Information processing method and apparatus, communication device, and storage medium

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium. The information processing method performed by a source user equipment (UE) includes broadcasting a request message, the request message including destination information and relay information of the source UE, the destination information being used to instruct U2U relay from candidate user equipment of the source UE to the user equipment, and the relay information of the source UE being used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication technology, but is not limited to the field of wireless communication technology, and particularly relates to an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium.

Background Art

[0002] When a user equipment (UE) is inside or outside the range of a 3Gpp network, it can communicate with other UEs with the help of a relay device. A UE that provides such relay communication may be called an inter-UE (UE to UE, U2U) relay.

[0003] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing communication between a source UE and a target UE via a U2U relay. Thus, even when the source UE and the target UE cannot establish direct communication (Sidelink, SL), they can communicate with the help of another UE (U2U relay).

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an information processing method and apparatus, a communication device, and a storage medium.

[0005] A first aspect of embodiments of this disclosure provides an information processing method, which is executed by a source user equipment (UE), and the method includes: broadcasting a request message, where the request message includes destination information and relay information of the source UE, the destination information is used to indicate a U2U relay from a candidate user equipment of the source UE to a user equipment, and the relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0006] A second embodiment of the embodiments of this disclosure provides an information processing method, the method being performed by a monitoring device, and the method is The step includes monitoring request messages sent from the source UE, The request message includes at least destination information and relay information for the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0007] A third embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, which is A sending module is configured to broadcast request messages, The request message includes destination information and relay information for the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0008] A fourth embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides an information processing apparatus, which is A receiving module is included, which is configured to monitor request messages sent from the source UE. The request message includes at least destination information and relay information for the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0009] A fifth embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a communication device comprising a processor, a transceiver, memory, and a program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein when the processor executes the executable program, an information processing method provided in the first or second embodiment is performed.

[0010] A sixth embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a computer storage medium storing an executable program, wherein after the executable program is executed by a processor, an information processing method provided in the first or second embodiment is implemented.

[0011] A seventh embodiment of the embodiments of the present disclosure provides a communication system which includes source user equipment (UE) and monitoring equipment. The aforementioned source UE is used to perform an information processing method provided by any technical solution of the first embodiment, The monitoring device is used to perform an information processing method provided by any technical solution of the second embodiment.

[0012] The technical solutions provided by embodiments of this disclosure include relay information of the source UE in a request message broadcast by the source UE, which indicates whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication. In this way, other monitoring devices that can function as U2U relays can create or update the target UE information for the U2U relay that they maintain after receiving this request message. On the one hand, other monitoring devices do not need to send an announcement message to discover the target UE. On the other hand, since this relay information is sent by the source UE itself, the accuracy of the target UE information created or maintained by the U2U relay is improved compared to the inaccurate problem of monitoring devices sending an announcement message and monitoring response messages to discover the target UE.

[0013] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are for the purpose of illustration and description only, and do not limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and constituting a part of this specification show embodiments consistent with the present invention and serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present invention together with the specification. [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing U2U relay communication according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a wireless communication system according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart of an information processing method according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a UE according to an exemplary embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a communication device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, and examples thereof will be shown in the drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same numerals in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments that coincide with the embodiments of the present disclosure. Conversely, they are merely examples of devices and methods that coincide with some aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0016] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely for explaining specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms "one", "said", and "the" used in the present disclosure are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in this specification means any one or all possible combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0017] In addition, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used to explain various information, but it should be understood that this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, unless departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information may be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "when..." used in this specification may be interpreted as "when... and", "when...", or "depending on the determination".

[0018] Referring to Figure 2, a schematic diagram of the structure of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in Figure 2, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on cellular mobile communication technology, and this wireless communication system may include a plurality of terminals 11 and a plurality of access devices 12.

[0019] Here, terminal 11 may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user. Terminal 11 can communicate with one or more core networks via a Radio Access Network (RAN), and terminal 11 may be an Internet of Things terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or cellular phone), or a computer with an Internet of Things terminal, and may be, for example, a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-integrated, or vehicle-mounted device. For example, it may be a Station (STA), subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile, remote station, access point, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, user device, or user equipment (terminal). Alternatively, terminal 11 may be a device for an unmanned aerial vehicle. Alternatively, terminal 11 may be an in-vehicle device such as a drive computer equipped with wireless communication capabilities, or a wireless communication device externally connected to a drive computer. Alternatively, terminal 11 may be a roadside device such as a streetlamp, signal light, or other roadside equipment equipped with wireless communication capabilities.

[0020] The access device 12 may be a network-side device in a wireless communication system. Here, the wireless communication system may be a 4th generation mobile communication (4G) system, also known as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a 5G system, also known as a New Radio system or 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next-generation system of the 5G system. Here, the access network in the 5G system may be called a New Generation-Radio Access Network (NG-RAN). Alternatively, it may be an MTC system.

[0021] Here, the access device 12 may be an evolved access device (eNB) used in a 4G system. Alternatively, the access device 12 may be an access device (gNB) using a centralized-distributed architecture in a 5G system. When the access device 12 uses a centralized-distributed architecture, it typically includes a central unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DUs). The central unit is provided with a protocol stack for the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. The distributed units are provided with a protocol stack for the Physical (PHY) layer, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific implementation of the access device 12.

[0022] A wireless connection can be established between the access device 12 and the terminal 11 via a wireless air interface. In different embodiments, the wireless air interface may be a wireless air interface based on the fourth-generation mobile communication network technology (4G) standard, or a wireless air interface based on the fifth-generation mobile communication network technology (5G) standard, for example, the wireless air interface may be a new air interface, or the wireless air interface may be a wireless air interface based on the 5G next-generation mobile communication network technology standard.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a source UE, which includes the following steps:

[0024] S1110: Broadcast the request message.

[0025] Here, the request message includes destination information and relay information of the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0026] Here, the source UE refers to any UE that initiates U2U relay communication, that is, the initiator of U2U relay communication. The name of this UE is not limited to the source UE; it may also be called the first UE, etc.

[0027] This source UE may be a communication terminal such as a mobile UE or a fixed UE. Specifically, this source UE includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones, tablet computers, wearable devices, in-vehicle devices, smart home devices, and / or smart office devices.

[0028] The target UE is the receiver in U2U relay communication, and the name of this UE is not limited to the target UE; it may also be called the second UE, etc.

[0029] In embodiments of this disclosure, if a source UE has a relay communication request, it broadcasts a request message. For example, the source UE broadcasts a request message. In this way, by broadcasting the request message, the source UE can discover candidate devices located nearby that can function as U2U relays.

[0030] This request message contains destination information, which may include the address and / or identifier of the U2U relay that the source UE wants to discover. For example, this destination information may be the Destination Layer 2 Identity.

[0031] This request message may contain one or more destination information. For example, a source UE may request multiple U2U relays to distribute information that needs to be sent, and this request message may contain multiple destination information.

[0032] The aforementioned request message also includes relay information for the source UE. If a monitoring device capable of functioning as a U2U relay receives this source UE's relay information, it can determine that this source UE can function as a target UE for other U2U relay communications. If this source UE can function as a target UE for other U2U relay communications, its information may be added to the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device.

[0033] This request message may also be a request message for the source UE to discover its own U2U relay using Model B. In other words, this request message may also be a Solicitation message.

[0034] As an example, the relay information of the source UE indicates that the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication, and this means that The source UE can function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. The source UE is expected to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. The source UE is intended to be the target UE for U2U relay communication. The source UE can function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. The source UE functions as the target UE in U2U relay communication. Support for the source UE to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. It can be understood as at least one of these.

[0035] It should be noted that the U2U relay communication referred to here is not the current U2U relay communication initiated by the source UE, but rather the subsequent U2U relay communication.

[0036] For example, if a source UE is permitted by the network to function as a target UE for U2U relay, but user actions or settings detected by this source UE indicate that the user does not want this UE to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, then this source UE has the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, but does not want, intend to, or support functioning as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0037] In other words, the relay information of the source UE indicates whether the source UE has the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication or not.

[0038] In some embodiments, the request message may further include source UE information, which can identify the source UE identifier. For example, this source UE information may be a Source Layer 2 Identity.

[0039] In embodiments of the present invention, the request message may further include discovery type information. The discovery type indicated by the discovery type information may be Model A and Model B. For example, in embodiments of the present invention, this discovery type information may be used to indicate that the current mutual discovery between UEs is employing Mode B.

[0040] Thus, because the U2U relay does not need to send additional discovery messages to the target UE and / or discover the target UE through a pre-configured method, the signaling overhead of the U2U relay when discovering the target UE is reduced, and the phenomenon of a UE being incorrectly added to the U2U relay's target UE information because the UE has sent a response message is reduced.

[0041] In one embodiment, the relay information of the source UE includes: Relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or, The relay instructions include a relay instruction indicating whether the source UE can function as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0042] In one embodiment, the relay information may include only relay hop count information, which can indicate the number of relay hops supported when the source UE of the current U2U relay communication functions as the target UE of the U2U relay communication. In this case, if the source UE supports functioning as the target UE of the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count will be at least 1.

[0043] If the source UE does not support functioning as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay hop count will be 0 or empty (NULL). In this way, even if the relay information only contains relay hop count information, the U2U relay can easily know whether the source UE supports functioning as the target UE for U2U relay, and also know the number of relay hops supported if the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0044] In another embodiment, the relay information may include only relay instructions, which can directly indicate whether the source UE supports functioning as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0045] For example, the relay instruction is carried by one bit, and the two bit values ​​of this bit can indicate whether the source UE supports functioning as a target UE in U2U relay communication or whether it does not support functioning as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0046] Furthermore, the above method is Before sending the aforementioned request message, send an authorization request to the network device (this authorization request is used to ask the network device to determine whether this UE is authorized to obtain U2U relay), and The process further includes receiving the authorization response (which includes relevant information indicating whether the UE that sent the authorization request is authorized to perform the U2U relay).

[0047] As an example, this related information includes the Relay Service Code (RSC) or Proximity Service Code of the relay service owned by this UE. This Proximity Service Code includes: nearThis includes, but is not limited to, Prose Query Codes (PQC) and / or Prose Response Codes (PRC). Of these, Prose is an abbreviation for Proximity Service, referring to proximity services.

[0048] In yet another embodiment, the relay information includes both relay hop count information and relay instructions.

[0049] The relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE in U2U relay communication. Furthermore, the relay indication is used by the U2U relay to quickly determine whether the source UE can function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. In some cases, the relay indication may be used by the U2U relay to determine whether further decoding of the relay hop count information is necessary. If the relay indication indicates that the source UE does not support functioning as the target UE in U2U relay communication, the U2U relay does not need to decode the relay hop count information, thus reducing unnecessary decoding.

[0050] In some cases, a source UE may have the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, but may not want to do so according to user instructions. In some cases, a source UE may not have the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication. For example, if this source UE has not obtained permission from the network to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, that is one manifestation of the source UE not having the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0051] For example, the source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is greater than 0, or the source UE cannot function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is equal to 0, or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

[0052] In some embodiments, the source UE is desired to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication, and the relay instruction has a first value indicating that the source UE is desired to function as the target UE, or that the source UE is desired to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication. I didn't want it The relay instruction has a second value indicating that the source UE does not wish to function as the target UE.

[0053] If this relay instruction includes one or more bits, these bits may have different values, where a first value indicates that the source UE wants to function as the target UE, and a second value indicates that the source UE does not want to function as the target UE for the U2U relay.

[0054] In other words, the second value is different from the first value.

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a source UE, which includes the following steps:

[0056] S1210: Broadcast a request message. The request message includes destination information and relay information for the source UE, the destination information being used to indicate a candidate U2U relay for the source UE, and the relay information for the source UE being used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0057] S1220: Receive a response message sent from the monitoring device. The response message includes relay information of the monitoring device, which is used to indicate whether the monitoring device wishes to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0058] In some embodiments, the response message includes a relay response, which is used to indicate whether the monitoring device wants to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0059] In embodiments of the present invention, the source UE broadcasts a request message and may receive response messages returned from one or more monitoring devices.

[0060] The aforementioned response message may be sent from the monitoring device specified by the destination information, or it may be sent from a device other than the monitoring device specified by the destination information.

[0061] The response message may include either a relay acceptance message or a relay rejection message.

[0062] Here, the relay acceptance message is a response message returned by the monitoring device indicated by the destination information.

[0063] The relay rejection message may be sent by the monitoring device indicated by the destination information, or by a monitoring device other than the monitoring device indicated by the destination information.

[0064] For example, if the monitoring device indicated by the destination information can function as a U2U relay for the source UE, the relay acceptance message may be sent to the source UE.

[0065] If the monitoring device indicated by the destination information does not wish to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, the relay rejection message may be sent to the source UE.

[0066] In summary, the response message may include the relay response, which is transmitted by the result field. The relay response clarifies whether the source UE wishes to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0067] In some embodiments, the response message also includes relay information for the monitoring device. This relay information for the monitoring device is used to indicate whether the monitoring device wishes to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0068] The relay information of this monitoring device also includes, Relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or, The relay instructions also include whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0069] In one embodiment, the relay information may include only relay hop count information, which can indicate the number of relay hops supported when the monitoring device for the current U2U relay communication functions as the target UE for the U2U relay communication. In this case, if the monitoring device supports functioning as the target UE for the U2U relay communication, the relay hop count will be at least 1.

[0070] If the monitoring device does not support functioning as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay hop count will be 0 or empty (NULL). Thus, even if the relay information only contains relay hop count information, the U2U relay can easily determine whether the monitoring device supports functioning as the target UE for U2U relays, and also determine the number of relay hops supported when the monitoring device functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0071] In another embodiment, the relay information may include only relay instructions, which can directly indicate whether the monitoring device supports functioning as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0072] For example, the relay instruction is carried by one bit, and the two bit values ​​of this bit can indicate whether the monitoring device supports functioning as a target UE for U2U relay communication or not.

[0073] In yet another embodiment, the relay information includes both relay hop count information and relay instructions.

[0074] The relay hop count information indicates the number of relay hops supported when the monitoring device functions as a target UE for U2U relay communication. Furthermore, the relay indication is used by the U2U relay to quickly determine whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay. In some cases, the relay indication may be used by the U2U relay to determine whether further decoding of the relay hop count information is required. If the relay indication indicates that the monitoring device does not support functioning as a target UE for U2U relay communication, the U2U relay does not need to decode the relay hop count information, thus reducing unnecessary decoding.

[0075] In some cases, a monitoring device may have the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, but may not want this UE to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication according to user instructions. In some cases, a monitoring device may not have the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication. For example, if the monitoring device has not obtained permission from the network side to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, this is one manifestation of the monitoring device not having the capability to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0076] For example, if the monitoring device is desired to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the monitoring device is greater than 0, or if the monitoring device is not desired to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the monitoring device is equal to 0, or the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

[0077] In some embodiments, the monitoring device is desired to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay instruction has a first value indicating that the monitoring device is desired to function as the target UE, or that the monitoring device is desired to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication. I didn't want it The relay instruction has a second value indicating that the monitoring device does not wish to function as the target UE.

[0078] If this relay instruction includes one or more bits, these bits may have different values, where the first value indicates that the monitoring device wants to function as the target UE, and the other value may be a second value indicating that the monitoring device does not want to function as the target UE of the U2U relay. In other words, 2nd The value is different from the first value.

[0079] In embodiments of the present invention, if the response message returned from the monitoring device to the source UE includes relay information of the monitoring device, and this source UE can function as a U2U relay (i.e., relay device) for other U2U relay communications, it can update the target UE information it maintains according to this relay information, or transmit this relay information to other U2U relays so that other U2U relays can update the target UE information.

[0080] In some embodiments, the method further If the aforementioned response message is a relay acceptance message, establish a Layer 2 connection with the U2U relay that sent the relay acceptance message. After establishing a Layer 2 connection with the U2U relay, a Layer 3 connection between the source UE and the target UE is established based on the Layer 2 connection between the U2U relay and the target UE. This includes the fact that once the Layer 3 connection between the source UE and the target UE is established, end-to-end communication between the source UE and the target UE becomes easier. The Layer 2 and Layer 3 connections referred to here may also be the Layer 2 and Layer 3 connections of the Layer 1, respectively.

[0081] As shown in Figure 5, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a monitoring device, which includes the following steps:

[0082] S2110: Monitors request messages sent from the source UE.

[0083] Here, the request message includes at least destination information and relay information of the source UE, The destination information is used to indicate candidate devices for the U2U relay communication of the source UE. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0084] For example, if a device is permitted by the network to function as a U2U relay, it would monitor the SL's broadcast channel, and the monitoring device would monitor request messages broadcast by the source UE.

[0085] This request message includes destination information and relay information for the source UE.

[0086] The monitoring device can determine, based on the request message and relay information broadcast by the source UE, whether the source UE wishes to function as a target UE in U2U relay communication. If the source UE wishes to function as a target UE in U2U relay communication, the information about this source UE is added to the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device.

[0087] The monitoring equipment may be any type of terminal device and / or a relay node deployed or designated by the network operator.

[0088] As shown in Figure 6, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a monitoring device, which includes the following steps:

[0089] S2210: Monitor request messages sent from the source UE. The request messages include at least destination information and relay information for the source UE.

[0090] S2220: Create or update target UE information maintained by the monitoring device in accordance with the relay information.

[0091] For example, if a monitoring device is currently creating target UE information, it can create target UE information if relay information indicates that the source UE can function as the target UE for a U2U relay. Once the monitoring device has created target UE information, the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device can be directly updated according to the source UE's relay information.

[0092] This target UE information may exist in the form of a list of target UEs. For example, information on target UEs discovered by this monitoring device may be added to this list of target UEs. This target UE information includes, but is not limited to, the target UE's User Info ID and / or Layer 2 identifier.

[0093] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the monitoring device monitors a request message sent from a source UE and then creates or updates information about a target UE that it maintains, according to the relay information carried in the request message.

[0094] As an example, creating or updating target UE information maintained by the monitoring device in accordance with the relay information is: If the relay information indicates that the source device desires or supports functioning as the target UE of a U2U relay, and the information of this source UE is not included in the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device, then the information of this source UE will be added to the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device, and If the relay information indicates that the source device desires or supports functioning as the target UE of a U2U relay, and the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device includes this source UE information, then the effective timer maintained by this source UE information may be updated.

[0095] If the active timer times out and no information is received from the target UE indicating that it can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, the monitoring device removes the information of this UE from the target UE information it maintains.

[0096] The duration information of the active timer may be indicated by the time information carried by the relay information. Alternatively, the duration of the active timer may be determined according to the relay configuration received by the monitoring device from the network device, or according to protocol agreement. In summary, there are many ways to determine the duration of the active timer, and they will not be listed one by one here.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a monitoring device, which includes the following steps:

[0098] S2310: Monitor request messages sent from the source UE. The request messages include at least destination information and relay information for the source UE.

[0099] S2320: If the relay information indicates that the source device does not want or supports functioning as the target UE for a U2U relay, the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device will not be updated, nor will the active timer corresponding to the target UE maintained by the monitoring device be updated.

[0100] If the monitoring device is not the device indicated by the destination information, the monitoring device may or may not return a response message to the source UE.

[0101] If this monitoring device is the device indicated by the destination information and it is desired to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, it will return a response message to the source UE. Of course, if this monitoring device is the device indicated by the destination information and it is not desired to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, it may or may not return a response message to the source UE. If this monitoring device does not return this response message to the source UE, it may directly ignore or discard the request message provided by the source UE.

[0102] As shown in Figure 8, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a monitoring device, which includes the following steps:

[0103] S2410: Monitor request messages sent from the source UE. The request messages include at least destination information and relay information for the source UE.

[0104] S2420: Create or update the target UE information maintained by the monitoring device according to the relay information.

[0105] S2430: Send a response message to the source UE according to the destination information.

[0106] This response message includes relay responses and / or relay information from monitoring equipment.

[0107] The relay response is used to determine whether the monitoring UE functions as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0108] The relay information of this monitoring device can indicate whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for other U2U relay communications.

[0109] There is no specific order in which steps S2420 and S2430 are executed. For example, S2420 may be executed before S2430, or S2430 may be executed before S2420.

[0110] In embodiments of the present disclosure, upon receiving a request message from a source UE, the monitoring device may return a response message to the source UE depending on whether it is the device indicated by the destination information contained in the request message.

[0111] As an example, sending a response message to the source UE according to the destination information is: The destination information points to the monitoring device, and a relay acceptance message is sent to the source UE, or The destination information does not point to the monitoring device, and the relay rejection message is sent to the source UE.

[0112] This relay acceptance message indicates that this monitoring device can function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0113] This relay refusal message indicates that this monitoring device does not want or intend to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0114] In some embodiments, the destination information points to the monitoring device, and the relay acceptance message is sent to the source UE. The destination information points to the monitoring device, and the monitoring device desires to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, and includes sending a relay acceptance message to the source UE.

[0115] For example, if this destination information points to a monitoring device, but the monitoring device's current load is too high or it has insufficient power, this monitoring device may not want to act as a U2U relay for the source UE and can therefore return a relay rejection message to the source UE. However, if this monitoring device does want to act as a U2U relay for the source UE, it will return a relay acceptance message to the source UE.

[0116] In summary, if the destination information points to the monitoring device, the monitoring device can determine, according to its own status information, whether or not it will function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0117] The status information includes at least The load rate of the aforementioned monitoring equipment, The remaining power of the aforementioned monitoring equipment, The monitoring device receives user instructions, and Relay user configuration of the aforementioned monitoring equipment, This includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

[0118] For example, if the current load rate of the monitoring device is higher than the load threshold, the monitoring device may want to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, or may be able to do so. Otherwise, it may not want to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0119] As another example, if the remaining power of the monitoring device is higher than the power threshold, The monitoring device may or may not function as a U2U relay for the source UE. Otherwise, The aforementioned source UE may not want to function as a U2U relay.

[0120] As another example, if the monitoring device receives the request message and the destination information points to itself, it displays prompt information and detects a user instruction to act based on the prompt information. If the user instruction indicates that it wants to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, it is determined that the monitoring device wants to function as a U2U relay for the source UE. Otherwise, it can be assumed that it does not want to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0121] This prompt information may or may not include source UE information.

[0122] This prompt information appears either in the system message bar of the monitoring device or as a pop-up dialog box.

[0123] In summary, there are numerous ways to present the aforementioned prompt information, and specific implementations are not limited to any one of the above.

[0124] For example, the monitoring device can detect user configuration operations by configuring a page or dropdown menu bar, and generate the relay user configuration in response to those configuration operations.

[0125] The relay user configuration can indicate whether the corresponding monitoring device is intended to function as a U2U relay for other UEs, or whether it is intended to function as a U2U relay only for a specific UE.

[0126] In summary, the relay user configuration information contains many specific details, which will not be explained in detail here.

[0127] In some embodiments, the method is The further step includes ignoring the request message if the destination information does not point to the monitoring device.

[0128] If this monitoring device is not the U2U relay that the source UE wants to discover, this monitoring device may ignore this request message, which in this case includes not sending a response message to the request message to the source UE.

[0129] If the source UE of a current U2U relay communication can also function as a U2U relay for that communication, the monitoring device will return its relay information to the source UE through a response message. This allows the source UE to update or create target UE information based on the monitoring device's relay information. For example, if the source UE does not have target UE information stored locally, after receiving relay information indicating that the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, it can create target UE information and add the monitoring device's information to the created target UE information. The target UE information here may be presented in list format.

[0130] In some embodiments, the relay information of the source UE includes relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as a target UE in U2U relay communication, and / or a relay indication indicating whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0131] For example, the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is greater than 0, and that the source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0132] Furthermore, the relay hop count information may also indicate that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is equal to 0, or that the value of the relay hop count information is empty, indicating that the source UE cannot function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0133] For example, the relay instruction has a first value, and the source UE wants to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication, or The relay instruction has a second value, and the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication. I don't want it .

[0134] The second value is different from the first value.

[0135] In some embodiments, the relay information of the monitoring device includes: The monitoring device includes relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the monitoring device functions as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or a relay indication indicating whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication. For example, the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the monitoring device is greater than 0, and that the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0136] Furthermore, the relay hop count information may also indicate that the number of relay hops supported by the monitoring device is equal to 0, or that the value of the relay hop count information is empty, indicating that the monitoring device cannot function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0137] For example, the relay instruction has a first value, and the monitoring device is intended to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, or The relay instruction has a second value, and the monitoring device functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication. I don't want it .

[0138] The second value is different from the first value.

[0139] As shown in Figure 9, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an information processing method performed by a monitoring device, which includes the following steps:

[0140] S2510: Monitor request messages sent from the source UE. These request messages may or may not contain relay information from the source UE.

[0141] S2520: After monitoring the request message, a response message is sent to the source UE. The response message may include relay information of the monitoring device. The relay information is used to indicate whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0142] As shown in Figure 10, the information processing method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following:

[0143] 0. Service authorization of the source UE. Through the service authorization process, the source UE pre-configures the policies and parameters necessary for direct discovery.

[0144] 1. The source UE sends a request announcement message containing discovery type information, destination L2 ID, source L2 ID, relay instruction, etc. If the source UE wishes to be discovered via U2U relay, a relay instruction is included. For example, if the relay instruction value is 0 or the relay instruction is empty, the source UE is not permitted to be discovered via U2U relay, meaning that the source UE of the current U2U relay communication cannot function as the target UE of other U2U relay communications. If the relay instruction value is greater than 1, it means that the source UE of the current U2U relay communication is discoverable through multiple hops of U2U relay. The destination L2 ID here is a type of destination information as described above. The source L2 ID is a type of source UE information.

[0145] 2a. When a candidate U2U relay receives an announcement message containing a relay instruction, it creates / updates the target UE list.

[0146] 2b. If other monitoring devices receive the announcement message and are authorized as U2U relays but are not currently operating as U2U relays, create or update the target UE list. Otherwise, other monitoring devices ignore this information.

[0147] 3a. The candidate U2N relay sends a U2U relay response message that includes a relay response and a relay instruction for the candidate U2U relay. This relay response may be the result of a relay response.

[0148] 3b. Other monitoring devices send a U2U relay response message that includes a relay response and a relay instruction. This relay response may be the result of the relay response.

[0149] As shown in Figure 11, the information processing method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure may include the following:

[0150] This procedure applies to limited 5G ProSe direct discovery when a ProSe-enabled UE is serviced by a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN).

[0151] 1.5G ProSe Direct Discovery Service Authorization. If the UE is permitted to perform limited 5G ProSe direct discovery using Mode B, the next steps will be taken as the discovered UE.

[0152] 2a.When the UE is triggered to perform a restricted 5G ProSe direct discovery, it sends a discovery request to the Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN)'s 5G direct discovery name management function (ddnmf) and obtains a ProSe Response Code (PRC). The 5G DDNMF then interacts with the ProSe application (APP) server to authorize the discovery request.

[0153] 3a. If the request is successful and the UE is provided with a ProSe response code and associated discovery query filters, the UE begins monitoring the ProSe query code on the PC5 interface.

[0154] If a Discoverer UE wishes to be discovered via a U2U relay, it must include a relay instruction in addition to the ProSe query code. For example, if the relay instruction value is 0 or empty, the Discoverer UE is not allowed to be discovered via the U2U relay. If the relay instruction value is greater than 1, it means that discovery is allowed through multiple hops of the U2U relay.

[0155] 4a. If the received ProSe Query Code (PQC) matches any of the discovery query filters, the UE announces the relevant ProSe response code, including a relay instruction, on the PC5 interface, and if the discovery UE wishes to be discovered via the U2U relay, the discovery UE adds the discovery UE to the target UE list.

[0156] If this UE is permitted to perform limited 5G ProSe direct discovery using Model B, then as a discovery UE, the following steps will be performed.

[0157] 2b. When the UE is triggered to perform a limited 5G ProSe direct discovery, it sends a discovery request to the HPLMN's 5G DDNMF to obtain a ProSe query code. The 5G DDNMF then interacts with the ProSe application server to authorize the discovery request.

[0158] 3b. If the request is successful and the UE provides a ProSe query code and a discovery response filter consisting of a ProSe response code and a ProSe application mask, and the discovery UE wishes to be discovered via the U2U relay, the UE announces the ProSe query code, including the relay instruction, on the PC5 interface.

[0159] 4b.UE begins monitoring the PC5 interface for ProSe response codes that may match the discovery response filter. If the discovered UE wishes to be discovered via U2U relay, a relay instruction is included next to the ProSe response code. The discovered UE is then added to the target UE list, which can be used for U2U relay communication.

[0160] 5b. When UE detects one or more ProSe response code matches, it sends a matching report to a network device such as DDNMF.

[0161] The non-roaming direct discovery procedure applies when both the discovering UE and the discovered UE are serviced by their respective HPLMNs. The roaming direct discovery procedure applies in other cases as well.

[0162] Note that the above process can be performed regardless of whether the UE is within an HPLMN or another PLMN. Other PLMNs include the Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN) and other local PLMNs.

[0163] The network devices shown in Figure 11 also include Home Policy Control Function (H-PCF) and Visitor / Local Policy Control Function (V / L-PCF).

[0164] As shown in Figure 12, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, which is The system includes a transmission module 110 configured to broadcast request messages, The request message includes destination information and relay information for the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0165] This information processing device may also be a source UE.

[0166] This transmitting module 110 includes a network interface and / or a transceiver antenna.

[0167] In some embodiments, this information processing device may further include a memory connected to the transmission module 110 and used to store at least request messages.

[0168] In some embodiments, the relay information of the source UE includes: Relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or, The relay instructions include whether the source UE can function as the target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0169] In some embodiments, the source UE can function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is greater than 0, or The source UE is unable to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is equal to 0, or that the value of the relay hop count information is empty.

[0170] In some embodiments, the source UE is desired to function as the target UE in U2U relay communication, and the relay instruction has a first value indicating that the source UE is desired to function as the target UE, or The aforementioned source UE will function as the target UE for U2U relay communication. I didn't want it The relay instruction has a second value indicating that the source UE does not wish to function as the target UE.

[0171] In some embodiments, the apparatus is The system further includes a receiving module configured to receive response messages sent from monitoring equipment, The response message includes relay information of the monitoring device. The relay information of the monitoring device is used to indicate whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0172] This receiving module may also be a network interface and / or a transceiver antenna.

[0173] The receiving module can receive response messages transmitted by the monitoring device, which may include relay responses indicating whether (or whether it wishes to) the monitoring device to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0174] The relay information of the monitoring device can also be used by the monitoring device to notify other devices whether the monitoring device itself can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication.

[0175] As shown in Figure 13, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an information processing device, which is The system includes a receiving module 210 configured to monitor request messages sent from the source UE, The request message includes at least destination information and relay information for the source UE. The destination information is used to instruct a U2U relay from the candidate user device of the source UE to the user device. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication.

[0176] This information processing device may also be a monitoring device.

[0177] This monitoring device is any device authorized by the network device to function as a U2U relay.

[0178] This receiving module 210 includes a network interface and / or a transceiver antenna.

[0179] In some embodiments, this information processing device may further include a memory connected to a transmission module and used to store at least request messages.

[0180] In some embodiments, the apparatus is The system may further include a processing module configured to create or update target UE information maintained by the monitoring device in accordance with the relay information.

[0181] In some embodiments, the apparatus is The system may further include a send module configured to send a response message to the source UE according to the destination information.

[0182] In some embodiments, the transmitting module may be further configured to send a relay acceptance message to the source UE when the destination information points to the monitoring device, or to send a relay rejection message to the source UE when the destination information does not point to the monitoring device.

[0183] In some embodiments, the transmitting module may be further configured to send a relay acceptance message to the source UE, provided that the destination information points to the monitoring device and the monitoring device is desired to function as a U2U relay for the source UE.

[0184] In some embodiments, the apparatus is The system may further include a processing module configured to ignore the request message if the destination information does not point to the monitoring device.

[0185] In some embodiments, the response message includes relay information from the monitoring device.

[0186] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, which is Memory for storing instructions that can be executed by the processor, and Equipped with a processor connected to memory, Here, the processor is configured to perform the information processing method provided by one of the aforementioned technical solutions.

[0187] Processors may include various types of storage media, which are non-temporary computer storage media that can continue to store information even after the communication device loses power.

[0188] Here, the communication device includes a UE or a network element, and this network element may be any one of the first to fourth network elements described above.

[0189] The processor is connected to memory via a bus or the like and is used to read executable programs stored in memory, for example, by at least one of the methods shown in Figures 4 to 9.

[0190] Figure 14 is a block diagram of a UE800 according to an exemplary embodiment. For example, the UE800 may be a mobile phone, computer, digital broadcasting user equipment, message transmission and reception equipment, game console, tablet device, medical device, fitness equipment, personal digital assistant, etc.

[0191] As shown in Figure 14, the UE800 may include one or more of the following: processing component 802, memory 804, power supply component 806, multimedia component 808, audio component 810, input / output (I / O) interface 812, sensor component 814, and communication component 816.

[0192] The processing component 802 generally controls the overall operation of the user device 800, including operations related to display, telephone calling, data communication, camera operation, and recording. The processing component 802 may include one or more processors 820 that execute instructions to complete all or some of the steps of the above method. Furthermore, the processing component 802 may include one or more modules to facilitate interaction between the processing component 802 and other components. For example, the processing component 802 may include a multimedia module to facilitate interaction between the multimedia component 808 and the processing component 802.

[0193] Memory 804 is configured to store various types of data to support operation on the UE800. Examples of this data include instructions for any application or method to run on the UE800, contact data, phonebook data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. Memory 804 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0194] The power supply component 806 supplies power to various components of the UE800. The power supply component 806 may also include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components related to the generation, management, and distribution of power for the UE800.

[0195] The multimedia component 808 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the UE800 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a touch panel (TP). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touchscreen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors for sensing touches, slides, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensors may not only sense the boundary of a touch or slide action but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide action. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 808 includes one front camera and / or a rear camera. When the UE800 is in an operating mode, such as shooting mode or video mode, the front camera and / or rear camera can receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or may have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0196] The audio component 810 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 810 includes one microphone (MIC), and when the UE800 is in an operating mode such as telephone calling mode, recording mode, and voice recognition mode, the microphone is configured to receive external audio signals. The received audio signals can be further stored in memory 804 or transmitted via communication component 816. In some embodiments, the audio component 810 further includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0197] The I / O interface 812 provides an interface between the processing component 802 and a peripheral interface module, which may be a keyboard, click wheel, buttons, etc. These buttons may include, but are not limited to, a home button, volume buttons, a start button, and a lock button.

[0198] The sensor component 814 comprises one or more sensors and is used to provide state evaluations of the UE800 in various aspects. For example, the sensor component 814 can detect the on / off state of the device 800, the relative positioning of components, for example, the display and keypad of the UE800, and the sensor component 814 can further detect changes in the position of the UE800 or one of its components, the presence or absence of contact between the user and the UE800, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the UE800, and temperature changes of the UE800. The sensor component 814 may include proximity sensors configured to detect the presence of nearby objects when there is no physical contact. The sensor component 814 may further include optical sensors, such as CMOS or CCD image sensors, for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor component 814 may further include acceleration sensors, gyroscopes, magnetic sensors, pressure sensors, or temperature sensors.

[0199] The communication component 816 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the UE800 and other devices. The UE800 can access wireless networks based on communication standards, such as WiFi, 2G, or 3G, or a combination thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 receives broadcast signals or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In one exemplary embodiment, the communication component 816 further includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be implemented based on radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) technology, ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, Bluetooth® (BT) technology, and other technologies.

[0200] In exemplary embodiments, the UE800 may be implemented by one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, or other electronic components, and may be configured to perform the above method.

[0201] In an exemplary embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, such as a memory 804 containing instructions, is further provided, and the instructions can be executed by the processor 820 of the UE800 to complete the method. For example, the non-temporary computer-readable storage medium may be a ROM, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, or optical data storage device.

[0202] As shown in Figure 15, one embodiment of the present disclosure shows the configuration of a communication device. For example, the communication device 900 may be the aforementioned source UE, monitoring equipment, and / or U2U relay.

[0203] As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 900 includes a processing component 922 further comprising one or more processors, and a memory resource represented by memory 932 for storing instructions executable by the processing component 922, such as application programs. The application programs stored in memory 932 may include one or more modules, each corresponding to a set of instructions. The processing component 922 is also configured to execute instructions for performing any of the aforementioned methods applied to the access device, such as any method shown in any of Figures 4 to 9.

[0204] The communication device 900 may further include a power component 926 configured to perform power management for the communication device 900, a wired or wireless network interface 950 configured to connect the communication device 900 to a network, and an input / output (I / O) interface 958. The communication device 900 can operate based on an operating system stored in memory 932, such as Windows Server®, Mac OS X®, Unix®, Linux®, or FreeBSD®.

[0205] The embodiments of this disclosure also provide a communication system including source user equipment (UE) and monitoring equipment.

[0206] The aforementioned source UE is used to perform an information processing method provided by one of the aforementioned technical solutions, for example, the method described in any one of Figures 3 to 6.

[0207] The monitoring device is used to perform an information processing method provided by any of the aforementioned technical solutions, for example, the method described in any one of Figures 7 to 9.

[0208] As an example, this communication system may be used to perform at least the methods shown in Figure 10 and / or Figure 11.

[0209] Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the invention after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptive changes of the invention, which will follow the general principles of the invention and include common or ordinary technical means in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are illustrative only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are shown by the following claims.

[0210] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An information processing method executed by source user equipment (UE), This includes the step of broadcasting a request message, The request message includes destination information and relay information of the source UE. The destination information is used to indicate the candidate U2U relay of the source UE. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication. An information processing method characterized by the following:

2. The relay information of the aforementioned source UE includes: Relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or, The relay instruction includes whether the source UE can function as the target UE for U2U relay communication. The information processing method according to feature 1.

3. The source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is greater than 0, or The source UE is unable to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is equal to 0, or that the value of the relay hop count information is empty. The information processing method according to feature 2.

4. If the source UE is instructed to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay instruction has a first value indicating that the source UE has been instructed to function as the target UE, or If the source UE is instructed not to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay instruction has a second value indicating that the source UE has been instructed not to function as the target UE. The information processing method according to feature 2.

5. The process includes the step of receiving a response message sent from a monitoring device, The response message includes relay information of the monitoring device. The relay information of the monitoring device is used to indicate whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication. The information processing method according to feature 4.

6. An information processing method performed by a monitoring device, The step includes monitoring request messages sent from the source UE, The request message includes at least destination information and relay information of the source UE. The destination information is used to indicate the candidate U2U relay of the source UE. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication. An information processing method characterized by the following:

7. The step further includes creating or updating information about the target UE maintained by the monitoring device in accordance with the relay information. The information processing method according to feature 6.

8. The step further includes sending a response message to the source UE according to the destination information. The information processing method according to feature 6.

9. The step of sending a response message to the source UE according to the destination information is: The destination information points to the monitoring device, and a relay acceptance message is sent to the source UE, or The destination information does not point to the monitoring device, and the relay rejection message is sent to the source UE. The information processing method according to feature 8.

10. The destination information points to the monitoring device, and sending a relay acceptance message to the source UE means that The destination information points to the monitoring device, and the monitoring device is instructed to function as a U2U relay for the source UE, and the relay acceptance message is sent to the source UE. The information processing method according to feature 9.

11. The step further includes discarding the request message if the destination information does not point to the monitoring device. The information processing method according to feature 6.

12. The response message includes relay information from the monitoring device. The information processing method according to feature 10.

13. A sending module is configured to broadcast request messages, The request message includes destination information and relay information of the source UE. The destination information is used to indicate the candidate U2U relay of the source UE. The relay information of the source UE is used to indicate whether the source UE can function as a target UE in U2U relay communication. An information processing device characterized by the following:

14. The relay information of the aforementioned source UE includes: Relay hop count information indicating the number of relay hops supported when the source UE functions as the target UE for U2U relay communication, and / or, The relay instruction includes whether the source UE can function as the target UE for U2U relay communication. The information processing apparatus according to feature 13.

15. The source UE can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is greater than 0, or The source UE is unable to function as a target UE for U2U relay communication, and the relay hop count information indicates that the number of relay hops supported by the source UE is equal to 0, or that the value of the relay hop count information is empty. The information processing apparatus according to feature 14.

16. If the source UE is instructed to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay instruction has a first value indicating that the source UE has been instructed to function as the target UE, or If the source UE is instructed not to function as the target UE for U2U relay communication, the relay instruction has a second value indicating that the source UE has been instructed not to function as the target UE. The information processing apparatus according to feature 14.

17. The system further includes a receiving module configured to receive response messages sent from monitoring equipment, The response message includes relay information of the monitoring device. The relay information of the monitoring device is used to indicate whether the monitoring device can function as a target UE for U2U relay communication. The information processing apparatus according to feature 16.

18. A communication device, A processor, transceiver, memory, and a program stored in memory and executable by the processor, When the processor executes the executable program, the information processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 5 or 6 to 12 is executed. A communication device characterized by the following features.

19. It is a computer program, After the computer program is executed by the processor, the information processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 5 or 6 to 12 is realized. A computer program characterized by the following features.

20. It is a communication system, This includes source user equipment (UE) and monitoring equipment. The aforementioned source UE is used to perform the information processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The monitoring device is used to perform the information processing method described in any one of claims 6 to 12. A communication system characterized by the following features.

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