Cell Selection with Multipath Sidelink Relay Ranking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 5G New Radio (NR) wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) face challenges in efficiently performing cell selection and reselection procedures without considering multipath opportunities, leading to suboptimal network connectivity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing methods and systems that account for multipath connections and sidelink relays during cell selection and reselection processes, enhancing the WTRUs' ability to identify and connect to the highest ranked cell.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional cell selection and reselection procedures are used without considering multipath opportunities, then the cell selection process is simple and fast, but network connectivity and signal quality are suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork connectivityVSAvoidcell selection process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cell selection process is segmented into multiple independent evaluation stages: direct cell measurement, multipath opportunity identification through sidelink relays, and combined ranking. This allows the system to consider complex multipath scenarios without overwhelming the selection process, maintaining manageability while improving connectivity reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary identification of multipath opportunities and sidelink relay availability before final cell selection. By pre-evaluating alternative paths and relay nodes, the WTRU prepares multiple potential connection options in advance, enabling more informed selection decisions that improve network connectivity without adding complexity to the final selection step

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multipath connections and sidelink relays are considered during cell selection, then signal quality and network performance improve, but the cell selection and reselection procedures become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal qualityVSAvoidcell reselection procedure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Sidelink relays act as intermediary nodes that simplify the cell selection process by providing pre-evaluated alternative paths. Instead of directly complexly analyzing all possible multipath scenarios, the WTRU leverages relay nodes that have already assessed their connection quality, thereby improving signal quality while maintaining ease of operation through relay-mediated selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where measurement results from direct and relayed paths are continuously monitored and fed back into the cell ranking process. This allows dynamic adjustment of cell selection based on actual signal quality measurements, ensuring optimal connectivity while automating the complexity of multipath evaluation through systematic feedback loops

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If the WTRU performs comprehensive cell ranking considering all multipath opportunities, then the highest ranked cell is accurately identified, but the measurement and evaluation process requires more time and resources

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell ranking accuracyVSAvoidcell selection time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies local quality assessment by evaluating multipath opportunities and sidelink relay conditions specifically for each candidate cell individually. Rather than uniformly processing all cells with the same level of detail, the WTRU focuses comprehensive measurement resources on cells with promising direct or relayed paths, achieving high ranking accuracy while reducing overall evaluation time through selective detailed assessment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20260019897A1Methods, architectures, apparatuses and systems for cell selection and reselection with multipath operations and sidelink relays

Publication Date: 2026.01.15 INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS INC

AI summary

Procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products for cell selection and/or cell selection, such in multipath operation environments. For example, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may receive information indicating (e.g., whether or not) serving cells and/or neighbor cells provide multipath operation. Multipath may refer to scenarios where a remote WTRU connects to a network via a direct (e.g., Uu interface) path and an indirect (e.g., PCS interface) path. In an example cell selection procedure, a remote WTRU may evaluate a serving cell based on criteria which may depend on any of multipath availability and/or sidelink measurements with respect to a candidate relay WTRU. In an example cell reselection procedure, a remote WTRU may evaluate a neighbor cell based on criteria which may depend on any of multipath availability and/or sidelink measurements with respect to a candidate relay WTRU.