IP Library Granted Patent US 12,490,335
Granted Patent B2
US 12,490,335 · App. 17/925,260 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Service continuity associated with WTRU to WTRU relays

Inventors: Martino M. Freda (Laval, CA); Jaya Rao (Montreal, CA); Tuong Duc Hoang (Montreal, CA); Tao Deng (Roslyn, NY); Moon-il Lee (Melville, NY)
Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
H04W76/23H04W88/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,490,335
App. No.
17/925,260
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method and WTRU enabled for service continuity using WTRU-to-WTRU relays. A relay path may be modeled as an SLRB, RLC leg of an SLRB, and/or a MAC logical channel. The WTRU adds a path for a destination based on configured/usable relays. The WTRU may associate an end-to-end L2 destination ID with one or more path L2 destination IDs or path IDs. Upper layers select one or more paths for transmission of a packet/bearer. The WTRU may send a relay announcement message containing path connectivity information. A WTRU may select a path for transmission based on properties associated with a sidelink. The WTRU may activate/deactivate an SL bearer, unicast link, L2 destination, and/or RLC Leg. The WTRU changes a bearer associated with an SLRB from an established RLC entity to another established RLC entity.

Claims (60)

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

a processor configured to:

establish a radio bearer for communicating with a communication device, a first path being associated with the radio bearer for communicating with the communication device;

receive information that indicates to add a second path for communication with the communication device via a relay device;

receive information that configures a radio link control (RLC) channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path;

send a reconfiguration request to the relay device, the reconfiguration request indicating to the relay device to configure the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device;

receive a reconfiguration response from the relay device;

receive information that associates the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device with the radio bearer; and

on a condition that the reconfiguration response indicates successful reconfiguration:

configure, at the WTRU, the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device; and

transmit data from the radio bearer to the communication device via the first path and via the second path using the relay device.

2 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the radio bearer is a sidelink radio bearer (SLRB).

3 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is a WTRU.

4 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the communication device is a network device.

5 . The WTRU of claim 1 , wherein the first path is a direct path.

6 . The WTRU of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor configured to receive the information that indicates to add the second path for communication with the communication device via the relay device is further configured to receive from an upper layer the information that indicates to add the second path for communication with the communication device via the relay device.

7 . The WTRU of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor configured to receive the information that configures the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path is further configured to receive an identifier associated with the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path.

8 . The WTRU of claim 1 ,

wherein the reconfiguration request is a sidelink reconfiguration request.

9 . The WTRU of claim 1 , where the processor is further configured to receive the reconfiguration response from the relay device is further configured to receive information indicating successful reconfiguration.

10 . The WTRU of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor configured to configure the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device is further configured to:

add an RLC entity; and

associate the RLC entity with the relay device.

11 . The WTRU of claim 1 ,

wherein the processor configured to transmit data from the radio bearer to the communication device via the first path and via the second path using the relay device is further configured to transmit data from the radio bearer via the second path using an L2 destination identifier.

12 . A method comprising:

a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) establishing a radio bearer for communicating with a communication device, a first path being associated with the radio bearer for communicating with the communication device;

the WTRU receiving information that indicates to add a second path for communication with the communication device via a relay device;

the WTRU receiving information that configures a radio link control (RLC) channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path;

the WTRU sending a reconfiguration request to the relay device, the reconfiguration request indicating to the relay device to configure the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device;

the WTRU receiving a reconfiguration response from the relay device;

the WTRU receiving information that associates the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device with the radio bearer; and

on a condition that the reconfiguration response indicates successful reconfiguration:

the WTRU configuring the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device, and

transmitting data from the radio bearer to the communication device via the first path and via the second path using the relay device.

13 . The method of claim 12 ,

wherein receiving the information that indicates to add the second path for communication with the communication device via the relay device comprises receiving from an upper layer the information that indicates to add the second path for communication with the communication device via the relay device.

14 . The method of claim 12 ,

wherein receiving the information that configures the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path comprises receiving an identifier associated with the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path.

15 . The method of claim 12 ,

wherein the reconfiguration request is a sidelink reconfiguration request.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the radio bearer is a sidelink radio bearer (SLRB).

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the communication device is a WTRU.

18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the communication device is a network device.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

wherein receiving the reconfiguration response from the relay device further comprises receiving information indicating successful reconfiguration.

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

a processor configured to:

establish a sidelink radio bearer (SLRB) for communicating with a destination WTRU, a first path being associated with the SLRB for communicating with the destination WTRU;

receive information that indicates to add a second path for communication with the destination WTRU via a relay device;

receive information that configures a radio link control (RLC) channel between the WTRU and the relay device for the second path;

send a reconfiguration request to the relay device, the reconfiguration request indicating to the relay device to configure the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device;

receive a reconfiguration response from the relay device;

receive information that associates the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device with the SLRB; and

on a condition that the reconfiguration response indicates successful reconfiguration:

configure, at the WTRU, the RLC channel between the WTRU and the relay device; and

transmit data from the SLRB to the destination WTRU via the first path and via the second path using the relay device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2023
From: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
To: INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062699/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2022
From: FREDA, MARTINO M.; RAO, JAYA; HOANG, TUONG DUC; DENG, TAO; LEE, MOON-IL
To: IDAC HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 061768/0440 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63026945 · May 19, 2020
Related Publication 20230232487A1 · Jul 20, 2023
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