Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a communication method and device, and relates to the field of communication. The communication method comprises the following steps: a first communication device determines that the first communication device does not continue to provide relay service; a first message is received from a second communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device; it is determined according to the first message that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device; and a first response message of the first message is sent to the second communication device. In the case that the first communication device does not continue to provide relay service, the sidelink signal quality measurement is ensured to be effective.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communications, and more particularly to communication methods and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] As wireless communication networks evolve towards high-density, wide-coverage scenarios, reliable access for terminals in areas with weak signals or no network coverage faces challenges. To address this, terminal-to-network relay technology has emerged, which assists remote terminals in accessing the network by using some terminals as relay terminals.

[0003] In multi-hop relay scenarios, after receiving a broadcast message from an upstream relay terminal, an intermediate relay terminal triggers its own broadcast to declare support for multi-hop relay functionality and transmits path information for remote devices to choose a better access path. To ensure service quality, the relay terminal can dynamically control the number of accesses based on real-time load. When the load is too high, the relay terminal can reject new device access and notify downstream intermediate relay terminals to stop broadcasting path information via control commands, thereby limiting subsequent access requests and achieving network load balancing.

[0004] However, since the side link signal quality measurement depends on the transmission of broadcast messages, if the intermediate relay terminal interrupts the transmission of broadcast messages, the side link signal quality measurement may fail. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for solving the problem of failure in side link signal quality measurement.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Firstly, a communication method is provided, applied to a first communication device in a sidelink. The first communication device may be a first terminal, a component or device applied to the first terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first terminal. The communication method includes: determining that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service; receiving a first message from a second communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with a network through the first communication device; determining, based on the first message, that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device; and finally sending a first response message to the second communication device.

[0008] In the first aspect, if it is determined that the first communication device in the lateral link will no longer provide relay service, the second communication device sends a first message to the first communication device, and then the first communication device sends a first response message to the first message to the second communication device with which the connection has been established. This first response message can be used to determine the first signal quality (the lateral link signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device). The validity of the lateral link signal quality measurement is ensured even if the first communication device no longer provides relay service.

[0009] In one possible design, the method may further include: sending a first message to a second communication device to indicate that relay services will no longer be provided.

[0010] In this design, the first communication device indicates to the second communication device via a first message: the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, which allows the second communication device to accurately determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services.

[0011] In one possible design, the first response message is used to carry first information. In other words, the first response message includes first information.

[0012] In this design, the first response message carries the first information, eliminating the need for additional settings to carry the first information in the message, thus reducing signaling interaction overhead.

[0013] In one possible design, determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the first message includes: determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the identification information associated with the first message. Optionally, the identification information associated with the first message includes at least one of the following: a Layer 2 identifier of the second communication device, a user information identifier of the second communication device, or a destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0014] Optionally, determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the first message can also be interpreted as: the first communication device determining whether to respond to the first message based on the first message, or the first communication device determining whether the second communication device needs to perform a side-link signal quality measurement based on the first message, etc.

[0015] In this design, the connection status is determined by the identification information associated with the first message, which has high accuracy.

[0016] In one possible design, the method may further include: determining that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services; and sending second information to the second communication device to indicate the resumption of providing relay services. Optionally, a second message for relay services may be sent.

[0017] In this design, when the first communication device resumes providing relay service, it instructs the second communication device to resume providing relay service via a second message, and resumes sending a second message for relay service when needed, so as to enable timely restoration of relay service.

[0018] Secondly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a second communication device in a sidelink. The second communication device can be a second terminal, a component or device applied to the second terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second terminal. The communication method includes: determining that a first communication device will no longer provide relay service, and the second communication device communicating with a network through the first communication device; sending a first message to the first communication device; and receiving a first response message from the first message from the first communication device, the first response message being used to determine a first signal quality: the sidelink signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0019] In the second aspect, if it is determined that the first communication device in the side link will no longer provide relay service, the second communication device sends a first message to the first communication device, and then the first communication device sends a first response message to the second communication device with which the connection has been established. This first response message can be used to determine the first signal quality (side link signal quality between the second and first communication devices). The side link signal quality measurement is ensured to be valid even if the first communication device no longer provides relay service.

[0020] In one possible design, determining that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services includes: receiving first information from the first communication device indicating that relay services will no longer be provided.

[0021] In this design, the first communication device indicates to the second communication device via a first message: the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, which allows the second communication device to accurately determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services.

[0022] In one possible design, the method may further include: sending first information to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with a network via the second communication device. The third communication device includes communication devices that have established a connection with the second communication device. Optionally, the third communication device may also include communication devices that have not established a connection with the second communication device.

[0023] In this design, the second communication device sends a first message to its child node, the third communication device, indicating that it will no longer provide relay services, while ensuring that the side link signal quality measurement is valid.

[0024] In one possible design, determining that the first communication device will not continue to provide relay services includes: not receiving a second message from the first communication device within a preset time period.

[0025] In this design, the second communication device independently determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, without requiring the first communication device to send an instruction message instructing it to stop providing relay services, thus reducing signaling overhead.

[0026] In one possible design, the first message is associated with identification information. Optionally, the identification information associated with the first message includes at least one of the following: a Layer 2 identifier of the second communication device, a user information identifier of the second communication device, or a destination Layer 2 identifier.

[0027] In this design, the connection status is determined by the identification information associated with the first message, which has high accuracy.

[0028] In one possible design, the method may further include: receiving second information from the first communication device indicating the resumption of relay service. Optionally, receiving a second message from the first communication device for relay service.

[0029] In this design, when the first communication device resumes providing relay service, it instructs the second communication device to resume providing relay service via a second message, and resumes sending a second message for relay service when needed, so as to enable timely restoration of relay service.

[0030] In one possible design, the method may further include: sending second information to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with the network through the second communication device.

[0031] In this design, after the second communication device resumes providing relay services, it sends a second message to the third communication device, a child node of the second communication device, instructing the second communication device to resume providing relay services. After receiving the second message, the third communication device can promptly resume providing relay services.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a first communication device in a sidelink. The first communication device may be a first terminal, a component or device applied to the first terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the first terminal. The communication method includes: determining that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service; and sending a second message, the second message including first information, the first information being used to indicate that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service.

[0033] In the third aspect, the first communication device sends a second message including first information indicating that relay service will no longer be provided. This second message can be used to determine the lateral link signal quality between the second and first communication devices. Thus, while instructing the child node (e.g., the second communication device) of the first communication device to cease providing relay service, the lateral link signal quality measurement is ensured to be valid.

[0034] Optionally, the second message is a broadcast message.

[0035] Fourthly, a communication method is provided, which is applied to a second communication device in a sidelink. The second communication device can be a second terminal, a component or device applied to the second terminal (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system), or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the second terminal. The communication method includes: receiving a second message from a first communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with a network through the first communication device; the second message includes first information indicating that the first communication device should not continue providing relay services; and determining a first signal quality based on the second message, the first signal quality being the sidelink signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0036] In the fourth aspect, the second communication device receives a second message from its parent node, the first communication device, which includes a first message indicating that relay service will no longer be provided. This second message can be used to determine the lateral link signal quality between the second and first communication devices. Thus, while indicating that relay service will no longer be provided, the lateral link signal quality measurement is ensured to be valid.

[0037] In one possible design, the method may further include sending a third message, which includes the first information.

[0038] In this design, the second communication device sends a third message including a first message indicating that relay service will no longer be provided, while ensuring that the side link signal quality measurement is valid.

[0039] Fifthly, a communication device is provided for implementing the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects. For example, the communication device can be a first communication device as described in the first aspect; or, the communication device can be a second communication device as described in the second aspect. When the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0040] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the implementation method. These modules, units, or means can be implemented in hardware, software, or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the functions.

[0041] In some possible designs, the communication device may include a processing module and a transceiver module. The processing module can be used to implement the processing functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module, also called a transceiver unit, is used to implement the sending and / or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations. The transceiver module may consist of transceiver circuitry, a transceiver, a transceiver unit, or a communication interface.

[0042] In some possible designs, the transceiver module includes a sending module and / or a receiving module, which are used to implement the sending or receiving functions in any of the above aspects and any possible implementations.

[0043] A sixth aspect provides a communication device, comprising: a processor and a communication interface; the communication interface being used to communicate with a module outside the communication device; the processor being used to execute a computer program or instructions to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. For example, the communication device may be a first communication device as described in the first aspect; or, the communication device may be a second communication device as described in the second aspect. When the device is a chip system, it may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0044] A seventh aspect provides a communication device comprising: at least one processor; said processor being configured to execute a computer program or instructions stored in a memory to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any aspect. The memory may be coupled to the processor, or the memory may exist independently of the processor; for example, the memory and the processor may be two separate modules. The memory may be located outside or within the communication device.

[0045] This communication device is used to implement the method described in any one of the first to fourth aspects. For example, the communication device can be the first communication device in the first aspect; or, the communication device can be the second communication device in the second aspect. When the device is a chip system, it can be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete components.

[0046] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0047] In a ninth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided that, when run on a communication device, enables the communication device to perform the method described in either aspect.

[0048] In a tenth aspect, a communication device is provided, configured to cause the communication device to perform the method described in any one aspect.

[0049] It is understandable that when the communication device provided in any of the fifth to seventh aspects is a chip, the sending action / function of the communication device can be understood as outputting information, and the receiving action / function of the communication device can be understood as inputting information.

[0050] Eleventhly, a communication system is provided, which includes the first communication device and the second communication device described above.

[0051] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects five through eleven can be found in the technical effects of different design methods in aspects one through four, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a side-link scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating a side-link communication discovery process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 3 This application provides a schematic diagram of a side-link unicast connection establishment process.

[0055] Figures 4-5 This is a schematic diagram of a side-link relay scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a multi-hop relay communication scenario provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figures 7-10 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figures 11-12 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figures 13-14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0061] Before introducing the embodiments of this application, some terms involved in the embodiments of this application will be explained.

[0062] 1. Sidelink:

[0063] In wireless communication systems, terminals, also known as user equipment (UE), can communicate with each other via a network, or they can communicate directly with each other without the aid of network equipment. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the interface between UEs (e.g., UE1 and UE2) is called the PC5 interface, similar to the Uu interface between the UE and the base station. The link between UEs is called a sidelink. Data can be transmitted directly between UEs through the sidelink without going through the network, which can effectively reduce communication latency.

[0064] 2. Broadcast, unicast, and multicast communication mechanisms on the side link:

[0065] Broadcast communication is similar to base station broadcast system information, that is, the UE sends broadcast service data to the outside world without encryption, and any other UE within the effective reception range can receive the broadcast service data if it is interested in the broadcast service.

[0066] Multicast communication refers to communication between all UEs within a communication group, where any UE within the group can send and receive data for the multicast service.

[0067] Unicast communication is similar to data communication after a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection is established between a UE and a base station. It requires a prior unicast connection between the two UEs. After establishing the unicast connection, the two UEs can communicate data based on negotiated identifiers; this data can be encrypted or unencrypted. Unlike broadcast, unicast communication can only occur between two UEs that have established a unicast connection. A single unicast communication on a sidelink corresponds to a pair of source layer-2 identifiers (L2IDs) and destination layer-2 identifiers (L2IDs). Each sidelink Media Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) header will contain these source and destination L2 IDs to ensure data is transmitted from the sender to the correct receiver.

[0068] 3. Discovery process of sidelink communication:

[0069] Proximity service discovery process: UEs supporting proximity services use the discovery process to find nearby UEs and establish unicast connections for subsequent sidelink communication. The discovery process can be divided into two types: Model A and Model B.

[0070] (1) Model A discovery mechanism: such as Figure 2 As shown in (a) of the diagram, in Model A, UEs are divided into two categories: Announcing UEs and Monitoring UEs. The Announcing UE broadcasts a discovery message, also known as an announcement message, which carries specific information about the Announcing UE (such as the types of services available) for nearby Monitoring UEs to determine whether they need its services. Upon receiving the announcement message, nearby Monitoring UEs determine whether to use the Announcing UE as the peer for sidelink communication based on the message content. Similar to sidelink communication, the discovery message is transmitted using a source L2 ID and a destination L2 ID. The source L2 ID of the announcement message is assigned by the Announcing UE, and the destination L2 ID is a predefined or preconfigured default destination layer-2 identifier (default destination L2 ID), which is dedicated to the discovery message.

[0071] (2) Model B discovery mechanism: such as Figure 2As shown in (b) of the diagram, in Model B, UEs are divided into two categories: discoverer UEs and discoveree UEs. The discoverer UE broadcasts a discovery message, also known as a solicitation message, carrying information about the service type it is interested in. Upon receiving the solicitation message, the discoveree UE, if it meets the service requirements, replies to the discoverer UE with another type of discovery message, namely a response message. The source L2 ID of the solicitation message is assigned by the discoverer UE, and the destination L2 ID is the default destination L2 ID specifically used for discovery messages. The source L2 ID of the response message is assigned by the discoveree UE, and the destination L2 ID is the source L2 ID of the discoverer UE corresponding to the solicitation message. The discoverer UE receives the response message through the destination L2 ID and determines, based on the source L2 ID, that the discoveree UE can provide the required service.

[0072] 4. Sidelink unicast connection establishment process:

[0073] UEs establish communication links through a unicast connection establishment process. The UE that initiates this process is called the initiating UE (initiating user equipment), and its communication counterpart is called the target UE (target user equipment).

[0074] To elaborate, such as Figure 3 As shown, the initiating UE sends a direct communication request (DCR) message to the target UE. This message contains the Layer-2 identifiers (L2IDs) of both parties, as well as user information (User Info) carrying upper-layer application data. After parsing the user information, the target UE either accepts the request by replying with a direct communication accept (DCA) message or sends a reject message.

[0075] This process is typically a follow-up operation to the discovery of neighboring services. For example, in Model A, after the detecting UE filters out the target UE that meets the service requirements through announcement messages, it actively triggers the unicast connection establishment process to achieve directional communication on the sidelink.

[0076] 5. Relay technology in side links:

[0077] (1) Sidelink User Equipment-to-Network Relay (SLU2N relay) technology: This is a technology where one UE assists another UE in communicating with network equipment; it is also known as relay technology. The U2N relay communication architecture is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the remote UE communicates with the network device through the cooperation of the relay UE. Specifically, the remote UE and the relay UE communicate via a side link, corresponding to the PC5 interface; the relay UE is directly connected to the network device, i.e., communicating via the Uu interface.

[0078] (2) Sidelink Multi-hop Relay Technology: As an evolution of SL U2N relay, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) initiated research on multi-hop relay, meaning that remote UEs can communicate with the network through multiple relays, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the remote UE establishes a communication link with the network through the first relay UE and the last relay UE. For ease of description, the last relay UE (i.e., the relay UE directly connected to the network equipment) is also called a U2N relay UE; the relay UE between the remote UE and the last relay UE (or U2N relay UE) is called an intermediate relay UE, such as the first relay UE.

[0079] 6. Execution conditions for the discovery process of sidelink communication:

[0080] (1) Corresponding conditions for remote UE: First, the remote UE must have the hardware and protocol capabilities to support the relevant operations; second, the remote UE needs to configure a resource pool for discovery messages. The source of this resource pool depends on its state and network support: if the remote UE is in a connected state and the network supports resource configuration, it is configured directly by the base station; if it is in an idle or inactive state and the network supports resource configuration, it is obtained through system messages; if it is outside coverage (OoC) or the network does not support discovery resource configuration or does not support U2N relay function, it relies on the UE's pre-configured resource pool. Finally, the reference signal received power of the remote UE's Uu interface must be lower than a specific threshold (defined as threshHighremote in the protocol). This threshold can be obtained through base station configuration, system messages, or UE pre-configuration; if not explicitly configured, the remote UE will always meet this threshold condition by default, ensuring that it can trigger the discovery process when the signal quality is insufficient.

[0081] (2) Corresponding conditions for relay UE: First, the relay UE must have the hardware and protocol capabilities to support the relevant operations; second, the relay UE needs to configure a resource pool for discovery messages, the source of which depends on the UE state and network support: if the relay UE is in a connected state and the network supports resource configuration, it can be configured directly by the base station; if it is in an idle or inactive state and the network supports resource configuration, it is obtained through system messages; if the network does not support U2N relay function, it relies on the UE's pre-configured resource pool. Finally, the Uu interface reference signal received power of the relay UE must be within a specific threshold range (defined in the protocol as threshLowrelay to threshHighrelay), which can be obtained through base station configuration, system messages, or UE pre-configuration; if not explicitly configured, the relay UE will always meet this threshold condition by default, ensuring that it can effectively perform the discovery process when the signal quality is moderate.

[0082] 7. Path broadcasting and access control mechanisms in multi-hop relay scenarios:

[0083] In multi-hop relay scenarios, the intermediate relay UE assists the remote UE in selecting and accessing the multi-hop relay network by broadcasting path information during the discovery process. Specifically, the intermediate relay UE first receives an announcement message from the upstream relay UE (e.g., the last relay UE), and after establishing a connection based on this message, triggers its own broadcast to declare support for multi-hop relay functionality. Figure 6As shown in (a), in one possible implementation, the broadcast message may include multi-hop relay indication information and path quality (such as reference signal received power, hop count, etc.) to identify the availability and performance of the current path. In the Model B scenario, whether the intermediate relay UE needs to establish a connection with the upstream relay UE before sending the Response message is currently unclear, and there are two implementation scenarios: one is to send the Response after establishing a connection, such as... Figure 6 As shown in (a), the upstream relay UE and the intermediate relay UE have established a connection. Another approach is to directly send a response, such as... Figure 6 As shown in (b), the upstream relay UE and the intermediate relay UE did not establish a connection, depending on the protocol implementation strategy.

[0084] Through the discovery process described above, a remote UE can discover and select available intermediate relay UEs to establish multi-hop relay connections to access the network. However, due to limitations in service capacity and quality of service, the number of remote UEs that can access the network is constrained by the relay UE. For example, when the traffic load of a relay UE (such as buffer occupancy rate, throughput, etc.) exceeds a preset threshold and affects the quality of service, more remote UEs can be denied access to ensure current service performance. In the standardization discussion, a dynamic control mechanism was proposed: if a relay UE does not wish to continue accessing remote UEs, it can send an indication message (such as an RRC message through the PC5 interface or a media access control element) to its child UE (i.e., an adjacent UE connected to the network through the relay UE on the relay link) to stop it from sending announcement messages, thereby limiting the access of new remote UEs and achieving balanced network load management.

[0085] Understandably, upstream refers to the direction closest to the network equipment. Figure 6 Taking the link shown in (a) as an example, the last relay UE is closer to the network device than the intermediate relay UEs, therefore the last relay UE is upstream of the intermediate relay UEs; similarly, if more intermediate relay UEs form a link, the closer the UE is to the network device, the upstream it is. Conversely, downstream is the direction away from the network device. Similarly, in... Figure 6 In the link in (a), the intermediate relay UE is farther from the network device than the last relay UE, that is, the intermediate relay UE is located downstream of the last relay UE.

[0086] In a sidelink, the upstream UE acts as the parent node of its downstream UE, responsible for receiving data from higher-level nodes (such as network devices or the previous-hop relay UE) and forwarding it to the downstream UE. Correspondingly, the downstream UE is the child node of its upstream UE, receiving data forwarded by the upstream UE. For example, in... Figure 6 In the link shown in (a), the last relay UE acts as the parent node of the intermediate relay UEs, which in turn act as child nodes. In another example, assume that intermediate relay UE1, intermediate relay UE2, and intermediate relay UE3 are arranged sequentially in the downlink direction, with intermediate relay UE1 at the upstream position, intermediate relay UE2 next, and intermediate relay UE3 downstream. In this case, intermediate relay UE1 is the parent node of intermediate relay UE2, and intermediate relay UE2 is a child node; while intermediate relay UE2 is the parent node of intermediate relay UE3, and intermediate relay UE3 is a child node. As described in the background art, sidelink signal quality measurement relies on the transmission of broadcast messages. If the intermediate relay terminal stops sending broadcast messages, it may cause sidelink signal quality measurement to fail. Specifically, the cessation of broadcast message transmission will prevent remote UEs that have established connections with intermediate relay terminals from performing sidelink signal quality measurements. For these connected remote terminals, it is necessary to be able to measure signal quality via broadcast messages on the sidelink in order to support mobility management (such as handover decisions, link optimization, etc.). If intermediate relay terminals stop sending broadcast messages, signal quality cannot be measured.

[0087] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides a communication method. The method provided in this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0088] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, 5G mobile communication systems, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) systems, future communication systems, or systems integrating multiple communication systems. This application does not limit the application to these systems. 5G can also be referred to as NR.

[0089] The communication method provided in this application can be applied to various communication scenarios, such as one or more of the following communication scenarios: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), machine-type communication (MTC), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), and Internet of Things (IoT).

[0090] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, Figure 7 The application scenario used in this application is illustrated using the communication system architecture shown below. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating one possible, non-limiting system. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., ...). Figure 7 110a and 110b (collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as Figure 7 RAN 100, denoted as RAN 120a-120j, is collectively referred to as RAN 120. RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment. Figure 7 (Not shown in the image). Terminal 120 is connected to RAN node 110 wirelessly. RAN node 110 is connected to core network 200 wirelessly or via wired connection. The core network equipment in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0091] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 4G, 5G mobile communication systems, or future-oriented evolution systems. RAN 100 can also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0092] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and is used to help terminals achieve wireless access. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative, for example... Figure 7 Network element 120i can be a helicopter or a drone, and it can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminals 120j that access RAN 100 through network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices, for example... Figure 7 Network elements 110a and 110b can be understood as communication devices with base station functions, while network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functions.

[0093] In one possible scenario, a RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. Figure 7 110a), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as Figure 7The RAN node can be a relay user equipment or donor node (e.g., 110b), or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, wearable device, vehicle, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). The RAN node can also be equipped with communication modules, circuits, or chips that perform corresponding communication functions. The RAN node can also be configured with program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions and corresponding program instructions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, logical module, or software capable of implementing all or part of the RAN node functions.

[0094] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with different RAN nodes each implementing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be set up separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0095] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an ORAN system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0096] In this embodiment, the form of the RAN node is not limited. The device used to implement the function of the RAN node can be the RAN node itself; it can also be a device that supports the RAN node in implementing this function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the RAN node or used in conjunction with the RAN node.

[0097] A terminal can be a device or module that accesses the aforementioned communication system and has corresponding communication functions. A terminal can also be called a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, transportation vehicles with wireless communication capabilities, communication modules, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. A terminal typically contains a communication module, circuit, or chip that performs the corresponding communication function. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for performing the corresponding communication function.

[0098] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The device used to implement the functions of the terminal can be the terminal itself; it can also be a device that supports the terminal in implementing the functions, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the terminal or used in conjunction with the terminal. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete devices. All or part of the functions of the terminal in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform).

[0099] In one embodiment, AI nodes may also be introduced into the wireless network to support artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

[0100] AI nodes can be deployed in one or more of the following locations within the communication system: access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminal devices, or core network devices. Alternatively, AI nodes can be deployed independently, for example, in a location other than any of the aforementioned devices, such as in the host or cloud server of an over-the-top (OTT) system. AI nodes can communicate with other devices in the communication system, which can be one or more of the following: network devices, terminal devices, or core network elements.

[0101] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of AI nodes. For example, when there are multiple AI nodes, these nodes can be divided based on function, such as different AI nodes being responsible for different functions.

[0102] It can also be understood that AI nodes can be independent devices, or they can be integrated into the same device to achieve different functions. Alternatively, they can be network elements in hardware devices, software functions running on dedicated hardware, or virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (e.g., a cloud platform). This application does not limit the specific form of the aforementioned AI nodes.

[0103] AI nodes can be AI network elements or AI modules.

[0104] The preceding text has introduced the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application from a macro-architectural perspective. To help deepen the understanding of this system in a practical application environment, the following will provide a more specific explanation of the communication system through several examples. It should be noted that the communication system examples listed below are for illustrative purposes and are intended to provide an intuitive understanding. The actual application scope of this application is far greater than this, and it is also compatible and adaptable to other types of communication systems, and is not limited thereto.

[0105] For example, Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a possible application framework in a communication system. For example... Figure 8 As shown, network elements in a communication system are connected via interfaces (e.g., NG, Xn) or air interfaces. These network element nodes, such as core network equipment, access network nodes (RAN nodes), terminals, or one or more devices in operations administration and maintenance (OAM), are equipped with one or more AI modules (for clarity, ...). Figure 8(Only one is shown in the image). An access network node can be a single RAN node or can include multiple RAN nodes, such as a CU and a DU. The CU and / or DU can also be equipped with one or more AI modules. The CU can also be split into CU-CP and CU-UP, and one or more AI modules can be set in the CU-CP and / or CU-UP.

[0106] In yet another example, Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another possible application framework in a communication system. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the communication system includes a RAN intelligent controller (RIC). For example, the RIC can be the aforementioned AI module, used to implement AI-related functions. RICs include near-real-time RICs (near-RT RICs) and non-real-time RICs (non-RT RICs). Non-real-time RICs primarily process non-real-time information, such as data that is not sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of seconds. Real-time RICs primarily process near-real-time information, such as data that is relatively sensitive to latency, with latency in the order of tens of milliseconds.

[0107] Near real-time (NRT) RICs are used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. NRT RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data. NRT RICs can deliver inference results to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs. For example, a NRT RIC delivers an inference result to a DU, which then forwards it to an RU.

[0108] Non-real-time RICs are also used for model training and inference. For example, they are used to train AI models and then use those models for inference. Non-real-time RICs can obtain network-side and / or terminal-side information from RAN nodes (e.g., CUs, CU-CPs, CU-UPs, DUs, and / or RUs) and / or terminals. This information can be used as training data or inference data, and the inference results can be delivered to RAN nodes and / or terminals. Inference results can be exchanged between CUs and DUs, and / or between DUs and RUs; for example, a non-real-time RIC delivers inference results to a DU, which then forwards them to an RU.

[0109] Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be configured as separate network elements. Near real-time RICs and non-real-time RICs can also be part of other devices. For example, near real-time RICs can be set in RAN nodes (e.g., CU, DU), while non-real-time RICs can be set in OAM, cloud servers, core network devices, or other network devices.

[0110] This application provides a communication system, which is a side-link communication system, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the communication system includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and an optional third terminal, wherein the first terminal serves as the parent node of the second terminal (a relay UE responsible for forwarding upstream data), and the upstream data is from network devices (…). Figure 10 (Not shown) The first terminal can be, for example, Figure 6 The first terminal can be a final relay UE directly connected to the network device, or it can be an intermediate relay UE indirectly connected to the network device. The second terminal has a dual role as both a parent and child node: it acts as the parent node of the third terminal (transmitting data downstream) and also as a child node of the first terminal (receiving upstream data). The third terminal acts as a child node of the second terminal (receiving downstream data). The second and third terminals can be... Figure 6 The intermediate relay terminal or remote terminal shown.

[0111] In conjunction with the aforementioned communication system, this application provides a communication method in which, when a first communication device in a sidelink ceases to provide relay service, a second communication device, acting as a child node, sends a first message to the first communication device, acting as a parent node. Then, the first communication device sends a first response message to the established second communication device, which can be used to determine the first signal quality (sidelink signal quality between the second and first communication devices). This ensures the validity of the sidelink signal quality measurement even when the first communication device ceases to provide relay service.

[0112] For example, the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device can be respectively Figure 10 The communication devices in the first, second, and third terminals shown. Any of the above communication devices may also be referred to as communication devices in the side link.

[0113] The aforementioned communication device can be specifically implemented as an independent terminal, a hardware module integrated into a terminal, a software program with complete or partial terminal functions, or a logic processing unit capable of executing a communication protocol stack, etc., without limitation.

[0114] For example, the first communication device, the second communication device, and the third communication device can also be communication devices in network equipment, without limitation.

[0115] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, "sending information" can be understood as the transmission of information between devices or between logical modules within a device. For example, "network device sending information" can refer to a network device sending information to other devices (e.g., a terminal), or it can refer to logical module 1 within the network device sending information to logical module 2. Similarly, "network device receiving information" can be understood as a network device receiving information sent by other devices (e.g., a terminal), or logical module 1 within the network device receiving information from logical module 2.

[0116] "Sending information to a terminal" or related illustrations indicate that the destination of the information is a terminal, including direct or indirect sending; "receiving information from a terminal" or related illustrations indicate that the source of the information is a terminal, including direct or indirect receiving. Information may undergo format conversion and other processing during transmission, but the destination terminal can still understand the valid information from the source terminal. Similar expressions in this application can be interpreted in a similar way, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0117] In this embodiment, the names of messages, parameters, or information between network elements are examples and may differ in actual applications. Each network element may execute some or all of the steps, and the order and operation of the steps may be adjusted, and are not limited to all operations in the embodiments.

[0118] This application uses terminal devices and network devices as examples of interaction subjects, but the execution subjects are not limited to these. The methods of terminal devices can be implemented by their modules (such as chips, processors), logical nodes, or software; similarly, the methods of network devices can be implemented by their modules, logical nodes, or software, without any specific limitation.

[0119] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 11 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0120] S103, the second communication device sends a first message to the first communication device, and correspondingly, the first communication device receives the first message from the second communication device.

[0121] When the first communication device stops providing relay services, the second communication device can send a first message to the first communication device. The first message can trigger the first communication device to reply with a first response message in response to the first message. The first response message can be used to determine the side link signal quality (hereinafter referred to as the first signal quality) between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0122] In other words, when the second communication device determines that the first communication device has stopped sending the second message of mode A, it uses the discovery process of mode B to trigger the transmission of the first message and detects the aforementioned first response message to determine the quality of the first signal. More specifically, this can be divided into the following two cases:

[0123] In one possible scenario, before the first communication device ceases to provide relay service, the second communication device determines the side link signal quality independently based on the second message of model A. After the first communication device ceases to provide relay service, if the second communication device still needs to perform signal quality measurements between communication devices (side link signal quality measurement) based on the discovery message, it sends a request message to request the first communication device to reply with a response message for side link signal quality measurement.

[0124] In another possible scenario, if the second communication device executes model A independently before the first communication device stops providing relay services, then model B is triggered after the first communication device stops providing relay services.

[0125] In another possible scenario, before the first communication device ceases to provide relay services, the second communication device executes both the discovery process of model A and model B. Then, after the first communication device ceases to provide relay services, the second communication device stops executing the discovery process of model A (at this point, the second communication device stops monitoring broadcast messages) and continues executing the discovery process of model B.

[0126] The method may optionally include: S104, where the first communication device determines, based on the first message, that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0127] As described above, the second communication device, which has established a connection with the first communication device, needs to measure the crosslink signal quality based on the discovery message. Therefore, the first communication device needs to send a discovery message to the connected second communication device. After step S101, the first communication device stops sending the second message and therefore needs to send a response message for the first message to the second communication device for crosslink signal quality measurement.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first communication device can determine whether a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the first message. If it is determined that no connection has been established, there is no need to send the first response message. If it is determined that a connection has been established, then step S105 is executed to determine the crosslink signal quality.

[0129] For example, the first communication device can determine that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device by means of the following steps S1041, etc. Step S1041 will not be described in detail for now, but can be found below.

[0130] In other words, the first communication device responds to the first message sent by the second communication device with which the connection has been established by sending a first response message. Therefore, optionally, S104 can also be interpreted as: the first communication device determines whether to respond to the first message based on the first message. Alternatively, S104 can also be interpreted as: the first communication device determines whether the second communication device needs to perform a side-link signal quality measurement based on the first message.

[0131] S105, the first communication device sends a first response message of the first message to the second communication device, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first response message of the first message from the first communication device.

[0132] The first response message is used to determine the quality of the first signal. For details on the determination process of the first signal quality, please refer to the relevant technical specifications, which will not be elaborated here.

[0133] In one embodiment, whether the first communication device sends a first response message to the second communication device depends on the first message sent by the second communication device. Therefore, optionally, steps S104-S105 can also be interpreted as: the first communication device sends a first response message of the first message to the second communication device based on the first message, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first response message of the first message from the first communication device.

[0134] In this embodiment, when the first communication device in the sidelink no longer provides relay service, the second communication device, as a child node, sends a first message to the first communication device, as a parent node. Then, the first communication device sends a first response message to the established second communication device. This first response message can be used to determine the first signal quality (the sidelink signal quality between the second and first communication devices). This ensures the validity of the sidelink signal quality measurement even when the first communication device no longer provides relay service.

[0135] Prior to step S103, the method may optionally include:

[0136] S101, the first communication device determines that it will no longer provide relay services.

[0137] Among them, such as Figure 10The illustrated communication system describes a first communication device that acts as a relay terminal in a sidelink. As described in the background section, the first communication device ceases to provide relay services due to factors such as excessive load. Optionally, the first communication device may also determine to cease providing relay services for the following reasons: the number of remote terminals connected to the first communication device reaches a threshold, at which point the first communication device is unable to provide relay services for more remote terminals; or, the first communication device has already connected to N remote terminals, where N is a threshold or a predefined maximum number of connections. For example, the first communication device determines that the communication link quality has deteriorated (e.g., a sudden drop in signal strength or a sharp increase in the bit error rate), and providing relay services in this situation would not guarantee service quality.

[0138] In other words, the first communication device does not support new remote terminal access; more specifically, the first communication device does not accept new remote terminal access, and its child nodes also do not accept new remote terminal access. In other words, the first communication device does not provide relay services for new remote terminal access.

[0139] At this point, the first communication device may have already connected to some remote terminals (which can be referred to as historical remote terminals), but no longer supports the connection of new remote terminals. One possible explanation is that the first communication device no longer supports the connection of remote terminals. For example, it could also be explained that the first communication device no longer provides relay services. Alternatively, it could be explained that the first communication device no longer sends broadcast messages for model A (in this embodiment, the broadcast message for model A is referred to as the second message).

[0140] In another possible scenario, the parent node of the first communication device may cease providing relay services for reasons similar to those described above. For example, the parent node may not support access from more remote terminals. In this case, the parent node can send a first message to the first communication device indicating that it will no longer provide relay services. Upon receiving this first message, the first communication device can determine that it will no longer provide relay services. It is understood that in this scenario, the first communication device is a child node. In some scenarios, however, the first communication device is the parent node, and it can also send the aforementioned first message to its child nodes (e.g., the second communication device). For an explanation of this, please refer to the description of step S1021 below. Alternatively, similar to the scenario in step S1022 below, if the first communication device does not receive a broadcast message from its parent node within a preset time, it can also determine that it will no longer provide relay services.

[0141] S102, the second communication device determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services.

[0142] The second communication device communicates with the first communication device and the network; in other words, the second communication device is a child node of the first communication device. The second communication device can determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services in various possible ways. For example, the second communication device can determine this through steps S1021 or S1022 as described below.

[0143] In one embodiment, S102 (the second communication device determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services) may optionally include:

[0144] S1021, the first communication device sends first information to the second communication device, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first information from the first communication device.

[0145] The first information is used to instruct the first communication device not to continue providing relay services.

[0146] The first message can be conveyed directly or indirectly. It can be a direct and explicit message such as "The first communication device will no longer provide relay service," allowing the second communication device to quickly understand the situation in the most intuitive way and reducing the complexity of information interpretation.

[0147] Alternatively, the first information can also be a mapping information of "the first communication device will no longer provide relay services". The mapping relationship between this mapping information and "the first communication device will no longer provide relay services" can be guaranteed by the protocol definition and standardized specifications to ensure the consistency of information understanding between different communication devices, thereby improving the overall compatibility and stability of the communication system; or it can be agreed upon in advance by the first communication device and the second communication device, so as to meet the personalized needs in specific scenarios.

[0148] The first information can be carried in a variety of possible messages. For example, the first information can be carried in unicast connection messages, such as PC5-radio resource control (PC5-RRC) messages on the sidelink or media access control element (MAC CE) messages on the PC5 interface.

[0149] For example, the first information can also be carried by the first response message. In other words, the first response message is used to carry the first information, or the first response message includes the first information.

[0150] For example, a field can be added to any of the above messages to indicate the first information. Optionally, the above messages can also carry a corresponding field such as the effective time of the first information to enhance control flexibility.

[0151] In this embodiment of the application, the first communication device instructs the second communication device through first information: the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, which allows the second communication device to accurately determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services.

[0152] In one embodiment, step S102 (the second communication device determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services) may optionally include:

[0153] S1022, the second communication device does not receive a second message from the first communication device within a preset time.

[0154] The preset time can be flexibly set based on factors such as network characteristics, protocol specifications, or device performance. If the second communication device does not receive a second message from the first communication device within the preset time, it indicates that the first communication device is very likely not to continue providing relay services. In this case, the second communication device determines that the first communication device will not continue providing relay services.

[0155] In this embodiment, the second communication device independently determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, without requiring the first communication device to send an instruction message instructing it to no longer provide relay services, thus reducing signaling overhead.

[0156] In one embodiment, S104 (the first communication device determines, based on the first message, that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device) may include:

[0157] S1041, the first communication device determines that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the identification information associated with the first message.

[0158] The identification information associated with the first message can be used by the first communication device to determine whether a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0159] For example, the identification information associated with the first message may include at least one of the following: the Layer 2 identifier of the second communication device (also known as the source Layer 2 identifier), the destination Layer 2 identifier (destination L2 ID), or the user information identifier.

[0160] The following is an introduction to the three types of identification information mentioned above:

[0161] L2 IDs are used for data transmission on the sidelink communication link and include a source L2 ID and a destination L2 ID. A description of the source and destination L2 IDs can be found above. For example, when a second communication device sends a first message to a first communication device, the second communication device may use its own source L2 ID as the sender identifier and / or use the destination L2 ID as the receiver identifier. After receiving the first message based on the source L2 ID of the second communication device, if the source L2 ID matches a known identifier used in unicast communication, the first communication device confirms that the connection has been established; if the source L2 ID does not match a known identifier, the connection is determined not to have been established.

[0162] Similarly, after receiving the first message sent based on the destination L2 ID of the first communication device, if the destination L2 ID matches the known identifier during unicast communication, the first communication device confirms that the connection has been established; if the destination L2 ID does not match the known identifier, the first communication device determines that the connection has not been established.

[0163] In summary, the implementation method for determining whether a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the identification information of the second communication device of the aforementioned source L2 ID or destination L2 ID is based on the sending and receiving method of the first message. Therefore, optionally, step S1041 can also be interpreted as: determining whether a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the sending and receiving method of the first message.

[0164] The identification information of the second communication device, such as the user information identifier, can be included in the first message. The second communication device and the first communication device can agree in advance or by agreement that once the first communication device determines that the received first message includes the user information identifier, it determines that a connection has been established between the corresponding second communication device and the first communication device.

[0165] For example, the user information identifier can be implemented in various ways. For instance, the user information identifier can be the User Info ID in the User Info (see above description) transmitted by the second communication device during unicast connection. Furthermore, the specific form of the user information identifier is not limited to the User Info ID; other identifier methods can also be used, and the specific choice can be flexibly determined according to the actual application scenario.

[0166] In this embodiment, the connection status is determined by the identification information associated with the first message, which has high accuracy.

[0167] In one embodiment, after step S102 (the second communication device determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services), the method may further include:

[0168] S106, the second communication device sends first information to the third communication device, and correspondingly, the third communication device receives the first information from the second communication device.

[0169] The third communication device is a sub-node of the second communication device, such as... Figure 10 The illustrated communication system describes a second terminal corresponding to a second communication device that serves a dual role as both a parent node and a child node: it acts as the parent node of the third terminal (transmitting data downstream) and as a child node of the first terminal (receiving data upstream). In other words, the third communication device is a child node of the second communication device.

[0170] The first message is used to indicate that relay service will not continue. After the second communication device receives the first message, it no longer executes the model A discovery process. At this time, the second communication device can send the aforementioned first message to the third communication device. After receiving the first message, the third communication device no longer needs to detect the second message of model A sent by the second communication device. For a detailed explanation of how to send the first message, please refer to the description of step S1021 above; it will not be repeated here.

[0171] As an alternative to step S106, similar to step S1022 above, the third communication device can also determine whether to stop providing relay services based on a preset time. In this case, step S106 is no longer required. For a detailed explanation of how the third communication device can determine whether to stop providing relay services based on a preset time, please refer to the description of step S1022, which will not be repeated here.

[0172] The third communication device includes sub-nodes that have established a connection with the second communication device. Optionally, the third communication device may also include sub-nodes that have not established a connection with the second communication device. In other words, the second communication device can send the aforementioned first information to the sub-nodes that have established a connection independently. This ensures that such third communication devices with established connections can determine the crosslink signal quality. In this case, the second communication device does not send the aforementioned first information to the sub-nodes that have not established a connection. Optionally, the second communication device may also send the aforementioned first information to the sub-nodes that have not established a connection, without limitation.

[0173] It is understandable that if there are child nodes of the third communication device in the scenario, the third communication device can also send the first information to its child nodes in a similar manner as step S106 to determine the signal quality of the side link, and so on, without further explanation.

[0174] In this embodiment of the application, the second communication device sends a first message to its child node, the third communication device, indicating that it will no longer provide relay services. After receiving the first message, the third communication device does not need to detect the second message of model A sent by the second communication device, thus reducing overhead.

[0175] In one embodiment, after step S105 (the first communication device sends a first response message to the second communication device), the method may further include:

[0176] S107, the first communication device determines that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services.

[0177] In this scenario, the load on the first communication device may decrease for various reasons, at which point relay service can be restored. For example, if a remote terminal currently connected to the first communication device undergoes handover or relay reselection and no longer accesses the network through the first communication device, the first communication device can then support the access of a new remote terminal, thereby providing relay service for the new remote terminal.

[0178] S108, the first communication device sends second information to the second communication device, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second information from the first communication device.

[0179] The second information is used to instruct the resumption of relay service provision. Optionally, the second information can also be interpreted as instructing support for providing relay service, or it can be interpreted as instructing the resumption of sending discovery messages.

[0180] As an alternative to step S108, the second communication device may also independently determine whether to resume providing relay services. For example, the protocol may define a duration for which relay services are not provided, and when that duration ends, the second communication device determines to resume providing relay services.

[0181] Regarding how to send the second message, similar to the first message, it can be sent through various possible messages. For example, it can be sent via, for instance, a PC5-RRC message on the side link or the second message of mode A mentioned above.

[0182] In this embodiment of the application, when the first communication device resumes providing relay service, it sends a second information instruction to the second communication device to resume providing relay service, so that the relay service can be restored in a timely manner.

[0183] In one embodiment, after step S108 (the first communication device sends second information to the second communication device), the method may further include:

[0184] S109, the first communication device sends a second message to the second communication device, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second message from the first communication device.

[0185] Specifically, based on implementation requirements, when the first communication device needs to execute the discovery process of mode A, the first communication device can resume sending the second message for relay service, in other words, send the second message to the second communication device.

[0186] In this embodiment of the application, when the first communication device needs to perform the discovery process of model A, it resumes sending the second message, which can provide timely relay services.

[0187] In one embodiment, after step S108 (the first communication device sends second information to the second communication device), the method may further include:

[0188] S110, the second communication device sends second information to the third communication device, and correspondingly, the third communication device receives the second information from the second communication device.

[0189] Similar to step S108, after the second communication device receives the second information, it can resume providing relay services. At this time, it can instruct the third communication device to resume providing relay services through the second information. For details on how to send the second information, please refer to step S108, which will not be repeated here.

[0190] In this embodiment of the application, after the second communication device resumes providing relay services, it sends a second message to the child node of the second communication device: the third communication device, instructing the second communication device to resume providing relay services. After receiving the second message, the third communication device can promptly resume providing relay services.

[0191] In one embodiment, after step S108 (the first communication device sends second information to the second communication device), the method may further include:

[0192] S111, the second communication device stops sending the first message to the first communication device.

[0193] In step S108, the second communication device determines that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services. At this time, based on the implementation needs of the second communication device, if the second communication device no longer needs to apply the discovery process of model B, the second communication device can stop sending the first message of model B to the first communication device.

[0194] In this embodiment of the application, after the second communication device determines that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services, it stops sending the first message to the first communication device, thereby reducing signaling overhead.

[0195] In summary, this application embodiment addresses the issue of ensuring the measurement of the sidelink signal quality of a child node (e.g., the second communication device) already connected to the relay terminal when the relay terminal (e.g., the first communication device described above) indicates that it will no longer provide relay services. This is achieved by the second communication device (as a child node) sending a first message to the first communication device (as a parent node), and then the first communication device sending a first response message to the second communication device with which the connection has been established. This first response message can be used to determine the first signal quality (the sidelink signal quality between the second and first communication devices). This ensures the validity of the sidelink signal quality measurement even when the first communication device stops providing relay services.

[0196] Figure 12 A flowchart illustrating the communication method provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 12 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0197] S202, the first communication device sends a second message, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second message from the first communication device.

[0198] The second communication device is a child node of the first communication device. The second message includes a first message indicating that relay service will no longer be provided. Upon receiving the first message, the second communication device can confirm that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service.

[0199] The first message is carried in the broadcast message of model A: the second message.

[0200] For a detailed explanation of the first information content, please refer to the explanation in step S1021 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0201] The method may also optionally include: S203, whereby the second communication device determines the quality of the first signal based on the second message.

[0202] Upon receiving the second message, the second communication device can determine the first signal quality based on the second message. This first signal quality refers to the side-link signal quality between the second and first communication devices. For the specific process of determining the first signal quality, please refer to relevant technical specifications; details will not be elaborated further here.

[0203] In this embodiment, the first communication device broadcasts a first message to its child node (e.g., the second communication device) indicating that it will no longer provide relay services via a second message. The second message can be used to determine, for example, the lateral link signal quality between the second and first communication devices. Thus, while indicating that relay services will no longer be provided, the lateral link signal quality measurement is ensured to be valid.

[0204] The method may also include: S201, the first communication device determines that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services.

[0205] The explanation of step S201 can be found in the explanation of step S101, and will not be repeated here.

[0206] In one embodiment, prior to step S203 (the second communication device determines the first signal quality based on the second message), the method may optionally include:

[0207] S204, the second communication device determines that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the identification information associated with the second message.

[0208] Specifically, it is only necessary to determine the side link signal quality for the second communication device, which has already established a connection with the first communication device. The second communication device can determine the connection between the first communication device and the established second communication device based on the above step S204 before executing the above step S203.

[0209] Similar to the identification information associated with the first message, the identification information associated with the second message includes at least one of the following: the Layer 2 identifier of the first communication device, the destination Layer 2 identifier, or the user information identifier of the first communication device. For details regarding the above information and how the second communication device determines that a connection has been established between the second and first communication devices based on the above information, please refer to the corresponding explanation in step S1041 above; further details will not be repeated here.

[0210] For the implementation method of determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the identification information associated with the second message of the above-mentioned Layer 2 identifier or destination L2 ID, the method of sending and receiving the second message is used for determination. Therefore, optionally, step S204 can also be interpreted as: determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device according to the method of sending and receiving the second message.

[0211] Based on this, the second communication device can determine whether a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device according to the second message.

[0212] In this embodiment, after the second communication device determines that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device, it determines the first signal quality based on the second message, thereby reducing unnecessary signal quality determination.

[0213] In one embodiment, the method may optionally include:

[0214] S205, the second communication device sends a third message including the first information, and correspondingly, the third communication device receives the third message from the second communication device.

[0215] In this context, the third communication device is a child node of the second communication device. Similar to step S202 above, the first information can be carried through a broadcast message of model A (the broadcast message of model A broadcast by the second communication device is called the third message). When the second communication device receives the first information and determines that it will no longer provide relay service, it can broadcast the third message, which includes the first information, to its child nodes (e.g., the third communication device). While indicating that it will no longer provide relay service, the third message can also be used to determine the crosslink signal quality between the third communication device and the second communication device. Its implementation principle is the same as in step S203, and will not be described again.

[0216] For the third communication device, if the third communication device is searching for a relay terminal and receives a third message carrying the first information from the second communication device, then the third communication device can determine that the second communication device cannot be a candidate relay terminal.

[0217] It is understandable that if there are child nodes of a third communication device in the scenario, the third communication device can also send the first information to its child nodes in a similar manner to step S205 to determine the signal quality of the side link, and so on, without further explanation.

[0218] In this embodiment of the application, the second communication device sends a third message including a first message indicating that the relay service will no longer be provided, which instructs the sub-nodes of the second communication device (e.g., the third communication device) to no longer provide the relay service while ensuring that the side link signal quality measurement is valid.

[0219] In one embodiment, the method may optionally include:

[0220] S206, the first communication device determines that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services.

[0221] The explanation of step S206 can be found in the explanation of step S107, and will not be repeated here.

[0222] S207, the first communication device sends a second message to the second communication device, and correspondingly, the second communication device receives the second message from the first communication device.

[0223] In the scenario where relay service is restored, the second message sent in step S207 no longer includes the first information, indicating that the first communication device can provide relay service. After receiving the second message in S207, the second communication device can confirm that it can currently support the access of new remote terminals. At this time, the second communication device can also send a second message that does not include the first information to the third communication device, so that the relay service returns to normal.

[0224] S208, the second communication device sends a third message to the third communication device, and correspondingly, the third communication device receives the third message from the second communication device.

[0225] Similar to step S207, in the scenario of restoring relay service, the third message sent by the second communication device to the third communication device no longer includes the first information, so that the relay service is restored to normal.

[0226] In this embodiment of the application, when the first communication device resumes providing relay service, it sends a second message that does not include the first information to the second communication device, which can enable timely restoration of multi-hop relay access service.

[0227] In summary, this embodiment addresses the issue of ensuring the quality measurement of the sidelink signal of a child node (e.g., the second communication device) already connected to the relay terminal when the relay terminal (e.g., the first communication device mentioned above) instructs the first communication device to discontinue providing relay service. The second message, based on a second message, sends a first message instructing the first communication device to discontinue providing relay service to the second communication device of its child node. This second message can be used to determine the sidelink signal quality between the second and first communication devices. Thus, while instructing the first communication device to discontinue providing relay service, the effectiveness of the sidelink signal quality measurement is ensured.

[0228] In one embodiment, the embodiments of this application Figure 11 The communication method shown and Figure 12 The communication methods shown can be used in combination. In this case, the embodiment of this application employs... Figure 12 Steps S201-S203 and their optional steps illustrate the discovery process based on modol A, and the use of... Figure 11 Steps S103-S105 and their optional steps illustrate the Modal B-based discovery process for determining the crosslink signal quality. For explanations of the above steps and their beneficial effects, please refer to the preceding text; further details will not be repeated here.

[0229] It is understood that the communication method provided in this application embodiment does not limit the applicable communication system. For example, the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to an O-RAN communication system. Based on the functional design of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU in the O-RAN communication system, the steps executed by the network device in the communication method provided in this application embodiment can be flexibly implemented by one or more of O-DU / O-CU / O-RU, without limitation.

[0230] In another embodiment, the communication method proposed in this application is also applicable to a chip system. Specifically, the chip system on the network side and / or the terminal side is provided with a memory unit for storing the corresponding information for implementing the communication method of this application. Based on the corresponding information, the processor, in conjunction with a radio frequency / antenna module with transceiver functions, interacts with the other side to implement the communication method of this application.

[0231] The foregoing mainly describes the solution provided by the embodiments of this application from the perspective of the execution logic of each step. It is understood that each node, such as a network device, includes corresponding hardware structures and / or software modules to execute each function in order to achieve the above-mentioned functions. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize that, in conjunction with the algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the method of the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in a hardware or computer software-driven hardware manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0232] This application embodiment can divide the network device into functional modules according to the above method example. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0233] For example, Figure 13 A schematic diagram of a possible communication device is shown. It is understood that the communication device 700 includes means of the necessary form, such as modules, units, elements, circuits, or interfaces, to be appropriately configured together to execute this solution. The communication device 700 may be a first terminal or a second terminal as described in the above method embodiments, or it may be a component (e.g., a chip) in these devices to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. The communication device 700 includes one or more processors 701. The processor 701 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control the communication device, execute software programs, and process data from the software programs.

[0234] Optionally, in one design, the processor 701 may include a program 703 (sometimes also referred to as code or instructions), which can be executed on the processor 701 to cause the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above embodiments. In yet another possible design, the communication device 700 includes circuitry (…). Figure 13 (Not shown), the circuit is used to implement the signal processing function in the above embodiments.

[0235] Optionally, the communication device 700 may include one or more memories 702 storing a program 704 (sometimes referred to as code or instructions), which can be run on the processor 701 to cause the communication device 700 to perform the methods described in the above method embodiments.

[0236] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may include AI modules 707 and 708, which are used to implement AI-related functions. The AI ​​modules can be implemented through software, hardware, or a combination of both. For example, the AI ​​module may include a RIC module. For example, the AI ​​module may be a near real-time RIC or a non-real-time RIC.

[0237] Optionally, the processor 701 and / or memory 702 may also store data. The processor and memory may be configured separately or integrated together.

[0238] Optionally, the communication device 700 may further include a transceiver 705 and / or an antenna 706. The processor 701, sometimes referred to as a processing unit, controls the communication device. The transceiver 705, sometimes referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, or transceiver, is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device through the antenna 706.

[0239] Figure 14 A possible exemplary block diagram of the communication device involved in an embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the communication device 900 may include modules or units for implementing the methods described in the embodiments above. In one possible design, the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 902 and a communication unit 903. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 901 for storing device program code and / or data.

[0240] The communication device 900 can be a terminal-side device in the above embodiments, such as a terminal or a communication module in a terminal, or a circuit or chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions.

[0241] For example, in one embodiment, the communication device 900 can be the first communication device in the above embodiments, used to implement... Figure 11 The communication method is shown. Processing unit 902 is used to: determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service; communication unit 903 is used to: receive a first message from the second communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device; processing unit 902 is used to: determine that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the first message; communication unit 903 is used to: send a first response message of the first message to the second communication device.

[0242] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to: send a first message to the second communication device to indicate that relay service will no longer be provided.

[0243] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is used to: determine, based on the identification information associated with the first message, that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0244] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is used to: determine that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services; the communication unit 903 is used to: send second information to the second communication device to indicate the resumption of providing relay services.

[0245] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to send a second message.

[0246] For example, in one embodiment, the communication device 900 can be the second communication device described in the above embodiments, used to implement... Figure 11 The communication method shown.

[0247] Processing unit 902 is configured to: determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service, and the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device; communication unit 903 is configured to: send a first message to the first communication device and receive a first response message from the first message of the first communication device, the first response message being used to determine a first signal quality: the side link signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0248] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to: receive first information from the first communication device indicating that relay services will no longer be provided.

[0249] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to send a third message that includes the first information.

[0250] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is used to: determine that no second message has been received from the first communication device within a preset time.

[0251] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to: receive second information from the first communication device for instructing the resumption of relay services.

[0252] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to: receive a second message from the first communication device for relay service.

[0253] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to send second information to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with the network through the second communication device.

[0254] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 can be the first communication device in the above embodiments, used to implement... Figure 12 The communication method shown is as follows. At this time, the processing unit 902 is used to: determine that the first communication device will no longer provide relay service; the communication unit 903 is used to: send a first message to the second communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device, the first message is used to instruct the first communication device to no longer provide relay service, and the first message is carried in a second message for relay service.

[0255] In one embodiment, the communication device 900 can be the second communication device described in the above embodiments, used to implement... Figure 12 The communication method shown is as follows. At this time, the communication unit 903 is used to: receive first information from the first communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device, the first information being used to instruct the first communication device not to continue providing relay services, and the first information being carried in a second message; the processing unit 902 is used to: determine a first signal quality based on the second message, the first signal quality being the crosslink signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0256] In one possible design, the processing unit 902 is used to: determine, based on the identification information associated with the second message, that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device.

[0257] In one possible design, the communication unit 903 is used to: send first information to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with the network through the second communication device.

[0258] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a modem chip, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) chip or a SIP chip containing a modem core. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0259] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a modem core, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by an interface circuit or data transceiver circuit on the aforementioned chip.

[0260] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a terminal or a processing module within a terminal, the functionality of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by one or more processors. Specifically, the processor may include a GPU, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU. Alternatively, the processor may include an AI processor, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor. Or, the processor may include an ASIC, or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC. The functionality of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by transceiver circuitry.

[0261] In one possible design, when the communication device 900 is a circuit or chip in a terminal responsible for processing functions, such as a GPU or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) or SIP chip containing a GPU, an AI processor or a SoC or SIP chip containing an AI processor, or an ASIC or a SoC or SIP chip containing an ASIC, the function of the processing unit 902 can be implemented by a circuit system in the aforementioned chip that includes one or more processors or processor cores. The function of the communication unit 903 can be implemented by interface circuitry or data transceiver circuitry on the aforementioned chip.

[0262] It is understandable that the division of units in the above-mentioned device is merely a logical functional division. One function can correspond to one functional unit, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. In actual implementation, all or some units can be integrated into one physical entity, or they can be distributed across different physical entities. Furthermore, the above-mentioned functional units can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0263] In one example, the functional unit in any of the above devices may be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as: one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more central processing units (CPUs), one or more microcontroller units (MCUs), one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or a combination of at least two of these integrated circuit forms.

[0264] In one example, storage unit 901 may include random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory or electrically erasable programmable memory and / or registers, etc.

[0265] This application also provides a communication system for a side-link relay scenario. The communication system may include a first communication device and a second communication device. The first and second communication devices may have the corresponding functions of the aforementioned communication device 90.

[0266] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. This program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the above method embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium can be a terminal device of any of the foregoing embodiments, such as an internal storage unit including a data sending end and / or a data receiving end, such as a hard disk or memory of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the terminal device, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., equipped on the terminal device. Further, the computer-readable storage medium can include both the internal storage unit and the external storage device of the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store the computer program and other programs and data required by the terminal device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.

[0267] This application also provides computer instructions. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be executed by computer instructions to instruct related hardware (such as computers, processors, network devices, and terminals). The program can be stored in the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium.

[0268] This application also provides a computer program product that, when run on a computer, causes the above-described method embodiments to be executed.

[0269] This application also provides a chip system. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices, without limitation. The chip system includes a processor and a transceiver. All or part of the processes in the above method embodiments can be completed by this chip system, such as the chip system being used to implement the functions performed by the first communication device or the second communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0270] In one possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing program instructions and / or data. When the chip system is running, the processor executes the program instructions stored in the memory to enable the chip system to perform the functions performed by the first or second communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0271] In the embodiments of this application, the processor may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components, capable of implementing or executing the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules within the processor.

[0272] In the embodiments of this application, the memory can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). Memory is any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures, and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory in the embodiments of this application can also be a circuit or any other device capable of implementing storage functions, used to store instructions and / or data.

[0273] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or apparatuses.

[0274] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three or more, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist simultaneously, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "At least one (item) of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one (item) of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "B corresponding to A" means that B is associated with A. For example, B can be determined based on A. It should also be understood that determining B based on A does not mean determining B solely based on A; B can also be determined based on A and / or other information. Furthermore, the term "connection" in the embodiments of this application refers to various connection methods, such as direct or indirect connections, to achieve communication between devices; the embodiments of this application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0275] Unless otherwise specified, the term "transmission" in the embodiments of this application refers to bidirectional transmission, encompassing the actions of sending and / or receiving. Specifically, "transmission" in the embodiments of this application includes sending data, receiving data, or both sending and receiving data. In other words, data transmission here includes uplink and / or downlink data transmission. Data may include channels and / or signals; uplink data transmission refers to uplink channel and / or uplink signal transmission, and downlink data transmission refers to downlink channel and / or downlink signal transmission. The terms "network" and "system" in the embodiments of this application refer to the same concept; a communication system is a communication network.

[0276] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0277] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of modules or units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0278] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0279] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit. If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a device, such as a microcontroller, chip, or processor, to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0280] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0281] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0282] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0283] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0284] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

[0285] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope 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 communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, wherein the first communication device is a communication device in a side link, the method includes: It is determined that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services; Receive a first message from a second communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device; Based on the first message, it is determined that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device; Send a first response message to the second communication device for the first message.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a first message to the second communication device, wherein the first message is used to indicate that relay service will not be provided.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first response message also includes the first information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The step of determining that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device based on the first message includes: Based on the identification information associated with the first message, it is determined that a connection has been established between the second communication device and the first communication device.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The identification information associated with the first message includes at least one of the following: Layer 2 identifier of the second communication device, user information identifier of the second communication device, or destination Layer 2 identifier.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The method further includes: It is determined that the first communication device has resumed providing relay services; Send a second message to the second communication device, wherein the second message is used to instruct the restoration of relay service.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a second message, which is used for relay services.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The determination that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services includes: Receive a first message, wherein the first message is used to indicate that relay service will not be provided.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, which is a communication device in a side link, the method includes: It is determined that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device; Send a first message to the first communication device; A first response message is received from the first message of the first communication device, wherein the first response message is used to determine a first signal quality, the first signal quality being the side link signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The determination that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services includes: Receive a first message from the first communication device, wherein the first message is used to indicate that relay service will not continue to be provided.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first response message also includes the first information.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: The first information is sent to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with the network through the second communication device.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The third communication device includes a communication device that has established a connection with the second communication device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The third communication device also includes a communication device that has not established a connection with the second communication device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9-14, characterized in that, The determination that the first communication device will no longer provide relay services includes: No second message was received from the first communication device within the preset time.

16. The method according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that, The first message is associated with identification information.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The identification information associated with the first message includes at least one of the following: Layer 2 identifier of the second communication device, user information identifier of the second communication device, or destination Layer 2 identifier.

18. The method according to any one of claims 9-17, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second message from the first communication device, wherein the second message is used to instruct the resumption of relay service.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive a second message from the first communication device, wherein the second message is for relay service.

20. The method according to claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The method further includes: The second information is sent to a third communication device, wherein the third communication device communicates with the network through the second communication device.

21. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a first communication device, wherein the first communication device is a communication device in a side link, the method includes: It was determined that the first communication device would no longer provide relay services; Send a second message, the second message including first information, wherein the first information is used to instruct the first communication device not to continue providing relay services.

22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The second message is a broadcast message.

23. A communication method, characterized in that, Applied to a second communication device, which is a communication device in a side link, the method includes: Receive a second message from a first communication device, wherein the second communication device communicates with the network through the first communication device, and the second message includes first information, which is used to instruct the first communication device not to continue providing relay services; The first signal quality is determined based on the second message, wherein the first signal quality is the side link signal quality between the second communication device and the first communication device.

24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a third message, wherein the third message includes the first information.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a module that performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a processor for supporting the communication device in performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-24.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions that, when executed, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-24 to be performed.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, When it is run on a computer, it causes the method described in any one of claims 1-24 to be performed.

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