IP Library Granted Patent US 12,439,234
Granted Patent B2
US 12,439,234 · App. 17/772,249 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Methods and apparatus for direct discovery and communication using a WTRU to WTRU relay

Inventors: Samir Ferdi (Kirkland, CA); Michelle Perras (Montreal, CA); Saad Ahmad (Montreal, CA); Xiaoyan Shi (Westmount, CA)
Assignee: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
H04W8/005H04W76/14H04W88/04H04W92/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,439,234
App. No.
17/772,249
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, architectures and interfaces, performed by a relay wireless transmit/receive unit (R-WTRU) including a transmitter, a receiver, a memory, and a processor, for establishing extended unicast links and management unicast links are provided. The method includes: performing, by the R-WTRU, a link establishment procedure for establishing any number of extended unicast links for relaying traffic between a service-provider WTRU (SP-WTRU) and any number of service-user WTRUs (SU-WTRUs) according to a mapping generated by the R-WTRU, the link establishment procedure including: (1) generating a mapping of any of the extended links and layer 2 (L2) identifiers (IDs) for any of a SP-WTRU, a R-WTRU, and any number of SU-WTRUs, and (2) transmitting a unique relay ID; establishing a management unicast link for the extended unicast links; and applying any number of link management requests received via the management unicast link to associated extended unicast links.

Claims (30)

1. A method implemented by a relay wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

receiving a first discovery message from a first WTRU, the first discovery message comprising a first identifier (ID) for the first WTRU;

modifying the received first discovery message by adding a relay ID (RID) identifying the relay WTRU and by replacing the first ID for the first WTRU with a first relay ID for the relay WTRU;

sending the modified discovery message;

receiving a link establishment message from a second WTRU in response to the modified discovery message, the link establishment message comprising a second ID for the second WTRU;

modifying the received link establishment message by adding the RID and replacing the second ID for the second WTRU with a second relay ID for the relay WTRU;

forwarding the modified link establishment message to the first WTRU; and

relaying PC5 unicast messages between the first WTRU and second WTRU, wherein PC5 unicast messages received from the first WTRU that indicate a destination associated with the second relay ID of the relay WTRU are forwarded to the second WTRU with an indication of a source associated with the first relay ID of the relay WTRU.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein PC 5 unicast messages received from the second WTRU that indicate a destination associated with the first relay ID of the relay WTRU are forwarded to the first WTRU with an indication of a source associated with the second relay ID of the relay WTRU.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first discovery message comprises an indication of a service provided by the first WTRU, and wherein the modified discovery message comprises an indication of the service provided by the first WTRU.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a mapping table indicating a relationship between the first relay ID, the first ID, the second ID, and the service provided by the first WTRU.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at least one relay policy, wherein a determination to send the modified discovery message is in accordance with the at least one relay policy.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving authorization to act as a relay WTRU, during registration with a network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first discovery message is a direct communication request message.

8. A relay wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a first discovery message from a first WTRU, the first discovery message comprising a first identifier (ID) for the first WTRU; and

a processor configured to:

modify the received first discovery message by adding a relay ID (RID) identifying the relay WTRU and by replacing the first ID for the first WTRU with a first relay ID for the relay WTRU;

send the modified discovery message;

receive, via the transceiver, a link establishment message from a second WTRU in response to the modified discovery message, the link establishment message comprising a second ID for the second WTRU;

modify the received link establishment message by adding the RID and replacing the second ID for the second WTRU with a second relay ID for the relay WTRU;

forward, via the transceiver, the modified link establishment message to the first WTRU; and

relay, via the transceiver, PC 5 unicast messages between the first WTRU and second WTRU, wherein PC 5 unicast messages received from the first WTRU that indicate a destination associated with the second relay ID of the relay WTRU are forwarded to the second WTRU with an indication of a source associated with the first relay ID of the relay WTRU.

9. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , wherein PC5 unicast messages received from the second WTRU that indicate a destination associated with the first relay ID of the relay WTRU are forwarded to the first WTRU with an indication of a source associated with the second relay ID of the relay WTRU.

10. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , wherein the first discovery message comprises an indication of a service provided by the first WTRU, and wherein the modified discovery message comprises an indication of the service provided by the first WTRU.

11. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , the processor further configured to generate a mapping table indicating a relationship between the first relay ID, the first ID, the second ID, and the service provided by the first WTRU.

12. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver further is configured to receive at least one relay policy, and wherein the processor further is configured to determine to send the modified discovery message is in accordance with the at least one relay policy.

13. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , the transceiver further configured to receive authorization to act as a relay WTRU, during registration with a network.

14. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , wherein the first discovery message is a direct communication request message.

15. The relay WTRU of claim 8 , the processor further configured to send, via the transceiver, a message comprising an indication of groupcast communications relaying capabilities of the relay WTRU.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2023
From: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
To: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062527/0562 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2022
From: FERDI, SAMIR; PERRAS, MICHELLE; AHMAD, SAAD; SHI, XIAOYAN
To: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059883/0803 →
Continuity (5)
Provisional Application 62932147 · Nov 7, 2019
Provisional Application 62935971 · Nov 15, 2019
Provisional Application 62975834 · Feb 13, 2020
Provisional Application 63028112 · May 21, 2020
Related Publication 20220377524A1 · Nov 24, 2022
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