Method and apparatus for controlling the connection of terminal devices

Abstract

[0009] An embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for controlling a connection of a terminal device, applicable to a terminal device-to-network (U2N) relay scenario, the method including: when a first terminal device in a connected state receives a first message sent from a second terminal device, the first terminal device determines whether to initiate a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration based on a first condition, where the first terminal device is a remote terminal device in the U2N relay scenario and the second terminal device is a relay terminal device in the U2N relay scenario. By implementing the embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to avoid triggering unnecessary connection reconfiguration upon receiving a notification message sent from the relay terminal device, thereby saving resources and avoiding resource waste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and particularly to a method and an apparatus for controlling the connection of a terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] To support direct communication between a terminal device (also called user equipment, UE) and a UE, a Sidelink communication method has been introduced, and the interface between UEs is PC-5. A UE can be directly connected to a network device (for example, a base station) and realize communication with the network device through the relay of another UE. Here, a UE not connected to the network device is called a remote UE, and a UE providing a relay function is called a relay UE. The remote UE and the relay UE communicate via Sidelink, and such an architecture is called U2N (UE to NW, from terminal device to network) relay.

[0003] A direct link and an indirect link can be established between a remote UE and a network device (for example, a base station). The direct link is a link where the remote UE is directly connected to the network device, and the indirect link is a link where the remote UE is indirectly connected to the network device through a relay UE. The remote UE can maintain a connection with the network device via the direct link and the indirect link simultaneously. Such a function is called multipath connection, which enables the remote UE to support multipath transmission and improve the transmission speed and reliability. Note that to support multipath connection, the remote UE needs to be in a connected state.

[0004] In conventional technology, if a relay UE experiences connectivity issues such as a wireless link failure, handover, cell reselection, or radio resource control (RRC) connection failure, it sends a notification message to the connected remote UE via Sidelink. When a connected remote UE receives the notification message from the relay UE, it triggers a rebuild to ensure normal communication. However, this often results in unnecessary connection rebuilds. Therefore, there is currently a lack of effective means to control remote UE connections in U2N relay scenarios. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a method and apparatus for controlling the connectivity of a terminal device, applicable to terminal device-to-network (UE to NW, also known as U2N) relay scenarios, which can avoid triggering unnecessary connectivity re-establishments when receiving notification messages from relay terminal devices by determining, based on conditions, whether a connected terminal device needs to initiate a Radio Resource Control (RRC) re-establishment, thereby saving resources and avoiding resource waste. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device performed by a first terminal device, which is applied to a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network, and the method is The process includes the step of determining whether to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on a first condition, in response to the first terminal device receiving a first message transmitted from a second terminal device while the first terminal device is connected, The present invention provides a method for controlling the connection of terminal devices, wherein the first terminal device is a remote terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to a network, and the second terminal device is a relay terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to a network.

[0007] This proposed technology avoids triggering unnecessary connection reconfigurations when receiving notification messages from relay terminal devices, by determining whether a connected terminal device needs to initiate RRC reconstruction based on certain conditions. This saves resources and prevents resource waste.

[0008] In one implementation, the first condition is that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If it is determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the step of not starting RRC reconstruction is omitted, or If it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device, the process includes the step of initiating RRC reconstruction.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the network device determines that it has configured a multipath bearer for the first terminal device, and It is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device by either determining that the network device has configured both a direct bearer and an indirect bearer for the first terminal device, or by determining that the first terminal device has configured both a direct bearer and an indirect bearer for the first terminal device.

[0010] In one implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device and that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and it is determined that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, the step of not starting RRC reconstruction is, or If multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or if it is determined that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, the process includes the step of initiating RRC reconstruction. The aforementioned indirect path is a path through which the first terminal device is indirectly connected to the network device via the second terminal device.

[0011] In another implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device is configured with a fault recovery function, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If it is determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and that a fault recovery function is configured on the first terminal device, then the RRC reconstruction is not initiated, or If it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device, and / or that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and / or that the first terminal device is not configured for fault recovery, the step of initiating RRC reconstruction is included.

[0012] In one possible implementation, It is determined that the aforementioned indirect path will be used to transmit signaling radio bearers (SRBs). It is determined that the first terminal device triggered RRC connection reconstruction after a failure occurred in the aforementioned indirect path. It is determined that the aforementioned indirect path is the master transmission path of the SRB. Determining that the aforementioned indirect path is a path for maintaining the RRC connection, Determining that the aforementioned indirect path is an anchor path, The indirect path in the multipath transmission is determined to be a master path by any one of the following: determining that the cell connected by the indirect path is the master cell of the first terminal device; or determining that the indirect path is a master path of the first terminal device.

[0013] In one possible implementation, it is determined that the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured by determining that a timer is running, the timer being started after the first terminal device reports link failure information to a network device, the link failure information being used to indicate that a link failure has occurred in the direct or indirect link in the multipath transmission.

[0014] In one implementation, the first message is a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a side link in the first case, or the first message includes the notification message, wherein the instruction type in the notification message is a wireless link failure, and in the first case, If a wireless link failure occurs, If a handover occurs, If cell reselection occurs, and, This includes any one of the following: if an RRC connection failure occurs.

[0015] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a communication device comprising some or all of the functions of a terminal device that implements the method described in the first aspect, for example, the functions of the communication device may comprise the functions of some or all embodiments of the present application, or may comprise functions that independently implement any one embodiment of the present application. The functions may be implemented by hardware, or by the hardware running corresponding software, and the hardware or software may comprise one or more units or modules that correspond to the functions.

[0016] In one implementation form, the configuration of the communication device can include a transmission and reception module and a processing module. The processing module is configured to support the communication device to execute the corresponding functions in the above method. The transmission and reception module is configured to support communication between the communication device and other devices. The communication device is coupled to the transmission and reception module and the processing module, and can further include a storage module for storing computer programs and data necessary for the communication device.

[0017] As an example, the processing module may be a processor, the transmission and reception module may be a transceiver or a communication interface, and the storage module may be a memory.

[0018] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device including a processor. When the processor calls a computer program in a memory, the communication device executes the method described in the first aspect.

[0019] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device including a processor and a memory. A computer program is stored in the memory. The processor executes the computer program stored in the memory to cause the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0020] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor. The processor is configured to execute the code instructions to cause the communication device to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0021] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions used by the terminal device, wherein when the instructions are executed, the terminal device is caused to execute the method described in the first aspect above.

[0022] In a seventh aspect, the present disclosure further provides a computer program product including a computer program, which causes a computer to execute the method described in the first aspect above when executed on the computer.

[0023] In an eighth aspect, the present disclosure provides a chip system, which includes at least one processor and an interface, and supports a terminal device to implement the functions according to the first aspect, for example, supports determining or processing at least one of the data and information related to the above method. In a possible design, the chip system further includes a memory for storing computer programs and data required by the terminal device. The chip system may be composed of chips, or may include chips and other individual components.

[0024] In a ninth aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer program, which causes a computer to execute the method described in the first aspect above when executed on the computer.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0025] For more clearly explaining the technical solutions in the embodiments or the background art of the present disclosure, the drawings used in the embodiments or the background art of the present disclosure will be described below. [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is a schematic flowchart of a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the chip provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] The embodiments of this disclosure are described below in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, and identical or similar reference numerals always represent identical or similar elements or elements having identical or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are illustrative and intended for use in illustrating this disclosure and should not be understood as limiting this disclosure. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, " / " means "or", for example A / B means A or B. In this specification, "and / or" is merely a way of describing the relationship between related objects and means that three relationships may exist, for example A and / or B can mean A exists alone, A and B exist together, or B exists alone.

[0027] The terms used in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. The singular forms “one kind” and “the said” as used in the embodiments of this disclosure and in the appended claims shall also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0028] In the embodiments of this disclosure, various pieces of information may be described using terms such as first, second, third, etc., but it should be understood that this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish information of the same kind from one another. For example, if we do not deviate from the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure, first information may be called second information. Similarly, second information may be called first information. Depending on the context, for example, the word "when" as used herein may be interpreted as "if," "when," or "depending on the decision."

[0029] The embodiments of this disclosure are described below in detail, and these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, where the same or similar reference numerals always represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are illustrative and intended for use in illustrating this disclosure and should not be understood as limiting this disclosure.

[0030] To support direct communication between terminal devices (UEs) and other UEs, the Sidelink communication method has been introduced, with the interface between UEs being PC-5. Depending on the correspondence between the transmitting and receiving UEs, Sidelink supports three transmission methods: unicast, multicast, and broadcast. The transmitting UE sends Sidelink Control Information (SCI) on the PSCCH (Physical Sidelink Control Channel) channel, and then sends a second stage of SCI on the PSSCH (Physical Sidelink Shared Channel) channel, which includes the resource location, source identifier, and target identifier to which data is transmitted. After the receiving UE receives the SCI, it determines whether to receive the corresponding data and which process it corresponds to based on the source UE identifier and destination UE identifier contained therein. In a unicast connection, each UE corresponds to one destination identifier. In multicast, each UE can belong to one or more groups, and each group corresponds to one destination identifier. In broadcast mode, each UE corresponds to at least one destination identifier.

[0031] One UE (Unified Element) is not directly connected to a network device (e.g., a base station), but communicates with the network device through another UE acting as a relay. The UE not connected to a network device is called a remote UE, and the UE providing the relay function is called a relay UE. The remote UE and the relay UE communicate via Sidelink. This architecture is called U2N (UE to NW, relay from terminal device to network).

[0032] Direct and indirect links can be established between a remote UE and a network device (e.g., a base station). A direct link is a link in which the remote UE is directly connected to the network device, while an indirect link is a link in which the remote UE is indirectly connected to the network device via a relay UE. The remote UE can maintain connectivity with the network device via both direct and indirect links. This functionality is called multipath connectivity, and it allows the remote UE to support multipath transmission, improving transmission speed and reliability. Note that the remote UE must be in a connected state to support multipath connectivity.

[0033] If any one of the following occurs at the relay UE: wireless link failure, handover, cell reselection, or RRC connection failure, a notification message (NotificationMessageSidelink) is sent to the connected remote UE via Sidelink. The relay UE carries an indication type in the notification message based on the event that triggered the notification message. In one implementation, if a wireless link failure occurs at the relay UE, the indication type can be set to relay UE wireless link failure (relayUE-UuRLF). If a handover occurs at the relay UE, the indication type is set to relay UE handover (relayUE-HO). If cell reselection occurs at the relay UE, the indication type is set to relay UE cell reselection (relayUE-CellReselection). If a connection failure occurs at the relay UE, the indication type is set to relay UE RRC failure (relayUE-UuRRCFailure).

[0034] After a remote UE receives a notification message, any connected remote UE triggers a rebuild to ensure normal communication. However, unnecessary connection rebuilds often occur in this case. Therefore, there is currently a lack of effective means to control remote UE connections in U2N relay scenarios.

[0035] Therefore, the embodiments of this disclosure propose a method for controlling the connection of a remote UE in a U2N relay scenario. First, the communication systems to which the embodiments of this disclosure can be applied will be described below.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication system may include, but is not limited to, one network device and two terminal devices. The number and form of devices shown in Figure 1 are merely examples and do not limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. In actual applications, two or more network devices may be included. The communication system shown in Figure 1 is an example in which one network device 101 and two terminal device UEs (for example, a first terminal device 102 and a second terminal device 103) are included.

[0037] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to a variety of communication systems, including long-term evolution (LTE) systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems, 5G new radio (NR) systems, and other future new mobile communication systems. The side links in the embodiments of this disclosure may also be referred to as direct communication links.

[0038] In embodiments of this disclosure, the network device 101 is a network-side entity used to transmit or receive signals. For example, the network device 101 may be an evolved NodeB (eNB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next-generation NodeB (gNB) in an NR system, a base station in other future mobile communication systems, or an access node in a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. Embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technology or specific device form used by the network device. The network device provided by embodiments of this disclosure may consist of a Central Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU), where the CU may also be called a Control Unit, and the CU-DU configuration is used to separate the protocol layer of a network device, for example, a base station, with some protocol layer functions set in the CU for centralized control and the remaining or all of the protocol layer functions distributed to the DU, where the DU is centrally controlled by the CU.

[0039] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first terminal device 102 and the second terminal device 103 are user-side entities for receiving or transmitting signals, such as mobile phones. Terminal devices may also be called terminal devices, user equipment (UE), mobile stations (MS), mobile terminal devices (MT), etc. Terminal devices may also be automobiles with communication capabilities, smart cars, mobile phones, wearable devices, tablets (Pads), computers with wireless transmission and reception capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal devices, augmented reality (AR) terminal devices, wireless terminal devices in industrial control, wireless terminal devices in self-driving, wireless terminal devices in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal devices in smart grids, wireless terminal devices in transportation safety, wireless terminal devices in smart cities, wireless terminal devices in smart homes, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or specific device forms used by the terminal devices.

[0040] In the wireless communication system shown in Figure 1, the first terminal device 102 and the second terminal device 103 communicate via a Sidelink direct link. In some embodiments, the first terminal device 102 is not directly connected to the network device 101, but communicates with the network device 101 through relaying by the second terminal device 103. The first terminal device 102, which is not connected to the network device 101, is called a remote UE, and the second terminal device 103, which provides relaying functionality, is called a relay UE. The remote UE and the relay UE communicate via Sidelink using unicast, and such an architecture is called U2N (UE to NW, terminal device to network) relaying.

[0041] In some embodiments, a direct link and an indirect link can be established between the first terminal device 102 and the network device 101. A direct link is a link in which the first terminal device 102 and the network device 101 are directly connected, while an indirect link is a link in which the first terminal device 102 is indirectly connected to the network device 101 via a second terminal device 103. Here, the first terminal device 102 is used as a remote UE, and the second terminal device 103 is used as a relay UE. In this way, the remote UE can maintain connectivity with the network device via both direct and indirect links. This functionality is called multipath connectivity, and it allows the remote UE to support multipath transmission, improving transmission speed and transmission reliability. Note that the remote UE must be in a connected state in order to support multipath connectivity.

[0042] The first terminal device 102 is a remote UE, and the second terminal device 103 is a relay UE. The bearer of the remote UE may be transmitted only via a direct path and is called a direct bearer; it may be transmitted only via an indirect path and is called an indirect bearer; and it may be transmitted via both a direct and an indirect path and is called a multipath bearer. The cell to which the remote UE is directly connected and the cell to which the relay UE is connected may be the same or different.

[0043] In some embodiments, the multipath design involves two paths, one a master path and the other a secondary path.

[0044] In some embodiments, if a second terminal device is configured with multiple cell groups, namely MCGs (Master Cell Groups) and SCGs (Secondary Cell Groups), then if a wireless link failure occurs in one cell group, the second terminal device can transmit failure information to the network device via another cell group, and the network device can reconfigure a new cell for the failed cell group to restore communication. The failure information includes the cause of the failure and the latest measurement results from the terminal device regarding the cell. In one implementation, if a first terminal device is connected to the network device via both direct and indirect links, and a failure occurs in either the direct or indirect link, the first terminal device can report failure information for the corresponding link to help the network recover the failed link. In this way, the first terminal device can have a failure recovery function, which allows the network device to recover the failed link in a timely manner and reduce delays in data transmission on the failed link.

[0045] It should be understood that the communication systems described in the embodiments of this disclosure are intended to provide a clearer illustration of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure and do not limit the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will be aware that, as system architectures evolve and new business scenarios emerge, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure may also be applicable to similar technical problems.

[0046] A method and apparatus for controlling the connection of terminal devices provided in this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0047] Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is applicable to a terminal device to network (U2N) relay scenario, and the method can be performed by a first terminal device. Here, the first terminal device is the remote UE in the U2N relay scenario, and the second terminal device is the relay UE in the U2N relay scenario. Direct links and indirect links can be established between the remote UE and the network device. A direct link is a link in which the remote UE is directly connected to the network device, and an indirect link is a link in which the remote UE is indirectly connected to the network device via a relay UE. The remote UE can maintain connectivity with the network device via both direct and indirect links. Such functionality is called multipath connectivity, and it allows the remote UE to support multipath transmission, improving transmission speed and transmission reliability. Note that the remote UE must be connected in order to support multipath connectivity.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, the method may, but is not limited to, the following step 201. In step 201, in response to the first terminal device receiving the first message transmitted from the second terminal device by the first terminal device which is in a connected state, a decision is made whether or not to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition.

[0049] Selectively, a first terminal device that is connected can receive a first message sent from a second terminal device and determine whether or not it needs to start RRC reconstruction. For example, it can determine whether or not it needs to start RRC reconstruction based on a first condition.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first message may be a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a sidelinkr in the first case. Alternatively, in some other embodiments, the first message may include the notification message and an instruction type. The instruction type may indicate the cause of the loss of link between the second terminal device and the network device (i.e., in the first case). For example, the instruction type may be a radio link failure. The first case may include any one of the following: a radio link failure, a handover, a cell reselection, and an RRC connection failure.

[0051] In one possible implementation, taking the first message as the notification message, if one of the following occurs at the second terminal device—a wireless link failure, a handover, cell reselection, or an RRC connection failure—the second terminal device sends the notification message (NotificationMessageSidelink) to the connected remote UE via Sidelink. The connected first terminal device receives the notification message sent from the second terminal device and can determine whether or not it needs to initiate RRC reconstruction. Selectively, the first terminal device can determine whether or not it needs to initiate RRC reconstruction based on the first condition.

[0052] In another possible implementation, for example, if a first message contains the notification message and indication type, the second terminal device sends the first message via Sidelink to the connected remote UE if one of the following occurs: radio link failure, handover, cell reselection, or RRC connection failure. The first message may contain the notification message. The second terminal device may also have the first message carry an indication type based on the event that triggers the notification message. For example, if a connected first terminal device receives the first message sent from the second terminal device and the indication type included in the first message is radio link failure, the first terminal device can determine, based on the first condition, whether or not it should initiate RRC reconstruction. In other words, a first terminal device that is connected receives the first message sent from the second terminal device, and if the instruction type contained in the first message is a radio link failure, then it can be assumed that a radio link failure has occurred on the second terminal device, and the first terminal device that is connected can determine whether or not it needs to start RRC reconstruction based on the first condition.

[0053] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, a connected terminal device can determine whether or not it needs to initiate RRC reconstruction, thereby avoiding the triggering of unnecessary connection reconstruction and interruption of the connection when it receives a notification message sent from a relay terminal device, saving resources and avoiding resource waste.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first condition may be that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device. The first terminal device can determine whether or not to start RRC reconstruction based on the first condition. If the first terminal device satisfies the first condition, it does not need to start RRC reconstruction. If the first terminal device does not satisfy the first condition, it needs to start RRC reconstruction. Selectively, Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment. The method according to the embodiments of this disclosure is applicable to terminal-to-network (U2N) relay scenarios, and the method is executable by the first terminal device, which is in a connected state. The first terminal device here is a remote UE in a U2N relay scenario, and the second terminal device is a relay UE in a U2N relay scenario. As shown in Figure 3, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 301 and 302.

[0055] In step 301, the first message sent from the second terminal device is received.

[0056] In one implementation, after a first terminal device that is connected receives a first message sent from a second terminal device, the first terminal device determines whether or not it needs to start RRC reconstruction by determining whether or not multipath transmission is configured.

[0057] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, step 301 can be implemented in any one manner of each embodiment of the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to and are omitted from description. For example, a first message transmitted from the first terminal device can be received in the manner of step 201 described above. The first message may be a notification message, or the first message may include a notification message and an instruction type, the instruction type may indicate the cause of the loss of link between the second terminal device and the network-side device.

[0058] In step 302, it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, and RRC reconstruction is not initiated.

[0059] If it is selectively determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, then the first terminal device can be considered to support multipath transmission, and the first terminal device can connect directly to the network device via the direct path in multipath transmission, as well as indirectly to the network device via the indirect path in multipath transmission. If one of the following occurs at the second terminal device: radio link failure, handover, cell reselection, and RRC connection failure, the first message can be sent to the first terminal device. After the first terminal device receives the first message sent from the second terminal device, since multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the first terminal device can also connect directly to the network device via the direct path link in multipath transmission (i.e., the direct link), and the first terminal device can maintain its connection with the network device, so the first terminal device does not need to initiate RRC reconfiguration, thereby preventing the remote UE from interrupting the connection by performing unnecessary connection reconfiguration when it receives information from the relay UE indicating a radio link failure.

[0060] In one possible implementation, if a first terminal device determines that a network device has configured a multipath bearer for the first terminal device, it can determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device.

[0061] In another possible implementation, if the first terminal device determines that the network device has configured both direct and indirect bearers for the first terminal device, it can determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device.

[0062] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, RRC reconstruction does not need to be initiated. This prevents the remote UE from interrupting the connection by performing unnecessary connection reconstruction when it receives information from the relay UE indicating a radio link failure, thereby saving resources and avoiding resource waste.

[0063] Selectively, in some embodiments of this disclosure, it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured on the first terminal device and RRC reconstruction is initiated.

[0064] Selectively, after a first terminal device that is connected receives a first message sent from a second terminal device, the first terminal device may determine that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and may be considered to lack multipath transmission capabilities. If any one of the following occurs at the second terminal device—radio link failure, handover, cell reselection, or RRC connection failure—the first message is sent to the first terminal device. After the first terminal device receives the first message sent from the second terminal device, because the first terminal device lacks multipath transmission capabilities, it must initiate RRC reconstruction to ensure a normal connection with network devices and to ensure normal communication of the terminal device.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first condition may include that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device and that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and the first terminal device can determine whether or not to start RRC reconstruction based on the first condition. If the first terminal device satisfies the first condition, it does not need to start RRC reconstruction. If the first terminal device does not satisfy the first condition, it is necessary to start RRC reconstruction. Selectively, Figure 4 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment. The method according to the embodiments of this disclosure is applicable to a terminal device to network (U2N) relay scenario, and the method is executable by the first terminal device, which is in a connected state. The first terminal device here is a remote UE in a U2N relay scenario, and the second terminal device is a relay UE in a U2N relay scenario. As shown in Figure 4, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 401 and 402.

[0066] In step 401, the first message sent from the second terminal device is received.

[0067] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, step 401 can be implemented in any one manner of each embodiment of the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, nor are they described. For example, a first message sent from the first terminal device can be received in the manner of step 201 described above. The first message may be a notification message, or the first message may include a notification message and an instruction type, the instruction type of which may indicate the cause of the loss of link between the second terminal device and the network-side device.

[0068] In one implementation, after a first terminal device that is connected receives a first message sent from a second terminal device, the first terminal device determines whether multipath transmission is configured and whether the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, thereby determining whether or not it is necessary to start RRC reconstruction.

[0069] In the embodiments of this disclosure, step 401 can be implemented in any one manner of each embodiment of this disclosure, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto, nor are they described.

[0070] In step 402, it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and RRC reconstruction is not initiated. Here, an indirect path is a path through which a first terminal device is indirectly connected to a network device via a second terminal device. When an indirect path is determined not to be a master path, it becomes a secondary path.

[0071] If it is selectively determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, then the first terminal device can be considered to support multipath transmission, thereby enabling the first terminal device to connect directly to a network device via the direct path in multipath transmission, as well as indirectly to a network device via the indirect path in multipath transmission. If one of the following occurs on the second terminal device—radio link failure, handover, cell reselection, and RRC connection failure—the first message is sent to the first terminal device. After the first terminal device receives the first message sent from the second terminal device, since multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device and the indirect path in said multipath transmission is not the master path, the first terminal device can also connect directly to a network device via the direct path link in multipath transmission (i.e., the direct link), and the first terminal device can maintain its connection with the network device, so the first terminal device does not need to initiate RRC reconfiguration, thereby preventing the remote UE from performing unnecessary connection reconfiguration and interrupting the connection when it receives information from the relay UE indicating a radio link failure.

[0072] Selectively, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, multipath transmission is not configured on the first terminal device, and / or it is determined that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and RRC reconstruction is initiated.

[0073] In one implementation, after a first terminal device that is connected receives a first message sent from a second terminal device, if the first terminal device determines that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or that the indirect path in multipath transmission is the master path, the first terminal device needs to initiate RRC reconstruction in order to ensure normal communication between terminal devices.

[0074] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a first terminal device can determine that an indirect path is a master path in multipath transmission by determining that the indirect path is used to transmit a signaling radio bearer (SRB), that the first terminal device triggered an RRC connection rebuild after a failure in the indirect path, that the indirect path is the master transmission path for the SRB, that the indirect path is the path for maintaining the RRC connection, that the indirect path is an anchor path, and that the cell connected by the indirect path is the master cell of the first terminal device.

[0075] In one possible implementation, if it is determined that the indirect path will be used to transmit a signaling radio bearer (SRB), then the indirect path in multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0076] In another possible implementation, if it is determined that the first terminal device triggered an RRC connection reconstruction after a failure occurred in the indirect path, then the indirect path in the multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0077] In another possible implementation, if the indirect path is determined to be the master transmission path for the SRB, then the indirect path in multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0078] In another possible implementation, if the indirect path is determined to be the path for maintaining the RRC connection, then the indirect path in multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0079] In another possible implementation, if the indirect path is determined to be the anchor path, then the indirect path in multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0080] In another possible implementation, if it is determined that the cell connected by the indirect path is the master cell of the first terminal device, then the indirect path in multipath transmission is determined to be the master path.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first condition may include that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured. Based on the first condition, the first terminal device can determine whether or not to start RRC reconstruction. If the first terminal device satisfies the first condition, it does not need to start RRC reconstruction. If the first terminal device does not satisfy the first condition, it is necessary to start RRC reconstruction. Selectively, Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device according to an exemplary embodiment. The method according to the embodiments of this disclosure is applicable to a terminal device to network (U2N) relay scenario, and the method is executable by the first terminal device, which is in a connected state. The first terminal device here is a remote UE in a U2N relay scenario, and the second terminal device is a relay UE in a U2N relay scenario. As shown in Figure 5, the method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps 501 and 502.

[0082] In step 501, the first message sent from the second terminal device is received.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, step 501 can be implemented in any one manner of each embodiment of the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, nor are they described. For example, a first message sent from the first terminal device can be received in the manner of step 201 described above. The first message may be a notification message, or the first message may include a notification message and an instruction type, the instruction type of which may indicate the cause of the loss of link between the second terminal device and the network-side device.

[0084] In one implementation, after a first terminal device in a connected state receives a first message transmitted from a second terminal device, it determines whether multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, whether the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and whether a fault recovery function is configured on the first terminal device, thereby determining whether or not it is necessary to start RRC reconstruction.

[0085] In the embodiments of this disclosure, step 501 can be implemented in any one of the embodiments of this disclosure, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto, nor are they described.

[0086] In step 502, it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured, and therefore RRC reconstruction is not initiated.

[0087] If it is selectively determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, then the first terminal device can be considered to support multipath transmission, thereby enabling the first terminal device to connect directly to network devices via the direct path in multipath transmission, as well as indirectly to network devices via the indirect path in multipath transmission. If one of the following occurs on the second terminal device—radio link failure, handover, cell reselection, and RRC connection failure—the first message is sent to the first terminal device. If multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the indirect path in multipath transmission is the master path, but because the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured, the first terminal device can use the fault recovery function to help the network recover the failed link. In this case, the first terminal device does not need to initiate RRC reconstruction, thereby preventing the remote UE from performing unnecessary connection reconstruction and interrupting the connection upon receiving information from the relay UE indicating a radio link failure.

[0088] In one possible implementation, a first terminal device can determine that a fault recovery function is configured in the first terminal device by determining that a timer is running, the timer being started after the first terminal device reports link failure information to a network device, and the link failure information is used to indicate that a link failure has occurred in a direct or indirect link in multipath transmission. In other words, if the first terminal device determines that the timer is running, it determines that a fault recovery function is configured in the first terminal device.

[0089] Selectively, in some embodiments, the first terminal device initiates RRC reconstruction if it determines that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device, and / or that the indirect path in multipath transmission is not the master path, and / or that fault recovery functionality is not configured for the first terminal device.

[0090] In some embodiments, the implementation of the fault recovery function may be as follows: If a first terminal device is connected to a network device via both a direct link and an indirect link, if a failure occurs in either the direct link or the indirect link, the first terminal device can help the network recover the failed link by reporting the failure information for the corresponding link.

[0091] In one possible implementation, if a failure occurs in the indirect link, the first terminal device reports indirect link failure information to the network device via the direct link. This indirect link failure information may include at least one of the following: indirect link failure cause information, terminal device information of the third terminal device, and terminal device identifier of the second terminal device. Here, the terminal device information includes at least one of the following: terminal device identifier, radio channel quality of the sidelink link between the first terminal device and the third terminal device, and serving cell identifier of the third terminal device, and the third terminal device may be a terminal device capable of establishing an indirect link with the first terminal device.

[0092] Selectively, an indirect link failure cause includes at least one of the following: a radio link failure in the sidelink link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; a sidelink RLC entity notifying that transmission has reached the first maximum number of retransmissions; the T400 timer expiring; a sidelink MAC entity notifying that loss feedback has reached the maximum number of losses; a sidelink PDCP entity notifying that the SL-SRB2 integrity check has failed; a sidelink PDCP entity notifying that the SL-SRB3 integrity check has failed; a continuous LBT failure in the sidelink link between the first terminal device and the second terminal device; a radio link failure in the second terminal device; a connection failure in the second terminal device; and the PC5-RRC connection between the first terminal device and the second terminal device being released.

[0093] In one possible implementation, if a direct link fails, the first terminal device reports direct link failure information to the network device via an indirect link. This direct link failure information includes direct link failure cause information, which includes at least one of the following: wireless link failure, T310 timer expiration, T312 timer expiration, RLC retransmission reaching a second maximum number of retransmissions, random access failure, beam recovery failure, and continuous LBT failure.

[0094] The embodiments provided by this disclosure describe methods provided by the embodiments of this disclosure from the perspective of a first terminal device. To implement each of the functions in the methods provided by the embodiments of this disclosure, the first terminal device includes a hardware structure, a software module, and can implement each of the functions in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure and a software module. Specific functions in each of the functions can be performed in the form of a hardware structure, a software module, or a hardware structure and a software module.

[0095] Referring to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device 60 provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication device 60 shown in Figure 6 may include a transceiver module 601 and a processing module 602. The transceiver module 601 may include a transmit module and / or a receive module, the transmit module being configured to implement a transmit function and the receive module being configured to implement a receive function, and the transceiver module 601 may implement a transmit function and / or a receive function.

[0096] The communication device 60 may be a terminal device (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above), an apparatus on a terminal device, or an apparatus that can be used in conjunction with a terminal device.

[0097] The communication device 60 is a terminal device (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above). The transmit / receive module 601 is configured to receive a first message transmitted from a second terminal device. The processing module 602 is configured to determine whether to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on a first condition when the first message transmitted from the second terminal device is received by the connected first terminal device. Here, the first terminal device is a remote terminal device in a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network, and the second terminal device is a relay terminal device in a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network.

[0098] In one implementation, the first condition is that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device. The processing module 602 is configured to either not start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the processing module 602 is further configured to determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device if it is determined that the network device has configured a multipath bearer for the first terminal device, or to determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device if it is determined that the network device has configured both a direct bearer and an indirect bearer for the first terminal device.

[0100] In one implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and the processing module 602 is configured not to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the indirect path is a path through which the first terminal device is indirectly connected to the network device via the second terminal device.

[0101] In another implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured. The processing module 602 is configured not to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and / or the first terminal device does not have a fault recovery function configured.

[0102] In one possible implementation, the processing module 602 is further configured to determine that the indirect path in multipath transmission is a master path if it is determined that the indirect path is used to transmit a signaling radio bearer (SRB), or if it is determined that the first terminal device triggered an RRC connection reconstruction after a failure in the indirect path, or if it is determined that the indirect path is a master transmission path for an SRB, or if it is determined that the indirect path is a master path in multipath transmission, or if it is determined that the indirect path is a path for maintaining an RRC connection, or if it is determined that the indirect path is an anchor path, or if it is determined that the cell connected by the indirect path is a master cell for the first terminal device, then the indirect path in multipath transmission is a master path.

[0103] In another implementation, the processing module 602 is further configured to determine, if it is determined that a timer is running, that a fault recovery function is set on the first terminal device, the timer being started after the first terminal device reports link failure information to the network device, and the link failure information indicates that a link failure has occurred on a direct or indirect link in multipath transmission.

[0104] In one implementation, the first message is a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a sidelink in the first case, or the first message includes a notification message in which the instruction type is a radio link failure. The first case includes one of the following: a radio link failure occurs, a handover occurs, a cell reselection occurs, and an RRC connection failure occurs.

[0105] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, since the specific manner in which each module executes operations has been described in detail in the method embodiment of this method, it will not be described in detail here.

[0106] Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of another communication device 70 provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 70 may be a terminal device (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above), or may be a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports the terminal device to implement the above method. The device can implement the method described in the above method embodiment, specifically, reference can be made to the description in the above method embodiment.

[0107] The communication device 70 may include one or more processors 701. The processor 701 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, etc. For example, it may be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can control a communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute a computer program, and process the data of the computer program.

[0108] Optionally, the communication device 70 may further include one or more memories 702, in which a computer program 704 is stored. By executing the computer program 704 by the processor 701, the communication device 70 is caused to execute the method described in the above method embodiment. Optionally, data may be stored in the memory 702. The communication device 70 and the memory 702 may be provided separately or integrated.

[0109] Selectively, the communication device 70 may further include a transceiver 705 and an antenna 706. The transceiver 705 may also be called a transceiver unit, transceiver, or transceiver circuit, and is configured to perform a transceiver function. The transceiver 705 may include a receiver and a transmitter, the receiver may also be called a receiver or receiving circuit, and is configured to perform a receiving function. The transmitter may also be called a transmitter or transmitting circuit, and is configured to perform a transmitting function.

[0110] Selectively, the communication device 70 may include one or more interface circuits 707. The interface circuits 707 are configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor 701. The processor 701 causes the communication device 70 to perform the method described in the above embodiment by executing the code instructions.

[0111] The communication device 70 is a terminal device (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above), and the processor 701 is configured to perform step 201 in Figure 2, step 302 in Figure 3, step 402 in Figure 4, or step 502 in Figure 5. The transceiver 705 is configured to perform step 301 in Figure 3, step 401 in Figure 4, or step 501 in Figure 5.

[0112] In one implementation, the processor 701 may include a transceiver for implementing receiving and transmitting functions. For example, the transceiver may be a transmit / receive circuit, or an interface, or an interface circuit. The transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface for implementing receiving and transmitting functions may be provided separately or integrated. The aforementioned transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for reading and writing code / data, or the above-mentioned transmit / receive circuit, interface, or interface circuit can be used for transmitting or forwarding signals.

[0113] In one implementation, the processor 701 can store a computer program, and when the computer program is executed on the processor 701, the communication device 70 can perform the method described in the above embodiment. The computer program can be fixed within the processor 701, in which case the processor 701 can be implemented by hardware.

[0114] In one embodiment, the communication device 70 may include a circuit that can implement a transmission function, a reception function, or a communication function as described in the method embodiment above. The processor and transceiver described herein can be implemented as an integrated circuit (IC), analog IC, radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), mixed-signal IC, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), printed circuit board (PCB), electronic device, etc. The processor and transceiver can also be manufactured using various IC process technologies such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), n-metal oxide semiconductor (nMOS), positive channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), bipolar junction transistor (BJT), bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS), silicon germanium (SiGe), and gallium arsenide (GaAs).

[0115] The communication device described in the above embodiment may be a terminal device (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above), but the scope of the communication device described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the configuration of the communication device is not limited to Figure 7. The communication device may be an independent device or part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be the following: (1) An independent integrated circuit IC, or chip, or a chip system or subsystem. (2) An assembly having one or more ICs, which may optionally include a storage component for storing data or computer programs. (3) ASICs such as modems. (4) A module that can be incorporated into another device. (5) Receivers, terminal devices, intelligent terminal devices, mobile phones, wireless devices, portable devices, mobile units, in-vehicle devices, network devices, cloud devices, artificial intelligence devices, etc. (6) Others, etc.

[0116] If the communication device is a chip or a chip system, you can refer to the schematic configuration diagram of the chip shown in Figure 8. The chip shown in Figure 8 includes a processor 801 and an interface 802. There may be one or more processors 801, and there may be multiple interfaces 802.

[0117] When the chip is used to implement the functionality of a terminal device in an embodiment of this application (for example, the first terminal device in the method embodiment described above), Interface 802 is configured to receive a first message transmitted from a second terminal device, and processor 801 is configured to determine whether to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on a first condition when the first message transmitted from the second terminal device is received by the connected first terminal device, the first terminal device being a remote terminal device in a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network, and the second terminal device being a relay terminal device in a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network.

[0118] In one implementation, the first condition is that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device. The processor 801 is configured to either not start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the processor 801 is further configured to determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device if it is determined that the network device has configured a multipath bearer for the first terminal device, or to determine that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device if it is determined that the network device has configured both a direct bearer and an indirect bearer for the first terminal device.

[0120] In one implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and the processor 801 is configured not to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the indirect path is a path through which the first terminal device is indirectly connected to a network device via a second terminal device.

[0121] In another implementation, the first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured. The processor 801 is configured not to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured, or to start RRC reconstruction if it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and / or the first terminal device does not have a fault recovery function configured.

[0122] In one possible implementation, the processor 801 is further configured to determine that the indirect path in multipath transmission is a master path if it is determined that the indirect path is used to transmit a signaling radio bearer (SRB), or if it is determined that the first terminal device triggered an RRC connection reconstruction after a failure in the indirect path, or if it is determined that the indirect path is a master transmission path for an SRB, or if it is determined that the indirect path is a path for maintaining an RRC connection, or if it is determined that the indirect path is an anchor path, or if it is determined that the cell connected by the indirect path is a master cell for the first terminal device.

[0123] In another implementation, the processor 801 is further configured to determine that a fault recovery function is set on the first terminal device if it is determined that a timer is running, the timer being started after the first terminal device reports link failure information to a network device, the link failure information being used to indicate that a link failure has occurred on a direct or indirect link in multipath transmission.

[0124] In one implementation, the first message is a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a sidelink in the first case, or the first message includes a notification message in which the instruction type is a radio link failure, and in the first case includes one of the following: a radio link failure has occurred, a handover has occurred, a cell reselection has occurred, and an RRC connection failure has occurred.

[0125] Selectively, the chip further includes memory 803 for storing necessary computer programs and data.

[0126] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the various illustrative logical blocks and steps enumerated in the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented by electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the overall system design requirements. Those skilled in the art can implement such functionality in various ways for each specific application, but such implementations should not be understood to exceed the scope of protection of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0127] The disclosure further provides a readable storage medium on which instructions are stored, and when such instructions are executed by a computer, the functionality of any one of the above method embodiments is realized.

[0128] This disclosure further provides a computer program product in which, when the computer program product is executed by a computer, the functionality of any one of the above method embodiments is realized.

[0129] In the embodiments described above, all or part of the implementation can be realized by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the implementation can be in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs. When the computer programs are loaded onto a computer and executed, all or part of the processes or functions in the embodiments of this disclosure are generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer programs may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer programs may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via a wired connection (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless connection (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium accessible by a computer, or a data storage device including a server or data center integrated by one or more available media. The available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., high-density digital video discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disks (SSDs)).

[0130] Those skilled in the art will understand that the various numerical numbers such as "First," "Second," etc., in this disclosure are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor are they used to indicate chronological order.

[0131] In this disclosure, at least one may be described as one or more, and more may be two, three, four or more, but are not limited to this disclosure. In embodiments of this disclosure, a technical feature is distinguished by “First,” “Second,” “Third,” “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D,” and there is no chronological or metrical order between the technical features described by “First,” “Second,” “Third,” “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.”

[0132] The correspondences shown in each table of this disclosure may be set or predefined. The values ​​of the information in each table are merely examples and may be set to other values, not limited to those in this disclosure. When setting the correspondence between information and each parameter, it is not necessary to set all the correspondences shown in each table. For example, the correspondences shown in some rows of the tables in this disclosure may not be set. Also, appropriate transformations and adjustments such as splitting and joining can be performed based on the above tables, for example. The names of the parameters shown in the titles of the above tables may be other names that the communication device can understand, and the values ​​or expressions of those parameters may also be other values ​​or expressions that the communication device can understand. Other data structures such as arrays, queues, containers, stacks, linear tables, pointers, linked lists, trees, graphs, structures, classes, heaps, or hash tables can also be used when implementing the above tables.

[0133] In this disclosure, pre-definitions may be understood as definition, pre-definition, memory, pre-storage, pre-negotiation, pre-setting, solidification, or pre-burn.

[0134] Those skilled in the art will be aware that the units and algorithmic steps of each example described herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the proposed technology. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions using different methods for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this disclosure.

[0135] For the sake of clarity and simplicity, and so that those skilled in the art can clearly understand, the specific operating processes of the above-mentioned systems, apparatuses, and units can be described by referring to the corresponding processes in the embodiments of the methods described above, and will not be described again here.

[0136] The foregoing are merely specific embodiments of the Disclosure, and the scope of protection of the Disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed herein, and these should be included within the scope of protection of the Disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the Disclosure should be governed by the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device performed by a first terminal device, applicable to a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network, wherein the method is The process includes the step of determining whether to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on a first condition, in response to the first terminal device receiving a first message transmitted from a second terminal device while the first terminal device is connected, The first terminal device is a remote terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to the network, and the second terminal device is a relay terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to the network. The aforementioned method, If an indirect link failure occurs, the first terminal device reports indirect link failure information to a network device via a direct link, the indirect link failure information includes terminal device information of a third terminal device, the terminal device information includes at least one of a terminal device identifier, the radio channel quality of the sidelink link between the first terminal device and the third terminal device, and the serving cell identifier of the third terminal device, and the third terminal device is a terminal device capable of establishing an indirect link with the first terminal device. A method for controlling the connection of terminal devices, characterized by the following:

2. The first condition is that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If it is determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the RRC reconstruction is not initiated, or If it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured on the first terminal device, the process includes the step of initiating RRC reconstruction. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 1.

3. The network device determines that it has configured a multipath bearer for the first terminal device, and It is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device by either determining that the network device has configured both a direct bearer and an indirect bearer for the first terminal device, or by determining that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 2.

4. The first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device and that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device and it is determined that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, the RRC reconstruction is not initiated, or If multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device and / or if it is determined that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, the process includes the step of initiating RRC reconstruction. The aforementioned indirect path is a path through which the first terminal device is indirectly connected to a network device via the second terminal device. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 1.

5. The first condition includes that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and the first terminal device is configured with a fault recovery function, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If it is determined that multipath transmission is configured for the first terminal device, and the indirect path in the multipath transmission is the master path, and that a fault recovery function is configured for the first terminal device, then the RRC reconstruction is not initiated, or If it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured for the first terminal device, and / or that the indirect path in the multipath transmission is not the master path, and / or that the first terminal device is not configured for fault recovery, the steps include initiating RRC reconstruction. By determining that the timer is operating, it is determined that the first terminal device has a fault recovery function configured, the timer being a timer that started after the first terminal device reported link failure information to a network device, and the link failure information being used to indicate that a link failure has occurred in the direct or indirect link in the multipath transmission. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 1.

6. It is determined that the aforementioned indirect path will be used to transmit signaling radio bearers (SRBs), It is determined that the first terminal device triggered RRC connection reconstruction after a failure occurred in the aforementioned indirect path. It is determined that the aforementioned indirect path is the master transmission path of the SRB. It is determined that the aforementioned indirect path is a path for maintaining the RRC connection. Determining that the aforementioned indirect path is an anchor path, The indirect path in the multipath transmission is determined to be a master path by any one of the following: determining that the cell connected by the indirect path is the master cell of the first terminal device, A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 4.

7. The first message is a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a side link in the first case, or The first message includes the notification message, wherein the instruction type in the notification message is a wireless link failure, and in the first case, If a wireless link failure occurs, If a handover occurs, If cell reselection occurs, and, If an RRC connection failure occurs, including one of the following: A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 1.

8. A communication device, The device includes a processor and memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor causes the communication device to perform a method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 by executing the computer program stored in the memory. A communication device characterized by the following features.

9. A method for controlling the connection of terminal devices, which is applied to a relay scenario from a terminal device to a network, the method is applied to a communication system, the communication system includes a first terminal device, a second terminal device and a network device, and the method is The process includes the step of determining whether to initiate radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on a first condition, in response to the first terminal device receiving a first message transmitted from the second terminal device while the first terminal device is connected, The first terminal device is a remote terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to the network, and the second terminal device is a relay terminal device in a relay scenario from the terminal device to the network. The aforementioned method, If an indirect link failure occurs, the first terminal device reports indirect link failure information to the network device via a direct link, the indirect link failure information includes terminal device information of a third terminal device, the terminal device information includes at least one of a terminal device identifier, the radio channel quality of the sidelink link between the first terminal device and the third terminal device, and the serving cell identifier of the third terminal device, and the third terminal device is a terminal device capable of establishing an indirect link with the first terminal device. A method for controlling the connection of terminal devices, characterized by the following:

10. The first condition is that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, and the step of determining whether or not to start radio resource control (RRC) reconstruction based on the first condition is: If it is determined that multipath transmission is configured on the first terminal device, the RRC reconstruction is not initiated, or If it is determined that multipath transmission is not configured on the first terminal device, the process includes the step of initiating RRC reconstruction. A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 9.

11. The first message is a notification message sent by the second terminal device to the connected first terminal device via a side link in the first case, or The first message includes the notification message, wherein the instruction type in the notification message is a wireless link failure, and in the first case, If a wireless link failure occurs, If a handover occurs, If cell reselection occurs, and, If an RRC connection failure occurs, including one of the following: A method for controlling the connection of a terminal device as described in feature 9.

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