UE-to-UE Relay List and Floor Arbitrator Determination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, user equipment (UE) faces difficulties in communicating with a neighbor UE of its neighbor UE, limiting efficient communication due to limitations in existing technologies.

Innovation Solution

A method where a first UE receives a discovery message from a second UE, determines to communicate with a third UE, and requests the second UE to operate as a relay for communication between the first UE and the third UE, enabling communication through the second UE.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a UE attempts to communicate with a neighbor UE of the UE's neighbor UE, then communication range is extended, but communication reliability deteriorates due to difficulties in direct communication

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication rangeVSAvoidcommunication reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a relay UE as an intermediary device to enable communication between UEs that are not within direct range. The relay UE receives signals from the first UE and forwards them to the third UE, and vice versa, thereby extending communication range while maintaining reliability through established relay protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If relay communication is implemented to communicate with neighbor UE of neighbor UE, then communication range is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication rangeVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The relay UE performs multiple functions including signal reception, signal forwarding, and coordination with both the first UE and third UE. This multi-functionality approach allows a single device to handle complex relay communication tasks, managing device complexity through consolidation of roles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If discovery messages are used to find neighbor UEs, then ease of operation is improved, but information loss occurs for 2-hop neighbor UEs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidinformation loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary actions where relay UEs proactively include information about their 2-hop neighbor UEs in discovery messages. This advance preparation ensures that when a UE needs to communicate with a 2-hop neighbor, the necessary information is already available, preventing information loss while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10021621B2UE-to-UE relay list and determination of floor arbitrator

Publication Date: 2018.07.10 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

The disclosure provides a mechanism where a user equipment (UE) may communicate with a neighbor UE of the UE's neighbor UE by utilizing the UE's neighbor UE as a relay for the communication between the UE and the neighbor UE of the UE's neighbor UE. In an aspect, the first UE receives a discovery message from a second UE, the discovery message including information about 1-hop neighbor UEs of the second UE. The first UE determines to communicate with a third UE based on the discovery message, the third UE being one of the 1-hop neighbor UEs of the second UE. The first UE requests the second UE to operate as a relay for communication between the first UE and the third UE. The first UE communicates with the third UE through the second UE.