Devices, infrastructure equipment and methods for relay devices
A communications device acting as a relay device is configured to communicate with communications devices operating with a mobile communications network and infrastructure equipment. The relay device comprises transmitter circuitry, receiver circuitry and controller circuitry. The controller circuitry is configured to determine whether predetermined conditions relating to the setting of an indication bit have been met, wherein the indication bit indicates whether the relay device is able to form new connections with one or more of the communications devices, to set the indication bit dependent on the determination of whether the predetermined conditions have been met. The relay device is not able to form new connections with one or more of the communications devices when the predetermined conditions are met, and to broadcast the indication bit.
1 . A first communications device, the first communications device being configured to communicate with communications devices operating with a mobile communications network and infrastructure equipment forming part of the mobile communications network, the first communications device acting as a relay device for said communication devices in the mobile network, the first communications device comprising:
transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals to the communications devices and to transmit signals to the infrastructure equipment;
receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the communications devices and to receive signals from the infrastructure equipment; and
controller circuitry configured in combination with the transmitter circuitry to:
determine whether predetermined conditions relating to the setting of an indication bit have been met, wherein the indication bit indicates whether the first communications device is able to form new connections between the first communications device and one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network;
set the indication bit dependent on the determination of whether the predetermined conditions have been met, wherein the first communications device is not able to form new connections between the first communications device and one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network when the predetermined conditions are met;
determine whether to adjust power consumption of the transmitter circuitry for forming the new connections between the first communications device and the one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network based on the predetermined conditions relating to the setting of the indication bit being met; and
broadcast the indication bit along with (i) one or more synchronization signals to be used by communications devices to synchronize to the first communications device and (ii) a second indication bit that defines whether the first communications device is able to form new connections with one or more pre-configured communication devices or one or more predetermined device types, wherein the predetermined conditions comprise a quality of service that the first communications device is able to provide to the one or more of the communications devices is below a predetermined threshold.
2 . The first communications device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined conditions further comprise at least one of:
a battery level of the first communications device being below a predetermined threshold;
an overall power consumption of the first communications device exceeding a predetermined threshold;
a number of the communications devices which are currently connected to the first communications device being equal to or more than a predetermined number; or
the reception at the first communications device of an indication from one or more of the infrastructure equipment that the first communications device should not form new connections with one or more of the communications devices; or
the first communications device determining that a probability of access being barred for the one or more of the communications devices exceeds a predetermined threshold.
3 . The first communications device according to claim 2 , wherein determining that a probability of access being barred for the one or more of the communications devices exceeds a predetermined threshold is performed for each of one or more access classes potentially assigned to the one or more of the communications devices.
4 . The first communications device according to claim 1 , wherein the indication bit indicates that the first communications device is only able to form new connections with communications devices which have been pre-configured to connect to the first communications device.
5 . The first communications device according to claim 1 , wherein the indication bit indicates that the first communications device is only able to form new connections with communications devices of one or more predetermined types.
6 . The first communications device according to claim 1 , wherein the first communications device is in an idle mode.
7 . The first communication device according to claim 1 , further configured to:
receive access class barring information, the access class barring information having been broadcast by the infrastructure equipment, and
perform an access class barring check, using the access class barring information, for the one or more of the communications devices, wherein the predetermined conditions comprise the first communications device determining that access is barred for the one or more of the communications devices.
8 . A method of operating a communications device acting as a relay device configured to communicate with communications devices operating with a mobile communications network and infrastructure equipment forming part of the mobile communications network, the method comprising:
determining whether predetermined conditions relating to the setting of an indication bit have been met, wherein the indication bit indicates whether the first communications device is able to form new connections between the first communications device and one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network;
setting the indication bit dependent on the determination of whether the predetermined conditions have been met, wherein the first communications device is not able to form new connections between the first communications device and one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network when the predetermined conditions are met;
determining whether to adjust power consumption associated with forming the new connections between the first communications device and the one or more of the communications devices in the mobile network based on the predetermined conditions relating to the setting of the indication bit being met; and
broadcasting the indication bit along with (i) one or more synchronization signals to be used by communications devices to synchronize to the first communications device and (ii) a second indication bit that defines whether the first communications device is able to form new connections with one or more pre-configured communication devices or one or more predetermined device types, wherein the predetermined conditions comprise a quality of service that the first communications device is able to provide to the one or more of the communications devices is below a predetermined threshold.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the predetermined conditions further comprise at least one of:
a battery level of the first communications device being below a predetermined threshold;
an overall power consumption of the first communications device exceeding a predetermined threshold;
a number of the communications devices which are currently connected to the first communications device being equal to or more than a predetermined number; or
the reception at the first communications device of an indication from one or more of the infrastructure equipment that the first communications device should not form new connections with one or more of the communications devices; or
the first communications device determining that a probability of access being barred for the one or more of the communications devices exceeds a predetermined threshold.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein determining that a probability of access being barred for the one or more of the communications devices exceeds a predetermined threshold is performed for each of one or more access classes potentially assigned to the one or more of the communications devices.
11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the indication bit indicates that the first communications device is only able to form new connections with communications devices which have been pre-configured to connect to the first communications device.
12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the indication bit indicates that the first communications device is only able to form new connections with communications devices of one or more predetermined types.
13 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first communications device is in an idle mode.
14 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving access class barring information, the access class barring information having been broadcast by the infrastructure equipment, and
performing an access class barring check, using the access class barring information, for the one or more of the communications devices, wherein the predetermined conditions comprise the first communications device determining that access is barred for the one or more of the communications devices.