Granted Patent B2

US 12,587,924 · App. 17/916,304 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Inventors: Michelle Perras (Montréal, CA); Samir Ferdi (Kirkland, CA); Alec Brusilovsky (Downingtown, PA); Xiaoyan Shi (Westmount, CA); Saad Ahmad (Montreal, CA)

Assignee: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.

H04W36/08H04W36/0038H04W36/00835H04W36/00837H04W36/037

Abstract

Claims (30)

1 . A method implemented in a source wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), wherein a first link has been established between the source WTRU and a first relay WTRU and wherein a second link has been established between the source WTRU and a second relay WTRU, the method comprising:

transmitting a link modification request message on the first link to the first relay WTRU to be used by the first relay WTRU to transmit a corresponding link modification request message to a target WTRU, wherein the link modification request message is a request for a change of relay for the target WTRU, and wherein the link modification request message comprises a relay reselection indication, a list of candidate relay identifiers and a first Internet Protocol address of the target WTRU;

receiving a link modification accept message on the first link from the first relay WTRU that is based on a corresponding link modification accept message originating from the target WTRU, wherein the link modification accept message indicates that the target WTRU accepts the request for the change of relay, and wherein the link modification accept message comprises the relay reselection indication, an identifier of the second relay WTRU and a second Internet Protocol address of the target WTRU to be used for communication via the second relay WTRU;

transmitting a link modification acknowledge message on the first link to the first relay WTRU to be used by the first relay WTRU to transmit a corresponding link modification acknowledge message to the target WTRU, wherein the link modification acknowledge message acknowledges a target WTRU's acceptance of the request for the change of relay, and wherein the link modification acknowledge message comprises a second Internet Protocol address of the source WTRU to be used for communication via the second relay WTRU; and

switching Internet Protocol traffic directed to the target WTRU from the first link to the second link via the second relay WTRU.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the link modification request message is based on detecting a condition for the change of relay.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said transmitting the link modification request message is based on receiving, from the first relay WTRU, a trigger for the change of relay.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving said trigger for the change of relay comprises receiving an initial link modification request message received from the first relay WTRU.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when the source WTRU is communicating with multiple target WTRUs via the first relay WTRU, the source WTRU transmits a single link modification request message that includes in a same message, a respective IP address of each of the multiple target WTRUs.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the link modification request message further indicates a first IP address of the source WTRU.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first IP address of the source WTRU and the second IP address of the source WTRU are a same IP address.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first IP address of the source WTRU is different from the second IP address of the source WTRU.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first IP address of the target WTRU and the second IP address of the target WTRU are a same IP address.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first IP address of the target WTRU is different from the second IP address of the target WTRU.

11 . A source wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), wherein a first link has been established between the source WTRU and a first relay WTRU and wherein a second link has been established between the source WTRU and a second relay WTRU, the source WTRU comprising:

a processor; and

a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to:

transmit a link modification request message on the first link to the first relay WTRU to be used by the first relay WTRU to transmit a corresponding link modification request message to a target WTRU, wherein the link modification request message is a request for a change of relay for the target WTRU, and wherein the link modification request message comprises a relay reselection indication, a list of candidate relay identifiers and a first Internet Protocol address of the target WTRU;

receive a link modification accept message on the first link from the first relay WTRU that is based on a corresponding link modification accept message originating from the target WTRU, wherein the link modification accept message indicates that the target WTRU accepts the request for the change of relay, and wherein the link modification accept message comprises the relay reselection indication, an identifier of the second relay WTRU and a second Internet Protocol address of a target WTRU to be used for communication via the second relay WTRU;

transmit a link modification acknowledge message on the first link to the first relay WTRU to be used by the first relay WTRU to transmit a corresponding link modification acknowledge message to the target WTRU, wherein the link modification acknowledge message acknowledges a target WTRU's acceptance of the request for the change of relay, and wherein the link modification acknowledge message comprises a second Internet Protocol address of the source WTRU to be used for communication via the second relay WTRU; and

switch Internet Protocol traffic directed to the target WTRU from the first link to the second link via the second relay WTRU.

12 . The source WTRU according to claim 11 , wherein being configured to transmit the link modification request message comprises being configured to transmit the link modification request message based on detecting a condition for the change of relay.

13 . The source WTRU according to claim 11 , wherein being configured to transmit the link modification request message comprises being configured to transmit the link modification request message based on receiving a trigger for the change of relay from the first relay WTRU.

14 . The source WTRU of claim 13 , wherein being configured to receive said trigger for the change of relay comprises being configured to receive an initial link modification request message from the first relay WTRU.

15 . The source WTRU of claim 11 , wherein when the source WTRU is communicating with multiple target WTRUs via the first relay WTRU, the source WTRU transmits a single link modification request message that includes in a same message a respective IP address of each of the multiple target WTRUs.

16 . The source WTRU of claim 11 , wherein the link modification request message further indicates a first IP address of the source WTRU via the first relay WTRU.

17 . The source WTRU of claim 16 , wherein the first IP address of the source WTRU and the second IP address of the source WTRU are a same IP address.

18 . The source WTRU of claim 16 , wherein the first IP address of the source WTRU is different from the second IP address of the source WTRU.

19 . The source WTRU of claim 11 , wherein the first IP address of the target WTRU and the second IP address of the target WTRU are a same IP address.

20 . The source WTRU of claim 11 , wherein the first IP address of the target WTRU is different from the second IP address of the target WTRU.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (64)