Trusted Terminal Relay Paths for 5G Edge Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G mobile communication, terminal devices at network edges or with signal blockages face unreliable air interface communication despite dual connectivity, increasing complexity and costs, and network deployment difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A communication method and apparatus that utilizes a control plane device to establish multiple transmission paths through trusted terminal devices, ensuring reliable data transmission by configuring user plane devices for data forwarding, and implementing multipath data transmission via short-range communication technologies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dual connectivity technology is used to improve communication reliability, then the access rate and reliability of air interface segment connection are improved, but the complexity and costs of the terminal device increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a first terminal device as an intermediary relay node between the second terminal device and the network. This intermediary approach allows the second terminal device to achieve dual-connectivity-like reliability benefits without requiring its own dual connectivity capabilities, thereby reducing terminal device complexity while maintaining communication reliability through multiple transmission paths
2Reliability
If dual connectivity solution is implemented, then communication reliability is improved, but network deployment difficulty increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables terminal devices to autonomously establish relay connections and perform self-configuration without requiring complex network-side coordination. The first terminal device automatically becomes a relay node, and the network side simply needs to support basic overlapping coverage, dramatically simplifying network deployment while maintaining reliability improvements
3Reliability
If terminal device is located at network edge or has signal blockage, then direct communication is unreliable, but establishing two air interface connections increases terminal complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a first terminal device as a relay intermediary to bridge the second terminal device (at network edge or with signal blockage) to the network. This intermediary approach provides reliable communication for edge/blocked locations without requiring the affected terminal to implement complex dual connectivity, as the relay functionality is provided by another device
Data Source
AI summary
A communication method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: A control plane device obtains first information of a first terminal device, where the first information indicates a terminal device that has mutual trust with the first terminal device, and the terminal device that has mutual trust with the first terminal device includes a second terminal device. The control plane device sends a first message to a first user plane device, where the first message includes route configuration information, the route configuration information is used to configure a first transmission path, the first transmission path is used to forward data to a second terminal device via the first terminal device, and the first user plane device is configured to provide a user plane data forwarding service for the first terminal device.