Method of, and systems for, establishing a connection between a remote user equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11076435-B2
Application number	US-201716347447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2017
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A method of establishing a connection between a remote User Equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE, wherein said telecommunication network comprises a core network and an access network, and wherein said connection is established using a Remote Radio Access Bearer between the remote UE, via a relay capable UE, via an access node in the access network, and the core network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of establishing a connection between a remote User Equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE, wherein the telecommunication network comprises a core network and an access network, and the access network comprises an access node, the method comprising:
receiving from the relay capable UE a Request Relay message comprising a request, originating from the remote UE, for using the relay capable UE as a relay to the core network of a telecommunication network,
wherein the request is associated with establishment of a Remote Radio Access Bearer,
wherein the relay capable UE has an established Radio Access Bearer between the relay capable UE and the core network,
wherein the established Radio Access Bearer comprises a first UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, and a first access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network,
and wherein the Remote Radio Access Bearer comprises a UE-to-UE bearer between the remote UE and the relay capable UE, a second UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, wherein the second UE-to-access node bearer is different from the first UE-to-access node bearer, and a second access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network; and

sending to the relay capable UE, a command for establishing at least the UE-to-UE bearer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein sending the command comprises sending the command for establishing the second UE-to-access node bearer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Request Relay message comprises an identifier for identifying the remote UE at the access node, wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the remote UE already has an established non-relayed connection with the access node based on the identifier; and
sending a command for releasing the established non-relayed connection once an acknowledgement message has been received.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the Request Relay message further comprises:
receiving from the relay capable UE initiated by the remote UE, a service request message for requesting services from the telecommunication network,
forwarding the service request message to a Mobility Management network function, comprised by the telecommunication network and
receiving from the Mobility Management network function, an accept message indicating approval for the requested services by the remote UE.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an acknowledgement message, from the relay capable UE, wherein the acknowledgement message comprises an indication that the UE-to-UE bearer has been established.

6. A method of establishing a connection between a remote User Equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE, wherein the telecommunication network comprises a core network and an access network, and the access network comprises an access node, the method comprising:
receiving, from the remote UE, a Request Relay message comprising a request for using the relay capable UE as a relay to the core network,
wherein the request is associated with establishment of a Remote Radio Access Bearer,
wherein the relay capable UE has an established Radio Access Bearer between the relay capable UE and the core network,
wherein the established Radio Access Bearer comprises a first UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, and a first access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network,
and wherein the Remote Radio Access Bearer comprises a UE-to-UE bearer between the remote UE and the relay capable UE, a second UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, wherein the second UE-to-access node bearer is different from the first UE-to-access node bearer, and a second access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network;

sending the Request Relay message to the access node; and
receiving from the access node, a command for establishing at least the UE-to-UE bearer.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein receiving the command further comprises receiving the command for establishing the second UE-to-access node bearer.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:
sending an acknowledgement message, to the access node wherein the acknowledgement message comprises an indication that the UE-to-UE bearer has been established.

9. A method of establishing a connection between a remote User Equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE, wherein the telecommunication network comprises a core network and an access network, and the access network an access node, the method comprising:
sending, to the relay capable UE, a Request Relay message comprising a request for using the relay capable UE as a relay to the core network,
wherein the request is associated with establishment of a Remote Radio Access Bearer,
wherein the relay capable UE has an established Radio Access Bearer between the relay capable UE and the core network,
wherein the established Radio Access Bearer comprises a first UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, and a first access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network,
and wherein the Remote Radio Access Bearer comprises a UE-to-UE bearer between the remote UE and the relay capable UE, a second UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, wherein the second UE-to-access node bearer is different from the first UE-to-access node bearer, and a second access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network;

establishing a corresponding UE-to-UE signalling connection; and
transporting Non-Access Stratum, NAS, signalling between the remote UE and the core network over the UE-to-UE signalling connection.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a command for releasing a direct, non-relayed connection between the remote UE and the telecommunication network via the access node; and
releasing the direct, non-relayed connection in response to the received command.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
performing a discovery process for discovering UE's in a proximity of the remote UE, wherein the relay capable UE is one of the discovered UE's.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon for establishing a connection between a remote User Equipment, UE, and a telecommunication network via a relay capable UE, wherein the telecommunication network comprises a core network and an access network, and the access network comprises an access node, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out operations including:
receiving, from the relay capable UE, a Request Relay message comprising a request, originating from the remote UE, for using the relay capable UE as a relay to the core network,
wherein the request is associated with establishment of a Remote Radio Access Bearer,
wherein the relay capable UE has an established Radio Access Bearer between the relay capable UE and the core network,
wherein the established Radio Access Bearer comprises a first UE-to-access node bearer between the relay capable UE and the access node, and a first access node-to-core network bearer between the access node and the core network

Assignees

• Koninklijke Kpn Nv
• TNO

Inventors

• Dimitrovski Toni
• Norp Antonius
• Djurica Miodrag

Classifications

• H04W92/18

  between terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W88/04

  adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W76/30

  Connection release · CPC title