IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,477,594
Granted Patent B2
US 12,477,594 · App. 17/921,766 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Associating remote UE with relay UE in 5GC

Inventors: Juying Gan (Shanghai, CN); Zhang Zhang (Beijing, CN); Congchi Zhang (Shanghai, CN); Zhang Fu (Stockholm, SE)
Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
H04W76/10H04W60/04H04W68/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,477,594
App. No.
17/921,766
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods of operating a radio access network node and a core network node to link a remote user equipment, RMUE, device to a relay user equipment, RLUE, device in a communications network are described. The radio access network node operates to receive a message that includes information corresponding to either the RMUE device or the RLUE device having a connection that is established between the radio access network node and the corresponding one of the RMUE device or the RLUE device and that uses a first access and mobility management function, AMF. The radio access network node further operates to link the RMUE device to the RLUE device using the first AMF. The core network node operates to receive a message that a first AMF includes data corresponding to the RLUE device and links the RMUE device to the RLUE device based on the message.

Claims (33)

1 . A method of operating a radio access network node to link a remote user equipment (RMUE) device to a relay user equipment (RLUE) device in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from either of the RMUE device or the RLUE device that includes information corresponding to either the RMUE device or the RLUE device having a connection that is established between the radio access network node and the corresponding one of the RMUE device or the RLUE device and that uses a first access and mobility management function (AMF); and

linking the RMUE device to the RLUE device using the first AMF, wherein linking the RMUE device to the RLUE device using the first AMF comprises modifying paging parameters of the RMUE device to be aligned with paging parameters of the RLUE device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, to a core network, a message indicating that the first AMF includes data corresponding to the RLUE device or the RMUE device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, to a core network, a registration message that includes information corresponding to the RLUE device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RMUE device is registered with a core network based on the first AMF, and wherein the RLUE device is linked to the RMUE device using the first AMF based on the first AMF being used by the RMUE device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the RLUE device is registered with a core network based on the first AMF, and wherein the RMUE device is linked to the RLUE device using the first AMF based on the first AMF being used by the RLUE device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising unlinking the RMUE device and the RLUE device based on the RMUE device moving and becoming directly linked to the radio access network node.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising sending a message to the first AMF that does not include information corresponding to the RLUE device.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first AMF corresponds to the RMUE device, and wherein the first AMF removes the link between the RMUE device and the RLUE device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a second AMF that is different from the first AMF corresponds to the RMUE device, wherein the second AMF retrieves the linking of the RLUE device, and

wherein the first AMF removes the linking between the RMUE device and the RLUE device.

10 . A radio access network (RAN) node comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the RAN node to perform operations according to claim 1 .

11 . A method of operating a radio access network node to link a remote user equipment (RMUE) device to a relay user equipment (RLUE) device in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from either of the RMUE device or the RLUE device that includes information corresponding to either the RMUE device or the RLUE device having a connection that is established between the radio access network node and the corresponding one of the RMUE device or the RLUE device and that uses a first access and mobility management function (AMF);

linking the RMUE device to the RLUE device using the first AMF; and

sending, to a core network, a registration message that includes information corresponding to the RLUE device, wherein the information corresponding to the RLUE device comprises a next generation application protocol identifier (NGAP ID) that corresponds to the RLUE device and an AMF identifier that corresponds to the RLUE device.

12 . A method of operating a core network node to link a remote user equipment, RMUE, device to a relay user equipment, RLUE, device in a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a radio access network node and into a core network, a message indicating that a first AMF includes data corresponding to a RLUE device; and

linking the RMUE device to the RLUE device based on the message, wherein linking the RMUE device to the RLUE device using the first AMF comprises modifying paging parameters of the RMUE device to be aligned with paging parameters of the RLUE device.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, into the core network, a registration message that includes information corresponding to the RLUE device.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the information corresponding to the RLUE device comprises a next generation application protocol identifier (NGAP ID) that corresponds to the RLUE device and an AMF identifier that corresponds to the RLUE device.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the RMUE device is registered with the core network based on the first AMF, and wherein the RLUE device is linked to the RMUE device using the first AMF based on the first AMF being used by the RMUE device.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the RLUE device is registered with the core network based on the first AMF, and wherein the RMUE device is linked to the RLUE device using the first AMF based on the first AMF being used by the RLUE device.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising unlinking the RMUE device and the RLUE device based on the RMUE device moving and becoming directly linked to the core network node.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first AMF corresponds to the RMUE device, and wherein the first AMF removes the link between the RMUE device and the RLUE device.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a second AMF that is different from the first AMF corresponds to the RMUE device, wherein the second AMF retrieves the linking of the RLUE device, and

wherein the first AMF removes the linking between the RMUE device and the RLUE device.

20 . A core network (CN) node comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory coupled with the processing circuitry, wherein the memory includes instructions that when executed by the processing circuitry causes the CN node to perform operations according to claim 12 .

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2022
From: GAN, JUYING; ZHANG, ZHANG; ZHANG, CONGCHI; FU, ZHANG
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 061562/0704 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2022
From: GAN, JUYING; ZHANG, ZHANG; ZHANG, CONGCHI; FU, ZHANG
To: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
Reel/Frame 061562/0849 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/CN2020/088602 · May 5, 2020 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230164854A1 · May 25, 2023
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