IP Library Granted Patent US 12713481
Granted Patent B2
US 12713481 · App. 18/472,821 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Relay device selection for sidelink communication of wireless devices

Inventors: Kun Lu (Bellevue, WA); John J. Humbert, IV (Roeland Park, KS)
Assignee: T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
H04W76/14H04B7/15507H04W40/22H04W88/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12713481
App. No.
18/472,821
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Technology is disclosed herein for selecting a relay wireless device for sidelink communication with a remote wireless device. In an implementation, a wireless communication device determines to establish a sidelink connection to a wireless communication network. The wireless device discovers one or more relay devices in connection with the wireless network. The wireless device selects a relay device from among the one or more relay devices based on one or more selection factors including throughput. The wireless device connects to the wireless network via the sidelink connection to the relay device. In an implementation, the wireless device determines to establish the sidelink connection based on being outside the coverage area of the wireless communication network.

Claims (38)

1 . A method of operating a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

determining, by the wireless communication device, to establish a sidelink connection to a wireless communication network;

discovering, by the wireless communication device, one or more relay devices in communication with the wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a neural network trained to evaluate the one or more relay devices based on one or more selection factors;

selecting, by the wireless communication device, a relay device of the one or more relay devices to establish a sidelink connection to the wireless communication network based on a score generated by the neural network by evaluating the one or more selection factors, wherein the one or more selection factors comprise a throughput of the relay device; and

connecting, by the wireless communication device, to the wireless communication network via the sidelink connection to the relay device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining to establish the sidelink connection is in response to determining, by the wireless communication device, that it is outside of a coverage area of the wireless communication network.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the one or more relay devices based on a received signal power of the one or more relay devices.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising selecting the one or more relay devices based on a signal strength of the one or more relay devices at an interface with an access point of the wireless communication network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the selection factors further comprise one or more of a frequency band and a bandwidth associated with the relay device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the selection factors further comprise one or more of signal quality, multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) configuration, and modulation encoding scheme associated with the relay device.

7 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the selection factors further comprise an availability of a direct connection to an access node of the wireless communication network.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the selection factors further comprise historical connection data associated with the relay device.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

inputting, by the wireless communication device, one or more feature vectors that represent the one or more selection factors into the neural network; and

obtaining, by the wireless communication device, an output from the neural network that comprises the score; and wherein

the neural network processes the one or more feature vectors that represent the one or more selection factors to generate the score.

10 . A computing apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

one or more processors operatively coupled with the one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by the one or more processors, direct the computing apparatus to at least:

determine to establish a sidelink connection to a wireless communication network, wherein the computing apparatus comprises a remote User Equipment (UE);

discover one or more relay devices in communication with the wireless communication network, wherein the computing apparatus comprises a neural network trained to evaluate the one or more relay devices based on one or more selection factors;

select a relay device of the one or more relay devices to establish a sidelink connection to the wireless communication network based on a score generated by the neural network by evaluating the one or more selection factors, wherein the one or more selection factors comprise a throughput of the relay device; and

connect to the wireless communication network via the sidelink connection to the relay device.

11 . The computing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions direct the computing apparatus to determine to establish the sidelink connection in response to the computing apparatus determining that it is outside of a coverage area of the wireless communication network.

12 . The computing apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to select the one or more relay devices based on a received signal power of the one or more relay devices.

13 . The computing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to select the one or more relay devices based on a signal strength of the one or more relay devices at an interface with an access point of the wireless communication network.

14 . The computing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the selection factors further comprise one or more of a frequency band and a bandwidth associated with the relay device.

15 . The computing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the selection factors further comprise one or more of signal quality, multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) configuration, and modulation encoding scheme associated with the relay device.

16 . The computing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the selection factors further comprise an availability of a direct connection to an access node of the wireless communication network.

17 . One or more computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, direct the computing device to at least:

determine to establish a sidelink connection to a wireless communication network, wherein the computing device comprises a remote User Equipment (UE);

discover one or more relay devices in communication with the wireless communication network, wherein the computing device comprises a neural network trained to evaluate the one or more relay devices based on one or more selection factors;

select a relay device of the one or more relay devices to establish a sidelink connection to the wireless communication network based on a score generated by the neural network by evaluating the one or more selection factors, wherein the one or more selection factors comprise a throughput of the relay device; and

connect to the wireless communication network via the sidelink connection to the relay device.

18 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions direct the computing device to determine to establish the sidelink connection in response to the computing device determining that it is outside of a coverage area of the wireless communication network.

19 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing device to select the one or more relay devices based on a received signal power of the one or more relay devices.

20 . The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 19 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing device to select the one or more relay devices based on a signal strength of the one or more relay devices at an interface with an access point of the wireless communication network.