E2e QOS management for multi-hop layer-3 u2n relays

Abstract

A method performed by a first User Equipment, UE, for supporting Quality of Service, QoS, management for multi-hop communications between a remote UE and a Radio Access Network, RAN, node via a plurality of relay UEs, wherein a first relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs is connected to the RAN node, the remote UE and the first relay UE are interconnected via at least a second relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs, and wherein the first UE is one of the remote UE and the first relay UE, the method comprising. The first UE determines the first QoS information for the multi-hop communications between the remote UE and the first relay UE, wherein the first QoS information comprises a first value of a first QoS parameter and hop information that relates to the number of hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE. The first UE determines next hop QoS information for a hop from the first UE to the second relay UE, wherein the next hop QoS information comprises a next hop value of the first QoS parameter determined from the first value of the first QoS parameter and the hop information. And the first UE sends the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information to the second relay UE.

Description

E2E QoS Management for Multi-hop Layer-3 U2N RelaysTechnical filed

[0001] The disclosure relates to a communication, especially, relates to end-to-end (E2E) Quality of Service (QoS) Management for Multi-hop Layer-3 User Equipment (UE)-to-Network (U2N) Relays.

[0002] Recently, a new SA2 Release 19 (Rel-19) key issue on support of multi-hop User Equipment U2N Relays has been agreed. This is found in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Report (TR) 23.700-03 (v0.2.0) (TR 23.700) “Study on system enhancement for Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS); Phase 3”. One of the study aspects is whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between a Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 (L3) UE-to-Network Relay. QoS handling for 5G Proximity- based Services (ProSe) UE-to-Network Relay is introduced in clause 5.6.2 of 3GPP Technical Standard (TS) 23.304 v18.5.0 (TS 23.304) “Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS)”. Clause 5.6.2.1 of TS 23.304 is recited below:

[0003] For a 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE accessing network via 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay without non-3GPP Inter-Working Function (N3IWF), the QoS requirement of the relay traffic between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and UPF can be satisfied by the corresponding QoS control for the PC5 link between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay (PC5 QoS control) and the QoS control for the PDU session established between 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and UPF (i.e. Uu QoS control). The PC5 QoS is controlled with PC5 QoS rules and PC5 QoS parameters (e.g. PC5 QoS Identifier (PQI), Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (GFBR), Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR), PC5 LI NK-Agg regate Maximum Bit Rate (PC5 LINK-AMBR)) as specified in clause 5.4 of TS 23.287 (V18.3.0) (TS 23.287). The QoS for the PDU session established between the 5G ProSe Layer- 3 UE-to-Network Relay and User Plane Function (UPF) (i.e. Uu QoS control) is controlled with QoS rules and 5G QoS parameters (e.g. 5QI, GFBR, MFBR) as specified in clause 5.7 of 3GPP TS 23.501 V18.5.0 (TS 23.501).

[0004] As shown in Fig. 1 (figure 5.6.2.1-1 in TS 23.304), the E2E QoS can be met only when the QoS requirements are properly translated and satisfied over the two legs respectively.

[0005] To achieve this, the QoS mapping can be pre-configured or provided to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 U2N Relay by the Policy Control Function (PCF) using Prose Policy. The QoS mappingincludes combinations of the 5G QoS Identifier(s) and PQI(s) mapping as entries. The PQI shall have standardized values as defined in Table 5.6.1-1 and in Table 5.4.4-1 of TS 23.287. The 5QI shall have standardized values as defined in TS 23.501 clause 5.7.4. The QoS mapping also includes an adjustment factor for the PQI's Packet Delay Budget (PDB), e.g. 1 / 5 of the standardized PDB value in Table 5.6.1-1 and Table 5.4.4-1 of TS 23.287.

[0006] If the QoS Flows setup are initiated by network, the Session Management Function (SMF) can base on the Policy and charging control (PCC) rules or its local configuration to generates the QoS rules and QoS Flow level QoS parameters (e.g. 5QI, GFBR, MFBR) and signal to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay using PDU Session Establishment / Modification procedure. For the PDU sessions used for relaying, the SMF always provides the QoS Flow level QoS parameters to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay when establishes a QoS Flow. Then the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay decides the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow by determining the PQI based the QoS mapping and the GFBR and MFBR values for the PC5 GBR QoS Flow are set equal to the GFBR and MFBR values for the GBR QoS Flow respectively. The PCF differentiates the relay traffic based on either local configuration, e.g. by a dedicated DNN or S-NSSAI used for relay traffic or by the traffic filters.

[0007] If the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiates PC5 QoS Flows setup or modification during the Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE provides the QoS Info as described in clause 6.4.3.6 to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay. The received PC5 QoS parameters of the QoS Info (i.e. PQI and conditionally other parameters such as MFBR / GFBR, etc.) are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay for the traffic transmission between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and UPF. If the end-to-end QoS requirements can be supported by an entry in QoS mapping, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay uses the 5QI of the entry for the Uu QoS control and uses the PQI of the entry for the PC5 QoS control. If the end-to-end QoS requirements cannot be supported by any entries in QoS mapping, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay, based on its implementation, decides the 5QI for the Uu QoS control and PQI for the PC5 QoS control. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay provides the QoS Info (including PQI value chosen by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay) as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE. If the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE performs the Layer-2 link modification procedure to add new PC5 QoS Flow(s) or modify the existing PC5 QoS Flow(s) for IP traffic or Ethernet traffic over PC5 reference point, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE may also provide the PC5 QoS Rule(s) for the PC5 QoS Flow(s) to be added or modified to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay.The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay may generate the Packet Filters used over llu reference point based on the received PC5 QoS Rule(s).

[0008] The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay performs the UE requested PDU session Modification as defined in 3GPP TS 23.502 v18.5.0 (TS 23.502), clause 4.3.3 for authorizing the requested QoS including the 5QI and the Packet Filters. If the PCF authorizes the requested QoS with a different 5QI value, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay may further update the PQI value based on the authorized 5QI value and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay performs the Layer-2 link modification procedure as defined in clause 6.4.3.6 to update the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow with the updated PQI value.

[0009] Alternatively, reflective QoS control over Uu as defined in TS 23.501, clause 5.6.5.3 can be leveraged for dynamic QoS handling of 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE to save on signalling between SMF and 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay. Upon reception of a DL packet with RQI on the Uu for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE, based on the indicated QFI, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay creates a new derived QoS rule or updates existing derived QoS rule corresponding to the remote UE, as defined in TS 23.501. The derived QoS rule is for UL packets from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE at Uu interface.

[0010] Based on signalled QoS rules (via SMF) or derived QoS rules (Uplink Uu via reflective QoS), the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay may generate the Packet Filters used over PC5 reference point and use the L2 Link Modification procedures as defined in clause 6.4.3.6 to either update existing PC5 QoS Flow(s) or to set up new PC5 QoS Flow(s) (when the QFI to PC5 QoS Flow mapping does not exist). The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay may also provide the PC5 QoS Rule(s) for the PC5 QoS Flow(s) to be added or modified to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE.

[0011] When the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network relay deletes the derived QoS rule e.g. after the RQ Timer expires, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay may perform L2 Link Modification procedures using the PQI mapped from the 5QI of the currently used QoS rule after the deletion of the derived QoS rule(s).Summary

[0012] The existing mechanism shown above is for QoS handling for UE-to-Network Relays with one hop between the Remote UE and the U2N Relay. The challenges list in the study aspect of Kl#1 in 3GPP TR 23.700-03 v0.2.0 relating to support of end-to-end QoS requirements between a Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay cannot be addressed directly by using the existing mechanism.

[0013] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. In particular, this disclosure proposes solutions for QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays, and addresses the 3GPP study aspect “Whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay”. The solutions for QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays are based on the existing mechanism defined in section 5.6.2 of TS 23.304, with enhancements for multi-hop communications that can include:Methods for initiating QoS flows, i.e. network-initiated and remote UE (e.g. 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE) initiated.Determining the PC5 QoS parameters based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, the QoS mapping (e.g. a hop adjustment factor) and hop information.

[0014] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). In particular, the solutions provide for QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 corresponds to Figure 5.6.2.1-1 of TS 23.304 and shows E2E QoS translation for 5G ProSe Layer-3 U2NRelay operation;Fig. 2 shows E2EQoS translation for multi-hop 5G ProSe Layer-3 U2NRelay operation;Fig. 3 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 4 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 5 shows a RAN network node in accordance with some embodiments;Fig. 6 shows a core network node in accordance with further embodiments; andFig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.Detailed Description

[0016] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Additional information may also be found in the two draft Change Requests (CRs) provided in the Appendix.

[0017] As noted above, this disclosure proposes solutions for QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays, and addresses the 3GPP study aspect “Whether and how to supportend-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE- to-Network Relay”. The solutions for QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays are based on the existing mechanism defined in section 5.6.2 of TS 23.304, with enhancements for multi-hop communications that can include:• Methods for initiating QoS flows, i.e. network-initiated and remote UE (e.g. 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE) initiated.• Determining the PC5 QoS parameters based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, the QoS mapping (e.g. a hop adjustment factor) and hop information.

[0018] Fig. 2 shows End-to-End (E2E) QoS translation for multi-hop 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay operation.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows a remote UE 202 (“5G ProSe Remote UE” or “5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE”) that is to communicate with a data network 204 via a plurality of relay UEs 206, 208, a Radio Access Network (RAN) or RAN node 210 (e.g. a Next Generation-RAN (NG-RAN)) and a core network 210 (e.g. a 5G Core (5GC)). The data communication between the remote UE 202 and data network 204 can be in the uplink (UL) direction, i.e. from the remote UE 202 towards the data network 204, and / or in the downlink (DL) direction, i.e. from the data network 204 towards the remote UE 202. The data communications can be initiated by the remote UE 202, or initiated from the RAN 204, core network 210 or data network 204 side.

[0020] The plurality of relay UEs 206, 208 includes a first relay UE 208 (“5G ProSe UE-to- Network Relay”, “5G ProSe U2N Relay” or “5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay”) that is connected to the RAN / RAN node 204, and at least one other relay UE 206 that provides a relay between the remote UE 202 and the first relay UE 208. This relay UE 206 is referred to as a “second relay UE” or an “Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay” (“Intermediate U2N Relay”). There may be multiple Intermediate UE-to-Network Relays between the remote UE 202 and the first relay UE 208.

[0021] It will be appreciated that the presence of the plurality of relay UEs 206, 208 means that there is multiple ‘hops’, ‘links’ or ‘legs’ between the remote UE 202 and the RAN / RAN node 204. The hops between the UEs 202, 206, 208 are PC5 connections / interfaces, and the hop between the first relay UE 208 and the RAN node 204 is a Uu connection / interface. In the following description it is assumed that there is one Intermediate U2N Relay 206, but those skilled in the art will appreciate that the techniques can be applied to scenarios where there are multiple Intermediate U2N Relays 206.

[0022] The disclosed techniques propose end-to-end QoS management for multi-hop UE-to- Network Relays, where the End-to-end QoS management as defined in 3GPP TS 23.304v18.5.0 is reused with enhanced procedures for network-initiated and remote UE-initiated QoS Flows.

[0023] For Layer-3 Relay operation, as shown in Fig. 2 below, the end-to-end QoS for the whole communication path from the remote UE 202 to the 5GC 210 (or vice versa) can be met only when the QoS requirements are properly translated and satisfied over the multiple hops between the relay UEs 206, 208.

[0024] To achieve this, a QoS mapping can be pre-configured or provided to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 by a Policy Control Function (PCF) in the 5GC 210 using Prose Policy as specified in clause 5.1.4.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0. The QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can contain the 5th Generation (5G) QoS Identifier (5QI) and PC5 5QI (PQI) mapping as specified in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 V18.5.0.

[0025] Additionally the QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 includes one or more hop adjustment factors for the value of the PQI's parameters in Table 5.6.1-1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0 and Table 5.4.4-1 of 3GPP TS 23.287 v18.3.0 (“Architecture enhancements for 5G System (5GS) to support Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services”) for each hop count. For example, the hop adjustment factor can be 1 / 5 of the value of the standardized Packet Delay Budget (PDB) when the “hop count” (the number of hops) is 5, and 1 / 4 of the standardized value of the PDB when the hop count is 4. The hop adjustment factor is used by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s)206 to derive, from the end-to-end QoS info, the packet delay budget that applies to the PC5 link over each hop. That is, referring to Fig. 2, from the E2E QoS information (i.e. the PDB for the E2E communication path), a PDB will be derived for the PC5 link between the remote UE 202 and the Intermediate U2N relay 206, and for the PC5 link between the Intermediate U2N relay 206 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay 208.

[0026] The QoS mapping information for the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 may also include an indication (e.g. a flag) of whether a ‘best effort’ mode is allowed. That is, the indication (flag) indicates the applicability of the PC5 QoS parameters to PC5 communications when the hop count reaches a certain number. For example, when the hop count reaches a maximum or upper limit for a UE 202, 206, 208, the communications may be best effort as it may not be possible to achieve the required PDB.

[0027] The operations for multi-hop 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay are similar to the E2E QoS management defined in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 vl8.5.0, with the following enhancements:- The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 determines the QoS information of the E2E PC5 QoS and the next hop PC5 QoS, based on the QoS mapping and the hop information.- The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 determines the QoS information of the next hop PC5 QoS considering the received E2E PC5 QoS, based on the QoS mapping and the hop information.(Optional) a flag on whether enable best effort mode over the hop.

[0028] Network-initiated QoS Flows - For QoS flows initiated by the network (e.g. for data that is to be transmitted to the remote UE 202), based on the QoS parameters received from a Session Management Function (SMF) in the 5GC 210, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can decide the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow based on the QoS mapping as defined in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0.

[0029] The end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements for the traffic transmission between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters, based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, the QoS mapping (e.g. a hop adjustment factor) and / or (other) hop information (e.g. a hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay 208). For example, the PC5 QoS parameter for the next hop PC5 link (“next hop PC5 QoS parameter”) could be 1 / 5 of the value of the standardized PDB of the end-to-end PC5 QoS information if the hop count is 5.

[0030] The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can provide the end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the generated next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected ‘next hop’ intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206.

[0031] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS information to be used with its upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, based on its implementation, determines the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding downstream next hop PC5 link, based the received end-to-end PC5 QoS information, the QoS mapping (e.g. hop adjustment factor) and hop information (e.g. hop count between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208).

[0032] The E2E PC5 QoS information may include a value of a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (GFBR) and / or a value of a Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR) for the E2E PC5 communications. In this case, values of the GFBR and / or MFBR for the next hop PC5 GBR QoS Flow can havethe same value(s) as the GFBR and / or MFBR in the received PC5 QoS information.

[0033] If the QoS parameters determined with the hop adjustment factor are supported by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 provides the received end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the determined next hop PC5 QoS information to the next UE in the communication path, i.e. the next Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 or the 5G ProSe Remote UE 202, as appropriate.

[0034] If the QoS parameters determined with the hop adjustment factor cannot be supported by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, then the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 can operate as follows:(if ‘best effort’ mode is not enabled) the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 decides not to support the QoS Flow and sends an indication to the 5G ProSe Layer- 3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 to reject the QoS Flow parameter setting; or(if ‘best effort’ mode is enabled and supported by local configuration of the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206) the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 determines the PC5 QoS Flow parameters (based on its implementation) considering its supported QoS and the hop information, and provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS and the determined PC5 QoS information to the next UE in the communication path (i.e. another Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 or the 5G ProSe Remote UE 202), together with the indication (e.g. flag) of best effort mode.

[0035] 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiated QoS Flows - If the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 initiates the PC5 QoS Flows setup or modification during a Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 can provide the QoS Information as described in clause 6.4.3.6 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0 to its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 208. The PC5 QoS parameters of the QoS Information (i.e. PQI and optionally / conditionally other parameters such as GFBR, MFBR, etc.) sent by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 for the traffic transmission between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and a User Plane Function (UPF) in the 5GC 210. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 forward the received QoS information to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE- to-Network Relay 208.

[0036] Based on the end-to-end QoS parameters received from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 via the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay 208 decides the 5QI for the Uu QoS control and the PQI for end-to-end PC5QoS control as defined in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can also decide the next hop PC5 QoS parameters of the PC5 link with its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206, as set out above in the description of the network-initiated techniques. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can provide the determined end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 as part of an Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202.

[0037] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 accepts the next hop PC5 QoS information received as part of the Accept message from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206, and uses the next hop PC5 QoS information with the upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 decides the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding next hop PC5 QoS Flow as described above in the discussion of the network-initiated techniques, and provides the end-to- end PC5 QoS information and the generated next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 or the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202.

[0038] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 may include the indication (e.g. flag) for ‘best effort’ mode as described above.

[0039] Determine PC5 QoS Parameters at Each Intermediate U2N Relay - An alternative approach to that described above provides for a dynamic decision of PQI parameters at intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206. The main differences from the above techniques are as follows:■ For network-initiated QoS flows, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 can treat the received PC5 QoS information as end-to-end QoS requirements between its pre-hop Relay to the Remote UE 202, and determine the hop adjustment factor for the value of the PQI's parameters based on its implementation and the remaining number of hops.■ For 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE-initiated QoS flows, the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 can treat the received PC5 QoS info as end-to-end QoS requirements between its pre-hop Relay to the UPF, and determine the hop adjustment factor for the value of the PQI's parameters based on its implementation and the remaining number of hops.

[0040] This alternative approach is described below with reference to Fig. 2. For Layer-3 Relay operation, as shown in Fig. 2, the end-to-end QoS for the whole communication path from the remote UE 202 to the 5GC 210 (or vice versa) can be met only when the QoS requirementsare properly translated and satisfied over the multiple hops between the relay UEs 206, 208.

[0041] To achieve this, a QoS mapping can be pre-configured or provided to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 by a Policy Control Function (PCF) in the 5GC 210 using Prose Policy as specified in clause 5.1.4.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0. The QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can contain the 5thGeneration (5G) QoS Identifier (5QI) and PC5 5QI (PQI) mapping as specified in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 V18.5.0.

[0042] Additionally, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 and the intermediate UE- to-Network Relay 206, can based on their implementations, locally configure one or more hop adjustment factors to determine PC5 QoS to be used over each hop. The hop adjustment factor is used by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 and the intermediate UE-to- Network Relays 206 to derive the packet delay budget (PDB) that applies to the PC5 link over each hop from the end-to-end QoS info, e.g. 1 / 5 of the standardized PDB value when the hop count is 5.

[0043] Network-initiated QoS Flows - For QoS flows initiated by the network (e.g. for data that is to be transmitted to the remote UE 202), based on the QoS parameters received from a Session Management Function (SMF) in the 5GC 210, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can decide the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow based on the QoS mapping as defined in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0.

[0044] The end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements for the traffic transmission between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters, based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, a hop adjustment factor and / or (other) hop information (e.g. a hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208). For example, the PC5 QoS parameter for the next hop PC5 link (“next hop PC5 QoS parameter”) could be 1 / 5 of the value of the PDB of the end-to-end PC5 QoS information if the hop count is 5.

[0045] The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can provide the end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the generated next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected ‘next hop’ intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206.

[0046] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS information to be used with its upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, based on its implementation, determines the PC5 QoS parameters for thecorresponding downstream next hop PC5 link, based the received end-to-end PC5 QoS information, the hop adjustment factor and hop information (e.g. hop count between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208).

[0047] The E2E PC5 QoS information may include a value of a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate (GFBR) and / or a value of a Maximum Flow Bit Rate (MFBR) for the E2E PC5 communications. In this case, values of the GFBR and / or MFBR for the next hop PC5 GBR QoS Flow can have the same value(s) as the GFBR and / or MFBR in the received PC5 QoS information.

[0048] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 provide the received end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the determined next hop PC5 QoS information to the ‘next hop’ Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 or to the 5G ProSe Remote UE 202.

[0049] 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiated QoS Flows - If the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 initiates the PC5 QoS Flows setup or modification during a Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 can provide the QoS Information as described in clause 6.4.3.6 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0 to its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 208. The PC5 QoS parameters of the QoS Information (i.e. PQI and optionally / conditionally other parameters such as GFBR, MFBR, etc.) sent by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 for the traffic transmission between the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 and a User Plane Function (UPF) in the 5GC 210. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 forward the received QoS information to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE- to-Network Relay 208.

[0050] Based on the end-to-end QoS parameters received from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 via the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay 208 decides the 5QI for the Uu QoS control and the PQI for end-to-end PC5 QoS control as defined in clause 5.6.2.1 of 3GPP TS 23.304 v18.5.0. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can also decide the next hop PC5 QoS parameters of the PC5 link with its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206, as set out above in the description of the network-initiated techniques. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 can provide the determined end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 as part of an Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202.

[0051] The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 accepts the next hop PC5 QoS information received as part of the Accept message from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay 208 or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206, and uses the next hop PC5QoS information with the upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) 206 decides the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding next hop PC5 QoS Flow as described above in the discussion of the network-initiated techniques, and provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS information and the generated next hop PC5 QoS information to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to-Network Relay 206 or the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202 as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE 202.

[0052] Fig. 3 shows an example of a communication system 300 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 300 includes a telecommunication network 302 that includes an access network 304, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 306, which includes one or more core network nodes 308. The access network 304 includes one or more access network nodes, such as access network nodes 310a and 310b (one or more of which are also referred to as RAN network nodes or RAN nodes 310 herein), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points (AP). Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 302 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 302 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 302, including one or more network nodes 310 and / or core network nodes 308.

[0053] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU- CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (RIC) (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user planeinterface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) Framework via an 0-2 interface defined by the 0-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies.

[0054] The network nodes 310 facilitate direct or indirect connection of wireless devices (also referred to interchangeably herein as user equipment (UE)), such as by connecting UEs 312a, 312b, 312c, and 312d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 312) to the core network 306 over one or more wireless connections. The access network nodes 310 may be, for example, access points (APs) (e.g. radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g. radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and New Radio (NR) NodeBs (gNBs)).

[0055] Unless otherwise indicated, the general term ‘network node’ as used herein refers to access network nodes 310 and core network nodes 308.

[0056] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 300 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 300 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0057] The wireless devices / UEs 312 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 310 and other communication devices. Similarly, the access network nodes 310 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 312 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 302 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 302.

[0058] In the depicted example, the core network 306 connects the access network nodes 310 to one or more host computing systems, such as host 316. These connections may be direct orindirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 306 includes one more core network nodes (e.g. core network node 308) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the wireless devices / UEs, access network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 308. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0059] The host 316 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 304 and / or the telecommunication network 302. The host 316 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0060] As a whole, the communication system 300 of Figure 3 enables connectivity between the wireless devices / UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2ndGeneration (2G), 3rdGeneration (3G), 4thGeneration (4G), 5thGeneration (5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g. 6thGeneration (6G)); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low- power wide-area network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0061] In some examples, the telecommunication network 302 is a cellular network that implements 3 GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 302 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 302. For example, the telecommunications network 302 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0062] In some examples, the UEs 312 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 304 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 304. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi -Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi -standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UTRA (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0063] In the example, the hub 314 communicates with the access network 304 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 312c and / or 312d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 310b). In some examples, the hub 314 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 314 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 306 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 314 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 310, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 314. As another example, the hub 314 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 314 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR device, display, loudspeaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 314 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 314 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 314 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are lowenergy Internet of Things (loT) devices.

[0064] The hub 314 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 310b. The hub 314 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 314 and UEs (e.g., UE 312c and / or 312d), and between the hub 314 and the core network 306. In other examples, the hub 314 is connected to the core network 306 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 314 may be configured to connect to a machine-to-machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 304 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 310 while still connected via the hub 314 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 314 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 310b. In other embodiments, the hub 314 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 310b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0065] Fig. 4 shows a wireless device or UE 400 in accordance with some embodiments. The UE 400 presents additional details of some embodiments of the UE 312 of Fig. 3. As used herein, a wireless device / UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a wireless device / UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage / playback device, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop -embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), an Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0066] A wireless device / UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0067] The UE 400 includes processing circuitry 402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 404 to an input / output interface 406, a power source 408, a memory 410, a communication interface 412, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Fig. 4. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0068] The processing circuitry 402 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 410. The processing circuitry 402 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general -purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 402 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs). The processing circuitry 402 may be configured to cause the UE 402 to perform any or all of the methods described herein performed by a remote UE, an intermediate relay UE or a relay UE connected to the RAN.

[0069] In the example, the input / output interface 406 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices.Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 400. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, adirectional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0070] In some embodiments, the power source 408 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 408 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 408 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 400 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 408. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 408 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 400 to which power is supplied.

[0071] The memory 410 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable readonly memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 410 includes one or more application programs 414, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 416. The memory 410 may store, for use by the UE 400, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0072] The memory 410 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM(USIM) and / or Integrated SIM (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card’. The memory 410 may allow the UE 400 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 410, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0073] The processing circuitry 402 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 412. The communication interface 412 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 422. The communication interface 412 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 418 and / or a receiver 420 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 418 and receiver 420 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 422) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0074] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 412 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) or other Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0075] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 412, via a wireless connection to a network node.Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0076] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0077] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 400 shown in Figure 4.

[0078] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As oneparticular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0079] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0080] Fig. 5 shows a network node, access network node or RAN node 500 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, access network node or RAN network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other RAN network nodes or equipment, or core network nodes, in a telecommunication network. Examples of access network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g. radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g. radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), Open-RAN (0-RAN) nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., 0-RU, 0-DU, O-CU).

[0081] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an 0-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0082] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5Gaccess nodes, multi -standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi -cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g. Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0083] The RAN network node 500 includes a processing circuitry 502, a memory 504, a communication interface 506, and a power source 508. The RAN network node 500 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the RAN network node 500 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the RAN network node 500 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 504 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 510 may be shared by different RATs). The RAN network node 500 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 500, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within RAN network node 500.

[0084] The processing circuitry 502 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 500 components, such as the memory 504, to provide RAN network node 500 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to cause the RAN network node to perform any of the methods described herein performed by the RAN or a RAN node.

[0085] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and the baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0086] The memory 504 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 502. The memory 504 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 502 and utilized by the RAN node 500. The memory 504 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 502 and / or any data received via the communication interface 506. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 and memory 504 is integrated.

[0087] The communication interface 506 is used in wired or wireless communication of signalling and / or data between network nodes, the access network, the core network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 506 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 516 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 506 also includes radio front-end circuitry 518 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 510. Radio front-end circuitry 518 comprises filters 520 and amplifiers 522. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may be connected to an antenna 510 and processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 510 and processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 520and / or amplifiers 522. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 510. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 510 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 518. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 502. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0088] In certain alternative embodiments, the RAN node 500 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 518, instead, the processing circuitry 502 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 510. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 512 is part of the communication interface 506. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 506 includes one or more ports or terminals 516, the radio front-end circuitry 518, and the RF transceiver circuitry 512, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 506 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 514, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0089] The antenna 510 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 510 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 518 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 510 is separate from the network node 500 and connectable to the network node 500 through an interface or port.

[0090] The antenna 510, communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 510, the communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0091] The power source 508 provides power to the various components of network node 500 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 508 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 500 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 500 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an inputcircuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 508. As a further example, the power source 508 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0092] Embodiments of the network node 500 may include additional components beyond those shown in Fig. 5 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 500 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 500 and to allow output of information from the network node 500. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 500. In some embodiments providing a core network node, such as core network node 308 of Fig. 3, some components, such as the radio front-end circuitry 518 and the RF transceiver circuitry 512 may be omitted.

[0093] Fig. 6 shows a core network node 600 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, core network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other core network nodes or equipment or RAN network nodes, in a telecommunication network. The core network node 600 may be operable as a core network node, a core network function or, more generally, a core network entity, such as the core network node 308 described above with respect to Fig. 3). Examples of core network nodes in this context include core network entities such as one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0094] The core network node 600 includes processing circuitry 602, a memory 604, a communication interface 606, and a power source 608, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. The core network node 600 may be composed of multiple physically separate components, which may each have their own respective components. In certainscenarios in which the core network node 600 comprises multiple separate components, one or more of the separate components may be shared among several core network nodes.

[0095] The processing circuitry 602 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other core network node 600 components, such as the memory 604, core network node 600 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 602 may be configured to cause the network node to perform any of the methods described herein performed by a node or function in the core network.

[0096] The memory 604 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 602. The memory 604 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 602 and utilized by the core network node 600. The memory 604 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 602 and / or any data received via the communication interface 606. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 602 and memory 604 are integrated.

[0097] The communication interface 606 is used in wired or wireless communication of signalling and / or data between a core network node, access network node(s), and / or UE.

[0098] The power source 608 provides power to the various components of core network node 600 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 608 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the core network node 600 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the core network node 600 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power sourcesupplies power to power circuitry of the power source 608. As a further example, the power source 608 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0099] Embodiments of the core network node 600 may include additional components beyond those shown in Fig. 6 for providing certain aspects of the core network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the core network node 600 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the core network node 600 and to allow output of information from the core network node 600. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the core network node 600.

[0100] Fig. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 700 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 700 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, access network node, RAN node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g. a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 700 includes components defined by the O- RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface. Virtualization may facilitate distributed implementations of an access network node, network node, RAN node, UE, core network node, or host.

[0101] Applications 702 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in thevirtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0102] Hardware 704 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 706 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 708a and 708b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 708), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 706 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 708.

[0103] The VMs 708 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 706. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 702 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 708, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0104] In the context of NFV, a VM 708 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 708, and that part of hardware 704 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 708 on top of the hardware 704 and corresponds to the application 702.

[0105] Hardware 704 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 704 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 704 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 710, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 702. In some embodiments, hardware 704 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include oneor more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signalling can be provided with the use of a control system 712 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0106] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0107] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0108] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure. Various modifications and alterations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous systems, arrangements, and procedures that, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and can be thus within the scope of the disclosure. Various exemplary embodiments can be used together with one another, as well as interchangeably therewith, as should be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art.EMBODIMENTSA Embodiments1. A method performed by a first User Equipment, UE, for supporting Quality of Service, QoS, management for multi-hop communications between a remote UE and a Radio Access Network, RAN, node via a plurality of relay UEs, wherein a first relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs is connected to the RAN node, the remote UE and the first relay UE are interconnected via at least a second relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs, and wherein the first UE is one of the remote UE and the first relay UE, the method comprising: determining first QoS information for the multi-hop communications between the remote UE and the first relay UE, wherein the first QoS information comprises a first value of a first QoS parameter and hop information that relates to the number of hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE; determining next hop QoS information for a hop from the first UE to the second relay UE, wherein the next hop QoS information comprises a next hop value of the first QoS parameter determined from the first value of the first QoS parameter and the hop information; and sending the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information to the second relay UE.2. The method of embodiment 1 , wherein the first QoS information is first PC5 QoS information.3. The method of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the first UE and the second relay UE.4. The method of embodiment 3, wherein the first QoS information and / or next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.5. The method of any of embodiments 1-4, wherein the first QoS parameter is a packet delay budget, PDB.6. The method of any of embodiments 1-5, wherein the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.7. The method of embodiment 6, wherein the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.8. The method of any of embodiments 1-7, wherein the hop information is used to split the first value of the first QoS parameter across all of the hops in the multi-hop communications.9. The method of any of embodiments 1-8, wherein the hop information comprises a hop adjustment factor and / or a number of hops between the first relay UE and the remote UE.10. The method of any of embodiments 1-9, wherein the next hop QoS information further comprises an indication of whether a best effort QoS can be applied to one or more of, or all of, the hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE.11. The method of embodiment 10, wherein the indication is a flag.12. The method of any of embodiments 1-11, wherein the method further comprises: communicating data from the first UE to the second relay UE according to the next hop value of the first QoS parameter.13. The method of any of embodiments 1-12, wherein the first UE is the first relay UE.14. The method of embodiment 13, wherein the step of determining the first QoS information comprises: receiving the first QoS information from the RAN node.15. The method of embodiment 14, wherein the first QoS information is received from the RAN node in QoS mapping information.16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the QoS mapping information further comprises QoS information for the hop between the first relay UE and the RAN node.17. The method of embodiment 16, wherein the QoS information for the hop between the first relay UE and the RAN node is Uu QoS information.18. The method of embodiment 17, wherein the llu QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.19. The method of any of embodiments 1-12, wherein the first UE is the remote UE.20. The method of any of embodiments 1-18, wherein the remote UE is a 5thGeneration, 5G, Proximity- based Services, ProSe, Layer-3 Remote UE, and the first relay UE is a 5G ProSe Layer- 3 UE-to-Network Relay.Group B Embodiments21. A method performed by a second relay User Equipment, UE, for supporting Quality of Service, QoS, management for multi-hop communications between a remote UE and a Radio Access Network, RAN, node, wherein a first relay UE is connected to the RAN node, wherein the remote UE and the first relay UE are interconnected via at least the second relay UE, the method comprising: receiving, from a first UE, first QoS information and first next hop QoS information, wherein the first QoS information comprises a first value of a first QoS parameter and hop information that relates to the number of hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE, and the first next hop QoS information comprises a first next hop value of the first QoS parameter relating to the hop between the second relay UE and the first UE; wherein the first UE is any one of: the remote UE, the first relay UE, or another relay UE between the remote UE and the first relay UE.22. The method of embodiment 21 , wherein the method further comprises: determining second next hop QoS information for a hop from the second relay UE to a second UE, wherein the second next hop QoS information comprises a second next hop value of the first QoS parameter determined from the first value of the first QoS parameter and the hop information; and wherein the second UE is any one of: the remote UE, the first relay UE, or another relay UE between the remote UE and the first relay UE.23. The method of embodiment 22, wherein the method further comprises: sending the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information to the second UE.24. The method of embodiment 22-23, wherein the second next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the second relay UE and the second UE.25. The method of embodiment 24, wherein the second next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.26. The method of any of embodiments 22-25, wherein the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.27. The method of embodiment 26, wherein the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.28. The method of any of embodiments 21-27, wherein the first next hop QoS information further comprises an indication of whether a best effort QoS can be applied to one or more of, or all of, the hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE.29. The method of embodiment 28, wherein the indication is a flag.30. The method of embodiment 28 or 29, wherein the method further comprises: determining whether the second relay UE supports communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter.31 . The method of any of embodiments 28-30, wherein the method further comprises: if the second relay UE supports communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter, communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter; and if the second relay UE does not support communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter, and if the first next hop QoS information comprises the indication that a best effort QoS can be applied, communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to a best effort QoS.32. The method of any of embodiments 21-27, wherein the method further comprises:communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter.33. The method of any of embodiments 21-32, wherein the first QoS information is first PC5 QoS information.34. The method of any of embodiments 21-33, wherein the first next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the first UE and the second relay UE.35. The method of embodiment 34, wherein the first QoS information and / or first next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.36. The method of any of embodiments 21-35, wherein the first QoS parameter is a packet delay budget, PDB.37. The method of any of embodiments 21-36, wherein the first QoS information and the first next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.38. The method of embodiment 37, wherein the first QoS information and the first next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.39. The method of any of embodiments 21-38, wherein the hop information is used to split the first value of the first QoS parameter across all of the hops in the multi-hop communications.40. The method of any of embodiments 21-39, wherein the hop information comprises a hop adjustment factor and / or a number of hops between the first relay UE and the remote UE.41 . The method of any of embodiments 21-40, wherein the remote UE is a 5thGeneration, 5G, Proximity- based Services, ProSe, Layer-3 Remote UE, and the first relay UE is a 5G ProSe Layer- 3 UE-to-Network Relay.Group C Embodiments42. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured such that, on execution by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor is caused to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments or the Group B embodiments.43. A user equipment, UE, configured to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments or the Group B embodiments.44. A user equipment, UE, comprising a processor and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor whereby said UE is operative to perform the method of any of the Group A embodiments or the Group B embodiments.45. A user equipment, UE, comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the user equipment to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments or the Group B embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.46. A user equipment, UE, comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments or the Group B embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.APPENDIX3GPP TSG-SA SA2 Meeting #161 S2-240xxxxChangsha, China, 15th- 19thApril 2024Source: EricssonTitle: Solution on Support End-to-end QoS Management for Multi-hop Layer3 UE- to-Network Relays, Kl#1Document for: ApprovalAgenda item: 19.7Work Item / Release: FS_5G_ProSe_Ph3 / Rel-19Abstract of the contribution: This paper proposes a solution for Kl#1.1. DiscussionThe KI#1 in TR 23.700-03 on Support of multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays contains the following aspects to be studied:Whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multihop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay.Support of End-to-end QoS management was considered in Solution #1 and have the following descriptions in clause 6. 1.2.6:For Layer-3 Relay operation, similar End-to-end QoS management as defined in TS 23.304 [4] can be reused, with the following enhancements: the end-to-end QoS flow is to be identified by both the Remote UE ID and the PC5 QoS flow IDs.For Layer-2 Relay operation, the handling of End-to-end QoS management will be defined by RAN WGs.This solution focuses on the study aspect “Whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay”, considers the problems listed in the EN in clause 6. 1.2.6, proposes QoS pairs (each QoS pair contains one number of hop and corresponding supported best QoS) at Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay for end-to-end QoS management between the Remote UE and the UE- to-Network Relay.2. ProposalIt is proposed to agree the following changes to TR 23.700-03 V0.2.0.2 ReferencesThe following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.- References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.- For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.- For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3 GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.[1] 3 GPP TR 21.905: "Vocabulaiy for 3 GPP Specifications".[2] 3GPP TR 23.752: "Study on system enhancement for Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS)".[3] 3GPP TR 23.700-33: "Study on system enhancement for Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS); Phase 2".[4] 3GPP TS 23.304: "Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS)".[5] 3GPP TS 22.278: " Service requirements for the Evolved Packet System (EPS); Stage 1 " .[6] 3GPP TS 22.261 : "Service requirements for next generation new services and markets; Stage1".[7] 3GPP TS 22.115: "Service aspects; Charging and billing; Stage 1".[8] 3GPP TS 23.501 : "System Architecture for the 5G System; Stage 2".[9] IETF RFC 7181 : " The Optimized Link State Routing Protocol Version 2" .

[0010] IETF RFC 6130: "Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Neighborhood Discovery Protocol (NHDP)".

[0011] IETF RFC 5444: "Generalized Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Packet / Message Format".

[0012] 3GPP TS 23.502: "Procedures for the 5G System (5GS)".

[0013] 3GPP TS 25.303: "Interlayer procedures in Connected Mode".[Y] 3GPP TS 23.287: " Architecture enhancements for 5G System (5GS) to support Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services".0 Mapping of Solutions to Key IssuesTable 6.0-1 : Mapping of Solutions to Key Issues6.X Solution #X: Support End-to-end QoS management for multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relays6.X.1 DescriptionThe study aspect on whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay is contained in in KI#1, the problems "Support of the end-to-end QoS management, e.g. QoS split among the multi-hops, is FFS" is listed in the EN in clause 6.1.2.6 of Solution #1. This solution proposes end-to-end QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays, similar End-to-end QoS management as defined in TS 23.304 [4] is reused, with enhanced procedures for network initiated and 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiated QoS Flows as given in clause 6.X.2.6.X.2 ProceduresFor Layer-3 Relay operation, as shown in figure 6.X.2-1 below, the end-to-end QoS can be met only when the QoS requirements are properly translated and satisfied over the multiple legs respectively.Figure 6.X.2-1 : End-to-End QoS translation for 5G ProSe multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay operationTo achieve this, the QoS mapping can be pre -configured or provided to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay by the PCF using Prose Policy as specified in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.1.4.1. The QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay contains the 5QI and PQI mapping same as specified in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1.Additionally the QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay includes one or more hop adjustment factors for the value of the PQI's parameters inTable 5.6.1 -1 and Table 5.4.4-1 of TS 23.287 [Y] for each hop count, e.g. 1 / 5 of the standardized PDB value for hop count =5, 1 / 4 of the standardized PDB value for hop count =4. The hop adjustment factor is used by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relays to derive the packet delay budget that applies to the PC5 link over each hop from end-to-end QoS info.The QoS mapping information for the intermediate UE-to-Network Relays may also include a flag on whether best effort mode is allowed, which indicates the applicability of the PC5 QoS parameters in PC5 communication when hop count reach a certain thread, e.g. when the hop count of receiving UEs reach maximum limit, the communication is best effort.The operations for multi-hop 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay are similar End-to-end QoS management as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2. 1, with the following enhancements:The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay determines the QoS info of the end-to-end PC5 QoS and the next hop PC5 QoS, based on the QoS mapping and hop info.The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay determines the QoS info of the next hop PC5 QoS considering the received end-to-end PC5 QoS, on the QoS mapping and hop info.A flag on whether enable best effort mode over the hop.6.X.2.1 Network initiated QoS FlowsBased on the received QoS parameters from SMF, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay decides the end-to- end PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow based on the QoS mapping as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1. The end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements for the traffic transmission between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters, based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, the QoS mapping (e.g. a hop adjustment factor) and hop info (e.g. hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay), e.g. 1 / 5 of the standardized PDB value of the end-to-end PC5 QoS info is used for the next hop PC5 link if hop count =5 . The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the generated next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to-Network Relay.The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS info to be used with its upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s), based on its implementation, determines the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding downstream next hop PC5 link, based the received end-to-end PC5 QoS info, the QoS mapping (e.g. a hop adjustment factor) and hop info (e.g. hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay). The GFBR and MFBR values for the next hop PC5 GBR QoS Flow are set equal to the GFBR and MFBR values of the received PC5 QoS info respectively.If the determined QoS parameters with hop adjustment factor are supported by the Intermediate UE-to- Network Relay(s), the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) provides the received end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the determined next hop PC5 QoS info to its next hop Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or the 5G ProSe Remote UE.If the determined QoS parameters with hop adjustment factor cannot be supported by the Intermediate UE- to-Network Relay(s), the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s):(if best effort mode is not enabled) decides not support the QoS Flow and sends an indication to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay for rejecting the QoS Flow parameter setting; or(if best effort mode is enabled and supported by local configuration) decides the PC5 QoS Flow parameters based on its implementation considering its supported QoS and the hop info, and provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS and the determined PC5 QoS info to its next hop Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or the 5G ProSe Remote UE Remote UE together with the flag of best effort mode.6.X.2.2 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiated QoS FlowsIf the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiates PC5 QoS Flows setup or modification during the Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE provides the QoS Info as described in TS 23.304 [4] clause 6.4.3.6 to its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. The PC5 QoS parameters of the QoS Info (i.e. PQI and conditionally other parameters such as MFBR / GFBR, etc.) sent by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) for the traffic transmission between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and UPF. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) forwards the received QoS info to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay.Based on the received end-to-end QoS parameters from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE via intermediate UE-to- Network Relay(s), the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay decides the 5QI for the Uu QoS control and the PQI for end-to-end PC5 QoS control as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters of the PC5 link with its connected Intermediate UE-to- Network Relay, as described in clause 6.x.2. 1 in this document. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relayprovides the determined end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected intermediate UE- to-Network Relay as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE.The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS info as part of the Accept message from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay to be used with the upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) decides the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding next hop PC5 QoS Flow as described in clause 6.x.2. 1 in this document and provides the end- to-end PC5 QoS info and the generated next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to- Network Relay or the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE.The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) may include the flag of best effort mode as described in clause 6.x.2.1 in this document.6.X.3 Impacts on services, entities and interfacesPCF:- Enhanced QoS mapping for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and the intermediate UE-to- Network Relay.5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay:Support enhanced QoS handling.5G Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay:Support enhanced QoS handling.5G ProSe Remote UE:Support enhanced QoS handling.3GPP TSG-SA SA2 Meeting #162 S2-240xxxxChangsha, China, 15th- 19thApril 2024Source: EricssonTitle: Solution on Support End-to-end QoS Management for Multi-hop Layer3 UE- to-Network Relays, Kl#1Document for: ApprovalAgenda item: 19.7Work Item / Release: FS_5G_ProSe_Ph3 / Rel-19Abstract of the contribution: This paper proposes a solution for Kl#1.1. DiscussionThe KI#1 in TR 23.700-03 on Support of multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays contains the following aspects to be studied:Whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multihop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay.Also, the following EN about End-to-end QoS management is open in Solution #1This solution proposes that end-to-end QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays can be done similarly as End-to-end QoS management for single hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1 , with enhancement to handle QoS split over multiple legs of PC5 interface.2. ProposalIt is proposed to agree the following changes to TR 23.700-03 V0.2.0.2 ReferencesThe following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.- References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or non-specific.- For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.- For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3 GPP document (including a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same Release as the present document.[1] 3 GPP TR 21.905: "Vocabulaiy for 3 GPP Specifications".[2] 3GPP TR 23.752: "Study on system enhancement for Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS)".[3] 3GPP TR 23.700-33: "Study on system enhancement for Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS); Phase 2".[4] 3GPP TS 23.304: "Proximity based Services (ProSe) in the 5G System (5GS)".[5] 3GPP TS 22.278: " Service requirements for the Evolved Packet System (EPS); Stage 1 " .[6] 3GPP TS 22.261 : "Service requirements for next generation new services and markets; Stage1".[7] 3GPP TS 22.115: "Service aspects; Charging and billing; Stage 1".[8] 3GPP TS 23.501 : "System Architecture for the 5G System; Stage 2".[9] IETF RFC 7181 : " The Optimized Link State Routing Protocol Version 2" .

[0010] IETF RFC 6130: "Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Neighborhood Discovery Protocol (NHDP)".

[0011] IETF RFC 5444: "Generalized Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) Packet / Message Format".

[0012] 3GPP TS 23.502: "Procedures for the 5G System (5GS)".

[0013] 3GPP TS 25.303: "Interlayer procedures in Connected Mode".[Y] 3GPP TS 23.287: " Architecture enhancements for 5G System (5GS) to support Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services".6.0 Mapping of Solutions to Key IssuesTable 6.0-1 : Mapping of Solutions to Key Issues6.X Solution #X: Support End-to-end QoS management for multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relays6.X.1 DescriptionThe study aspect on whether and how to support end-to-end QoS requirements between Remote UE and the network via multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay is included in KI#1 . This solution proposes that end-to-end QoS management for multi-hop UE-to-Network Relays can be done similarly as End-to-end QoS management for singlehop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1, with enhancement to handle QoS split over multiple legs of PC5 interface.The solution covers the procedures for the case that the QoS Flows setup are initiated by network and the case that 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiates QoS Flows setup or modification during the Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure.NOTE: This solution also addresses the Editor Note "Support of the end-to-end QoS management, e.g. QoS split among the multi-hops, is FFS" in clause 6. 1.2.6 of Solution #1.6.X.2 ProceduresFor Layer-3 Relay operation, as shown in figure 6.X.2-1 below, the end-to-end QoS can be met only when the QoS requirements are properly translated and satisfied over the multiple legs respectively.Figure 6.X.2-1 : End-to-End QoS translation for 5G ProSe multi-hop Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay operationTo achieve this, the QoS mapping can be pre -configured or provided to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay by the PCF using Prose Policy as specified in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.1.4.1. The QoS mapping information for the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay contains the 5QI and PQI mapping same as specified in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1.Additionally, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relay, based on its implementation, can locally configure one or more hop adjustment factors to determine PC5 QoS to be used over each hop. The hop adjustment factor is used by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay and the intermediate UE-to-Network Relays to derive the packet delay budget that applies to the PC5 link over each hop from end-to-end QoS info, e.g. 1 / 5 of the standardized PDB value for hop count =5.6.X.2.1 Network initiated QoS FlowsBased on the received QoS parameters from SMF, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay decides the end-to- end PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding PC5 QoS Flow based on the QoS mapping as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1. The end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements for the traffic transmission between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters, based on the end-to-end PC5 QoS parameters, hop adjustment factor and hop info (e.g. hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay). The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the generated next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to-Network Relay.The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS info and uses it with its upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s), based on its implementation, determines the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding downstream next hop PC5 link, based the received end-to-end PC5 QoS info, hop adjustment factor and hop info (e.g. hop count between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay). The GFBR and MFBR values for the next hop PC5 GBR QoS Flow are set equal to the GFBR and MFBR values of the received PC5 QoS info respectively. Then the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) provides the received end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the determined next hop PC5 QoS info to its next hop Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or the 5G ProSe Remote UE.6.X.2.2 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiated QoS FlowsIf the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE initiates PC5 QoS Flows setup or modification during the Layer-2 link establishment or modification procedure, the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE provides the QoS Info as described in TS 23.304 [4] clause 6.4.3.6 to its connected Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay. The PC5 QoS parameters of the QoS Info (i.e. PQI and conditionally other parameters such as MFBR / GFBR, etc.) sent by the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE are interpreted as the end-to-end QoS requirements by the Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) for the traffic transmission between 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE and UPF. The intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) forwards the received QoS info to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay.Based on the received end-to-end QoS parameters from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE via intermediate UE-to- Network Relay(s), the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay decides the 5QI for the Uu QoS control and the PQI for end-to-end PC5 QoS control as defined in TS 23.304 [4] clause 5.6.2.1. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay also decides the next hop PC5 QoS parameters of the PC5 link with its connected Intermediate UE-to- Network Relay, as described in clause 6.x.2. 1 in this document. The 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay provides the determined end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected intermediate UE- to-Network Relay as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE.The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) accepts the received next hop PC5 QoS info as part of the Accept message from the 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to-Network Relay or its upstream Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay and uses it with the upstream PC5 QoS Flow. The Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay(s) decides the PC5 QoS parameters for the corresponding next hop PC5 QoS Flow as described in clause 6.x.2.1 in this document and provides the end-to-end PC5 QoS info and the generated next hop PC5 QoS info to its connected next hop intermediate UE-to-Network Relay or the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE as part of the Accept message to the 5G ProSe Layer-3 Remote UE.6.X.3 Impacts on services, entities and interfaces5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay:Support enhanced QoS handling.5G Intermediate UE-to-Network Relay:Support enhanced QoS handling.5G ProSe Remote UE:Support enhanced QoS handling.

Claims

Claims1. A method performed by a first User Equipment, UE, for supporting Quality of Service, QoS, management for multi-hop communications between a remote UE and a Radio Access Network, RAN, node via a plurality of relay UEs, wherein a first relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs is connected to the RAN node, the remote UE and the first relay UE are interconnected via at least a second relay UE in the plurality of relay UEs, and wherein the first UE is one of the remote UE and the first relay UE, the method comprising: determining first QoS information for the multi-hop communications between the remote UE and the first relay UE, wherein the first QoS information comprises a first value of a first QoS parameter and hop information that relates to the number of hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE; determining next hop QoS information for a hop from the first UE to the second relay UE, wherein the next hop QoS information comprises a next hop value of the first QoS parameter determined from the first value of the first QoS parameter and the hop information; and sending the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information to the second relay UE.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first QoS information is first PC5 QoS information.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the first UE and the second relay UE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first QoS information and / or next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.

5. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the first QoS parameter is a packet delay budget, PDB.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first QoS information and the next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.

8. The method of any of claims 1-7, wherein the hop information is used to split the first value of the first QoS parameter across all of the hops in the multi-hop communications.

9. The method of any of claims 1-8, wherein the hop information comprises a hop adjustment factor and / or a number of hops between the first relay UE and the remote UE.

10. The method of any of claims 1-9, wherein the next hop QoS information further comprises an indication of whether a best effort QoS can be applied to one or more of, or all of, the hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication is a flag.

12. The method of any of claims 1-11, wherein the method further comprises: communicating data from the first UE to the second relay UE according to the next hop value of the first QoS parameter.

13. The method of any of claims 1-12, wherein the first UE is the first relay UE.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining the first QoS information comprises: receiving the first QoS information from the RAN node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first QoS information is received from the RAN node in QoS mapping information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the QoS mapping information further comprises QoS information for the hop between the first relay UE and the RAN node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the QoS information for the hop between the first relay UE and the RAN node is Uu QoS information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the Uu QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.

19. The method of any of claims 1-12, wherein the first UE is the remote UE.

20. The method of any of claims 1-18, wherein the remote UE is a 5thGeneration, 5G, Proximitybased Services, ProSe, Layer-3 Remote UE, and the first relay UE is a 5G ProSe Layer-3 UE-to- Network Relay.

21. A method performed by a second relay User Equipment, UE, for supporting Quality of Service, QoS, management for multi-hop communications between a remote UE and a Radio Access Network, RAN, node, wherein a first relay UE is connected to the RAN node, wherein the remote UE and the first relay UE are interconnected via at least the second relay UE, the method comprising: receiving, from a first UE, first QoS information and first next hop QoS information, wherein the first QoS information comprises a first value of a first QoS parameter and hop information that relates to the number of hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE, and the first next hop QoS information comprises a first next hop value of the first QoS parameter relating to the hop between the second relay UE and the first UE; wherein the first UE is any one of: the remote UE, the first relay UE, or another relay UE between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises: determining second next hop QoS information for a hop from the second relay UE to a second UE, wherein the second next hop QoS information comprises a second next hop value of the first QoS parameter determined from the first value of the first QoS parameter and the hop information; and wherein the second UE is any one of: the remote UE, the first relay UE, or another relay UE between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises: sending the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information to the second UE.

24. The method of claim 22-23, wherein the second next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the second relay UE and the second UE.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.

26. The method of any of claims 22-25, wherein the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first QoS information and the second next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.

28. The method of any of claims 21-27, wherein the first next hop QoS information further comprises an indication of whether a best effort QoS can be applied to one or more of, or all of, the hops between the remote UE and the first relay UE.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the indication is a flag.

30. The method of claim 28 or 29, wherein the method further comprises: determining whether the second relay UE supports communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter.31 . The method of any of claims 28-30, wherein the method further comprises: if the second relay UE supports communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter, communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter; and if the second relay UE does not support communication of data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter, and if the first next hop QoS information comprises the indication that a best effort QoS can be applied, communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to a best effort QoS.

32. The method of any of claims 21-27, wherein the method further comprises: communicating data between the second relay UE and the first UE according to the first next hop value of the first QoS parameter.

33. The method of any of claims 21-32, wherein the first QoS information is first PC5 QoS information.

34. The method of any of claims 21-33, wherein the first next hop QoS information is PC5 QoS information for the hop between the first UE and the second relay UE.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first QoS information and / or first next hop QoS information is 5thGeneration, 5G, QoS Identifier, 5QI, information.

36. The method of any of claims 21-35, wherein the first QoS parameter is a packet delay budget, PDB.

37. The method of any of claims 21-36, wherein the first QoS information and the first next hop QoS information comprise a Guaranteed Flow Bit Rate, GFBR, value and / or a Maximum Flow Bit Rate, MFBR, value.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the first QoS information and the first next hop QoS information comprise the same GFBR value and / or the same MFBR value.

39. The method of any of claims 21-38, wherein the hop information is used to split the first value of the first QoS parameter across all of the hops in the multi-hop communications.

40. The method of any of claims 21-39, wherein the hop information comprises a hop adjustment factor and / or a number of hops between the first relay UE and the remote UE.

41. The method of any of claims 21-40, wherein the remote UE is a 5thGeneration, 5G, Proximity- based Services, ProSe, Layer-3 Remote UE, and the first relay UE is a 5G ProSe Layer- 3 UE-to-Network Relay.

42. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code being configured such that, on execution by a suitable computer or processor, the computer or processor is caused to perform the method of any of the claims 1-20 or any of the claims 21-41 .

43. A user equipment, UE, configured to perform the method of any of any of the claims 1-20 or any of the claims 21-41.

44. A user equipment, UE, comprising a processor and a memory, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor whereby said UE is operative to perform the method of any of the claims 1-20 or any of the claims 21-41 .

45. A user equipment, UE, comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the user equipment to perform any of the steps of the claims 1-20 or any of the steps the claims 21-41 ; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

46. A user equipment, UE, comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the claims 1- 20 or any of the claims 21-41 ; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

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