Proximity service for layer 3 multi-hop relay

Abstract

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for enabling Proximity Services (ProSe) using Layer 3 multi-hop relays in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET). The apparatus includes a User Equipment (UE) configured to act as a relay, which collects and announces a list of reachable UEs. The method involves a discovery process in which the relay learns of nearby UEs and propagates this information using a discovery information message. The discovery information message includes identifiers of the reachable UEs, an identifier of the relay, and optional security information. The method also supports multi-hop UE-to-UE relays and UE-to-network relays, thereby allowing communication paths to be established through multiple relays.

Description

[0001] Priority requirements This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 554,070, filed February 15, 2024, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 676,788, filed July 29, 2024, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments relate to wireless networks and wireless communications. Some embodiments relate to multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and multi-hop UE-to-network relay in a Proximity Services (ProSe) environment. Background Technology

[0003] Mobile communication has evolved significantly from early voice systems to highly complex integrated communication platforms. Next-generation (NG) wireless communication systems include 5G... th 5G and 6G, or New Radio (NR) systems, are designed to provide access to information and data sharing for a wide range of users (e.g., User Equipment (UE)) and applications. NR aims to be a unified network / system to meet the diverse and sometimes conflicting performance dimensions and services driven by different services and applications. Consequently, the complexity of such communication systems and the interactions between components within them have increased. For example, the complexity of ProSe communication increases significantly when direct Layer 3 UE-UE communication is unavailable, i.e., when more ProSe communication involves multiple Layer 3 hops. Attached Figure Description

[0004] This disclosure is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example rather than limitation, wherein the same reference numerals denote the same elements, and wherein: Figure 1A The diagram illustrates the network architecture based on several aspects.

[0005] Figure 1B The diagram illustrates the architecture of a non-roaming 5G system based on several aspects.

[0006] Figure 1C The diagram illustrates the architecture of a non-roaming 5G system based on several aspects.

[0007] Figure 2 A block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0008] Figure 3 The illustration shows Layer 3 multi-hop U2U relay support according to some embodiments.

[0009] Figure 4 The illustration depicts a ProSe UE-to-UE (U2U) relay according to some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 5 The illustration shows the discovery of ProSe U2U Relay according to some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 6 The illustration shows the establishment of a Layer 2 link via a 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE to UE relay according to some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 7 The illustration depicts a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) network according to some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 8 The illustration shows a MANET router with ProSe U2U relay capability according to some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 9 The illustration shows the use according to some embodiments. Figure 8 The MANET router sends signaling to establish a connection. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The following description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to implement these embodiments. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included in or replace parts and features of other embodiments. The embodiments set forth in the claims cover all available equivalents of these claims.

[0016] Figure 1A The diagram illustrates the network architecture based on several aspects. Network 140A includes 3GPP LTE / 4G and NG network functions, which can be extended to 6G capabilities. Therefore, although 5G will be mentioned, it should be understood that this is to enable the expansion to 6G architecture, systems, and functions. Network functions can be implemented as discrete network elements on dedicated hardware, software instances running on dedicated hardware, and / or virtualized functions instantiated on appropriate platforms (e.g., dedicated hardware or cloud infrastructure).

[0017] Network 140A is shown as including User Equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102. UE 101 and UE 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a portable (laptop) or desktop computer, a wireless handheld device, a drone, or any other computing device including wired and / or wireless communication interfaces. UE 101 and UE 102 may be collectively referred to herein as UE 101, and UE 101 may be used to perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0018] Any radio link described herein (e.g., used in Network 140A or any other illustrated network) can operate according to any exemplary radio communication technology and / or standard. Any spectrum management scheme, including, for example, dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, and (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) in the 2.3–2.4 GHz, 3.4–3.6 GHz, 3.6–3.8 GHz and other bands, and Spectrum Access System (SAS) in the 3.55–3.7 GHz and other bands). Different single-carrier or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modes (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), particularly 3GPP NR, can be used by allocating OFDM carrier data bit vectors to the corresponding symbol resources.

[0019] In some aspects, any UE in UE 101 and UE 102 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) UE or a Cellular IoT (CIoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connectivity. In some aspects, any UE in UE 101 and UE 102 may include a narrowband (NB) IoT UE (e.g., enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and further enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE). IoT UEs may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communication (MTC) for exchanging data with MTC servers or devices via a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) or Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network includes interconnected IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure) with short-lived connectivity. IoT UEs can execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, state updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity in IoT networks. In some respects, any UE in UE 101 and UE 102 may include an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE or a further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UE.

[0020] UE 101 and UE 102 can be configured to connect (e.g., communicate-coupled) to a radio access network (RAN) 110. The RAN 110 may be, for example, an evolved universal mobile communications system (UMTS) terrestrial access network (E-UTRAN), a next-generation RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN.

[0021] UE 101 and UE 102 utilize connection 103 and connection 104 respectively, each connection including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example, connection 103 and connection 104 are illustrated as air interfaces to achieve communication coupling and can be consistent with cellular communication protocols such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network protocol, Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, Cellular PTT (POC) protocol, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, 5G protocol, 6G protocol, etc.

[0022] In one respect, UE 101 and UE 102 can also directly exchange communication data via ProSe interface 105. ProSe interface 105 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface, which includes one or more logical channels, including but not limited to the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), and Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH).

[0023] UE 102 is shown configured to access access point (AP) 106 via connection 107. Connection 107 may include a local wireless connection, such as, for example, a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, according to which AP 106 may include a Wi-Fi® router. In this example, AP 106 is shown connected to the Internet but not to the core network of the wireless system (as described in further detail below).

[0024] RAN 110 may include one or more access nodes that implement connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as base stations (BS), node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation Node Bs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). In some aspects, communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmit / receive points (TRPs). When communication nodes 111 and 112 are node Bs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may operate within the communication cell of the node B. RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes (e.g., macro RAN node 111) for providing macro cells, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells or picocells (e.g., cells with smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells), such as low-power (LP) RAN node 112.

[0025] Either RAN node 111 or RAN node 112 may terminate the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for UE 101 and UE 102. In some aspects, either RAN node 111 or RAN node 112 may implement various logical functions for RAN 110, including but not limited to: Radio Network Controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearer management, dynamic radio resource management for uplink and downlink, packet scheduling, and mobility management. In one example, either node 111 and / or node 112 may be a gNB, eNB, or another type of RAN node.

[0026] RAN 110 is shown communicatively coupled to core network (CN) 120 via S1 interface 113. In various respects, CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a next-generation packet core (NPC) network, or some other type of CN (e.g., as referenced). Figures 1B to 1C (As illustrated). In this respect, the S1 interface 113 is split into two parts: the S1-U interface 114, which carries service data between RAN nodes 111 and RAN nodes 112 and the serving gateway (S-GW) 122; and the S1-Mobility Management Entity (MME) interface 115, which is the signaling interface between RAN nodes 111 and RAN nodes 112 and the MME 121.

[0027] In this regard, CN 120 includes MME 121, S-GW 122, Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 123, and Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 124. The MME 121 functions similarly to the control plane of a Traditional Service General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN). The MME 121 manages mobility aspects of access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 124 may include a database for network users containing subscription-related information to support network entities in handling communication sessions. CN 120 may include one or more HSS 124s, depending on the number of mobile subscribers, device capacity, network organization, etc. For example, the HSS 124 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc.

[0028] The S-GW 122 can terminate the S1 interface 113 toward RAN 110 and route data packets between RAN 110 and CN 120. Furthermore, the S-GW 122 can serve as a local mobility anchor for inter-RAN node handover and can also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include lawful interception, billing, and some policy enforcement.

[0029] P-GW 123 can terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. P-GW 123 can route data packets between CN 120 and external networks (such as a network containing application server 184 (or application function (AF))) via Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125. P-GW 123 can also transmit data to other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IPS) networks, and other networks. Typically, application server 184 can be a network element that provides applications using IP bearer resources of the core network (e.g., UMTS Packet Service (PS) domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). In this respect, P-GW 123 is shown as communicatively coupled to application server 184 via IP interface 125. Application server 184 can also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UE 101 and UE 102 via CN 120.

[0030] P-GW 123 can also be a node used for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is the policy and charging control network element of CN 120. In non-roaming scenarios, in some aspects, there may be a single PCRF associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session within the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN). In roaming scenarios with local traffic offloading, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: the Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within the HPLMN and the Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) within the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). PCRF 126 can be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via P-GW 123.

[0031] In some aspects, the communication network 140A can be an IoT network or a 5G or 6G network, encompassing a 5G New Radio network that communicates in both licensed spectrum (5G NR) and unlicensed spectrum (5G NR-U). One of the current enabling technologies for IoT is narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). Operation in the unlicensed spectrum can include dual connectivity (DC) operation and a standalone LTE system in the unlicensed spectrum, under which LTE-based technologies operate only in the unlicensed spectrum without using an "anchor" in the licensed spectrum, known as MulteFire. In subsequent versions and 5G systems, the operation of the LTE system in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum is expected to be further enhanced. This enhanced operation can include technologies for sidelink resource allocation and UE processing behavior for NR sidelink V2X communication.

[0032] The NG system architecture (or 6G system architecture) may include RAN 110 and 5G core network (5GC) 120. NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes, such as gNBs and NG-eNBs. CN 120 (e.g., 5G core network / 5GC) may include Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) and / or User Plane Functions (UPF). AMF and UPF may be communicatively coupled to gNBs and NG-eNBs via NG interfaces. More specifically, in some aspects, gNBs and NG-eNBs may connect to the AMF via NG-C interfaces and to the UPF via NG-U interfaces. gNBs and NG-eNBs may be coupled to each other via Xn interfaces.

[0033] In some aspects, the NG system architecture can use reference points between nodes. In some aspects, each of the gNB and NG-eNB can be implemented as a base station, mobile edge server, small cell, home eNB, etc. In some aspects, the gNB can be the master node (PN) in the 5G architecture, and the NG-eNB can be the secondary node (SN).

[0034] Figure 1B The diagram illustrates the non-roaming 5G system architecture based on several aspects. Specifically, Figure 1B The diagram illustrates a 5G system architecture 140B using reference point representation, which can be extended to a 6G system architecture. More specifically, UE 102 can communicate with RAN 110 and one or more other 5GC network entities. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as AMF 132, Session Management Function (SMF) 136, Policy Control Function (PCF) 148, Application Function (AF) 150, UPF 134, Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) 142, Authentication Server Function (AUSF) 144, and Unified Data Management (UDM) / Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 146.

[0035] UPF 134 can provide connectivity to data network (DN) 152, which may include, for example, operator services, internet access, or third-party services. AMF 132 can be used to manage access control and mobility, and may also include network slice selection functionality. AMF 132 can provide UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc., and can be independent of the access technology. SMF 136 can be configured to establish and manage various sessions according to network policies. Therefore, SMF 136 can be responsible for session management and assigning IP addresses to UEs. SMF 136 can also select and control UPF 134 for data transmission. SMF 136 can be associated with a single session of UE 101 or multiple sessions of UE 101. That is, UE 101 can have multiple 5G sessions. Different SMFs can be assigned to each session. Using different SMFs allows each session to be managed individually. Therefore, the functionality of each session can be independent of each other.

[0036] UPF 134 can be deployed in one or more configurations depending on the desired service type and can connect to a data network. PCF 148 can be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to PCRF in 4G communication systems). UDM can be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to HSS in 4G communication systems).

[0037] AF 150 can provide information about packet flows to PCF 148, which is responsible for policy control, to support desired QoS. PCF 148 can set mobility and session management policies for UE 101. To this end, PCF 148 can use packet flow information to determine the appropriate policies for the correct operation of AMF 132 and SMF 136. AUSF 144 can store data used for UE authentication.

[0038] In some aspects, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 168B and several IP Multimedia Core Network Subsystem entities, such as the Call Session Control Function (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF that can act as a proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162B, a serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, and an emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) (not listed in the original text). Figure 1B(See diagram) or query CSCF (I-CSCF) 166B. P-CSCF 162B can be configured as the first point of contact for UE 102 within the IM subsystem (IMS) 168B. S-CSCF 164B can be configured to handle session states within the network, and E-CSCF can be configured to handle certain aspects of emergency sessions, such as routing emergency requests to the correct emergency center or PSAP. I-CSCF 166B can be configured to act as a point of contact within an operator's network for all IMS connections to subscribers of that network operator or roaming subscribers currently within that network operator's service area. In some respects, I-CSCF 166B can connect to another IP multimedia network 170B, such as an IMS operated by a different network operator.

[0039] In some respects, the UDM / HSS 146 can be coupled to an application server, which may include a Telephone Application Server (TAS) or another Application Server (AS) 160B. The AS 160B can be coupled to the IMS 168B via the S-CSCF 164B or the I-CSCF 166B.

[0040] The reference point representation shows that interactions can exist between corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1B The following reference points are illustrated: N1 (between UE 102 and AMF 132), N2 (between RAN 110 and AMF 132), N3 (between RAN 110 and UPF 134), N4 (between SMF 136 and UPF 134), N5 (between PCF 148 and AF 150, not shown), N6 (between UPF 134 and DN 152), N7 (between SMF 136 and PCF 148, not shown), N8 (between UDM 146 and AMF 132, not shown), N9 (between the two UPF 134s, not shown), N10 (between UDM 146 and SMF 136, not shown), N11 (between AMF 132 and SMF 136, not shown), N12 (between AMF 144 and AMF 132). N13 (between AMF 144 and UDM 146, not shown), N14 (between the two AMF 132, not shown), N15 (between PCF 148 and AMF 132 in non-roaming scenarios, or between PCF 148 and the visited network and AMF 132 in roaming scenarios, not shown), N16 (between the two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between AMF 132 and NSSF 142, not shown). Alternatively, [the following can be used]: Figure 1B Other reference points are shown in the figure.

[0041] Figure 1C The diagram illustrates the 5G system architecture 140C and its service-based representation. Besides... Figure 1B In addition to the network entities illustrated, system architecture 140C may also include Network Open Function (NEF) 154 and Network Repository Function (NRF) 156. In some aspects, the 5G system architecture can be service-based, and the interaction between network functions can be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points Ni or represented as service-based interfaces.

[0042] In some aspects, such as Figure 1C As illustrated, service-based representations can be used to represent network functions within the control plane that enable other authorized network functions to access their services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface presented by AMF 132), Nsmf 158I (a service-based interface presented by SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface presented by NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface presented by PCF 148), Nudm 158E (a service-based interface presented by UDM 146), Naf 158F (a service-based interface presented by AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface presented by NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface presented by NSSF 142), and Nausf 158G (a service-based interface presented by AUSF 144). Figure 1C Other service-based interfaces not shown in the diagram (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, and Nudsf) may also be used.

[0043] The NR-V2X architecture supports highly reliable, low-latency sidelink communication with various service modes, including periodic and aperiodic communication with random packet arrival times and sizes. The techniques disclosed herein can be used to support high reliability in distributed communication systems with dynamic topologies, including sidelink NR V2X communication systems.

[0044] Figure 2 A block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments is shown. Communication device 200 may be a UE, such as a dedicated computer, personal computer (PC) or laptop computer, tablet computer, or smartphone; a dedicated network device, such as an eNB; a server running software to configure itself to operate as a network device; a virtual device; or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) specifying actions to be performed by that machine. For example, communication device 200 may be implemented as... Figures 1A to 1COne or more devices are shown. Note that the communications described herein may be encoded by the sending entity (e.g., UE, gNB) before transmission for reception by the receiving entity (e.g., gNB, UE), and decoded by the receiving entity after reception.

[0045] As described herein, examples may include or may run on logic or multiple components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules and components are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operations and may be configured or arranged in a particular manner. In one example, circuitry may be arranged in a specified manner (e.g., internally or relative to external entities such as other circuitry) as a module. In one example, all or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone, client, or server computer systems), or one or more hardware processors, may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application portions, or applications) to operate to perform specified operations. In one example, software may reside on a machine-readable medium. In one example, when the software is executed by the underlying hardware of the module, it causes the hardware to perform the specified operations.

[0046] Therefore, the terms "module" (and "component") should be understood to include tangible entities, whether those entities are physically constructed, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., provisionally) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a particular manner or perform any of the operations described herein, in whole or in part. Consider the example of modules being temporarily configured; each module need not be instantiated at any given moment. For example, in the case where modules include general-purpose hardware processors configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processors may be configured as correspondingly different modules at different times. The software can thus configure the hardware processors, for example, to constitute a particular module at one time and a different module at another.

[0047] Communication device 200 may include a hardware processor (or equivalent processing circuitry) 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), GPU, hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 204, and static memory 206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via interconnect (e.g., bus) 208. Main memory 204 may contain any or all of removable and non-removable storage, volatile or non-volatile memory. Communication device 200 may also include a display unit 210 (such as a video display), an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, display unit 210, input device 212, and UI navigation device 214 may be a touchscreen display. Communication device 200 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 216, a signal generation device 218 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 220, and one or more sensors, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or another sensor. The communication device 200 may also include an output controller, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC)) connection, to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printers, card readers, etc.).

[0048] Storage device 216 may include a non-transitory machine-readable medium 222 (hereinafter referred to as machine-readable medium) on which one or more sets of data structures or instructions 224 (e.g., software) are stored, the data structures or instructions 224 embodying or being utilized by any one or more of the technologies or functions described herein. The non-transitory machine-readable medium 222 is a tangible medium. During execution by communication device 200, the instructions 224 may also reside wholly or at least partially within main memory 204, static memory 206, and / or hardware processor 202. Although machine-readable medium 222 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 224.

[0049] The term "machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions that are executed by the communication device 200 and cause the communication device 200 to perform any one or more of the technologies disclosed herein, or a medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media can include solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media can include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable hard disks; magneto-optical disks; random access memory (RAM); and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs.

[0050] Instruction 224 can also be sent or received via a communication network using transmission medium 226 through network interface device 220, which utilizes any of a variety of wireless local area network (WLAN) transmission protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile phone networks (e.g., cellular networks), common-use telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks. Communication over a network may include one or more different protocols, such as the IEEE 802.11 series of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 series of standards known as WiMax, the IEEE 802.15.4 series of standards, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) series of standards, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) series of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, next-generation (NG) / fifth-generation (5G) standards, etc. In the example, network interface device 220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to transmission medium 226.

[0051] Note that, as used herein, the term "circuit system" refers to, constitutes part of, or includes the following hardware components: such as electronic circuits, logic circuits, processors (shared, dedicated, or grouped) and / or memories (shared, dedicated, or grouped), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable SoCs), digital signal processors (DSPs), etc., which are configured to provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, the circuit system may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least a portion of the described functionality. The term "circuit system" may also refer to a combination of program code for implementing program code functionality and one or more hardware elements (or combinations of circuits used in electrical or electronic systems). In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit system.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "processor circuit system" or "processor" therefore refer to, are part of, or include circuit systems capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations, or recording, storing, and / or transmitting digital data. The terms "processor circuit system" or "processor" may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, a physical central processing unit (CPU), a single-core or multi-core processor, and / or any other device capable of executing or otherwise running computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, and / or functional procedures).

[0053] Any radio link described herein may operate according to any one or more of the following radio communication technologies and / or standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) radio communication technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) radio communication technology, Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE) radio communication technology, and / or 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) radio communication technologies, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Free Multimedia Access (FOMA), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3GPP LTE Advanced, Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, 3rd Generation (3G), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), High Speed ​​Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (3G) (UMTS (3G)), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) UMTS, High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High-Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High-Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access Enhanced (HSPA+), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Time Division Duplex (UMTS-TDD), Time Division Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA), 3GPP Rel. 8 (Pre-4G), 3GPP Rel. 9, 3GPP Rel. 10, 3GPP Rel. 11, 3GPP Rel. 12, 3GPP Rel. 13, 3GPP Rel. 14, 3GPP Rel. 15, 3GPP Rel. 16 (3rd Generation Partnership Project version 16), 3GPP Rel. 17 (3rd Generation Partnership Project version 17), and subsequent versions (such as Rel. 18, Rel. 17).19, etc.), 3GPP 5G, 5G, 5G New Radio (5G NR), 3GPP 5G New Radio, 3GPP LTE Extra, LTE-Advanced Pro, LTE Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), MuLTEfire, UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), LTE Advanced (4G), cdmaOne (2G), CDMA2000 (3G), Evolved Data Optimized or Evolved Data Only (EV-DO), Advanced Mobile Telephone Systems (1G) (AMPS (1G)), Total Access Communications System / Extended Total Access Communications System (TACS / ETACS), Digital AMPS (2G) (D-AMPS) (2G), Push-to-Talk (PTT), Mobile Telephone System (MTS), Improved Mobile Telephone System (IMTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), OLT (Norwegian for "Offentlig Landmobil Telefoni"), MTD (Swedish for "Mobiltelefonisystem") The abbreviation for "D" (or mobile phone system D), Public Automated Land Mobile (Autotel / PALM), ARP (Finnish "Autoradiopuhelin", "car radio phone"), NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone), High Capacity Version NTT (Japan Telegraph and Telephone Company) (Hicap), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, DataTAC, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), Personal Handheld Telephone System (PHS), Broadband Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (WiDEN), iBurst, Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), also known as 3GPP Universal Access Network (or GAN standard), Zigbee, Bluetooth®, Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) standard, Millimeter Wave Universal Standard (wireless systems operating in 10-300 GHz and above, such as WiGig, IEEE 802.11ad, IEEE 802.11ay, etc.), technologies operating in the terahertz band above 300 GHz, (based on 3GPP / LTE or IEEE 802.11p or IEEE 802.Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) communication technologies (11bd and others), 3GPP cellular V2X, DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) communication systems, such as intelligent transportation systems (typically operating at 5850 MHz to 5925 MHz or higher (usually up to 5935 MHz according to the proposed changes in CEPT Report No. 71)), European ITS-G5 systems (i.e., the European version of DSRC based on IEEE 802.11p, including ITS-G5A (i.e., ITS-G5 operating in the European ITS band dedicated to ITS security-related applications, with a frequency range of 5.875 GHz to 5.905 GHz) and ITS-G5B (i.e., operating in the European ITS band dedicated to ITS non-security applications, with a frequency range of 5.855 GHz to 5.875 GHz). Examples of such systems include: GHz, ITS-G5C (which operates in the frequency range of 5.470 GHz to 5.725 GHz), Japan's DSRC in the 700MHz band (including 715MHz to 725 MHz), and systems based on IEEE 802.11bd.

[0054] The aspects described herein can be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including privately licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, and (licensed) shared spectrum (such as LSA = Licensed Shared Access on frequencies of 2.3–2.4 GHz, 3.4–3.6 GHz, 3.6–3.8 GHz and above, and SAS = Spectrum Access System / CBRS = Citizen Broadband Radio System on frequencies of 3.55–3.7 GHz and above). The applicable spectrum bands include IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum and other types of spectrum / bands, such as nationally allocated bands (including 450-470 MHz, 902-928 MHz (e.g., allocated in the US (FCC Part 15)), 863-868.6 MHz (e.g., allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 300 220)), 915.9-929.7 MHz (e.g., allocated in Japan), 917-923.5 MHz (e.g., allocated in South Korea), 755-779 MHz and 779-787 MHz (e.g., allocated in China), 790-960 MHz, 1710-2025 MHz, 2110-2200 MHz, 2300-2400 MHz, 2.4-2.4835 MHz). GHz (Note: This is the globally available ISM band, used by Wi-Fi technology series (11b / g / n / ax) and Bluetooth), 2500-2690 MHz, 698-790 MHz, 610-790 MHz, 3400-3600 MHz, 3400-3800 MHz, 3800-4200 MHz, 3.55-3.7 GHz (Note: For example, allocated in the United States for citizen broadband radio service), 5.15-5.25 GHz and 5.25-5.35 GHz, and 5.47-5.725 GHz and 5.725-5.85 GHz bands (Note: For example, allocated in the United States (FCC Part 15), containing four U-NII bands totaling 500 MHz of spectrum), 5.725-5.875 GHz (Note: For example, allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 301)). 893), 5.47-5.65 GHz (Note: for example, allocated in South Korea), 5925-7125 MHz and 5925-6425 MHz bands (Note: under consideration in the US and EU respectively). Next-generation Wi-Fi systems are expected to include 6 GHz spectrum as their operating band, but it should be noted that as of December 2017, Wi-Fi systems were not yet permitted to use this band.The regulations are expected to be completed within the 2019-2020 timeframe, including: IMT-advanced spectrum; IMT-2020 spectrum (expected to include 3600-3800 MHz, 3800-4200 MHz, 3.5 GHz band, 700 MHz band, and bands in the 24.25-86 GHz range); spectrum opened under the FCC's "Spectrum Frontier" 5G plan (including 27.5-28.35 GHz, 29.1-29.25 GHz, 31-31.3 GHz, 37-38.6 GHz, 38.6-40 GHz, 42-42.5 GHz, 57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, and 92-94 GHz); and 5.9 The ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) bands in the GHz range (typically 5.85-5.925 GHz) and 63-64 GHz, the bands currently allocated to WiGig, such as WiGig Band 1 (57.24-59.40 GHz), WiGig Band 2 (59.40-61.56 GHz), WiGig Band 3 (61.56-63.72 GHz), and WiGig Band 4 (63.72-65.88 GHz), 57-64 / 66 GHz (Note: This band is designated almost globally for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems (MGWS) / WiGig. A total of 14 GHz of spectrum is allocated in the US (FCC Part 15), while a total of 9 GHz of spectrum is allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 302 567 and ETSI EN 301 217-2 for fixed P2P), 70.2 GHz-71 This solution supports GHz bands, any band between 65.88 GHz and 71 GHz, bands currently allocated to automotive radar applications such as 76-81 GHz, and future bands (including 94-300 GHz and above). Furthermore, it can be used supplementarily in bands such as TV white space bands (typically below 790 MHz), with the 400 MHz and 700 MHz bands being particularly promising candidates. Beyond cellular applications, it can also be used for specific applications in vertical markets such as PMSE (program production and special events), medical, health, surgery, automotive, low latency, and drone applications.

[0055] As mentioned above, implementing multi-hop Layer 3 ProSe communication can be complex; architectural enhancements can be used to support multi-hop Layer 3 U2U relays for ProSe at an NRPC5 reference point that supports both in-coverage and out-of-coverage direct communication. Specifically, aspects of single-hop ProSe U2U relays, such as support for relay discovery, selection, authorization, connection establishment, and data transmission, can be enhanced to support multi-hop scenarios. Although 3GPP TS23.304 defines Layer 2 ProSe U2U relays and Layer 3 U2U relays, this paper only discusses Layer 3 U2U relays. Figure 3 The illustration depicts Layer 3 multi-hop U2U relay support according to some embodiments. For example... Figure 3 As shown in the overall schematic diagram, two terminal UEs (which do not provide U2U ProSe relay functionality within the MANET) are connected via a relay network. Figure 4 The illustration depicts a ProSeUE-to-UE relay according to some embodiments. Figure 4 In this scenario, terminal UE A and terminal UE B are coupled via U2U relay communication. Terminal UEs (UE A and UE B) are not within each other's coverage area, but each is within the coverage area of ​​the U2U relay. The U2U relay performs ProSe discovery on other nearby UEs (see TS 23.304, Clause 6.3.2.4.2) and obtains the user information IDs of the discovered UEs (according to the Relay Service Code (RSC)). The RSC instructs the ProSe U2U relay to provide connectivity services to the ProSe terminal UEs. The U2U relay begins to announce the list of discovered user information IDs (according to the RSC) using a U2U relay discovery announcement message. Figure 5 The illustration depicts ProSe UE-to-UE relay discovery according to some embodiments. Figure 5 The model A ProSe UE-to-UE relay discovery process is described, where: 1. The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay has discovered other nearby UEs and obtains a direct discovery set from other nearby UEs according to RSC (e.g., via previous 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay discovery or via a secure PC5 connection between the 5G ProSe terminal UE and the 5G ProSe U2U relay (see TS 33.503)).

[0056] 2. The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay sends a UE-to-UE relay discovery announcement message. This message includes a discovery message type, the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay's user information ID, RSC, and a direct discovery set, which includes a list of protected user information (i.e., application layer IDs) received from an RSC-enabled 5G ProSe terminal UE. The UE-to-UE relay discovery announcement message is sent using the source layer 2 ID and destination layer 2 ID as described in Clause 5.8.4. The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay should only announce the user information (i.e., application layer IDs) of other nearby UEs that were not previously included with an announcement prohibition indication when discovered. The 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay only announces the direct discovery set of other nearby UEs if the PC5 signal strength of other nearby UEs measured by the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay is higher than the signal strength threshold configured as specified in TS 38.331. The 5G ProSe terminal UE monitors the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay's announcement messages. The 5G ProSe terminal UE, as specified in Clause 5.1 of TS 23.304, determines the destination layer 2 ID for signaling reception.

[0057] like Figure 5 The illustrated U2U relay discovery based on announcement messages is referred to as ProSe discovery model A. For completeness, ProSe discovery model B based on the request / response paradigm can also be used alternatively, as indicated in Clause 6.3.2.4.3 of TS 23.304.

[0058] If terminal UE A wishes to establish a connection with terminal UE B, but terminal UE A does not have a direct communication link with terminal UE B, then terminal UE A begins listening for announcement messages from neighboring U2U relays (Model A) or requests a response from a potential neighboring relay (Model B). If terminal UE A determines that a neighboring U2U relay is announcing user information for terminal UE B, then terminal UE A initiates a direct communication procedure as described in Clause 6.7.1.1 of TS 23.304. Figure 6 The illustration shows the establishment of a Layer 2 link via 5GProSe Layer 3 UE to UE relay according to some embodiments. Figure 6 The layer 2 link establishment is described, where: 1. As described in Clause 6.2, perform service authorization and configuration for the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, and the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay.

[0059] 2. The source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE performs 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay discovery as described in Clause 6.3.2.4.

[0060] 3. The source 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE sends a Direct Communication Request message to initiate a unicast Layer 2 link establishment procedure with the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-UE Relay. The parameters included in the Direct Communication Request message are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0061] The source layer 2 ID of the direct communication request message is assigned by the source 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE, and the destination layer 2 ID is set to the source layer 2 ID of the discovery message from the 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to the UE relay.

[0062] The 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE obtains application information and optional ProSe application requirements from the ProSe application layer and determines the end-to-end QoS parameters as described in Clause 5.6.3.1.

[0063] 4. If the user information ID of the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay in the direct communication request message matches the user information ID of the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay, and the RSC in the direct communication request matches an RSC that the relay is (pre-)configured for, as specified in Clause 5.1.5.1, then the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay responds by establishing security with the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE. If security protection is enabled, the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE sends the parameters as described in Clause 6.4.3.7 to the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay.

[0064] If the Ethernet MAC address of the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE is already in use by another 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE to UE relay will refuse to establish a direct link, indicating that the MAC address is not unique.

[0065] The source layer 2 ID used for the security establishment process is assigned by the 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to the UE relay itself, and the destination layer 2 ID is set to the source layer 2 ID of the received direct communication request message.

[0066] 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relays should select different source layer 2 IDs for PC5 links of different service types (i.e., IP services, Ethernet services, and unstructured services).

[0067] If the PC5 link is used to transmit unstructured services, the 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to UE relay should select different source layer 2 IDs for different source and destination 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE pairs.

[0068] Upon receiving the security establishment process message, the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE obtains the Layer 2 ID of the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE to UE relay, which is used for subsequent signaling and data service communication of this unicast link.

[0069] 5. After the security establishment process in step 4 is completed, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay determines whether to use its existing unicast Layer 2 link with the target 5G ProSe terminal UE for the required service. If no existing unicast Layer 2 link with the required RSC exists between the 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE and the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay sends a direct communication request message to initiate the unicast Layer 2 link establishment process with the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE. The parameters included in the direct communication request message are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0070] The source Layer 2 ID of the direct communication request message is assigned by the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay itself, and the destination Layer 2 ID can be a broadcast or unicast Layer 2 ID. The unicast Layer 2 ID is used only if the Layer 2 ID of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE associated with the user information (i.e., the application layer ID) is known to the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay.

[0071] 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relays should select different source layer 2 IDs for PC5 links of different service types (i.e., IP services, Ethernet services, and unstructured services).

[0072] If the PC5 link is used to transmit unstructured services, the 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to UE relay should select different source layer 2 IDs for different source and destination 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE pairs.

[0073] 6. If the RSC included in the direct communication request matches the RSC of the target UE as (pre-)configured according to Clause 5.1.5.1, and if the user information included in the direct communication request matches the user information of the target UE, the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE responds by establishing security with the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay. If security protection is enabled, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay sends the parameters as described in Clause 6.4.3.7 to the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE.

[0074] The source layer 2 ID used for the security establishment process is assigned by the target 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE, and the destination layer 2 ID is set to the source layer 2 ID of the received direct communication request message.

[0075] Upon receiving the security establishment process message, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE obtains the Layer 2 ID of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE from the UE relay, which is used for subsequent signaling and data service communication of the unicast link.

[0076] 7. The target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE sends a direct communication accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-UE relay with which it has successfully established a secure connection. The parameters contained in the direct communication accept message are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0077] When it receives a direct communication accept message, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay can detect that the Ethernet MAC address of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE has been used by another 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE.

[0078] 8. For IP services, as defined in Clause 5.5.1.4, assign an IPv6 prefix or IPv4 address to the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE.

[0079] 9. After receiving a direct communication accept message from the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay sends a direct communication accept message to the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE with which it has successfully established a secure connection. The parameters included in the direct communication accept message are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0080] 10. For IP services, as defined in Clause 5.5.1.4, assign an IPv6 prefix or IPv4 address to the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE.

[0081] 11. For IP communication, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay can store the association between user information (i.e., application layer ID) and the IP address of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE in its Domain Name System (DNS) entry, and the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay can act as a DNS server for other UEs. If the IP address of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE is not received in step 9, the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE can send a DNS query to the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay after step 10 to request the IP address of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE, and the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay returns the IP address of the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE to the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE.

[0082] For Ethernet communication, the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay maintains the association between the PC5 link and the Ethernet MAC address received from the 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE.

[0083] For unstructured service communications, for each pair of source 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE and target 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE, the 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to UE relay maintains a 1:1 mapping between the PC5 link with the source 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE and the PC5 link with the target 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE.

[0084] 12. The source 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE communicates with the target 5G ProSe layer 3 terminal UE via 5G ProSe layer 3 UE to UE relay.

[0085] In the scenario where a source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE communicates with multiple target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UEs, the PC5 link between the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UE and the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay can be shared by the multiple target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UEs according to RSC, while the PC5 links between the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay and the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 terminal UEs can be established independently according to RSC. For the shared PC5 link, the Layer 2 link modification procedure should be used to replace it. Figure 6 Steps 3 to 4 and steps 9 to 10 of the process. The parameters used during the Layer 2 link modification process are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0086] In scenarios where multiple source 5G ProSe Layer 3 UEs communicate with a single target 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE, the PC5 links between the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay and the target 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE can be shared according to RSC, while the PC5 links between the source 5G ProSe Layer 3 UEs and the 5G ProSe Layer 3 UE-to-UE relay can be established independently according to RSC. For shared PC5 links, the Layer 2 link modification procedure should be used instead of... Figure 6 Steps 5 through 8 of the process. The parameters used during the Layer 2 link modification process are described in Clause 6.4.3.7.

[0087] The direct communication request message on the first-hop PC5 reference point includes: the user information ID of the source 5G ProSe terminal UE—the identifier of the source 5G ProSe terminal UE requesting the relay operation; the user information ID of the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay—the identifier of the UE-to-UE relay provided to the source 5G ProSe terminal UE during the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay discovery process; the user information ID of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE—the identifier of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE provided to the source 5G ProSe terminal UE during the UE-to-UE relay discovery process; (optional) the destination layer 2 ID of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE—the unicast destination layer 2 ID of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE determined by the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; ProSe service information—information about the ProSe identifier requesting layer 2 link establishment; RSC—the connection service provided by the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay according to the request of the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; and security information—information for the secure establishment of the first-hop PC5 link.

[0088] The direct communication request message on the second-hop PC5 reference point includes: the user information ID of the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; the user information ID of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE; the user information ID of the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay; ProSe service information—information about the ProSe identifier; RSC—connection service provided by the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay according to the request of the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; and security information—information used to establish a secure second-hop PC5 link.

[0089] The direct communication received message at the second hop PC5 reference point includes the user information ID of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE.

[0090] The first hop PC5 reference point direct communication received message includes the target 5G ProSe terminal UE's user information ID and the 5G ProSe UE-to-UE relay's user information ID.

[0091] The Rel-18 specification only supports single-hop U2U trunking. To support multi-hop U2U trunking, multi-hop ProSe UE-to-UE trunking with shared MANET router functionality and connected to adjacent MANET routers is used to establish a mobile ad hoc network as defined by MANET. Multi-hop ProSe UE-to-UE trunking with shared MANET routers relies on new MANET messages to exchange information about discovered ProSe terminal UEs. ProSe UE-to-UE trunking also exchanges point-to-point signaling messages with each other via MANET (related to the establishment and release of ProSe direct communication).

[0092] Figure 7 The illustration depicts a MANET network according to some embodiments. Figure 7 A simple MANET network consisting of five routers (A, B, C, D, and E) is described. Participating routers establish links with neighboring routers and perform the MANET Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NHDP) by exchanging Hello messages with each neighboring MANET router, as defined in IETF RFC 6130. The Hello messages are enhanced as defined in the MANET specification according to IETF RFC 7181.

[0093] Based on the information exchanged in the Hello message, participating routers can select a set of "flooding MPRs" and a set of "routing MPRs" to achieve flood reduction and topology reduction, respectively. Flood reduction is achieved by only forwarding control messages propagated in the MANET via flooding; this optimization of the flooding mechanism is called MPR flooding. Routing MPRs are used to provide topology reduction in the MANET. If such reduction is not needed, a router can select all its relevant neighbors as routing MPRs.

[0094] IETF RFC 7181 defines a second type of MANET message called Topology Control (TC) message, which carries selected topology (link-state) information. Unlike Hello messages, which are exchanged locally between two adjacent MANET routers, TC messages are propagated throughout the MANET, preferably through MPR flooding.

[0095] Figure 8 The illustration shows a MANET router with ProSe UE-to-UE relay capability according to some embodiments. That is, Figure 8 The diagram illustrates the propagation of TC messages generated by router E using MPR flooding. In this example, router E has selected routers D and A (but not router C) as MPRs. MPR flooding is an optional feature. As mentioned above, Figure 8The MANET network includes MANET routers that also have shared ProSe UE-to-UE relay capabilities, as defined by 3GPP.

[0096] like Figure 8 As illustrated, each router, except for router D, is adjacent to a group of terminal UEs. By performing ProSe discovery (model A or model B) as defined in TS23.304, each U2U relay discovers adjacent UEs and obtains a list of locally discovered user information IDs. Therefore, as shown, U2U relay A obtains a list of (user information A1, user information A2, user information A3); U2U relay B obtains a list of (user information B1, user information B2); U2U relay C obtains a list of (user information C1, user information C2); U2U relay D obtains an empty list; and U2U relay E obtains a list of (user information E1).

[0097] Suppose UE A1 wants to discover UE E1 and establish point-to-point communication. Although UE E1 can be reached via MANET through U2U relay A, UE A1 will not attempt to connect to U2U relay A unless U2U relay A announces the availability of user information E1.

[0098] To allow U2U relay A to advertise the availability of user information E1, all participating routers in the MANET should share a list of discoverable UEs. This can be achieved by defining a new MANET message (called a discovery message), such as... Figure 8 As shown in the diagram, after receiving the discovery information message, the MANET router forwards a copy to the co-located U2U relay. The U2U relay updates the list of discovered user IDs and announces the updated list to nearby UEs (User Equipment).

[0099] Figure 9 The illustration shows the use according to some embodiments. Figure 8 The MANET router performs signaling transmission for connection establishment. For example... Figure 9 As shown, once UE A1 has determined that it can reach UE E1 via U2U relay A, UE A1 can send a direct communication request to U2U relay A, such as... Figure 9 The step 1 diagram illustrates this. The direct communication request is propagated to the U2U relay E ( Figure 9 Step 2) and delivered to UE E1 ( Figure 9 (Step 3 in the original text). Similar logic applies to direct communication message reception in the opposite direction (i.e., from UE E1 via U2U relay E via U2U relay A to UE A1).

[0100] Point-to-point transmission of signaling messages between a pair of U2U trunks is used to allow direct communication messages to propagate over the MANET network. Due to these enhancements, the entire MANET (with co-located U2U trunks) behaves as a single ProSeUE-to-UE trunk, with no impact on the terminal UE.

[0101] The discovery message carries: the identifier of the relay that initiated the discovery message; a list of locally discovered user information IDs (according to RSC); the signaling endpoint address (IP address and port number) that can be used to establish a point-to-point signaling connection between a pair of U2U relays on the MANET; and (optionally) security information related to establishing a point-to-point signaling connection between a pair of U2U relays on the MANET.

[0102] If available, discovery messages are propagated throughout the MANET using MPR flooding (as defined in IETF RFC 7181). For example, see [reference to...] Figure 8 Discovery information is transmitted only on a subset of network interfaces via MPR flooding. If MPR is unavailable, simple flooding is used to propagate the discovery information message, i.e., by transmitting a copy of the discovery information message on all interfaces except the one on which the message has already been received. The propagation depth of the MANET discovery information message in a 5GProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay that has initiated MANET discovery information message transmission is controlled based on the configuration parameter "Maximum number of hops according to RSC".

[0103] The discovery message is formatted according to IETF RFC 5444. Specifically, the message initiator's address (in IETF RFC 5444) <msg-orig-addr>) and message sequence number (in IETF RFC 5444) <msg-seq-num>) is used to enable the MPR flooding mechanism, as defined in IETF RFC 7181.

[0104] Upon receiving the discovery message, the MANET router forwards a copy of the message to the co-located U2U relays. The U2U relays update their list of user information IDs reachable via the MANET network. For each stored user information ID, the U2U relay stores information about the U2U relay that initiated the message. In some embodiments, the same user information ID can be associated with more than one U2U relay (e.g., when the UE is discovered by more than one U2U relay).

[0105] In an alternative embodiment, the content of the discovery information message described above can be carried as a new information element in a MANET TC message. However, in this case, the frequency of topology updates is different from and unrelated to the frequency of UE discovery events.

[0106] In an alternative embodiment, the discovery information message is not a new MANET message, but rather part of its own defined flooding-based signaling protocol. However, in this case, the method cannot conveniently reuse the MPR flooding mechanism, which is a built-in feature of MANET.

[0107] The signaling protocol carrying direct communication messages between a pair of U2U trunks (as defined in 3GPP TS 23.304) can be defined by 3GPP. The discovery information will be able to carry the signaling endpoint address (IP address and port number) that uniquely identifies the signaling endpoint of the U2U trunk function co-located with the MANET router.

[0108] If a local U2U relay (e.g., U2U relay A) receives a direct communication request from the source terminal UE, and the target terminal UE has been discovered by more than one remote U2U relay (e.g., U2U relay B and U2U relay C), the local U2U relay selects which remote U2U relay to forward the direct communication request to based on the implementation method.

[0109] When a direct communication acceptance is received from a remote U2U relay, the local U2U relay forwards the direct communication acceptance message to the source terminal UE.

[0110] The IP subnet address / prefix used by the U2U trunk to allocate IP addresses to terminal UEs, as well as the signaling endpoint address for the U2U trunk function, are announced in advance by the co-located MANET router via MANET TC messages. This is to ensure a stable route exists before a signaling connection is established between a pair of U2U trunks, or before user plane packets are exchanged between a pair of remote terminal UEs.

[0111] If the MANET router happens to include ProSe UE-to-Network functionality, the discovery message indicates that the relay that initiated the discovery message has UE-to-Network functionality, and the discovery message includes the RSC of the shared ProSe UE-to-Network relay. The RSC indicates the connectivity services provided by the ProSe UE-to-Network relay to the remote UE.

[0112] In an alternative embodiment, the terminal UE establishes a Layer 2 link with the local U2U relay without performing pre-discovery, such as Figure 6 Steps 3, 4, and 9 are described. At the end of Layer 2 link establishment, the terminal UE is assigned an IP address / prefix, such as... Figure 6 As described in step 10. At any time after a Layer 2 link is successfully established, the local U2U trunk initiates the transmission of a discovery message as defined above to update other U2U trunks on the presence of the new terminal UE. The discovery message also carries the IP address / prefix of the terminal UE.

[0113] If the source UE wishes to communicate with the target UE, the source UE uses its local U2U relay to perform a DNS query to discover the target UE's IP address / prefix. Figure 6 As described in step 11.

[0114] As mentioned above, the information in the discovery message can alternatively be propagated using a MANET TC message. Alternatively, the local U2U trunk can use dynamic DNS updates (as defined in IETF RFC 2136) to update all other U2U trunks.

[0115] Example Example 1 is an apparatus configured to act as a UE in a 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET), the apparatus including a processor that configures the apparatus to: obtain the Internet Protocol (IP) address / prefix of a target 5G ProSe terminal UE via a Domain Name System (DNS) query; and after obtaining the IP address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE, propagate the DNS information of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE to at least one other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in the MANET using a dedicated MANET discovery information message.

[0116] In Example 2, the subject of Example 1 includes the processor further configuring the device to use multipoint relay flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery information message in the MANET.

[0117] In Example 3, the subject matter of Examples 1-2 includes that the processor further configures the device to use simple flooding to diffuse the dedicated MANET discovery information message in the MANET by sending copies of the dedicated MANET discovery information message on all PC5 interfaces of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay, except for PC5 interfaces on which the dedicated MANET discovery information message has already been received.

[0118] In Example 4, the subject matter of Examples 1-3 includes, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the propagation depth of the dedicated MANET discovery information message based on the maximum number of hops configured according to the Relay Service Code (RSC).

[0119] In Example 5, the subject matter of Examples 1-4 includes, wherein the processor further configures the apparatus to, in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, update the routing table in the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to indicate the route to the target 5G ProSe terminal UE via other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays through the MANET.

[0120] In Example 6, the subject of Example 5 includes: wherein the routing table includes the discovered user information ID and the associated IP address / prefix (if available) of the 5G ProSe terminal UE with a 5GProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay identifier, each of the discovered user information IDs being reachable via the 5GProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay identifier.

[0121] In Example 7, the subject matter of Examples 5-6 includes, wherein the processor further configures the device to, in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, trigger MANET signaling to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to update the routing table in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to indicate the route to the target 5G ProSe terminal UE.

[0122] In Example 8, the subject of Example 7 includes, wherein the processor further configures the device to, in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, send the dedicated MANET discovery information message to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to update the DNS entries in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

[0123] In Example 9, the subject matter of Examples 1-8 includes, wherein the processor further configures the apparatus to: perform ProSe discovery on 5G ProSe terminal UEs adjacent to the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and create a locally discovered user information ID list; and announce, via the dedicated MANET discovery information message, terminal UEs reachable by the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to 5G ProSe UEs within the range of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay, for disseminating the locally discovered user information ID list to remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays via the MANET.

[0124] In Example 10, the subject of Example 9 includes the following: the dedicated MANET discovery information message includes: an identifier of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay that is the initiator of the dedicated MANET discovery information message; a signaling endpoint address containing an IP address and port number that can be used to establish a point-to-point signaling connection between a pair of 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays on the MANET; and security information for establishing the point-to-point signaling connection between the pair of 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays on the MANET.

[0125] In Example 11, the subject of Examples 9-10 includes the following: the dedicated MANET discovery information message for each 5G ProSe terminal UE that has established a Layer 2 link with the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay includes the IP address / prefix of the 5G ProSe terminal UE associated with the user information ID of the 5G ProSe terminal UE.

[0126] In Example 12, the subject matter of Examples 1-11 includes the following, wherein: the processor further configures the apparatus to: receive a direct communication request from a source 5G ProSe terminal UE to establish communication with the target 5G ProSe terminal UE discovered by a remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay; determine the identifier of the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay based on stored information including signaling endpoint addresses; forward the direct communication request to the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay using the stored signaling endpoint address of the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay; and tunnel subsequent messages related to direct communication between the source 5G ProSe terminal UE and the target 5G ProSe terminal UE via a signaling connection established between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

[0127] In Example 13, the subject matter of Examples 1-12 includes the following: the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay has a co-located MANET router, the co-located MANET router is connected to the MANET function of an adjacent MANET router and establishes the MANET, and the processor is further configured to use MANET topology control (TC) messages to advertise: the IP subnet address / prefix used by the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay to allocate IP addresses to terminal UEs, and the signaling endpoint address of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay.

[0128] In Example 14, the subject matter of Examples 1-13 includes the following: the dedicated MANET discovery information message indicates that the initiator of the dedicated MANET discovery information message is a 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay with UE-to-network functionality, and the dedicated MANET discovery information message includes the relay service code (RSC) of the initiator of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

[0129] In Example 15, the subject of Examples 1-14 includes the following: the content of the dedicated MANET discovery information message is diffused in the MANET using new information elements from the MANET Topology Control (TC) message.

[0130] Example 16 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by one or more processors of a device configured to act as a fifth-generation (5G) ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the instructions being configured, when executed, to cause the device to: establish multiple Layer 2 links with other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays supporting the same Relay Service Code (RSC); obtain the Internet Protocol (IP) address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE, each 5G ProSe terminal UE associated with the RSC having a unique IP address / prefix; and propagate the user information ID and the IP address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays using a dedicated MANET discovery information message.

[0131] In Example 17, the subject of Example 16 includes that the instructions, when executed, configure the device to use multipoint relay flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery information message within the MANET.

[0132] In Example 18, the subject of Examples 16-17 includes that, when the instructions are executed, the device is configured to use simple flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery message in the MANET by sending copies of the dedicated MANET discovery message on all PC5 interfaces except those PC5 interfaces on which the dedicated MANET discovery message has already been received.

[0133] Example 19 is an apparatus configured to act as a 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET). The apparatus includes a processor that configures the apparatus to: establish multiple Layer 2 links with other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays supporting the same Relay Service Code (RSC); establish a Layer 2 link with a source 5G ProSe terminal UE; after establishing the Layer 2 link with the source 5G ProSe terminal UE, update a routing table in the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to include connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE, the routing table containing routes to a target 5G ProSe terminal UE in the MANET; update Domain Name System (DNS) entries in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays using a dedicated MANET discovery message to indicate the connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; and from the source 5G… ProSe terminal UE receives a DNS query for the target 5G ProSe terminal UE; and after the DNS query, forwards packets between the source 5G ProSe terminal UE and the target 5G ProSe terminal UE based on the routing table.

[0134] In Example 20, the subject of Example 19 includes the processor further configuring the device, after establishing a Layer 2 link with the source 5G ProSe terminal UE, to use MANET signaling to update the routing table in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to indicate the connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE.

[0135] Example 21 is at least one machine-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processing circuitry system, cause the processing circuitry system to perform operations to implement any of the examples 1 to 20.

[0136] Example 22 is an apparatus that includes means for implementing any of the examples in Examples 1-20.

[0137] Example 23 is a system for implementing any of the examples in Examples 1-20.

[0138] Example 24 is a method for implementing any of the examples in Examples 1-20.

[0139] While embodiments have been described with reference to specific example examples, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the specification and drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. The accompanying drawings, which form part of this document, illustrate specific embodiments of the subject matter by way of illustration rather than limitation. The illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments can be utilized and derived therefrom, allowing for structural and logical substitutions and changes without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this detailed description should not be construed as restrictive, and the scope of the various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims and the full scope of their equivalents.

[0140] The subject matter may be referred to individually and / or collectively by the term "embodiment" herein for convenience only and is not intended to intentionally limit the scope of this application to any single inventive concept (if more than one is disclosed). Therefore, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any arrangement intended to achieve the same purpose may replace the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all variations or modifications of the various embodiments. Combinations of the foregoing embodiments, as well as other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the foregoing description.

[0141] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the terms "a" or "an" are used to indicate one or more, unaffected by any other instances or uses of "at least one" or "one or more". In this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive "or", such that "A or B" includes "A but not B", "B but not A", and "A and B", unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms "comprising" and "wherein" are used as common English equivalents of the corresponding terms "including" and "in which". Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "comprising" and "including" are open-ended, meaning that a system, UE, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements other than those listed after the term is still considered to fall within the scope of the claim. Additionally, in the following claims, the terms "first", "second", and "third", etc., are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their contents. As stated herein, although the term "a" is used herein, one or more of the associated elements may be used in different embodiments. For example, the term "a processor configured to perform a particular operation" includes both a single processor configured to perform all operations and multiple processors each configured to perform some or all of the operations (which may overlap), such that a combination of processors performs all operations. Furthermore, the term "comprising" can be interpreted as "containing at least" the following elements.

[0142] The abstract of this disclosure is provided to be understood as such and should not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, as can be seen from the foregoing detailed description, various features are combined in a single embodiment for the purpose of simplification. This mode of disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiment requires more features than expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the following claims, the subject matter of the invention lies in fewer than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, each claim being an independent embodiment.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured to act as a UE in a 5G Proximity Service (ProSe) multi-hop user equipment (UE) to UE relay in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the apparatus comprising a processor that configures the apparatus to: Obtain the Internet Protocol (IP) address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE via Domain Name System (DNS) query; and After obtaining the IP address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE, the DNS information of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE is propagated to at least one other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in the MANET using a dedicated MANET discovery message.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device to use multipoint relay flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery information message within the MANET.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device to use simple flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery message in the MANET by sending copies of the dedicated MANET discovery message on all PC5 interfaces of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay, except for PC5 interfaces on which the dedicated MANET discovery message has already been received.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device to update the routing table in the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, so as to indicate the route to the target 5G ProSe terminal UE through other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays via the MANET.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The routing table includes the discovered user information IDs of 5G ProSe terminal UEs with 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay identifiers and their associated IP addresses / prefixes (if available), each of which is reachable via the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay identifier.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, The processor further configures the device to: in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, trigger MANET signaling to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to update the routing table in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to indicate the route to the target 5G ProSe terminal UE.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, The processor further configures the device to send the dedicated MANET discovery information message to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay in response to receiving the dedicated MANET discovery information message, so as to update the DNS entries in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device to determine the propagation depth of the dedicated MANET discovery message based on the maximum number of hops configured according to the Relay Service Code (RSC).

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device as follows: Perform ProSe discovery on 5G ProSe terminal UEs that are adjacent to the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay, and create a locally discovered user information ID list; as well as The dedicated MANET discovery message is used to announce to 5G ProSe UEs within the range of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay that terminal UEs reachable by the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay are available, and to disseminate the locally discovered user information ID list to remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays via the MANET.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The dedicated MANET discovery message includes: an identifier of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay that initiates the dedicated MANET discovery message; a signaling endpoint address containing an IP address and port number that can be used to establish a point-to-point signaling connection between a pair of 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays on the MANET; and security information for establishing the point-to-point signaling connection between the pair of 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays on the MANET.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, The dedicated MANET discovery message is for each 5G ProSe terminal UE that has established a Layer 2 link with the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay, and includes the IP address / prefix of the 5G ProSe terminal UE associated with the user information ID of the 5G ProSe terminal UE.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor further configures the device: Receive a direct communication request from the source 5G ProSe terminal UE to establish communication with the target 5G ProSe terminal UE discovered by the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay; The identifier of the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay is determined based on the stored information, including the signaling endpoint address; The direct communication request is forwarded to the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay using the stored signaling endpoint address of the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay; as well as The subsequent messages related to direct communication are tunneled between the source 5G ProSe terminal UE and the target 5G ProSe terminal UE via the signaling connection established between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay and the remote 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay has a shared MANET router, which connects to the MANET function of adjacent MANET routers to establish the MANET. The processor further configures the co-located MANET router to advertise using MANET Topology Control (TC) messages: The IP subnet address / prefix used by the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay to allocate IP addresses to terminal UEs, and The signaling endpoint address of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The dedicated MANET discovery message indicates that the initiator of the dedicated MANET discovery message is a 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay with UE-to-network functionality, and the dedicated MANET discovery message includes the relay service code (RSC) of the initiator of the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The content of the dedicated MANET discovery message is disseminated within the MANET using new information elements from the MANET Topology Control (TC) message.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by one or more processors of a device configured to act as a fifth-generation (5G) ProSe multi-hop user equipment (UE) to UE relay in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the instructions being configured, when executed, to cause the device to: Establish multiple Layer 2 links with other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays that support the same Relay Service Code (RSC); Obtain the Internet Protocol (IP) address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE, each 5G ProSe terminal UE associated with the RSC has a unique IP address / prefix; as well as The user information ID and the IP address / prefix of the target 5G ProSe terminal UE are propagated to the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relay using a dedicated MANET discovery message.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein, When executed, the instruction configures the device to use multipoint relay flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery information message within the MANET.

18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 16, wherein, When executed, the instruction configures the device to use simple flooding to propagate the dedicated MANET discovery message throughout the MANET by sending copies of the dedicated MANET discovery message on all PC5 interfaces except those PC5 interfaces on which the dedicated MANET discovery message has already been received.

19. A device configured to act as the 5th in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) th An apparatus for relaying UEs via ProSe (5G) neighborly services (ProSe) multi-hop user equipment (UE) to UE, the apparatus including a processor that configures the apparatus to: Establish multiple Layer 2 links with other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays that support the same Relay Service Code (RSC); Establish a Layer 2 link with the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; After establishing the Layer 2 link with the source 5G ProSe terminal UE, the routing table in the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay is updated to include the connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE to UE relay and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE. The routing table includes the route to the target 5G ProSe terminal UE in the MANET. The Domain Name System (DNS) entries in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays are updated using a dedicated MANET discovery message to indicate the connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE. Receive a DNS query for the target 5G ProSe terminal UE from the source 5G ProSe terminal UE; as well as Following the DNS query, packets are forwarded between the source 5G ProSe terminal UE and the target 5G ProSe terminal UE based on the routing table.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, The processor further configures the device to update the routing table in the other 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays using MANET signaling after establishing the Layer 2 link with the source 5G ProSe terminal UE, so as to indicate the connectivity between the 5G ProSe multi-hop UE-to-UE relays and the source 5G ProSe terminal UE.

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