Communication in a denied environment

Abstract

To provide a system in which usability of 5G waveforms is improved.SOLUTION: Cellular communications, such as 5G cellular, may be a primary link between cell phones and a base station. Such cellular communications may be desirable, due to a high link rate. When the cellular communications are denied, a tactical waveform may be used to bridge communications between the cell phones and the base station. The tactical waveform may be transmitted between tactical radios coupled with the cell phones. The tactical radios may include an application layer coupled with an application layer of the cell phone, such that an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) of the cell phone may remain unchanged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly to repel-tolerant communication. [Background technology]

[0002] In 2015, Long-Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) Release 12 was released. As part of this release, a feature called "device-to-device" (D2D) communications was supported, enabling emergency public safety operations. Since then, this capability has evolved and today forms the basis for direct device-to-device communications to support vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications in 5G. Such 5G communications can be used in a permissive environment if all cyber threat and security features provided by the 5G standard are enabled. The use of external end-to-end encryption and the incorporation of a zero-trust network are considered sufficient to operate in a permissive environment. However, in an adversarial theater, 5G waveforms have limited usability due to the capabilities of nearby peer adversaries to deny them.

[0003] Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide devices, systems, and methods that address the above-mentioned shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A system is disclosed in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the system includes a remote user equipment (UE) configured to communicate over a cellular waveform. In another embodiment, the system includes a remote tactical radio configured to communicate over a tactical waveform, the remote tactical radio coupled to the remote UE by a first connectivity interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from the remote UE. In another embodiment, the system includes a relay UE configured to communicate over a cellular waveform. In another embodiment, the system includes a relay tactical radio configured to communicate over a tactical waveform, the relay tactical radio coupled to the relay UE by a second connectivity interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from the relay UE. In another embodiment, the relay tactical radio configured to transmit and receive information to and from the remote tactical radio over the tactical waveform.

[0005] In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for transmitting information is disclosed. The method may establish a connection between a remote UE and a base station. In one embodiment, the method includes checking, by a remote user equipment (UE), for direct cellular connectivity between the remote UE and the base station. In another embodiment, the method includes, upon determining that direct cellular connectivity between the remote UE and the base station is not available, checking, by the remote UE, for device-to-device (D2D) cellular connectivity between the remote UE and the relay UE. In another embodiment, the method includes, upon determining that D2D cellular connectivity between the remote UE and the relay UE is not available, establishing a connection between the remote UE and the base station. In another embodiment, the connection is established by initiating a local connection between an application layer of the remote UE and an application layer of the remote tactical radio. In another embodiment, the connection is established by initiating a mesh connection between a physical layer of the remote tactical radio and a physical layer of the relay tactical radio. In another embodiment, the connection is established by initiating a local connection between an application layer of the relay tactical radio and the relay UE. In another embodiment, the connection is established by initiating a cellular connection between a physical layer of the relay UE and the base station.

[0006] Implementations of the concepts disclosed herein may be better understood in light of the following detailed description thereof. Such description is made with reference to the included drawings, which are not necessarily to scale and in which some features may be exaggerated, some features omitted, or represented diagrammatically for clarity. Like reference numerals in the drawings may represent and refer to the same or similar elements, features, or functions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates proximity services communication in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates a protocol stack in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1A-C illustrate proximity service communications according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a highly hostile theater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates a hostile theater in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates a sequence diagram of a method according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Before describing one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components or steps or methodologies set forth in the following description and illustrated in the drawings. In the following detailed description of the embodiments, numerous specific details may be set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features may not be described in detail to avoid unnecessarily complicating the disclosure.

[0009] As used herein, a letter following a reference number is intended to refer to an embodiment of a feature or element that may be similar, but not necessarily identical, to the preceding element or feature having the same reference number (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Such shorthand notations are used for convenience only and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure unless otherwise specified.

[0010] Furthermore, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive disjunction, not an exclusive disjunction. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or exists) and B is false (or does not exist), A is false (or does not exist) and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

[0011] Additionally, the use of "a" or "an" may be used to describe elements and components of the embodiments disclosed herein. This is done merely for convenience, and "a" and "an" are intended to include "one" or "at least one," and the singular also includes the plural unless otherwise indicated.

[0012] Finally, as used herein, a reference to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The appearances of the phrase "in some embodiments" in various places herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, and the embodiments may include one or more features explicitly described or inherently present in this specification, or any combination or subcombination of two or more such features, along with any other features not necessarily explicitly described or that may be inherently present in the disclosure.

[0013] Reference will now be made in detail to the disclosed subject matter, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Due to the low robustness of cellular communication waveforms, cellular communications are used as a final alternative in the Primary, Alternate, Contingent, Emergency (PACE) strategy adopted by the military. The present disclosure enables the use of 5G cellular as the primary link, with the ability to fall back to tactical waveforms for bridging communications when cellular nodes are subject to denial of service. Using cellular communications as the primary link is desirable because it can sustain much higher throughput in a more spectrally efficient manner than tactical waveforms. Tactical waveforms can be a fallback option, used for data transfer only if 5G is denied.

[0015] A user equipment (UE) can communicate (e.g., send and / or receive) messages with a base station. A UE may include any suitable device for communicating with a base station, such as, but not limited to, a cellular phone or any device equipped for cellular network connectivity. A base station may include an Evolved-Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B station, commonly referred to as an eNB. A base station may also include a 3GPP 5G next-generation Node B base station, commonly referred to as a gNB. A UE can communicate with a base station over one or more air interfaces (e.g., access modes). An air interface may include both a physical layer and a data link layer. For example, an air interface may include an LTE / LTE-A mode, commonly referred to as a Uu interface or Uu. The base station (e.g., an eNB or gNB) can then communicate (e.g., send and / or receive) messages with a network. The network may include a suitable 3GPP network architecture, such as, but not limited to, Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The base station may communicate with the network by any suitable interface, such as, but not limited to, an S1 interface.

[0016] 1A-1B illustrate a prior art sidelink proximity service (ProSe) relaying between a remote UE and a relay UE.

[0017] Remote UEs 102 can communicate messages with relay UEs 104 via device-to-device (D2D) communications 103. D2D communications may include a PC5 interface. Services supported in D2D communications are known as Proximity Services (ProSe). D2D communications between UEs are also known as sidelink communications. The Release 12 D2D standard supports the D2D discovery, network synchronization, resource management, and mobility management protocols required to support proximity services. D2D over LTE is available when UEs are within range of each other and the cellular band is unobstructed.

[0018] The relay UE 104 can then communicate messages with the base station 106 over the Uu interface 105. Thus, the remote UE 102 can communicate with the base station 106 by relaying information through the relay UE 104. Furthermore, the relay UE 104 can communicate with a Proximity Services (ProSe) server 108. The relay UE 104 can communicate with the ProSe server 108 over any suitable interface, such as, but not limited to, a PC3 interface 107. As shown, the PC3 interface 107 is a cellular interface specification for communicating with the ProSe server 108 co-located with the cellular base station 106, but this is not intended to be limiting. The PC3 interface 107 can be routed by the base station 106 to the ProSe server 108 and relayed over the Uu interface 105.

[0019] 1B , a protocol stack for a UE (e.g., a remote UE 102 and / or a relay UE 104) may include one or more stack layers. The one or more stack layers may include the following layers: a Proximity Services (ProSe) application layer, a network layer (IP), a Packet Data Convergence Control (PDCP) layer, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, a Medium Access (MAC) layer, and a physical layer (LTE-PHY). Release 12 D2D communication can use the LTE uplink physical layer for communication between UEs.

[0020] 2A-2C show a prior art Proximity Service (ProSe) communication scenario.

[0021] D2D communication supports three use cases: in-coverage (FIG. 2A), partial coverage (FIG. 2B), and out-of-coverage (FIG. 2C). "Device to Device Communication in LTE" by Rohde & Schwarz is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0022] 2A, UE 206a and UE 208a may each be within the cellular coverage area 202 of base station 204. In this regard, both UE 206a and UE 208a may communicate with base station 204 (e.g., via a Uu interface, see FIG. 1A). Additionally, UE 206a may communicate with UE 208a via D2D communication 210a.

[0023] 2B, a UE 206b may be within the cellular coverage area 202 of the base station 204. In this regard, the UE 206b may communicate with the base station 204 (e.g., via a Uu interface, see FIG. 1A). A UE 208b may be outside the cellular coverage area 202 of the base station 204. In this regard, the UE 208b may not be able to communicate directly with the base station 204. However, the UE 208b may communicate with the UE 206b via D2D communication 210b. The UE 206b may then relay information from the UE 208b to the base station 204.

[0024] 2C, UE 206c and UE 208c may be outside the cellular coverage area 202 of base station 204. In this regard, UE 206c and UE 208c cannot communicate with base station 204. However, UE 206c can communicate with UE 208c via D2D communication 210c.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a theater 300 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] In an embodiment, the theater 300 may be highly hostile. In a highly hostile theater, the area of ​​hostile denial 302 completely encompasses the coverage area 202 of the base station 204. When the coverage area 202 is completely encompassed by the hostile denial 302, all cellular communications (e.g., 4G / 5G) may be denied. In this regard, communications (e.g., over the Uu interface) between the remote UE 206 and the base station 204 may be denied. Furthermore, D2D communications 210 between the remote UE 206 and the relay UE 208 may be denied. Thus, the D2D communications 210 do not enable the relay UE 208 to relay communications of the remote UE 206 to the base station 204.

[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a theater 400 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] In an embodiment, the theater 400 may be hostile. In a hostile theater, the hostile denial area 402 denies only a portion of the coverage area 202 of the base station 204. If the coverage area 202 and the hostile denial area 402 overlap, cellular communications may be denied. Thus, if the adversary is denying access to a subset of nodes, those nodes cannot communicate with other cellular nodes using the D2D functionality provided by cellular standards (LTE-A Release 12 and later).

[0029] 5-12, systems and methods are presented that enable the use of 5G in hostile environments. Cellular nodes (e.g., UEs) in the network can be paired with tactical radios capable of operating in hostile territories. The tactical radios can be configured to communicate with other tactical radios via a tactical mesh ad hoc network waveform to repair broken or rejected cellular connections with base stations.

[0030] Tactical radios and tactical waveforms are generally described in "A Comparative Analysis of Network Approaches For Tactical Wireless Communications, Validated By Joint Communication Simulation System (JCSS) Simulations: A Swedish Perspective" by Fredrik Maxen 2011, and "Techniques for Tactical Radio Operations" Army Techniques Publication (ATP) 6-02.53, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a system 500 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] In an embodiment, the system 500 includes a remote UE 502 , a remote tactical radio 504 , a relay tactical radio 506 , and a relay UE 508 .

[0033] The remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 may be configured to communicate (e.g., send and / or receive) messages with a base station (e.g., base station 204). The remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 may include any suitable device for communicating with a base station, such as, but not limited to, a cellular or any device equipped for cellular network connectivity. The UEs 502, 508 may communicate with the base station over one or more air interfaces. The air interface may include both a physical layer and a data link layer. For example, the air interface may include a wideband LTE / LTE-A mode, commonly referred to as a Uu interface or Uu. The remote UE 502 may be prevented from communicating directly with the base station and may also be denied from forming a D2D sidelink with the relay UE 508 (e.g., the remote UE may be subject to adversary denial 302 or adversary denial 402, be remotely located, the remote UE may be located outside the cellular coverage area 202, or the base station 204 may be subverted by a dynamic attack). Optionally, the relay UE 508 may not be denied so that the relay UE 508 may send and receive messages to and from the base station over the Uu interface.

[0034] In an embodiment, the remote UE 502 and the remote tactical radio 504 may be coupled by a first connectivity interface 503. Similarly, the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508 may be coupled by a second connectivity interface 507. For example, the first connectivity interface 503 and / or the second connectivity interface 507 may include a PC5 interface. The PC5 interface may be transferred via one or more of a WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, Ethernet, or USB connection. Depending on the type of UE (e.g., remote UE 502, relay UE 508) and the type of tactical radio (e.g., remote tactical radio 504, relay tactical radio 506), an adapter (not shown) may be required for the transfer of the PC5 interface. For example, if the tactical radio includes an AN / PRC-162 tactical radio, an adapter may be required for the WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, or Ethernet connection, but not for the USB connection.

[0035] In an embodiment, the remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506 may be configured to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) via a mesh waveform 505 (also referred to herein as a tactical waveform). The bridging range between the tactical radios 504, 506 may depend on the link coverage range of the mesh waveform 505. As may be appreciated, the tactical radios may include any suitable transceiver (not shown) for transmitting and receiving communications via the mesh waveform 505.

[0036] The mesh waveform 505 may include one or more tactical radio ad hoc network (MANET) waveforms that are anti-jamming and capable of operating in a tactically hostile environment. One or more MANET waveforms may be used to transfer one or more PC5 messages between the remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506. The one or more MANET waveforms may include one or more frequency bands. Similarly, the MANET waveforms may include multi-band frequency bands. When the system 500 is configured with a first MANET waveform in a first channel and a second tactical waveform in a second channel, the first MANET may have different robustness compared to the second MANET. Furthermore, the first MANET may support different data rates and / or network throughput compared to the second MANET. Any one of the MANET waveforms may be used to transfer PC5 messages between the remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508.

[0037] In an embodiment, the relay UE 508 may be configured to communicate with a base station (e.g., an eNB / gNB). In this regard, the relay UE 508 may function as a relay UE for the remote UE 502 such that indirect communication between the remote UE 502 and the base station may be established. For example, the relay UE 508 may be configured to communicate with the base station over a Uu interface.

[0038] In an embodiment, the remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506 are configured to generate a threat-aware network model. The threat-aware networking model can select a relay UE 508 to counter a threat (e.g., if the remote UE 502 is denied communication over the Uu interface). Similarly, the threat-aware network model can select one or more tactical radios to counter a threat. The threat-aware networking model can generate a network topology for the system 500 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] The system 500 should not be limited to the remote UE 502, relay UE 508, remote tactical radio 504, and relay tactical radio 506. For example, the system 500 can include multiple relay tactical radios, each coupled with a relay UE (see, e.g., FIG. 10). As another example, the system 500 can include one or more intermediate tactical radios disposed between the relay tactical radio 504 and the remote tactical radio 502 (see, e.g., FIG. 8). Thus, connections can be established in various network topologies, as further described herein. The remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506 can include any tactical radio, such as, but not limited to, a manpack, a handheld radio, a vehicle radio, or an airborne radio. As can be appreciated, any combination of single-channel, two-channel, and multi-channel tactical radios can be used to create mission-specific network topologies.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates a system 500a according to one or more embodiments.

[0041] System 500a may be identical to system 500, but with the addition of:

[0042] In an embodiment, the remote tactical radio 504 may be configured to communicate with the remote UE 502 without adjusting the protocol stack of the remote UE 502. In this regard, the application layer of the remote UE 502 may communicate with the IP relay layer of the remote tactical radio 504. Any messages sent to or from the remote tactical radio 504 via the first connectivity interface 503 may be sent to or from the application layer of the remote UE 502. Similarly, the relay tactical radio 506 may be configured to communicate with the relay UE 508 without adjusting the protocol stack of the relay UE 508.

[0043] As described previously herein, the UE may include the following protocol layers: a Proximity Services (ProSe) application layer, a network layer (IP), a packet data convergence control (PDCP) layer, a radio resource control (RRC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, a medium access (MAC) layer, and a physical layer (LTE-PHY). The remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 may include one or more of the aforementioned protocol layers. Furthermore, the remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 may include one or more of the following layers: a USB protocol layer, a USB link layer, and a USB physical layer. For example, the remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 may be configured with any USB standard, such as, but not limited to, USB 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, or 3.1. The USB protocol layer may be configured to receive data from the network layer (IP) and / or transmit data to the USB link layer. Similarly, the USB link layer may be configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to the USB physical layer. Similarly, the USB physical layer can be configured to receive and / or transmit data from the USB-link layer via a connectivity interface (e.g., the first connectivity interface 503 or the second connectivity interface 507).

[0044] The remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506 may also include one or more of the following protocol layers: a Proximity Services (ProSe) application layer, an Internet Protocol (IP) relay layer, a USB protocol layer, a USB-link layer, a USB-physical layer, a mesh-layer 1, a mesh-layer 2, and / or a mesh-layer 3.

[0045] The ProSe application layer of the remote tactical radio 504 can track the mesh network connectivity status of multiple tactical radio nodes in the network and can track the cellular connectivity status of UEs connected to multiple tactical radios. A combination of the mesh network connectivity and cellular connectivity strength is used to create a connectivity metric. A relay tactical radio 506 coupled with a relay UE 508 can be selected from multiple tactical radios based on the connectivity metric. For example, a relay tactical radio 506 and relay UE 508 can be selected if the relay UE 508 has direct cellular connectivity with a base station (e.g., base station 204).

[0046] For example, the remote UE 502 can transfer the PC5 message by initiating a local USB connection between an application layer of the remote UE 502 and a remote tactical radio 504 for transferring the PC5 message. The local USB connection can be through a first connectivity interface 503 between a USB physical layer of the remote UE 502 and the remote tactical radio 504. In this regard, the USB physical layer can be configured to receive and / or transmit data to the USB protocol layer via the connectivity interface 503. The USB protocol layer can be configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to the USB physical layer. Similarly, the USB protocol layer can be configured to receive data from the USB link layer and / or transmit data to the IP relay layer.

[0047] The remote tactical radio 504 can then select the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508 based on the connectivity metric. The connectivity metric may indicate that the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508 have the best connectivity with the base station 204. For example, the connectivity metric may be determined by the ProSe application layer of the remote tactical radio 504. The remote tactical radio 504 can then communicate a PC5 message with the relay tactical radio 506 via the mesh waveform 505.

[0048] In response to the communication from the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506 can initiate a local connection with the relay UE 508. For example, the relay tactical radio 506 can initiate a USB connection between the application layer of the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508 to communicate PC5 messages. The USB connection can be through a second connectivity interface 507 between the USB physical layer of the relay UE 508 and the relay tactical radio 506. In this regard, the USB physical layer can be configured to receive and / or transmit data to a USB protocol layer via the connectivity interface 507. The USB protocol layer can be configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to the USB physical layer. Similarly, the USB protocol layer can be configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to the USB link layer to the IP relay layer.

[0049] The LTE physical layer of the relay UE 508 may then be configured to transmit and / or receive communications with a base station (e.g., base station 204) over a Uu interface (e.g., Uu interface 105). In this regard, the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506, and the relay UE 508 may function as a bridge or relay between the base station and the remote UE 502. Thus, the remote UE 502 may initiate bidirectional communications with the base station 204 over the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506, and the relay UE 508.

[0050] The remote UE 502, the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506, and the relay UE 508 may be described as including one or more USB layers, but this is not intended to be limiting. In this regard, the remote UE 502, the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506, and the relay UE 508 may include one or more layers (e.g., the first connectivity interface 503 or the second connectivity interface 507) suitable for WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, Ethernet, or USB connectivity.

[0051] With general reference to FIGS. 7-10, the system 500 is described with reference to one or more network topologies.

[0052] As mentioned above, the system 500 may include a network topology including multiple UEs and multiple tactical radios. In an embodiment, the remote tactical radio 504 is configured to select the relay tactical radio 506 based on a connectivity metric. The connectivity metric may include a cellular connectivity status of one or more UEs (e.g., the relay UE 508, the relay UE 1004, the relay UE 1008). The connectivity metric may also include a mesh waveform status of the various tactical radios (e.g., the remote tactical radio 504, the relay tactical radio 506, the intermediate tactical radio 802, the relay tactical radio 1002, the relay tactical radio 1006).

[0053] Referring now to FIG. 7, a system 500 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0054] Due to the enemy denial region 402, the remote UE 502 may be prevented from forming a Uu interface with the base station 204, and similarly may be prevented from forming a D2D sidelink with the relay UE 508. However, the remote UE 502 can establish a connection with the relay UE 508, and subsequently with the base station 204 via the first connectivity interface 503, the remote tactical radio 504, the mesh waveform 505, the relay tactical radio 506, and the second connectivity interface 507. Thus, indirect communication between the remote UE 502 and the base station 204 may be established.

[0055] In an embodiment, the remote tactical radio 504 may select the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508 (eg, by the ProSe application layer based on a connectivity metric).

[0056] FIG. 8 illustrates an example network topology of the system 500 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0057] In an embodiment, the system 500 further includes at least one intermediate tactical radio 802. The remote UE 502 can route communications to the relay UE 508 (and subsequently the base station 204) via the remote tactical radio 504, the at least one intermediate tactical radio 802, and the relay tactical radio 506. The at least one intermediate tactical radio 802 can be automatically selected by the remote tactical radio (e.g., by the ProSe application layer based on connectivity metrics). The at least one intermediate tactical radio 802 can route communications between the remote tactical radio 504 and the relay tactical radio 506 via one or more intermediate tactical waveforms 803.

[0058] 9-10, an implementation of a system 500 including multi-channel tactical connectivity in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is disclosed.

[0059] In an embodiment, the tactical radios of system 500 (e.g., remote tactical radio 504, relay tactical radio 506, relay tactical radio 1002, relay tactical radio 1004) may include two or more channels, each configured to host a tactical waveform. For example, remote tactical radio 504 may include a multi-channel tactical radio including at least first channel 902 and second channel 904. For example, remote tactical radio 504 and / or relay tactical radio 506 may include an AN / PRC-162 tactical radio including two channels.

[0060] Each channel 902, 904 can simultaneously host waveforms to either improve redundancy or improve the data transmission rate of the signal. Redundant connectivity can be established by transmitting the same communication on different channels. An improved data rate connection can also be established by transmitting a first packet of data on a first channel 902 along with a second packet of data on a second channel 904, where the first packet of data and the second packet of data are different (e.g., by demultiplexing and / or demultiplexing).

[0061] As can be appreciated, a tactical radio can include any suitable multi-channel radio. For example, the tactical radio can include, but is not limited to, an AN / PRC-162 manpack, which is a two-channel software-defined radio (SDR) capable of hosting two simultaneous anti-jamming waveforms (one waveform on each channel).

[0062] Referring now to FIG. 9, a system 500 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0063] In an embodiment, the first channel 902 and the second channel 904 may be transmitted to and received from the relay transmitter radio 506. For example, the remote tactical radio 504 may be configured to redundantly transmit and receive information on the first channel 902 and the second channel 904 to improve the robustness of the information. As another example, the information on the first channel 902 may differ from the information on the second channel 904. In this regard, the data rate may be improved at the expense of robustness.

[0064] Referring now to FIG. 10, a system 500 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0065] In an embodiment, the remote UE 502 establishes a connection with the first relay UE 1002 (e.g., over channel 902) and the second relay UE 1004 (e.g., over channel 904). The first relay UE 1002 and the second relay UE 1004 can then communicate with the base station 204 (e.g., over the Uu interface 105). For example, waveforms having the same information may be transmitted over channels 902, 904 to improve the robustness of the information. In other embodiments, channels 902, 904 may transmit different data to improve the data transfer rate.

[0066] 11 , a method 1100 is disclosed in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments and enabling techniques described herein above in the context of system 500 should be construed as extending to method 1100. However, it is further recognized that method 1100 is not limited to system 500.

[0067] In step 1110, a remote UE (e.g., remote UE 502) checks for direct cellular connectivity with a base station (e.g., base station 204). If a direct connection is available, communication occurs over direct cellular connectivity with the base station (e.g., Uu interface 105). Connecting from the remote UE to the base station may or may not be possible depending on the amount of noise floor caused by hostile jammers and the distance to the base station.

[0068] In step 1120, if direct connectivity with the base station is not available, the remote UE checks for device-to-device (D2D) cellular connectivity with a relay UE (e.g., relay UE 506). The remote UE can check for D2D connectivity via standard ProSe services over LTE with the P5 cellular interface specification (e.g., D2D connectivity).

[0069] In step 1130, if D2D cellular connectivity is not available between the remote UE and the relay UE, a connection is established between the remote UE and the relay UE via a remote tactical radio (e.g., remote tactical radio 504) and a relay tactical radio (e.g., relay tactical radio 506, relay tactical radio 1002, relay tactical radio 1006). The connectivity may indirectly connect the remote UE to the base station. The indirect connectivity may include a local connection between the application layer of the remote UE and the application layer of the remote tactical radio (e.g., via the first connectivity interface 503), a mesh connection between the physical layer of the remote tactical radio and the physical layer of the relay tactical radio (e.g., via the mesh waveform 505), a local connection between the application layer of the relay tactical radio and the relay UE (e.g., via the second connectivity interface 507), and a cellular connection between the physical layer of the relay UE and the base station (e.g., via the Uu interface 105).

[0070] A specific implementation of step 1130 is described by steps 1131 to 1136.

[0071] Step 1130 may include step 1131 of performing a relay solicitation (RS) by the remote UE with the relay UE via the remote tactical radio and the relay tactical radio.

[0072] Step 1130 may include step 1132 of performing a Relay Response (RR) by the relay UE with the remote UE via the relay tactical radio and the remote tactical radio.

[0073] Step 1130 may include step 1133 of making, by the remote UE, a Direct Connection Request (DCR) with the relay UE via the remote tactical radio and the relay tactical radio.

[0074] Step 1130 may include step 1134 of generating, by the relay UE, a Direct Security Mode Command 1 (DSMC1) with the remote UE via the relay tactical radio and the remote tactical radio.

[0075] Step 1130 may include step 1135 of performing a Direct Security Mode Complete 2 (DSMC2) by the remote UE with the relay UE via the remote tactical radio and the relay tactical radio.

[0076] Step 1130 may include step 1136 of performing a Direct Communication Accept (DCA) by the relay UE with the remote UE via the relay tactical radio and the remote tactical radio.

[0077] In step 1140, the Relay ProSe of the Relay UE checks to see if the available ProSe resources are sufficient to meet the needs of the remote UE. If the available ProSe resources are insufficient, the Relay ProSe may request a Resource Configuration (SRC) from the base station and receive a Resource Reconfiguration (SRR) from the base station.

[0078] In step 1150, the relay UE reports (Relay UE Reports, RUER1) to the ProSe server and receives a response (RUER2) from the ProSe server. Upon receiving the response, end-to-end connectivity between the remote UE and the ProSe server can be established.

[0079] In step 1160, Bi-Directional User Data (BDUD) is transmitted between the remote UE, the remote tactical radio, the relay tactical radio, the relay UE, the base station, and the ProSe server.

[0080] Referring now to FIG. 12, a system 1200 is illustrated in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] System 1200 may be identical to system 500, except for the following.

[0082] Although the first connectivity interface 503 and the second connectivity interface 507 have been described as one or more of WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, Ethernet, or USB connections, this is not intended as a limitation of the present disclosure. For example, the first connectivity interface 503 may include a remote computer 1102, and the second connectivity interface 507 may include a relay computer 1104. The remote computer 1102 may couple the remote UE 502 and the remote tactical radio 504. Communications between the remote UE and the remote tactical radio 504 may be routed through the remote computer 1102. Similarly, the relay computer 1104 may couple the relay tactical radio 506 and the relay UE 508. Communications between the relay UE 508 and the relay tactical radio 506 may be routed through the relay computer 1104. For example, the remote UE 502 may communicate a PC5 message to the remote computer 1102 via USB. The remote computer 1102 may communicate a PC5 message to the remote tactical radio 504 via USB. The remote tactical radio 504 can communicate with the relay tactical radio 506 via mesh waveform 505. The relay tactical radio 506 can then communicate a PC5 message via USB to the relay computer 1104. The relay computer 1104 can then communicate the PC5 message via USB to the relay UE 508. Thus, bidirectional communication can be established between the remote UE 502 and the relay UE 508 (and subsequently the base station 204).

[0083] In an embodiment, the remote computer 1102 may include a proximity services application. The proximity services application enables the remote computer 1102 to select a relay tactical radio 506 and a relay UE 508 (e.g., based on a connectivity metric). The remote computer 1104 may determine that tactical relay services are required because no direct or indirect connection (via D2D) exists between the remote UE 502 and the base station 204. The remote computer 1102 then initiates a process to discover the relay UE 508, identifies the relay tactical radio 506 connected to the relay UE 508, and forwards a PC5 message to the remote tactical radio 504 for communication. For example, the proximity services application may be maintained on a memory of the remote computer 1102.

[0084] It should be noted that the particular order of steps in the foregoing disclosed methods is an example of an exemplary approach. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order of steps in the methods may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. It is believed that the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description. It will also be apparent that various changes can be made in the form, structure, and arrangement of elements thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The forms set forth herein are illustrative embodiments thereof.

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: a remote user equipment (UE) configured to communicate over a cellular waveform; a remote tactical radio configured to communicate via a tactical waveform, the remote tactical radio coupled to a remote UE by a first connectivity interface for transmitting information to the remote UE and receiving information from the remote UE; a relay UE configured to communicate over the cellular waveform; and a relay tactical radio configured to communicate via the tactical waveform, the relay tactical radio coupled to the relay UE by a second connectivity interface for transmitting the information to the relay UE and receiving the information from the relay UE, the relay tactical radio configured to transmit the information to the remote tactical radio via the tactical waveform and receive the information from the remote tactical radio; The system, wherein the first connectivity interface and the second connectivity interface include at least one of a WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, Ethernet, or USB connection.

2. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a base station including a cellular area, wherein the relay UE is configured to transmit the information to the base station and receive the information from the base station over the cellular waveform, and wherein the remote UE is configured to bidirectionally communicate with the base station via the remote tactical radio, the relay tactical radio, and the relay UE.

3. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote UE is configured to bidirectionally communicate with the base station when direct cellular connectivity with the base station over the cellular waveform is available and when device-to-device (D2D) connectivity between the remote UE and the relay UE over the cellular waveform is unavailable.

4. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote tactical radio is a multi-channel tactical radio including at least one of a first channel and a second channel, the first channel operating in a first frequency band and the second channel operating in a second frequency band.

5. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote tactical radio is configured for at least one of redundantly transmitting and receiving the information on the first channel and the second channel to improve robustness of the information, or non-redundantly transmitting and receiving the information on the first channel and the second channel to improve data rate.

6. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the information on the first channel and the second channel is transmitted to and received from the relay tactical radio.

7. an additional relay UE configured to communicate over the cellular waveform; and an additional relay tactical radio configured to communicate via an additional tactical waveform, the additional relay tactical radio coupled to the additional relay UE; 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the remote tactical radio is configured to transmit to and receive from the relay tactical radio on the first channel, and the remote tactical radio is configured to transmit to and receive from the additional relay tactical radio on the second channel.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one intermediate tactical radio configured to communicate with the remote tactical radio and the relay tactical radio.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote tactical radio includes a proximity services application whereby the remote tactical radio selects the relay tactical radio and the relay UE based on a connectivity metric.

10. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connectivity interface further includes a remote computer, the remote computer including a proximity services application whereby the remote computer selects the relay tactical radio and the relay UE based on a connectivity metric.

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