Multi-hop Sidelink Connection Management via Relay Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 3GPP specifications for LTE and New Radio (NR) only support 'one-hop' sidelink networks, which limits direct communication between devices and does not facilitate multi-hop sidelink relays, hindering advanced public safety and V2X applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of protocols and procedures for establishing and recovering communication connections in multi-hop sidelink networks, enabling wireless devices to relay communication requests and acceptance responses over sidelinks to establish multi-hop connections between devices and network nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If one-hop sidelink networks are used as specified in current 3GPP standards, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but adaptability is limited and advanced public safety and V2X applications cannot be supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces relay wireless devices as intermediaries that forward communication requests and responses between source devices, target devices, and network nodes. The relay device establishes separate communication links with each entity and manages the multi-hop connection through coordinated message forwarding, enabling adaptability without requiring complete redesign of the communication protocol stack.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the multi-hop communication path into individual communication links between adjacent devices (source-relay, relay-target, relay-network node). Each link is established and managed independently using existing one-hop protocols, while the relay device coordinates these segmented links to achieve end-to-end multi-hop connectivity, thus maintaining protocol simplicity while enabling versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multi-hop sidelink relays are implemented, then adaptability for advanced applications is improved, but connection establishment complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where relay wireless devices monitor the status of each communication link and provide updates to source devices, target devices, and network nodes. Connection acceptance responses and status messages flow back through the relay chain, enabling all parties to detect and measure connection status without requiring complex end-to-end monitoring protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay device acts as an intermediary that simplifies connection status detection by managing link monitoring locally and forwarding status information to end entities. This mediates the complexity of multi-hop connection monitoring, allowing source and target devices to detect connection status through simplified procedures while the relay handles the measurement coordination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocols for multi-hop connection establishment are developed, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and loss of information increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs message copying where the relay wireless device receives communication requests and responses from one entity and forwards copies to another entity through separate communication links. The relay maintains copies of relevant message information needed for forwarding and status reporting, ensuring no information is lost while enabling multi-hop transmission through independent link management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments message transmission into individual link transmissions rather than end-to-end forwarding. Each communication message is transmitted, acknowledged, and confirmed through separate hops with independent error handling. This segmentation prevents information loss by allowing localized error detection and retransmission at each hop without affecting the entire multi-hop path.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of establishing connections between wireless devices in a multi-hop sidelink communication network. The method comprises, at a wireless device: receiving a communication request message from a source wireless device; relaying the communication request message over a sidelink; receiving, from a target wireless device that received the relayed communication request message, a communication acceptance response message over a sidelink to establish a communication link between the wireless device and target wireless device; and relaying the communication acceptance response message received from the target wireless device to the source wireless device to establish a multi-hop communication link between the source wireless device and the target wireless device.