The method according to any one of schemes 32-35, wherein the first relay UE is connected to the operator network.

[0270] 37. The method according to scheme 29 or 30, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as a second relay UE.

[0271] 38. The method according to scheme 37, wherein a plurality of second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

[0272] 39. The method according to scheme 38, wherein, The second relay UE is connected to the endpoint UE and another second relay UE, respectively; or, The second relay UE is connected to two other second relay UEs respectively.

[0273] 40. The method according to scheme 29 or 30, wherein the near-field communication rule authorizes the terminal device as an endpoint UE.

[0274] 41. The method according to scheme 40, wherein the endpoint UE is connected to another endpoint UE through a plurality of second relay UEs.

[0275] 42. A terminal device, comprising: The first transceiver module is used to receive short-range communication rules, which include RSC and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0276] 43. A network device, comprising: The second transceiver module is used to send short-range communication rules to the terminal device. The short-range communication rules include RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

[0277] 44. A terminal device comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory, the memory for storing a computer program, the transceiver for communicating with other devices, and the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to cause the terminal device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28.

[0278] 45. A network device comprising: a transceiver, a processor, and a memory, the memory for storing a computer program, the transceiver for communicating with other devices, and the processor for calling and running the computer program stored in the memory to cause the network device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 29 to 41.

[0279] 46. ​​A chip comprising: a processor for retrieving and running a computer program from a memory, causing a device having the chip mounted to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 28 or 29 to 41.

[0280] 47. A computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program that, when run by a device, causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of schemes 1 to 28 or 29 to 41.

[0281] 48. A computer program product comprising computer program instructions that cause a computer to perform the method as described in any one of schemes 1 to 28 or 29 to 41.

[0282] 49. A computer program that causes a computer to perform the method as described in any one of schemes 1 to 28 or 29 to 41.

[0283] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. This computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When these computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available media can be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., DVDs), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state drives (SSDs)).

[0284] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0285] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0286] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A relay communication method, comprising: The terminal device receives a short-range communication rule, which includes a Relay Service Code (RSC) and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC. The multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The short-range communication rules authorize the terminal device to act as an intermediate relay. One or more of the intermediate relays are located between the remote UE and the first relay UE. The first relay UE is connected to the operator's network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The short-range communication rules authorize the terminal device as the second relay UE. Among them, multiple second relay UEs are located between two endpoint UEs.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising: The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message or a discovery request message, wherein the discovery announcement message or discovery request message carries an RSC and / or a first relay hop count; The terminal device determines whether to continue sending the discovery announcement message or discovery request message based on the content carried in the discovery announcement message or discovery request message and the multi-hop relay authorization information.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The terminal device receives a discovery response message, which carries the RSC and the final relay hop count. The terminal device sends the discovery response message.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The near-field communication rules authorize the terminal device as a remote UE or an endpoint UE.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 6, further comprising: The terminal device receives a discovery announcement message from one or more first terminals, the discovery announcement message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the first relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried in one or more discovery announcement messages.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 6, further comprising: The terminal device receives a discovery response message from one or more first terminals, the discovery response message carrying the RSC supported by the first terminal and the final relay hop number corresponding to the RSC; The terminal device selects a first terminal based on the content carried in one or more discovery response messages.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, The first terminal includes at least one of an intermediate relay, a first relay UE, and a second relay UE.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The near-field communication rules authorize the terminal device as a first relay UE or an endpoint UE.

11. A relay communication method, comprising: The network device sends a short-range communication rule to the terminal device. The short-range communication rule includes a relay service code (RSC) and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein, The short-range communication rules authorize the terminal device to act as an intermediate relay.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The network device is a PCF.

15. A terminal device, comprising: The first transceiver module is used to receive short-range communication rules, which include RSCs and multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSCs. The multi-hop relay authorization information includes at least one of the following: Is multi-hop relay allowed? Maximum number of hops allowed for multi-hop relays.

16. A network device, comprising: The second transceiver module is used to send short-range communication rules to the terminal device. The short-range communication rules include RSC and the multi-hop relay authorization information corresponding to the RSC.

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