Granted Patent B2

US 12,648,033 · App. 18/015,048 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Inventors: Karthika Paladugu (San Diego, CA); Gavin Bernard Horn (La Jolla, CA); Hong Cheng (Basking Ridge, NJ); Ozcan Ozturk (San Diego, CA); Peng Cheng (Beijing, CN); Soo Bum Lee (San Diego, CA)

Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated

H04W76/14H04W8/005H04W76/19H04W76/34

Abstract

Claims (86)

1 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a first wireless device, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to cause the first wireless device to:

establish a first connection to a second wireless device;

establish a second connection with a network entity via the second wireless device;

transmit a message to the network entity via the second wireless device, wherein the message indicates that the second connection is a remote connection; and

transmit traffic to or receive traffic from the network entity via the second wireless device without an adaptation function.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to transmit the message to the network entity during an establishment of the second connection.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to indicate the remote connection to the network entity, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

indicate that the network entity is unreachable or unsuitable for wireless traffic over a first radio access technology (RAT) interface; and

transmit an indication of support for a capability associated with a type of a second RAT for the first connection.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the indication indicates the support for the type of relayed communication from a first type of relayed communication with the network entity and a second type of relayed communication with the network entity.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first type of the relayed communication is based on the first connection configured by the network entity and the second type of the relayed communication is based on the first connection configured by the first wireless device or the second wireless device.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the indication indicates the support for the first type of the relayed communication, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

receive one or more configuration parameters from the network entity for the first connection based on the type of the second RAT indicated in the capability.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connection is based on one or more of:

the network entity is unreachable or unsuitable for wireless traffic via a first radio access technology (RAT) interface,

discovery of the second wireless device based on a discovery procedure for a second RAT, or

an indication that the second wireless device supports relaying to the network entity over the first RAT via the remote connection.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first RAT comprises a NR Uu interface and the second RAT comprises sidelink.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first RAT comprises an NR Uu interface, and the second RAT comprises a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) interface, a WiFi-D interface, a WiFi interface, or a bluetooth (BL) regular interface.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first connection is managed by one or more of the second wireless device or the first wireless device.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein to establish the second connection with the network entity, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

establish a context with the network entity via the second wireless device; and

establish a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the network entity for a first RAT via the second wireless device.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

receive one or more initial messages for radio resource control (RRC) setup, RRC resume, or RRC reestablishment from the network entity via the second wireless device on a first signaling radio bearer (SRB) that corresponds to the first RAT of the network entity;

receive one or more RRC messages on a second SRB that corresponds to the first RAT after establishment of a security context with the network entity; and

receive, from the network entity via the second wireless device, a configuration of the second SRB and a data radio bearer (DRB) for exchanging wireless traffic with the network entity.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

select a target path with a third wireless device to relay wireless traffic to the network entity based on a reselection procedure for a RAT for the second connection;

reestablish a security context and a protocol data unit (PDU) session with the network entity via the third wireless device;

receive, from the network entity, an indication to connect to the third wireless device to relay the wireless traffic to the network entity, wherein the target path is based on the indication from the network entity; and

transmit a measurement to the network entity via the second wireless device, wherein the indication to connect to the third wireless device is based on the measurement.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

reestablish the security context and the PDU session with the network entity via the third wireless device.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

provide one or more of a prior physical cell identity (PCI), a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) for the first wireless device, or a short medium access control identity (MAC-I) to the network entity.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

perform a radio resource management (RRM) measurement for a first RAT of the network entity, wherein the RRM measurement is configured by the network entity over the first connection or via the second connection; and

send a measurement report to the network entity over the first connection or via the second connection.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

receive an indication to release the first connection due to radio link failure from the second wireless device for a link between the second wireless device and the network entity.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

receive a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) from the network entity via the second wireless device in a radio resource control (RRC) setup message or an RRC resume message.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the first wireless device to:

provide a first cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) to the network entity; and

receive a second C-RNTI from the network entity via the second wireless device in a radio resource control (RRC) reestablishment message.

20 . An apparatus for wireless communication to relay traffic for a first wireless device by a second wireless device, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to cause the second wireless device to:

establish a first connection with the first wireless device to relay the traffic between a network entity and the first wireless device;

establish a second connection with the network entity to relay the traffic between the network entity and the first wireless device;

receive a configuration from the network entity for the second connection between the network entity and the second wireless device for relaying the traffic for the first wireless device, wherein the first connection is configured by one or more of the first wireless device or the second wireless device; and

relay the traffic between the network entity and the first wireless device without an adaptation function.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the first connection is for a radio access technology (RAT) that is different than the second connection, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second wireless device to:

perform discovery of the first wireless device based on a discovery procedure for the RAT, wherein the discovery procedure includes transmission of an indication that the second wireless device supports relaying to the network entity with a connection for the RAT controlled by the second wireless device.

22 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second wireless device to:

perform relaying for multiple user equipment (UEs) with a dedicated first radio access technology (RAT) radio link control (RLC) channel for each UE, wherein relay of the traffic between the network entity and the first wireless device is based on a mapping between a first radio access technology (RAT) link with the network entity for relaying to the first wireless device and a second RAT link with the first wireless device.

23 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second wireless device to:

receive the traffic from the network entity over a first RAT signaling radio bearer (SRB) or a first RAT data radio bearer (DRB) configured by the network entity for the first wireless device;

relay the traffic to the first wireless device over the first connection;

receive, from the network entity, the configuration for a relaying radio link channel and a first quality of service for the second connection based on the first RAT DRB for the first wireless device, wherein the configuration includes a first RAT radio link control (RLC) channel for the SRB for the first wireless device and a second first RAT RLC channel for the DRB for the first wireless device; and

manage, by the second wireless device, a second quality of service and a context for the first connection with the first wireless device based on a second RAT.

24 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the second wireless device to:

detect a radio link failure for the second connection with the network entity; and

perform at least one of:

release or suspend the first connection with the second wireless device in response to detection of the radio link failure for the second connection, or

stop discovery advertisement for a radio access technology (RAT) of the first connection with the second wireless device in response to the detection of the radio link failure for the second connection.

25 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a network entity, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to cause the network entity to:

establish a first connection to a first wireless device over a first RAT;

establish a second connection with a second wireless device for the first RAT via the first wireless device;

receive an indication during an establishment of the second connection that the second connection is a remote connection; and

transmit traffic to or receive traffic from the second wireless device via the first wireless device without an adaptation function.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein to receive the indication that the second connection is the remote connection, the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to:

receive information that indicates the network entity is unreachable or unsuitable for wireless traffic over a first RAT interface; and

receive capability information from the second wireless device via the first wireless device, the capability information indicates a type of RAT for the second connection between the first wireless device and the second wireless device and indicates that the remote connection is managed by one or more of the second wireless device or the first wireless device.

27 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first connection comprises an NR Uu connection, and the second connection comprises at least one of a sidelink interface, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) interface, a WiFi-D interface, a WiFi interface, or a bluetooth (BL) regular interface.

28 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to:

configure the second wireless device to perform one or more radio resource management (RRM) measurement based on the first RAT; and

receive a measurement report from the second wireless device.

29 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network entity to:

receive a radio link failure indication from the first wireless device for the second connection between the first wireless device and the second wireless device; and

release a context for the second wireless device based on the indication.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (56)