Wireless telecommunications system, terminal device, infrastructure equipment, integrated circuitry and methods

1. A first terminal device for exchanging signals with a wireless telecommunications network and a plurality of second terminal devices, the first terminal device comprising:

a transceiver configured to exchange signals with each of the plurality of second terminal devices, when the first terminal device provides a local cell for providing wireless connectivity for the plurality of second terminal devices, and to exchange signals with one or more infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network, and

a controller configured to

control the transceiver to receive, from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device when providing the local cell, suitability information indicative of the suitability of each of one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network to exchange signals with that second terminal device to provide for that second terminal devices another local cell; and

control the transceiver to transmit a handover command to one or more of the plurality of second terminal devices, the handover command instructing the one or more second terminal devices to exchange signals with the wireless telecommunications network via an identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell, if one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network other than the first terminal device is identified as being more suitable for serving the one or more second terminal devices served by the first terminal device, wherein

the suitability information received from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device comprises an indication of a direction of travel of that second terminal device relative to at least one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network, and

for each second terminal device, one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment towards which that second terminal device is travelling is biased towards being determined as more suitable for serving that second terminal device by providing a local cell than one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment away from which that second terminal device is travelling.

2. The first terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the transceiver is configured to

transmit the suitability information to infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network; and

receive, from the infrastructure equipment, information indicative of the identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell, in the case that one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network other than the first terminal device is identified as being more suitable for serving the one or more second terminal devices served by the first terminal device; and

the controller is configured to control the transceiver to transmit the handover command to the one or more second terminal devices in response to the transceiver receiving the information indicative of the identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell, the handover command comprising the information indicative of the identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell.

3. The first terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, on the basis of the suitability information, whether one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network other than the first terminal device is more suitable for serving the one or more second terminal devices served by the first terminal device.

4. The first terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the suitability information received from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device comprises an indication of a radio link quality between that second terminal device and each of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network; and

for each second terminal device, one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment with a higher radio link quality with that second terminal device is biased towards being determined as more suitable for serving that second terminal device by providing a local cell than one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment with a lower radio link quality with that second terminal device.

5. The first terminal device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the suitability information received from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device comprises a state identifier of that second terminal device, the state identifier indicating one of a plurality of predetermined possible states of that second terminal device; and

for each second terminal device, one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment with a state identifier matching the state identifier of that second terminal device is biased towards being determined as a more suitable serving one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment for that second terminal device than one of the other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment without a state identifier matching the state identifier of that second terminal device.

6. The first terminal device according to claim 5 , wherein the state identifier indicates one of a plurality of predetermined possible geographical locations of each of each second terminal device and each of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network.

7. A first terminal device for exchanging signals with a wireless telecommunications network and a plurality of second terminal devices, the first terminal device comprising:

a transceiver configured to exchange signals with each of the plurality of second terminal devices, when the first terminal device provides a local cell for providing wireless connectivity for the plurality of second terminal devices, and to exchange signals with one or more infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network, and

circuitry configured to

control the transceiver to receive, from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device when providing the local cell, suitability information indicative of the suitability of each of one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network to exchange signals with that second terminal device to provide for that second terminal devices another local cell; and

control the transceiver to transmit a handover command to one or more of the plurality of second terminal devices, the handover command instructing the one or more second terminal devices to exchange signals with the wireless telecommunications network via an identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell, if one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network other than the first terminal device is identified as being more suitable for serving the one or more second terminal devices served by the first terminal device, wherein

in the case that one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network is determined to be more suitable for serving one or more of the second terminal devices served by the first terminal device,

the transceiver is configured to

transmit, following transmission of the handover command to the one or more second terminal devices, a request to infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network for communication resources used by the first terminal device for exchanging signals with the handed over one or more second terminal devices to be re-allocated; and

receive, from the infrastructure equipment, an acknowledgement message indicating that the communication resources used by the first terminal device for exchanging signals with the handed over one or more second terminal devices have been re-allocated.

8. A first terminal device for exchanging signals with a wireless telecommunications network and a plurality of second terminal devices, the first terminal device comprising:

a transceiver configured to exchange signals with each of the plurality of second terminal devices, when the first terminal device provides a local cell for providing wireless connectivity for the plurality of second terminal devices, and to exchange signals with one or more infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network, and

circuitry configured to

control the transceiver to receive, from each of the plurality of second terminal devices served by the first terminal device when providing the local cell, suitability information indicative of the suitability of each of one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network to exchange signals with that second terminal device to provide for that second terminal devices another local cell; and

control the transceiver to transmit a handover command to one or more of the plurality of second terminal devices, the handover command instructing the one or more second terminal devices to exchange signals with the wireless telecommunications network via an identified more suitable terminal device or infrastructure equipment for providing a local cell, if one of the one or more other terminal devices or infrastructure equipment of the wireless telecommunications network other than the first terminal device is identified as being more suitable for serving the one or more second terminal devices served by the first terminal device, wherein:

the handover command transmitted to the one or more of the plurality of second terminal devices comprises group information, the group information being common to each of the one or more second terminal devices, and individual information, the individual information being specific to each of the one or more second terminal devices, and

the group information is transmitted to each of the one or more second terminal devices using a first handover information signal which is transmitted to all of the one or more second terminal devices, and the individual information is transmitted to each of the one or more second terminal devices individually using a second handover information signal specific to each of the one or more second terminal devices.