CN116980928A

CN116980928A - Communication method and device

Info

Publication number: CN116980928A
Application number: CN202210610936.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 姚楚婷; 才宇; 徐海博; 王瑞; 佟有万
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-21
Filing date: 2022-05-31
Publication date: 2023-10-31

Abstract

The application relates to a communication method and equipment. The access network device determines to add a direct connection path to the first cell for the remote terminal device, which is connected to the second cell via a non-direct connection path. The access network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal device to instruct the remote terminal device to switch to the direct connection path. The RRC reconfiguration message further includes first indication information indicating that the non-direct path is not released. When the remote terminal equipment is instructed to switch to the direct connection path, the remote terminal equipment can instruct not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote terminal equipment can not only add the direct connection path, but also does not need to release the maintained non-direct connection path or change the configuration of the maintained path, and thus, the remote terminal equipment can maintain the two paths at the same time so as to improve the resource utilization rate.

Description

Communication method and device

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from the chinese patent application filed at 2022, 04, 21, with application number 202210422990.2, entitled "a method for selecting a Sidelink resource and electronic device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a communications method and apparatus.

Background

When a User Equipment (UE) is far away from a base station, for example, the UE is not in coverage of the base station, or the UE is at a coverage edge of the base station, or path quality between the UE and the base station is poor, the UE may communicate with the base station through another UE, that is, another UE may provide relay service for the UE, so that the UE can communicate with the base station. A UE that communicates with a base station through another UE may be referred to as a remote (remote) UE, and a UE that provides relay service to the remote UE may be referred to as a relay (relay) UE.

It can be seen that the remote UE may support two paths separately, one being a direct (direct) path communicating with the base station via the Uu interface and the other being a non-direct (direct) path communicating with the base station via the relay UE. Currently, the remote UE may switch between these two paths, for example, from a direct path to a non-direct path, or from a non-direct path to a direct path. After the remote UE switches to the direct connection path, the non-direct connection path maintained before can be released, so that resources on the non-direct connection path cannot be utilized, and resource waste is caused.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a communication method and equipment for improving the resource utilization rate.

In a first aspect, a first communication method is provided, which may be performed by an access network device, or by another device comprising the functions of the access network device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the access network device, the system-on-chip or functional module being for example provided in the access network device. The method comprises the following steps: determining to add a direct connection path connected with a first cell for a remote terminal device, wherein the remote terminal device is connected with a second cell through a non-direct connection path; and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal equipment to switch to the direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message also comprises first indication information, and the first indication information is used for indicating that the non-direct connection path is not released.

In the embodiment of the application, when the remote terminal equipment adds the path A, the maintained path B can not be released, so that the resource can be more fully utilized. The remote terminal equipment can maintain two paths simultaneously, so that the reliability and stability of transmission are improved. Meanwhile, considering that in the process of adding the path a, the influence on the path B on transmission may be caused, the embodiment of the present application may reduce or avoid the influence on the path B by the indication. For example, when the remote terminal device is instructed to switch to the direct connection path, it may also instruct not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote terminal device can not only add the direct connection path, but also does not need to release the maintained non-direct connection path or change the configuration of the maintained path, so that the remote terminal device can maintain both paths at the same time, thereby improving the resource utilization. For the remote terminal equipment, as the non-direct connection path does not need to be released, the reliability and stability of transmission can be increased through the two paths, the change of the configuration of the maintained path is avoided or reduced, the time delay brought to the maintained path due to the change of the configuration is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, the MCG cell including the first indication information; or, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an SCG cell, where the SCG cell includes the first indication information. The first indication information may be included in the MCG cell or may be included in the SCG cell, which is more flexible.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the first indication information, including: the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the first indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, the secondary cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, and the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes the first indication information. For example, if the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the second cell is the same cell as the first cell, the direct connection path may be added by reconfiguring the PCell, and the first indication information may be added in a synchronization reconfiguration cell in a special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell. For another example, the direct link may be added by adding an SCell in the MCG of the remote terminal device, in which case the first indication information may be added in a synchronization reconfiguration cell in a secondary cell configuration cell of the MCG cell, which secondary cell configuration cell may be used to configure the SCell.

In an alternative embodiment, the special cell configuration information element comprises parameters for the remote terminal device to communicate under the first cell. Because the first cell is currently to be added, the remote terminal device needs to communicate under the first cell after the addition is successful, and thus the special cell configuration cell may further include some or all of the parameters of the remote terminal device communicating under the first cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell further includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second cell is changed from a special cell in the MCG of the remote terminal device to a secondary cell in the MCG. Equivalently, the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is associated to the secondary cell configuration cell, and the configuration information of the direct connection path is added to the special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell, which is equivalent to indicating that the second cell where the non-direct connection path is located is used as the SCell and the first cell where the direct connection path is located is used as the PCell. Because the SpCell in one cell group is a cell with more perfect functions, the cell where the direct connection path is located can be used as the SpCell in one cell group of the remote terminal device as much as possible.

In an alternative embodiment, the second indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct path. The configuration information of the non-direct path may for example comprise the identity of the relay terminal device and possibly some other configuration information.

In an alternative embodiment, the first cell and the second cell are the same cell, or are different cells.

In a second aspect, a second communication method is provided, which may be performed by an access network device, or by another device comprising the functions of the access network device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the access network device, the system-on-chip or functional module being for example provided in the access network device. The method comprises the following steps: determining to add a non-direct-connection path connected with the second cell through the relay terminal equipment for the remote terminal equipment, wherein the remote terminal equipment is connected with the first cell through the direct-connection path; and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises third indication information, and the third indication information is used for indicating the addition of the non-direct connection path.

In the embodiment of the application, when the remote terminal equipment adds the path A, the maintained path B can not be released, so that the resource can be more fully utilized, the remote terminal equipment can maintain two paths at the same time, and the reliability and the stability of transmission are improved. Meanwhile, considering that in the process of adding the path a, the influence on the path B on transmission may be caused, the embodiment of the present application may reduce or avoid the influence on the path B by the indication. For example, the access network device may instruct the remote terminal device to add a non-direct path, so that the remote terminal device can not only add a non-direct path, but also not release the maintained direct path or change the configuration of the maintained path, so that the remote terminal device can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote terminal equipment, as the direct connection path does not need to be released, the reliability and stability of transmission can be increased through the two paths, the change of the configuration of the maintained path is avoided or reduced, the time delay brought to the maintained path due to the change of the configuration is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, and the MCG cell includes the third indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the third indication information, including: the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the third indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes the third indication information. For example, if the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote terminal device and the first cell and the second cell are the same cell, both the non-direct path and the direct path connect the first cell, and the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote terminal device, the third indication information may be included in a synchronization reconfiguration cell of a special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell. For another example, if the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote terminal device and the first cell and the second cell are co-sited different cells, it is equivalent to adding a non-direct path in the SCell of the remote terminal device, and the third indication information may be included in a secondary cell configuration cell of the MCG cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the third indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct path. The configuration information of the non-direct connection path is used as the third indication information, which indicates not only the addition of the non-direct connection path but also the configuration of the non-direct connection path, so that the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is not needed to be carried through additional cells, and the signaling overhead is saved.

In a third aspect, a third communication method is provided, which may be performed by an access network device, or by another device comprising the functions of the access network device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the access network device, the system-on-chip or functional module being for example provided in the access network device. The method comprises the following steps: determining to add a first path for a remote terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected with a network through a second path, the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with a first cell of the access network device, the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with the second cell through a relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with the first cell of the access network device; and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal equipment to add the first path in SCG or RCG.

The embodiment of the application adds a new path based on the configuration of SCG or RCG, which can effectively help the remote terminal equipment to distinguish two paths and is convenient for configuration. By adding the fourth indication information, the remote terminal device can reduce unnecessary reconfiguration process and reduce the influence on data transmission.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to add the first path in the SCG, including: the RRC reconfiguration message includes an SCG cell, where the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, and the special cell configuration cell includes fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate adding the first path; or, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an RCG cell, where the RCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, and the special cell configuration cell includes fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first path is added. The embodiment of the application can add the first path to the SCG or the RCG, because the Spcell in one cell group is generally perfect in performance, the first path can be added to the Spcell of the SCG or the RCG, and therefore, the fourth indication information can be included in the special cell configuration element so as to add the first path to the Spcell of the SCG or the RCG.

In an optional implementation manner, the first path is the direct connection path, and the fourth indication information includes configuration information of the first path.

In an optional implementation manner, the first path is the non-direct connection path, and the fourth indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct connection path.

The configuration information of the first path is used as fourth indication information, which indicates that the first path is added and the configuration of the first path is also indicated, so that the configuration information of the first path is not needed to be carried through additional cells, and signaling overhead is saved.

In an alternative embodiment, the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fourth indication information. The fourth indication information may be included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell, or the fourth indication information may be included in other cells included in the special cell configuration cell, or the fourth indication information may be directly included in the special cell configuration cell, but not in other cells of the special cell configuration cell, which is more flexible.

In a fourth aspect, a fourth communication method is provided, which may be performed by an access network device, or by another device comprising the functions of the access network device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the access network device, the system-on-chip or functional module being for example provided in the access network device. The method comprises the following steps: determining to release a first path for a remote terminal device, wherein the remote terminal device is connected with a network through a second path, the first path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a first cell of the access network device, the second path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the first cell of the access network device; and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used for indicating to release the first path.

By the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application, the direct connection path or the non-direct connection path can be released, and the communication of one path cannot be influenced when the other path is released due to the fifth indication information, so that the process of reconfiguring or establishing the other path when the remote terminal equipment releases the one path is reduced, and the communication time delay is reduced.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the fifth indication information is specifically used to indicate that the second path is not released. The fifth indication information may indicate that the non-direct path is not released, in this way, the remote terminal device may continue to reserve the non-direct path while releasing the direct path.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, and the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information. The fifth indication information may be included in the MCG cell or may be included in other cells as well.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, including: if the first path is the direct connection path, the second path is the non-direct connection path, the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes a side-row path switching configuration cell, and the side-row path switching configuration cell includes the fifth indication information. The current remote terminal device maintains a direct path and a non-direct path, and thus release of the direct path may be achieved by switching to the non-direct path along the path, i.e. the RRC reconfiguration message may include a synchronous reconfiguration cell, which may include a sidelink path switching configuration cell. According to the normal path switching to the non-direct path flow, after the remote terminal device receives the RRC reconfiguration message including the sideline path switching configuration element, the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the remote terminal device needs to be changed to a default configuration, but the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the relay terminal device is not changed, and the configuration of the SRB1 of the remote terminal device may be different from the configuration of the SRB1 of the relay terminal device, so that the relay terminal device also needs to reconfigure the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path, which causes waste of network resources and increases communication delay. For this reason, in the embodiment of the present application, the fifth indication information is added to the RRC reconfiguration message, so that the remote terminal device can definitely not release the non-direct connection path according to the fifth indication information, or can definitely not need to reestablish the non-direct connection path, or can definitely not need to reconfigure the non-direct connection path (for example, does not reconfigure the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct connection path), but continues to use the existing configuration of the non-direct connection path, and then the relay terminal device does not need to reconfigure the non-direct connection path. Therefore, the waste of network resources is reduced, and the communication delay is also reduced.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate PDCP entity re-establishment or data recovery. The remote terminal device can perform the reestablishment of the PDCP entity or the data recovery according to the sixth indication information. Therefore, for the DRB in the acknowledgement mode, the remote terminal device may retransmit the data packet that is not successfully transmitted on the released direct connection path, for example, may retransmit the data using the unreleased non-direct connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the non-direct path and the second path is the direct path, the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, including: the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fifth indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell and a secondary cell configuration cell, where the special cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information and the configuration information of the direct-connection path, and the secondary cell configuration cell includes the configuration information of the non-direct-connection path. For example, the bearer of the fifth indication information may be selected according to different situations of the first cell (for example, the first cell is an SCell or a SpCell, etc.), or may be selected according to other factors (for example, a cell type included in the RRC reconfiguration message, etc.), which is not particularly limited.

In an alternative embodiment, if the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information, the fifth indication information is specifically used to indicate to release the first path if the remote terminal device is further connected to a cell corresponding to the first path through another path; or if the remote terminal equipment is connected with the cell corresponding to the first path only through the first path, the fifth indication information is specifically used for indicating to release the auxiliary cell corresponding to the auxiliary cell configuration cell. In the cell corresponding to the first path, if the remote terminal equipment maintains other paths, the fifth indication information indicates to release the first path, and the remote terminal equipment can release the first path according to the fifth indication information and can continue to maintain other paths in the cell. And if the remote terminal device maintains only the first path within the cell, the fifth indication information may indicate that the cell is released and the remote terminal device does not have to continue maintaining the connection with the cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication information is used to indicate to release the first path, including: the fifth indication information is specifically configured to indicate to release the SCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or, the fifth indication information is used for indicating to release the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or, the fifth indication information includes first sub information and second sub information, where the first sub information is used to indicate that the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located is changed to a new SCG, and the second sub information is used to indicate that the new SCG is released. For example, when adding the first path is performed by adding a cell group, if the first path is to be released, the cell group can be released, and the process is simpler.

In a fifth aspect, a fifth communication method is provided, which may be performed by an access network device, or by another device comprising the functions of the access network device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the access network device, the system-on-chip or functional module being for example provided in the access network device. The method comprises the following steps: determining a non-direct connection path for modifying the connection of the remote terminal equipment with the second cell through the relay terminal equipment, wherein the remote terminal equipment is connected with the first cell through the direct connection path; and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises seventh indication information, the seventh indication information is used for indicating to modify the non-direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message also comprises an association relationship between the RLC entity configuration information of the remote terminal equipment and the identifier of the relay terminal equipment and an association relationship between the SRAP entity configuration information of the remote terminal equipment and the identifier of the relay terminal equipment.

The embodiment of the application can support the remote terminal equipment to maintain a plurality of non-direct connection paths, and can help the remote terminal equipment to distinguish the configuration information of the currently added or released non-direct connection paths when adding or releasing a part of the non-direct connection paths so as to improve the success rate of adding or releasing the non-direct connection paths. And when one non-direct link is added or released, the communication of other non-direct links is not influenced, and the communication time delay can be reduced.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, and the MCG cell includes the seventh indication information. The seventh indication information may be included in the MCG cell or in other cells.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the seventh indication information, including: the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell, and the seventh indication information is included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, the secondary cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, and the seventh indication information is included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell, where the seventh indication information is specifically configured to indicate to modify the non-direct connection path or modify a secondary cell corresponding to the secondary cell configuration cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the modifying the first path is adding the first path or releasing the first path.

In an alternative embodiment, the seventh indication information includes configuration information of the first path.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by some embodiments of the fifth aspect, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the corresponding embodiments in any one of the first to fourth aspects.

In a sixth aspect, a sixth communication method is provided, which may be performed by a terminal device, or by another device comprising the functionality of the terminal device, or by a chip system (or chip) or other functional module, which is capable of implementing the functionality of the terminal device, the chip system or functional module being provided in the terminal device, for example. Alternatively, the terminal device is, for example, a remote terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal device to switch to a direct connection path connected with a first cell, the remote terminal device is connected with a second cell through a non-direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message also comprises first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating that the non-direct connection path is not released; and adding the direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not releasing the non-direct connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, the MCG cell including the first indication information; or, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an SCG cell, where the SCG cell includes the first indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the first indication information, including: the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the first indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, the secondary cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, and the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes the first indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, the special cell configuration information element comprises parameters for the remote terminal device to communicate under the first cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell further includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes second indication information, where the second indication information is used to indicate that the second cell is changed from a special cell in the MCG of the remote terminal device to a secondary cell in the MCG.

In an alternative embodiment, the second indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct path.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by the sixth aspect or any of the alternative embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the first aspect or the corresponding embodiments.

In a seventh aspect, a seventh communication method is provided, which may be performed by a terminal device, or by another device comprising the functionality of the terminal device, or by a chip system (or chip) or other functional module, which is capable of implementing the functionality of the terminal device, the chip system or functional module being provided in the terminal device, for example. Alternatively, the terminal device is, for example, a remote terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises third indication information, and the third indication information is used for indicating to add a non-direct connection path connected with the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the remote terminal device is connected with the first cell through the direct connection path; and adding the non-direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not releasing the direct connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the third indication information, including: the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the third indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes the third indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, the third indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct path.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by the seventh aspect or any of the alternative embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the second aspect or the corresponding embodiments.

In an eighth aspect, an eighth communication method is provided, which may be performed by a terminal device, or by another device comprising the functionality of the terminal device, or by a system-on-chip (or chip) or other functional module, which is capable of implementing the functionality of the terminal device, the system-on-chip or functional module being provided in the terminal device, for example. Alternatively, the terminal device is, for example, a remote terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal device to add a first path in an SCG, and the remote terminal device is connected with a network through a second path, the first path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a first cell of the access network device, the second path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the first cell of the access network device; according to the RRC reconfiguration message, the first path is added in the SCG, and the second path is not released.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to add the first path in the SCG, including: the RRC reconfiguration message includes an SCG cell, where the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, and the special cell configuration cell includes fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first path is added.

In an alternative embodiment, the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fourth indication information.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by the eighth aspect or any of the alternative embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the third aspect or the corresponding embodiments.

In a ninth aspect, a ninth communication method is provided, which may be performed by a terminal device, or by another device comprising the functionality of the terminal device, or by a chip system (or chip) or other functional module, which is capable of implementing the functionality of the terminal device, the chip system or functional module being provided in the terminal device, for example. Alternatively, the terminal device is, for example, a remote terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate to release a first path, where the remote terminal device is connected to a network through a second path, where the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell of the access network device, and the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, or where the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell of the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell of the access network device; and according to the RRC reconfiguration message, releasing the first path and not releasing the second path.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the fifth indication information is specifically used to indicate that the second path is not released.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, and the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, including: if the first path is the direct connection path, the second path is the non-direct connection path, the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes a side-row path switching configuration cell, and the side-row path switching configuration cell includes the fifth indication information.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes sixth indication information, where the sixth indication information is used to indicate PDCP entity re-establishment or data recovery.

In an alternative embodiment, if the first path is the non-direct path and the second path is the direct path, the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, including: the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fifth indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information; or, the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell and a secondary cell configuration cell, where the special cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information and the configuration information of the direct-connection path, and the secondary cell configuration cell includes the configuration information of the non-direct-connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, if the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell including the fifth indication information, then: if the remote terminal device is connected with the cell corresponding to the first path through other paths, the fifth indication information is specifically used for indicating to release the first path; or if the remote terminal equipment is connected with the cell corresponding to the first path only through the first path, the fifth indication information is specifically used for indicating to release the auxiliary cell corresponding to the auxiliary cell configuration cell.

In an alternative embodiment, the fifth indication information is used to indicate to release the first path, including: the fifth indication information is specifically configured to indicate to release the SCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or, the fifth indication information is used for indicating to release the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or, the fifth indication information includes first sub information and second sub information, where the first sub information is used to indicate that the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located is changed to a new SCG, and the second sub information is used to indicate that the new SCG is released.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by the ninth aspect or any of the alternative embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the fourth aspect or the corresponding embodiments.

In a tenth aspect, a tenth communication method is provided, which is executable by a terminal device, or by another device comprising the functions of the terminal device, or by a chip system (or chip) or other functional module capable of implementing the functions of the terminal device, the chip system or functional module being for example provided in the terminal device. Alternatively, the terminal device is, for example, a remote terminal device. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information is used to indicate to modify a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device through a relay terminal device connected to a second cell, and the RRC reconfiguration message further includes an association relationship between RLC entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device, and includes an association relationship between SRAP entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell through a direct connection path; and modifying the non-direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not modifying the direct connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, and the MCG cell includes the seventh indication information.

Regarding the technical effects brought about by the tenth aspect or any of the alternative embodiments, reference may be made to the description of the technical effects of the fifth aspect or the corresponding embodiments.

In an eleventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication means may be the access network device of any one of the first to tenth aspects above. The communication device has the function of the access network equipment. The communication means are for example access network devices, or larger devices comprising access network devices, or functional modules in access network devices, such as baseband means or chip systems etc. In an alternative implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another alternative implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module). The transceiver unit can realize a transmission function and a reception function, and may be referred to as a transmission unit (sometimes referred to as a transmission module) when the transceiver unit realizes the transmission function, and may be referred to as a reception unit (sometimes referred to as a reception module) when the transceiver unit realizes the reception function. The transmitting unit and the receiving unit may be the same functional module, which is called a transceiver unit, and which can implement a transmitting function and a receiving function; alternatively, the transmitting unit and the receiving unit may be different functional modules, and the transmitting and receiving unit is a generic term for these functional modules.

In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit is configured to determine to add a direct connection path connected to the first cell to the remote terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to the second cell through a non-direct connection path; the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to send an RRC reconfiguration message to a remote terminal device, where the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to switch to the direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message further includes first indication information, where the first indication information is configured to indicate that the non-direct connection path is not released.

In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit is configured to determine to add, to a remote terminal device, a non-direct path connected to the second cell through the relay terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell through the direct path; the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to send an RRC reconfiguration message to a remote terminal device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes third indication information, and the third indication information is used to indicate that the non-direct connection path is added.

In an optional implementation manner, the processing unit is configured to determine to add a first path to a remote terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to a network through a second path, and the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell of the access network device, and the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the second cell through a relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell of the access network device; the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to send an RRC reconfiguration message to a remote terminal device, where the RRC reconfiguration message is used to instruct the remote terminal device to add the first path in SCG.

In an optional implementation manner, the processing unit is configured to determine to release a first path for a remote terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to a network through a second path, and the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell of the access network device, and the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell of the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell of the access network device; the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to transmit an RRC reconfiguration message to a remote terminal device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used to indicate to release the first path.

In an alternative embodiment, the processing unit is configured to determine to modify a non-direct path of the remote terminal device connected to the second cell through the relay terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell through the direct path; the transceiver unit (or the transmitting unit) is configured to send an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information is used to indicate modification of the non-direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message further includes an association relationship between RLC entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device, and includes an association relationship between SRAP entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device.

In an alternative embodiment, the communication apparatus further comprises a storage unit (sometimes also referred to as a storage module), the processing unit being configured to be coupled to the storage unit and execute a program or instructions in the storage unit, to enable the communication apparatus to perform the functions of the access network device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

In a twelfth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication means may be the remote terminal device of any one of the first to tenth aspects. The communication device has the function of the remote terminal equipment. The communication means are for example a remote terminal device, or a larger device comprising a remote terminal device, or a functional module in a remote terminal device, such as a baseband device or a chip system, etc. In an alternative implementation, the communication device includes a baseband device and a radio frequency device. In another alternative implementation, the communication device includes a processing unit (sometimes also referred to as a processing module) and a transceiver unit (sometimes also referred to as a transceiver module). Reference may be made to the description of the eleventh aspect for implementation of the transceiver unit.

In an alternative embodiment, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to switch to a direct connection path connected to a first cell, and where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a non-direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message further includes first indication information, where the first indication information is configured to indicate that the non-direct connection path is not released; the processing unit is configured to add the direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not release the non-direct connection path.

In an alternative embodiment, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes third indication information, where the third indication information is used to indicate adding a non-direct connection path connected to the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell through the direct connection path; the processing unit is configured to add the non-direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not release the direct connection path.

In an optional implementation manner, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to add a first path in an SCG, where the remote terminal device is connected to a network through a second path, where the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell of the access network device, and the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, or where the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell of the access network device; the processing unit is configured to add the first path to the SCG according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not release the second path.

In an optional implementation manner, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes fifth indication information, where the fifth indication information is used to indicate to release a first path, and the remote terminal device is connected to the network through a second path, where the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a first cell of the access network device, and the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to a second cell of the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell of the access network device; the processing unit is configured to release the first path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not release the second path.

In an optional implementation manner, the transceiver unit (or the receiving unit) is configured to receive an RRC reconfiguration message from an access network device, where the RRC reconfiguration message includes seventh indication information, where the seventh indication information is used to indicate to modify a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected to the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the RRC reconfiguration message further includes an association relationship between RLC entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device, and includes an association relationship between SRAP entity configuration information of the remote terminal device and an identifier of the relay terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected to the first cell through the direct connection path; the processing unit is configured to modify the non-direct path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and not modify the direct path.

In an alternative embodiment, the communication apparatus further comprises a storage unit (sometimes also referred to as a storage module), the processing unit being configured to be coupled to the storage unit and execute a program or instructions in the storage unit, to enable the communication apparatus to perform the functions of the remote terminal device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects.

A thirteenth aspect provides a communication system comprising the communication device of the eleventh aspect and the communication device of the twelfth aspect.

In a fourteenth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions which, when executed, cause the method performed by the access network device or the remote terminal device of the above aspects to be carried out.

In a fifteenth aspect, there is provided a computer program product containing instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the method of the above aspects to be carried out.

In a sixteenth aspect, there is provided a chip system comprising a processor and an interface, the processor being operable to invoke and execute instructions from the interface to cause the chip system to implement the method of the above aspects.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a protocol stack between a UE and a base station;

fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an RRC reconfiguration message configuring a direct path for a UE;

fig. 3A and fig. 3B are schematic diagrams of protocol stacks of respective devices in a relay scenario;

fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an RRC reconfiguration message when configuring a UE to switch from a direct path to a non-direct path;

fig. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of two application scenarios according to an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 are flowcharts of several communication methods according to embodiments of the present application;

fig. 7A to 7E, fig. 9A to 9B, fig. 11A to 11B, fig. 13A to 13B, fig. 15A to 15H, and fig. 17A to 17D are several schematic diagrams of RRC reconfiguration messages according to embodiments of the present application;

FIGS. 13C and 13D are two schematic diagrams of the addition path according to the embodiment of the present application;

FIGS. 15I and 15J are two schematic diagrams of release paths in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 19 is a schematic view of yet another apparatus according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more apparent, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment of the application, the terminal device is a device with a wireless transceiver function, and may be a fixed device, a mobile device, a handheld device (such as a mobile phone), a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, or a wireless apparatus (such as a communication module, a modem, or a chip system) built in the device. The terminal device is used for connecting people, objects, machines and the like, and can be widely used in various scenes, including but not limited to the following scenes: cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (vehicle to everything, V2X), machine-to-machine/machine-to-machine-type communications, M2M/MTC), internet of things (internet of things, ioT), virtual Reality (VR), augmented reality (augmented reality, AR), industrial control (industrial control), unmanned driving (self driving), remote medical (remote media), smart grid (smart grid), smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city (smart city), drone, robot, and other end devices. The terminal device may sometimes be referred to as a User Equipment (UE), a terminal, an access station, a UE station, a remote station, a wireless communication device, or a user equipment, among others. For convenience of description, in the embodiment of the present application, a UE is taken as an example for illustrating a terminal device.

In the embodiment of the application, a path of the UE communicating with the access network equipment through the Uu interface is called a direct connection path; the path that connects the UE to the access network device through the relay UE is referred to as a non-direct path.

The network device in the embodiment of the present application may include, for example, an access network device, and/or a core network device. The access network equipment is equipment with a wireless receiving and transmitting function and is used for communicating with the terminal equipment. The access network devices include, but are not limited to, base stations (base transceiver stations (base transceiver station, BTS), node B, eNodeB/eNB, or gNodeB/gNB), transceiver points (transmission reception point, TRP), base stations for subsequent evolution of the third generation partnership project (3rd generation partnership project,3GPP), access nodes in wireless fidelity (wireless fidelity, wi-Fi) systems, wireless relay nodes, wireless backhaul nodes, and the like. The base station may be: macro base station, micro base station, pico base station, small station, relay station, etc. Multiple base stations may support networks of the same access technology or may support networks of different access technologies. A base station may comprise one or more co-sited or non-co-sited transmission reception points. The access network device may also be a radio controller, a Centralized Unit (CU), and/or a Distributed Unit (DU) in the context of a cloud radio access network (cloud radio access network, CRAN). The access network device may also be a server or the like. For example, the access network device in the car-to-anything (vehicle to everything, V2X) technology may be a Road Side Unit (RSU). An access network device will be described below taking a base station as an example. The base station may communicate with the terminal device or may communicate with the terminal device through the relay station. A terminal device may communicate with multiple base stations in different access technologies. The core network device is used for realizing the functions of mobile management, data processing, session management, policy and charging, etc. The names of devices implementing the core network function in the systems of different access technologies may be different, and the embodiment of the present application is not limited to this. Taking a 5G system as an example, the core network device includes: access and mobility management functions (access and mobility management function, AMF), session management functions (session management function, SMF), policy control functions (policy control function, PCF) or user plane functions (user plane function, UPF), etc.

In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device for implementing the function of the network device may be a network device, or may be a device capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, for example, a chip system, and the device may be installed in the network device. In the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the network device is exemplified by the network device, and the technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.

In the embodiments of the present application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise indicated, means "a singular noun or a plural noun", i.e. "one or more". "at least one" means one or more, and "a plurality" means two or more. "and/or", describes an association relationship of an association object, and indicates that there may be three relationships, for example, a and/or B, and may indicate: a alone, a and B together, and B alone, wherein a, B may be singular or plural. The character "/" generally indicates that the context-dependent object is an "or" relationship. For example, A/B, means: a or B. "at least one of" or the like means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item(s) or plural items(s). For example, at least one (one) of a, b, or c, represents: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, wherein a, b, c may be single or plural.

The ordinal terms such as "first," "second," and the like in the embodiments of the present application are used for distinguishing a plurality of objects, and are not used for limiting the size, content, sequence, timing, priority, importance, and the like of the plurality of objects. For example, the first cell and the second cell may be the same cell or different cells, and such names do not indicate the difference in the location, coverage, corresponding access network devices, priority, importance, or the like of the two cells. In addition, the numbers of the steps in the embodiments described in the present application are only for distinguishing different steps, and are not used for limiting the sequence of the steps. For example, S601 may occur before S602, or may occur after S602, or may also occur simultaneously with S602.

For transmission of control signaling and data, corresponding signaling radio bearers (signal radio bearer, SRB) and data radio bearers (data radio bearer, DRB) are established on the base station and UE as transmission channels. For a direct path where the UE communicates with the base station over the Uu interface, reference may be made to fig. 1 for a DRB peer-to-peer protocol stack for transmitting user plane data. Wherein the UE and the base station each include a Physical (PHY) layer, a medium access control (media access control, MAC) layer, a radio path control (radio link control, RLC) layer, a packet data convergence protocol (packet data convergence protocol, PDCP) layer, a service data adaptation protocol (service data adaptation protocol, SDAP) layer, and the like. In which "layer" may be replaced with "entity", for example, PDCP layer may be referred to as PDCP entity, RLC layer may be referred to as RLC entity, etc.

Currently, the base station may configure the UE to switch Uu interface cells through a radio resource control (radio resource control, RRC) reconfiguration message, or add Uu interface cells (i.e., configure dual connectivity for the UE); alternatively, if the base station configures the remote UE to switch from the non-direct path to the direct path, it may also be configured by the RRC reconfiguration message, and reference may be made to fig. 2 for a schematic diagram of the cells included in the RRC reconfiguration message. Wherein, the radio bearer configuration (radio bearer configuration) cell included in the RRC reconfiguration message may be used to configure the PDCP entity of the SRB and the DRB and above (e.g., the SDAP entity, etc.). For the NR dual connection (NR dual connection) scenario, RLC entities and entities (e.g., MAC entities and PHY entities, etc.) will be configured by a primary cell group (master cell group, MCG) cell and a secondary cell group (secondary cell group, SCG) cell, respectively, included in the RRC reconfiguration message, e.g., in fig. 2, both the MCG cell and SCG cell include an RLC bearer configuration (RLC-bearconfig) cell, a MAC cell group configuration (MAC-CellGroupConfig) cell, a physical cell group configuration (physical CellGroupConfig) cell, etc. Both the MCG and the SCG may include a special cell (SpCell) and a secondary cell (Scell), and thus both the MCG cell and the SCG cell may further include a SpCell configuration (SpCellConfig) cell and a Scell configuration (ScellConfig) cell. In fig. 2, when the UE is configured to switch MCG, the SpCell configuration cell of the MCG cell may further include a synchronization reconfiguration cell (reconfigurationwisync). In addition, the SpCell configuration cell of the MCG cell may further include information of a direct connection path, for example, a cell ID of the direct connection path, and the synchronization reconfiguration cell may further include configuration information of the cell, etc. When the configuration UE adds or switches SCGs, the SpCell configuration cells of the SCG cells may also include serving cell index (servCellindex) and synchronization reconfiguration cells. Among other things, spCell may include PCell in MCG and primary and secondary cells (primary secondary cell, PSCell) in SCG.

For example, the remote UE currently maintains a non-direct path for communication with the base station through the relay UE and does not maintain a direct path. If the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message shown in fig. 2, the remote UE may switch to a cell corresponding to the direct connection path according to the information of the direct connection path included in the SpCell configuration cell of the MCG cell, and the remote UE may release the originally maintained non-direct connection path.

Please refer to fig. 3A and fig. 3B again, which are protocol stacks related to the remote UE, the relay UE and the base station in the relay scenario. Wherein fig. 3A is a user plane protocol stack and fig. 3B is a control plane protocol stack.

In the user plane protocol stack, both the remote UE and the base station include an SDAP entity (denoted as Uu-SDAP entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface and a PDCP entity (denoted as Uu-PDCP entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface. In addition, the remote UE further includes an SRAP entity (denoted as a PC5-SRAP entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the PC5 interface, an RLC entity (denoted as a PC5-RLC entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the PC5 interface, a MAC entity (denoted as a PC5-MAC entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the PC5 interface, and a PHY entity (denoted as a PC5-PHY entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the PC5 interface; the base station further comprises an SRAP entity (denoted Uu-SRAP entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface, an RLC entity (denoted Uu-RLC entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface, a MAC entity (denoted Uu-MAC entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface, and a PHY entity (denoted Uu-PHY entity in fig. 3A) for communicating over the Uu interface. The relay UE includes an entity for communicating over the PC5 interface and an entity for communicating over the Uu interface because it needs to communicate with both the remote UE and the base station. Wherein the entities included by the relay UE for communication over the PC5 interface include an SRAP entity (denoted as PC5-SRAP entity in fig. 3A), an RLC entity (denoted as PC5-RLC entity in fig. 3A), a MAC entity (denoted as PC5-MAC entity in fig. 3A), and a PHY entity (denoted as PC5-PHY entity in fig. 3A); the entities included by the relay UE for communication over the Uu interface include an SRAP entity (denoted Uu-SRAP entity in fig. 3A), an RLC entity (denoted Uu-RLC entity in fig. 3A), a MAC entity (denoted Uu-MAC entity in fig. 3A), and a PHY entity (denoted Uu-PHY entity in fig. 3A). RLC channel/bearer (PC 5 relay RLC channel/bearer) communication can be relayed between the remote UE and the relay UE by PC5, and RLC channel/bearer (Uu relay RLC channel/bearer) communication can be relayed between the relay UE and the base station by Uu.

In the control plane protocol stack, both the remote UE and the base station include an RRC entity for communicating over the Uu interface (denoted as Uu-RRC entity in fig. 3B) and a PDCP entity for communicating over the Uu interface (denoted as Uu-PDCP entity in fig. 3B). In addition, the remote UE further includes an SRAP entity (denoted as a PC5-SRAP entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the PC5 interface, an RLC entity (denoted as a PC5-RLC entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the PC5 interface, a MAC entity (denoted as a PC5-MAC entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the PC5 interface, and a PHY entity (denoted as a PC5-PHY entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the PC5 interface; the base station further comprises an SRAP entity (denoted Uu-SRAP entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the Uu interface, an RLC entity (denoted Uu-RLC entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the Uu interface, a MAC entity (denoted Uu-MAC entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the Uu interface, and a PHY entity (denoted Uu-PHY entity in fig. 3B) for communicating over the Uu interface. The relay UE includes an entity for communicating over the PC5 interface and an entity for communicating over the Uu interface because it needs to communicate with both the remote UE and the base station. Wherein the entities included by the relay UE for communication over the PC5 interface include an SRAP entity (denoted as PC5-SRAP entity in fig. 3B), an RLC entity (denoted as PC5-RLC entity in fig. 3B), a MAC entity (denoted as PC5-MAC entity in fig. 3B), and a PHY entity (denoted as PC5-PHY entity in fig. 3B); the entities included by the relay UE for communication over the Uu interface include an SRAP entity (denoted Uu-SRAP entity in fig. 3B), an RLC entity (denoted Uu-RLC entity in fig. 3B), a MAC entity (denoted Uu-MAC entity in fig. 3B), and a PHY entity (denoted Uu-PHY entity in fig. 3B). The remote UE and the relay UE can communicate through a PC5 relay RLC channel, and the relay UE and the base station can communicate through a Uu relay RLC channel.

Currently, the base station may configure the remote UE to switch from the direct path to the non-direct path through the RRC reconfiguration message, and reference may be made to fig. 4 for a schematic diagram of the cells included in the RRC reconfiguration message. The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate information of relay UEs corresponding to non-direct paths by means of a synchronous reconfiguration cell in a SpCell configuration cell in an MCG cell, which synchronous reconfiguration cell includes a sideline path switching configuration (sl-pathswitch config) cell, which sideline path switching configuration cell may include a target relay UE ID (targetryueidentity), and other information, including for example corresponding timer information, including for example timer T420 and/or timer T304. The timer T420 is a timer applied when the remote UE performs path switching, and is used for starting the remote UE when the path switching is performed, and determining whether the path switching is successful. In addition, the synchronization reconfiguration cell may also be a radio network temporary identifier (radio network tempory identity, RNTI) or the like configured by the remote UE to be applied under the non-direct connection path. Wherein, when the remote UE switches from the direct path to the non-direct path, the timer T304 is not enabled. The RRC reconfiguration message also includes a sidestream layer 2remote configuration (SL-L2 RemoteConfig) cell and a sidestream configuration specific NR (SL-ConfigDedicatedNR) cell. Wherein the far-end configuration cells of the sidestream layer 2 can be used for configuring the PC5-SRAP entity and the correspondence between Uu bearers (DRBs and/or SRBs) and the PC5-RLC entity.

As can be seen from fig. 4, the sideline layer 2 far-end configuration cells may include sideline SRAP configuration (SL-SRAP-Config) cells, which may include sideline local identities (SL-LocalIdentity), and include sideline map to add mode list (SL-MappingToAddModList) cells and sideline map to release list (SL-mappingtorlealist) cells, which may further include sideline far-end UE radio bearer identities (SL-RemoteUE-RB-Identity) and sideline RLC channel identities (SL-RLC-ChannelID). In addition, the far-end configuration cell of the sidestream layer 2 may further include a sidestream serving cell information (sl-ServingCellInfo) cell, which includes an RNTI, optionally, a physical cell identifier (physical cell identifier, PCI), and so on.

As can be seen from fig. 4, the side-line configuration dedicated NR cells may include side-line RLC channel-to-add mode list (SL-RLC-ChannelToAddModList) cells including side-line RLC channel configuration (SL-RLC-ChannelConfig) cells, which may include side-line RLC channel IDs (SL-RLC-channelids), side-line RLC configurations (SL-RLC-Config), side-line MAC logical channel configurations (SL-MAC-LogicChannelConfig), and side-line packet delay budgets (SL-packetdelaybucket). The information included in the side-row configuration dedicated NR cell may be regarded as information of the PC5-RLC entity, and the RRC reconfiguration message may include a radio bearer configuration cell configured with the PDCP entity and above, for example, a radio bearer corresponding to the PDCP entity and the like (for a more description of the radio bearer configuration cell, reference may be made to the foregoing), and the side-row layer 2 remote configuration cell corresponds to a correspondence between Uu bearers (DRBs and/or SRBs) configured with the radio bearer configuration cell and the PC5-RLC entity configured with the side-row configuration dedicated NR cell.

For example, the remote UE currently maintains a direct path through the relay UE to communicate with the base station, and does not maintain a non-direct path. If the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message shown in fig. 4, the remote UE may switch to a non-direct path (e.g., the remote UE establishes a connection with the relay UE) that communicates with the base station through the relay UE according to information such as an ID of the relay UE included in the sidelink path switching configuration element, and the remote UE releases the direct path that is originally maintained.

It can be seen that the remote UE may support two paths, respectively, one being a direct path communicating with the access network device via the Uu interface and the other being a non-direct path communicating with the access network device via the relay UE. As can be seen from the foregoing description, the base station may configure the remote UE to switch between the two paths, for example, when the direct path signal is degraded, for example, is lower than a threshold, the access network device may instruct the remote UE to switch from the direct path to the non-direct path; alternatively, the access network device may instruct the remote UE to switch from the non-direct path to the direct path when the non-direct path signal becomes worse, e.g. below a threshold. At present, even if direct-connection path signals and non-direct-connection path signals of the far-end UE can be communicated, the far-end UE can only communicate through one path, so that the far-end UE cannot fully utilize resources to increase the reliability and stability of transmission, and the resource utilization rate is reduced.

In view of this, a technical solution of the embodiment of the present application is provided. In the embodiment of the application, when the remote UE adds the path A, the maintained path B can not be released, so that the resource can be more fully utilized, the remote UE can maintain two paths at the same time, and the reliability and the stability of transmission are improved. Meanwhile, considering that in the process of adding the path a, the influence on the path B on transmission may be caused, the embodiment of the present application may reduce or avoid the influence on the path B by the indication. For example, when the remote UE is instructed to switch to the direct connection path, it may also be instructed not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote UE can not only add the direct connection path, but also not release the maintained non-direct connection path or change the configuration of the maintained path, so that the remote UE can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote UE, since the non-direct connection path does not need to be released, the reliability and stability of transmission can be increased through the two paths, the change of the configuration of the maintained path is avoided or reduced, the time delay brought to the maintained path due to the change of the configuration is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

The technical solution provided in the embodiment of the present application may be applied to a fourth generation mobile communication technology (the 4th generation,4G) system, for example, a long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, or may be applied to a 5G system, for example, a New Radio (NR) system, or may also be applied to a next generation mobile communication system or other similar communication systems, which is not specifically limited.

The present application relates to a UE-to-network relay (UE to network relay) mechanism that may be used to promote coverage of a cellular network. Please refer to fig. 5A and fig. 5B, which are schematic diagrams of two application scenarios according to an embodiment of the present application. The relay UE is in the coverage area of the access network equipment of the cellular network, namely, the relay UE can directly communicate with the access network equipment through a Uu interface; the remote UE may communicate with the relay UE through a PC5 interface. For data, the remote UE may send the data to the relay UE, and then the relay UE forwards the data of the remote UE to the access network device through the Uu interface; or the data from the core network to be sent to the remote UE arrives at the access network equipment, the access network equipment sends the data to the relay UE through the Uu interface, and the relay UE forwards the data to the remote UE through the PC5 interface. For signaling, the remote UE may send signaling to the access network device through the relay UE; or the remote UE may receive signaling from the access network device through the relay UE. In fig. 5A, the remote UE is also within the coverage of the access network device; in fig. 5B, the remote terminal device is not within the coverage area of the access network device.

In order to better describe the embodiments of the present application, the method provided by the embodiments of the present application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings corresponding to the various embodiments of the present application, all steps indicated by dashed lines are optional steps. For convenience of description, the embodiments of the present application will take a remote terminal device as an example of a remote UE, and a relay terminal device as an example of a relay UE. The method provided by each embodiment of the present application can be applied to the network architecture shown in fig. 5A or fig. 5B, for example, the remote UE related to each embodiment of the present application is the remote UE in fig. 5A or fig. 5B, the access network device related to each embodiment of the present application is the access network device in fig. 5A or fig. 5B, and the relay UE related to each embodiment of the present application is the relay UE in fig. 5A or fig. 5B. It should be noted that fig. 5A and fig. 5B are examples of the direct connection path and the non-direct connection path of the remote UE being connected to the same access network device, and in various embodiments of the present application, the cells of the direct connection path and the cells of the non-direct connection path where the relay UE is located may be the same cell, may also be different cells, and if they are different cells, the two cells may belong to the same access network device, or may belong to different access network devices.

In various embodiments of the application, an "entity" may also be replaced by a "layer". For example, the "SRAP entity" may also be referred to as "SRAP layer", the "PDCP entity" may also be referred to as "PDCP layer", etc.

In various embodiments of the present application, a "direct connection path" refers to a path through which a remote UE communicates with an access network device (or a cell provided by the access network device) through a Uu interface, instead of a relay UE; "non-direct path" refers to a path through which a remote UE communicates with an access network device (or with a cell provided by the access network device) via a relay UE. In addition, the "path" may be replaced by a "link". For example, a "direct path" may also be referred to as a "direct link" and a "non-direct path" may also be referred to as a "non-direct link".

In order to solve the technical problems to be solved by the present application, various embodiments of the present application provide various methods. Referring to fig. 6, a flowchart of a first communication method according to an embodiment of the application is shown.

S601, the access network equipment determines that a direct connection path connected with a first cell is added for the remote UE. The first cell is for example a cell provided by the access network device. Wherein the remote UE is connected to the second cell via a non-direct path, or it is understood that the remote UE communicates with the second cell via a relay UE, or the remote UE has maintained a non-direct path connected to the second cell via a relay UE.

S602, the access network equipment sends RRC reconfiguration information to the remote UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device. For example, the access network device may send an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote UE over a non-direct path (e.g., through a relay UE on the non-direct path), and correspondingly, the remote UE may receive the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device over the non-direct path (e.g., through a relay UE on the non-direct path), as illustrated in fig. 6.

The RRC reconfiguration message indicates a direct connection path of the first cell. If the RRC reconfiguration message indicates only the direct connection path, the remote UE may not be able to distinguish whether to switch to the direct connection path or to add the direct connection path at present, and then the remote UE may perform a normal switching procedure to the direct connection path, releasing the non-direct connection path. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the RRC reconfiguration message may further include first indication information, where the first indication information may indicate that the non-direct connection path is not released, or indicate that the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is not released, or indicate that the non-direct connection path is reserved, or indicate that the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is reserved. The remote UE may continue to reserve the non-direct path according to the first indication information, so that the remote UE may maintain the direct path and the non-direct path.

The addition of the direct path through the RRC reconfiguration message may be added in different ways, as exemplified below.

1. In a first implementation, the direct path is added by reconfiguring the PCell in the MCG of the remote UE.

For example, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, which may include the first indication information. In one implementation where the MCG cell includes the first indication information, the MCG cell may include a special cell configuration cell, for example, a SpCellConfig cell, which may be used to reconfigure the PCell, and thus the special cell configuration cell may include the first indication information. For example, the special cell configuration cell may include a synchronization reconfiguration cell, such as a ReconfigurationWithSync cell, which may include the first indication information. Reference is made to fig. 7A for this. For example, the first indication information may be non-direct reservation (IndirectKept), or may be other information.

For example, if the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the first cell and the second cell are the same cell, both the non-direct path and the direct path connect the first cell, and the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, so that the direct path may be added by reconfiguring the PCell, and the first indication information may be added in a synchronization reconfiguration cell for reconfiguring the PCell. The first indication information may indicate that the non-direct path is not released. For example, when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and includes the first indication information, the remote UE may add the direct connection path, and retain the current non-direct connection path, that is, retain the relevant configuration of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path. Alternatively, when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and does not include the first indication information, if the remote UE is connected to the relay UE (i.e., the remote UE has maintained a non-direct path, where the relay UE may be a layer 2 (L2) relay UE), the remote UE may switch to the indicated direct path, and release the connection with the relay UE (or, release the non-direct path). Reference may be continued to fig. 7A. In addition, the first indication information is not limited to be located in the synchronization reconfiguration cell, or may be included in other cells included in the MCG cell.

For another example, if the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE (i.e., a serving cell of the relay UE to which the remote UE is connected), and the first cell and the second cell are different cells (e.g., the first cell and the second cell are co-sited cells or non-co-sited cells), since the SpCell in one cell group is a cell with a relatively perfect function, it is conceivable that a cell in which the direct link is located (the first cell) may be regarded as a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE as much as possible, and then the direct link may be added by reconfiguring the PCell. However, in this case, since the first cell is not the PCell, a cell change (cell change) or handover (handover) procedure may be performed to change the first cell to the PCell of the remote UE. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message may include a synchronization reconfiguration (reconfiguration with sync) cell to indicate a handover of the PCell. The RRC reconfiguration message may include information of the first cell to handover the PCell of the remote UE from the second cell to the first cell. When the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and includes the first indication information, the remote UE may add a direct connection path, and retain a current non-direct connection path, that is, retain a relevant configuration of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path. Alternatively, when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and does not include the first indication information, if the remote UE is connected to the relay UE (i.e., the remote UE has maintained a non-direct path, where the relay UE may be a layer 2 relay UE), the remote UE may switch to the indicated direct path, and may release the connection with the relay UE (or, release the non-direct path). For the second cell corresponding to the non-direct connection path, the second cell may be changed to the SCell (possibly the SCell of the MCG or the PScell or SCell of the SCG) of the remote UE by a cell change manner, so that the direct connection path may be added by a manner of reconfiguring a new PCell.

When the second cell is co-sited with the first cell, a cell change is performed, for example, in a manner that a secondary cell configuration cell (for example SCellConfig) in an MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message includes second indication information, and a special cell configuration cell in the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message includes configuration information of a direct connection path, and includes first indication information. The second indication information may indicate that the second cell is changed from a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE to an SCell in the MCG. Optionally, the second indication information includes configuration information of a non-direct connection path, which is equivalent to associating the configuration information of the non-direct connection path with the secondary cell configuration cell, and adding the configuration information of the direct connection path to the special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell, which is equivalent to indicating that the second cell where the non-direct connection path is located is used as the SCell and the first cell where the direct connection path is located is used as the PCell. For this, reference may be made to fig. 7B, for example, the second path configuration (second path configuration) cell in fig. 7B may include configuration information of a non-direct path. The configuration information of the non-direct path includes, for example, an identifier of the relay UE (e.g., an ID of the relay UE) corresponding to the non-direct path, where the identifier of the relay UE is, for example, targetRelayUEIdentity. When the remote UE finds that the identity of the relay UE is consistent with the configured identity of the relay UE, the original non-direct connection path can be maintained. Or, the configuration information of the non-direct connection path may not include the identifier of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path, and because the non-direct connection path is an already configured path, if the configuration information of the non-direct connection path does not include the identifier of the relay UE, the remote UE can determine that the non-direct connection path is the configured non-direct connection path. In addition, the configuration information of the non-direct path may also include other information.

When the second cell is not co-sited with the first cell, a cell change is performed, for example, in a manner that a special cell configuration cell (for example, spCellConfig) in an SCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message includes second indication information, and a special cell configuration cell in an MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message includes configuration information of a direct connection path, and includes first indication information. Reference is made to fig. 7C for this. The second indication information may indicate that the second cell is changed from a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE to a PSCell in the SCG. Optionally, the second indication information includes configuration information of a non-direct path, which is equivalent to associating the configuration information of the non-direct path to a special cell configuration cell of the SCG, and adding the configuration information of the direct path to the special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell, which is equivalent to indicating that a second cell where the non-direct path is located is a PSCell, and a first cell where the direct path is located is a PCell, for example, the second indication information is a second path configuration cell, where the second path configuration cell may include configuration information of the non-direct path. The configuration information of the non-direct path includes, for example, an identifier of the relay UE (e.g., an ID of the relay UE) corresponding to the non-direct path, where the identifier of the relay UE is, for example, targetRelayUEIdentity. When the remote UE finds that the identity of the relay UE is consistent with the configured identity of the relay UE, it can be known that the original non-direct connection path can be maintained. Or, the configuration information of the non-direct connection path may not include the identifier of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path, and because the non-direct connection path is an already configured path, if the configuration information of the non-direct connection path does not include the identifier of the relay UE, the remote UE can determine that the non-direct connection path is the configured non-direct connection path. In addition, the configuration information of the non-direct path may also include other information.

For another example, if the relationship between the first cell and the second cell is not considered, the configuration may be performed by a manner of reconfiguring the PCell of the remote UE as long as the direct connection path is added, so that the direct connection path may also be added by a manner of reconfiguring the PCell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell in the special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell indicates to switch or change the PCell of the remote UE to the first cell of the direct connection path, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell includes first indication information indicating that the non-direct connection path of the remote UE is not released. When the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and includes the first indication information, the remote UE may add a direct connection path, and retain a current non-direct connection path, that is, retain a relevant configuration of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path. Alternatively, when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and does not include the first indication information, if the remote UE is connected to the relay UE (i.e., the remote UE maintains a non-direct path, where the relay UE may be a layer 2 relay UE), the remote UE may switch to the indicated direct path, and release the connection with the relay UE (or, release the non-direct path). Reference may be made to fig. 7A for this. In addition, the first indication information is not limited to be included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell, and may be included in other cells included in the MCG cell, for example.

In addition, the special cell configuration information in the MCG cell may further include configuration information of the added direct path, e.g. the configuration information of the direct path includes parameters for the remote UE to communicate under the first cell, e.g. including one or more of the following: an identification of the first cell (e.g., an ID of the first cell), a random access parameter for random access by the remote UE under the first cell, a timer T304, an RNTI, or a parameter for radio link monitoring (radio link monitoring, RLM) of the direct connection path. Wherein, the RNTI may be used for the remote UE to listen to downlink control information (downlink control information, DCI) under the Uu interface. The parameter may also not include RLM parameters, e.g. the remote UE may feed back measurement results via radio resource management (radio resource management, RRM) measurements on the direct path, from which the access network device may determine the channel quality of the direct path (first cell). The configuration information of the direct connection path may be directly included in the special cell configuration cells; or in other cells (e.g., synchronization reconfiguration cells) included in the special cell configuration cells; alternatively, a part of the configuration information of the direct link (e.g., the identification of the first cell) is directly included in the special cell configuration cell, and the remaining information in the configuration information of the direct link is included in other cells (e.g., the synchronization reconfiguration cell) included in the special cell configuration cell, e.g., fig. 7A or fig. 7B or fig. 7C, and the timer T304 and the RNTI are included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell.

2. In a second implementation, the direct path is added by adding the SCell in the MCG of the remote UE.

This implementation can be used in cases where the first cell and the second cell belong to different cells of a co-station. And adding the direct connection path by adding the first cell corresponding to the direct connection path as the SCell in the MCG cell of the remote UE. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message may comprise an MCG cell comprising a secondary cell configuration cell, e.g. SCellConfig, which may comprise configuration information of the added direct path, e.g. configuration information of the direct path comprises parameters for the remote UE to communicate under the first cell, for which reference is made to the foregoing. The configuration information of the direct connection path may be directly included in the secondary cell configuration cells; or in other cells (e.g., synchronization reconfiguration cells) included in the secondary cell configuration cells; alternatively, a part of the configuration information of the direct link (e.g., the identification of the first cell) is directly included in the secondary cell configuration cell, and the remaining information in the configuration information of the direct link is included in other cells (e.g., the synchronization reconfiguration cell) included in the secondary cell configuration cell.

In addition, the MCG cell may further include first indication information. Optionally, one implementation manner in which the MCG cell includes the first indication information is that a secondary cell configuration cell in the MCG cell includes the first indication information. For example, the secondary cell configuration element includes a synchronization reconfiguration element including first indication information, for which reference may be made to fig. 7D; alternatively, another implementation in which the MCG cell includes the first indication information is that the special cell configuration cell in the MCG cell includes the first indication information, for which reference is made to fig. 7E. In fig. 7D and fig. 7E, the first indication information is not reserved in direct connection.

For example, if the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, the direct path may be added by adding scells. Unlike the manner of reconfiguring the PCell shown in fig. 7B, the direct path is added by adding the SCell, so that it is unnecessary to switch roles of the PCell and the SCell, i.e., the second cell remains the PCell and the first cell remains the SCell. The mode does not need to change roles of the PCell and the SCell, so that the RRC reconfiguration message does not need to include the configured configuration information of the non-direct connection path, the implementation is simpler, and the transmission overhead of the RRC reconfiguration message is saved.

Alternatively, because the function of the SCell is generally less sophisticated than that of the PCell, e.g., the remote UE has no RLM function on the SCell, the remote UE may feedback the measurement result on the direct path through RRM measurement on the non-direct path, from which the access network device may determine the channel quality of the direct path. In addition, the SCell configuration element (e.g., SCell config) of the RRC reconfiguration message may include a parameter related to RLM for RLM when the direct connection path is the SCell of the MCG. For another example, the remote UE cannot monitor the beam on the SCell, and has no function of beam failure recovery (beam failure recovery, BFR), and then relevant parameters of beam monitoring may be configured in an SCell configuration element (e.g., SCellConfig) to enable the remote UE to monitor and recover the beam on the SCell corresponding to the direct connection path.

S603, the remote UE adds a direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not release a non-direct connection path.

Regardless of which implementation is adopted to add the direct-connection path, after the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message, the direct-connection path may be added according to configuration information of the direct-connection path, and according to the first indication information, the non-direct-connection path may not be released, so that the remote UE may maintain both paths. The adding process comprises random access of the remote UE in the first cell to access network equipment corresponding to the first cell.

Alternatively, because the function of the SCell is generally less sophisticated than that of the PCell, for example, if the remote UE initiates random access on the SCell, after the remote UE sends a random access preamble (preamble) on the SCell, the SCell may not be able to send a random access response (random access response, RAR) to the remote UE, and the remote UE may not be able to receive the RAR. Thus, if a direct path is added by adding an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, it may be specified that the remote UE may send an RAR to the remote UE if the remote UE initiates a random access on the SCell (i.e., the first cell), and the remote UE may receive the RAR on the PCell, thereby completing the random access.

S604, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent by the remote UE.

One possible implementation manner is that after completing the configuration of the RRC, the remote UE performs random access of the Uu port with the access network device in the first cell. After the random access is successful, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the access network device through the direct connection path, as illustrated in fig. 6. Another possible implementation manner is that after the remote UE receives the configuration, the RRC reconfiguration complete message is sent through the non-direct connection path, that is, the RRC reconfiguration complete message is sent to the access network device through the relay UE.

After the direct connection path is added successfully, the PDCP entity of the remote UE can submit the data packet to the RLC entity on the direct connection path associated with the PDCP entity, so as to realize multi-path transmission.

In the embodiment of the application, when the access network equipment instructs the remote UE to switch to the direct connection path, the access network equipment can instruct not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote UE can not only add the direct connection path, but also does not need to release the maintained non-direct connection path, and thus, the remote UE can maintain two paths simultaneously. For the remote UE, since the non-direct path does not have to be released, resources can be fully utilized. And the remote UE can maintain two paths at the same time, so that the stability and reliability of transmission are improved. Meanwhile, in consideration of the fact that in the process of adding one path, the influence on the transmission of the original path can be caused, the embodiment of the application can reduce or avoid the influence on the original path through indication. For example, when the remote UE is instructed to switch to the direct connection path, it may also be instructed not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote UE can not only add the direct connection path, but also not release the maintained non-direct connection path or change the configuration of the maintained path, so that the remote UE can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote UE, since the non-direct connection path does not need to be released, the reliability and stability of transmission can be increased through the two paths, the change of the configuration of the maintained path is avoided or reduced, the time delay brought to the maintained path due to the change of the configuration is reduced, and the user experience is improved.

Referring to fig. 8, a flowchart of a second communication method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

S801, the access network equipment determines that a direct connection path connected with a first cell is added for the remote UE. The first cell is for example a cell provided by the access network device. Wherein the remote UE is connected to the second cell via a non-direct path or it is understood that the remote UE has maintained a non-direct path connected to the second cell via a relay UE.

S802, the access network equipment sends RRC reconfiguration information to the remote UE through the relay UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device through the relay UE. For example, the access network device may send an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote UE via the relay UE (or via the non-direct path), and the remote UE may receive the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device via the relay UE (or via the non-direct path), as illustrated in fig. 8. The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate a direct path of the first cell.

For example, the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, so that the direct path may be added by adding the SCell. In the embodiment of the application, the roles of the PCell and the SCell do not need to be converted when the direct connection path is added, namely, the second cell is still the PCell, and the first cell is still the SCell. The mode does not need to change roles of the PCell and the SCell, so that the RRC reconfiguration message does not need to include the configured configuration information of the non-direct connection path, the implementation is simpler, and the transmission overhead of the RRC reconfiguration message is saved.

When the second cell is co-sited with the first cell, the first cell may be added as a direct path through an SCell addition procedure. For example, referring to fig. 9A, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell including a secondary cell configuration cell, e.g., SCellConfig, which may include configuration information of the added direct connection path, e.g., configuration information of the direct connection path includes parameters for the remote UE to communicate under the first cell, and the description of the parameters may refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 6. The configuration information of the direct connection path may be directly included in the secondary cell configuration cells; or in other cells (e.g., synchronization reconfiguration cells as shown) included in the secondary cell configuration cells; alternatively, a part of the configuration information of the direct link (e.g., the identification of the first cell) is directly included in the secondary cell configuration cell, and the remaining information in the configuration information of the direct link is included in other cells (e.g., the synchronization reconfiguration cell) included in the secondary cell configuration cell.

When the second cell is not co-sited with the first cell, the first cell is added as a direct connection path through a PSCell adding process of the SCG. For example, referring to fig. 9B, the RRC reconfiguration may include an SCG cell including a special cell configuration cell indicating that the added first cell is a PSCell of the SCG. More configuration information parameters may refer to the embodiment shown in fig. 6. The configuration information of the direct connection path may be directly included in a special cell configuration cell of the SCG; or in other cells included in the special cell configuration cell of the SCG (e.g., the synchronization reconfiguration cell shown in fig. 9B); alternatively, a part of the configuration information of the direct link (for example, the identification of the first cell) is directly included in the special cell configuration cell of the SCG, and the remaining information in the configuration information of the direct link is included in other cells (for example, the synchronization reconfiguration cell shown in fig. 9B) included in the special cell configuration cell of the SCG.

Alternatively, because the function of the SCell is generally less sophisticated than that of the PCell, e.g., the remote UE has no RLM function on the SCell, the remote UE may feedback the measurement result on the direct path through RRM measurement on the non-direct path, from which the access network device may determine the channel quality of the direct path. In addition, the SCell configuration element (e.g., SCell config) of the RRC reconfiguration message may include a parameter related to RLM for RLM when the direct connection path is the SCell of the MCG. For another example, if the remote UE cannot monitor the beam on the SCell and has no BFR function, relevant parameters for beam monitoring may be configured in the SCell configuration element (for example, SCellConfig), so that the remote UE may monitor and recover the beam on the SCell corresponding to the direct connection path.

S803, the remote UE adds a direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not release a non-direct connection path.

Since the PCell of the remote UE has been configured with a non-direct link, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message of this time, and finds that the configuration information of the direct link is included in the secondary cell configuration information in the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message, it can be determined that the direct link is to be added in the secondary cell this time, so that the remote UE can add the direct link without releasing the non-direct link. As can be seen, the RRC reconfiguration message does not need to include additional indication information, and the remote UE may add a direct link and reserve a non-direct link according to configuration information of the direct link included in the secondary cell configuration cell, so as to reduce transmission overhead of the RRC reconfiguration message.

Alternatively, because the function of the SCell is generally less sophisticated than that of the PCell, for example, if the remote UE initiates random access on the SCell, after the remote UE sends a preamble on the SCell, the SCell may not be able to send the RAR to the remote UE, and the remote UE may not be able to receive the RAR. Thus, if a direct path is added by adding an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, it may be specified that the remote UE may send an RAR to the remote UE if the remote UE initiates a random access on the SCell (i.e., the first cell), and the remote UE may receive the RAR on the PCell, thereby completing the random access.

After the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message, the direct connection path may be added according to configuration information of the direct connection path, and the non-direct connection path may not be released, so that the remote UE may maintain both paths. The adding process comprises random access of the remote UE in the first cell to access network equipment corresponding to the first cell.

S804, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent by the remote UE.

One possible implementation manner is that after completing the configuration indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message, the remote UE performs random access of the Uu port with the access network device in the first cell. After the random access is successful, an RRC reconfiguration complete message is sent to the access network device through the direct connection path, as illustrated in fig. 8. Another possible implementation manner is that after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message through a non-direct connection path, that is, sends the RRC reconfiguration complete message to the access network device through the relay UE.

After the direct connection path is successfully connected, after the configuration of the direct connection path is completed, the PDCP entity of the remote UE can submit a data packet to the RLC entity on the direct connection path associated with the PDCP entity, so that the multipath transmission is realized.

In the embodiment of the application, the RRC reconfiguration message can enable the remote UE to maintain two paths without additional indication information, has a simpler implementation mode and is beneficial to saving transmission overhead.

The embodiment shown in fig. 6 and the embodiment shown in fig. 8 describe some ways of adding a direct connection path, and please refer to fig. 10 next, which is a third communication method provided by the present application, by which the way of adding a non-direct connection path provided by the embodiment of the present application is described.

S1001, the access network equipment determines that a non-direct connection path connected with a second cell through the relay UE is added for the remote UE. The second cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device or a cell provided by other access network devices. Wherein the remote UE is connected to the first cell via a direct path or it is understood that the remote UE has maintained a direct path to the first cell. The first cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device or a cell provided by other access network devices.

S1002, the access network equipment sends RRC reconfiguration information to the remote UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device. The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate that the non-direct path is added, e.g., the RRC reconfiguration message includes third indication information, which may indicate that the non-direct path is added.

Optionally, the embodiment of the present application may use a format of an RRC reconfiguration message for indicating switching to a non-direct connection path, where the RRC reconfiguration message further includes third indication information, and through the third indication information, the remote UE may be enabled to explicitly add the non-direct connection path at this time, or the remote UE is enabled to explicitly not release the direct connection path.

For example, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, which may include third indication information.

Optionally, in one implementation where the MCG cell includes the third indication information, the MCG cell may include a special cell configuration cell, for example, a SpCellConfig cell, and the special cell configuration cell may include the third indication information. For example, the special cell configuration cell may include a synchronization reconfiguration cell, such as ReconfigurationWithSync, which may include third indication information. Reference is made to fig. 11A for this. For example, when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, does not include a sidelink path switching configuration cell, and includes third indication information, the remote UE may add a non-direct path, for example, the remote UE may determine that the relay UE corresponding to the relay UE ID included in the RRC reconfiguration message is a relay UE of the non-direct path, and if the remote UE does not establish a PC5 connection with the relay UE, may start to establish a PC5 connection with the relay UE, and not disconnect a direct connection with the access network device. Or when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, includes a sidelink path switching configuration cell, and does not include third indication information, the remote UE device determines that the path is switchable to a non-direct path, for example, the remote UE may determine that the relay UE corresponding to the relay UE ID included in the RRC reconfiguration message is a relay UE of the non-direct path, start the timer T420, and if the remote UE does not establish a PC5 connection with the relay UE, may start to establish a PC5 connection with the relay UE, and apply default configuration of SL-RLC1 (transmission of SRB1 for the remote UE).

For example, if the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the first cell is the same cell as the second cell, then both the non-direct path and the direct path connect to the first cell, and the first cell is in turn a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, then the non-direct path may be added by this implementation. For another example, the relationship between the first cell and the second cell may not be considered, and this may be adopted as long as a non-direct path is added. When the non-direct connection path is added in a mode of not considering the relation between the first cell and the second cell, the PCell of the remote UE is unchanged and still is the first cell. In order to indicate the added identity of the second cell, the third indication information may include the identity of the relay UE and the identity of the second cell in which the relay UE is located. The remote UE may determine, based on the third indication information, to add the relay UE of the second cell, and the first cell is still a PCell.

Alternatively, another implementation where the MCG cell includes third indication information, the MCG cell may include a secondary cell configuration cell, e.g., a SCellConfig cell, which may include the third indication information. Wherein the secondary cell configuration element may include an identification of the cell in which the relay UE is located. Reference is made to fig. 11B for this. For example, if the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the first cell and the second cell are different cells co-sited, this may correspond to adding a non-direct path in the SCell of the remote UE, which may be added by this implementation. When the first cell and the second cell are non-co-sited cells, the second cell of the non-direct path may be added as a PSCell of the SCG.

In the embodiment of the present application, the third indication information is referred to as, for example, the second path configuration, or may be other information. Optionally, the third indication information may include configuration information of a non-direct path, where the configuration information of the non-direct path includes one or more of the following: and the identifier of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct connection path is used for determining whether the access to the relay UE is successful or not, and the timer T420 or the RNTI. The RNTI may be used for the remote UE to monitor DCI under the Uu interface. Alternatively, the remote UE may ignore the RNTI included in the RRC reconfiguration message and continue listening for DCI using the previous RNTI (e.g., C-RNTI).

S1003, the remote UE adds a non-direct connection path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not release the direct connection path.

After receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, the remote UE may add the non-direct path according to configuration information of the non-direct path. For example, the remote UE may request a relay service from the relay UE according to an identifier of the relay UE included in the configuration information of the non-direct link, and establish a PC5 connection, and if the configuration information of the non-direct link further includes timer information for determining whether to access the relay UE successfully, the remote UE may start the timer after receiving the timer information. The stop condition of the timer includes, for example, one or more of the following: the remote UE successfully transmits the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the added non-direct path (e.g., the remote UE determines that the RRC reconfiguration complete message was successfully transmitted through the added non-direct path by receiving an Acknowledgement (ACK) corresponding to the non-direct path fed back by the bottom layer (e.g., physical layer) of the remote UE); or the remote UE and the relay UE successfully establish PC5 connection; or the remote UE receives feedback information of the relay UE, where the feedback information is used to indicate that the relay UE has succeeded in random access with the second cell or succeeded in establishing an RRC connection with the second cell.

S1004, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent by the remote UE.

One possible implementation manner is that after completing the configuration of the non-direct connection path, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the access network device through the non-direct connection path, that is, sends the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the relay UE. In another implementation, after completing RRC configuration, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the access network device through a direct connection path, as illustrated in fig. 10. The RRC reconfiguration complete message may be sent after the PC5 connection establishment is successful, or after receiving feedback from the relay UE, where the feedback may indicate that the relay UE has been randomly accessed successfully or that the relay UE has entered an RRC connected state.

After the non-direct link path is configured successfully, the PDCP entity of the remote UE may submit a data packet to the SRAP entity of the non-direct link, so as to implement multipath transmission. In the embodiment of the present application, a remote UE may add a non-direct path, and configuration, data transmission, etc. of the direct path are not affected, for example, a manner of not replacing a PCell is adopted, the PDCP entity of the remote UE may not perform reestablishment or data recovery, and the PC5 RLC entity of the remote UE may not perform reestablishment. It can be seen that the access network device can instruct the remote UE to add a non-direct path, so that the remote UE can not only add a non-direct path, but also does not have to release a maintained direct path, so that the remote UE can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote UE, the addition of the non-direct path does not need to affect the communication of the current direct path, so that the influence on the data transmission caused by key exchange or PCell exchange, such as time delay caused by interruption, is reduced, and resource overhead is saved.

Referring to fig. 12, a flowchart of a fourth communication method according to an embodiment of the present application is provided, and the method may be used to add a direct path or a non-direct path.

S1201, the access network device determines to add a first path for the remote UE. Wherein the remote UE is connected to the network via a second path or understood that the remote UE has maintained the second path.

The first path is a direct connection path of the remote UE and the first cell, and the second path is a non-direct connection path of the remote UE and the second cell through the relay UE; or the first path is a non-direct connection path of the remote UE connected with the second cell through the relay UE, and the second path is a direct connection path of the remote UE connected with the first cell. The first cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device or a cell provided by other access network devices. The second cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device or a cell provided by other access network devices.

S1202, the access network equipment sends RRC reconfiguration information to the remote UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device. The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate that the first path is added at the new cell group. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message may indicate that a first path is added in the SCG; or the RRC reconfiguration message may indicate that the first path is added in the SCG when the added first path is a direct path, and the first path is added in a Relay Cell Group (RCG) when the added first path is a non-direct path. The RCG may be used to add non-direct paths, for example, non-direct paths for remote UEs may all be added in the RCG.

Alternatively, in the embodiment of the present application, whether a direct connection path or a non-direct connection path is added, the path may be added by adding an SCG. That is, an SCG may be added for the remote UE, and the cell of the first path to be added is taken as a cell in the SCG.

Since SCG is to be added, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an SCG cell for configuring the newly added SCG. For example, the SCG cell includes fourth indication information, which may indicate that the first path is added. Since the fourth indication information is included in the SCG cell, it can be understood that the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the first path is added in the SCG.

For example, to add the first path to the PSCell of the SCG, the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, e.g., a SpCellConfig cell, which may include fourth indication information. Alternatively, the fourth indication information may include configuration information of the first path. For example, if the first path is a direct path, the fourth indication information may include configuration information of the direct path; alternatively, if the first path is a non-direct path, the fourth indication information may include configuration information of the non-direct path, e.g., the fourth indication information may be referred to as a second path configuration, or other information. For the content included in the configuration information of the first path, the application manner of the corresponding information, and the like, reference may be made to the description of the configuration information of the direct path or the non-direct path in any of the foregoing embodiments. Wherein the configuration information of the first path may be directly included in the special cell configuration element; or in other cells (e.g., synchronization reconfiguration cells) included in the special cell configuration cells; alternatively, a part of the configuration information of the first path (for example, the identity of the first cell) is directly included in the special cell configuration cell, and the remaining information in the configuration information of the first path is included in other cells (for example, the synchronization reconfiguration cell) included in the special cell configuration cell. For this, reference may be made to fig. 13A, fig. 13A taking the example that fourth indication information is included in the synchronization reconfiguration cell.

Alternatively, if the first path is a non-direct path, the fourth indication information may also be directly included in the SCG cell. For example, the fourth indication information includes configuration information of a non-direct path, and for example, the fourth indication information may be referred to as a second path configuration, or other information. The fourth indication information is directly included in the SCG cell, and it is understood that the fourth indication information is included in the SCG cell and is not included in other cells included in the SCG cell. Reference is made to fig. 13B for this.

Alternatively, when the added first path is a non-direct path, the third instruction information or the fourth instruction information may be added to the RCG. In this case, the SCG described above may be replaced with an RCG.

S1203, the remote UE adds the first path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not release the second path.

S1204, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration completion message to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration completion message sent by the remote UE.

For example, the remote UE may transmit the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the second path after completing configuration according to the RRC reconfiguration message.

In the embodiment of the application, the remote UE can add a non-direct connection path or a direct connection path, and the configuration, data transmission and the like of the original path are not affected. It can be seen that the remote UE is not only able to add new paths, but also not have to release the original paths that have been maintained, so that the remote UE can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote UE, since the original path does not have to be released, resources can be fully utilized. And the remote UE can maintain two paths at the same time, so that the stability and reliability of transmission are improved. Meanwhile, in consideration of the fact that in the process of adding one path, the influence on the transmission of the original path can be caused, the embodiment of the application can reduce or avoid the influence on the original path through indication. For example, when the remote UE is instructed to switch to the direct connection path, it may also be instructed not to release the non-direct connection path, so that the remote UE can not only add the direct connection path, but also not release the maintained non-direct connection path or change the configuration of the maintained path, so that the remote UE can maintain both paths at the same time. For the remote UE, since the non-direct connection path does not need to be released, the reliability and stability of transmission can be increased through the two paths, the change of the configuration of the maintained path is avoided or reduced, the time delay brought to the maintained path due to the change of the configuration is reduced, and the user experience is improved. The embodiment of the application adds a new path based on the configuration of SCG or RCG, which can effectively help remote UE distinguish two paths and is convenient for configuration. By adding the fourth indication information, the remote UE can reduce unnecessary reconfiguration process and reduce the influence on data transmission.

According to the description of the foregoing embodiments, if a direct path is to be added, the method provided by the embodiment shown in any one of fig. 6, 8, or 12 may be used, and if a non-direct path is to be added, the method provided by the embodiment shown in any one of fig. 10 or 12 may be used.

Alternatively, if a direct path is to be added and the first cell and the second cell are the same cell, the method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 6 may be used; if a direct path is to be added and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, the method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 12 may be used. Alternatively, if a non-direct path is to be added and the first cell and the second cell are the same cell, the method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 10 may be used; if a non-direct path is to be added and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, the method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 12 may be used. Equivalently, according to different relations between the first cell and the second cell, paths can be added based on different logics, so that the remote UE can be effectively assisted in identifying the PCell, and configuration is facilitated.

For example, a remote UE that originally maintains a direct connection path with a first cell, through the method provided by the embodiment shown in any of fig. 10 or fig. 12, may be added with a non-direct connection path for communication with a second cell through a relay UE, for which reference may be made to fig. 13C, where the non-direct connection path is shown as a dotted line (straight line) in fig. 13C. As can be seen from fig. 13C, the remote UE can maintain two paths after adding the non-direct path.

For another example, the remote UE originally maintains a direct path for communication with the second cell through the relay UE, and the method provided by the embodiments shown in any of fig. 6, 8 or 12 may add a direct path for communication with the first cell to the remote UE, for which reference may be made to fig. 13D, where the direct path is shown as a dotted line (straight line) in fig. 13D. As can be seen from fig. 13D, the remote UE can maintain two paths after adding the direct path. In fig. 13C and fig. 13D, the cells provided by the same access network device in both the first cell and the second cell are taken as examples, which is not limited in practical application.

The foregoing embodiments introduce a method of adding a direct path or a non-direct path for a remote UE. And after adding a path, it may also involve releasing the path. To this end, embodiments of the present application provide a fifth communication method by which to introduce how to release a direct path or a non-direct path. Please refer to fig. 14, which is a flowchart of the method.

S1401, the access network device determines that the first path is released for the remote UE. The remote UE is connected to the network through a second path, and the remote UE is also connected to the network through a first path. Or it is understood that the remote UE has maintained the second path and the first path.

S1402, the access network device sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device. The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate that the first path is released. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message includes fifth indication information, which may indicate that the first path is released.

The release of the direct path and the non-direct path may take place in different ways, as described below.

1. The first release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path, and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the first release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path.

Since the current remote UE maintains both the direct path and the non-direct path, release of the direct path may be achieved by following a path switch (pathswitch) to non-direct path procedure, i.e., the RRC reconfiguration message may include a synchronous reconfiguration cell, which may include a sideline path switch configuration cell, e.g., a sl-pathswitch config cell. According to the normal path to non-direct path flow, after the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message including the sl-path configuration cell, the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the remote UE needs to be changed to the default configuration, but the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the relay UE is not changed, and the configuration of the SRB1 of the remote UE may be different from the configuration of the SRB1 of the relay UE, so that the relay UE needs to reconfigure the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path, which causes waste of network resources and increases communication delay.

For this reason, the embodiment of the present application adds fifth indication information to the RRC reconfiguration message, where the fifth indication information may indicate to release the first path. The remote UE can definitely not release the non-direct path, or can definitely not need to reestablish the non-direct path, or can definitely not need to reconfigure the non-direct path (for example, not reconfigure the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path) according to the fifth indication information, but continue to use the existing configuration of the non-direct path, so that the relay UE does not need to reconfigure the non-direct path. Therefore, the waste of network resources is reduced, and the communication delay is also reduced.

Alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, and the fifth indication information may be included in the MCG cell. One way in which the MCG cell includes fifth indication information is for example that the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including a side-by-side path switch cell, which may include the fifth indication information. Optionally, the synchronization reconfiguration cell may further include other information, for example, configuration information including a non-direct path, for example, a corresponding timer, an RNTI, and the like, for which reference may be made to fig. 15A. When the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes the synchronization reconfiguration cell, includes the sidelink path switching configuration cell, and includes the fifth indication information, the remote UE may retain the current non-direct path configuration, that is, the remote UE does not need to change the configuration of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct link, for example, does not need to change the configuration of the SL-RLC1 to a default configuration. Or when the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, includes a sideline path switching configuration cell, and does not include fifth indication information, the remote UE considers that the relay UE corresponding to the identifier of the relay UE indicated by the sideline path switching configuration cell is a relay UE corresponding to a non-direct path, the remote UE may start a timer T420, and if the remote UE does not establish a connection with the relay UE, the remote UE needs to establish a PC5 connection with the relay UE, and may change the configuration of SL-RLC1 (the configuration of SRB1 for transmitting the remote UE) to a default configuration.

If the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, the second cell may be changed to the PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, for example, in a changing manner, the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is included in the special cell configuration information in the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message, which is equivalent to moving the configuration information of the non-direct connection path included in the secondary cell configuration information in the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message to the special cell configuration information. The configuration information of the non-direct link included in the secondary cell configuration information may still exist, so the remote UE may release the configuration information of the non-direct link included in the secondary cell configuration information in the MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message. For example, the access network device may send indication information, e.g. referred to as indication information a, to the remote UE, where the indication information a may be included in the RRC reconfiguration message, or may be sent separately, where the indication information a may indicate configuration information of a non-direct path included in a secondary cell configuration cell in an MCG cell releasing the RRC reconfiguration message. Or after receiving the RRC reconfiguration message, if it is determined that the RRC reconfiguration message includes a sidelink path switching configuration cell, the remote UE may release configuration information of a non-direct connection path included in a secondary cell configuration cell in an MCG cell of the RRC reconfiguration message, and the access network device does not need an additional indication.

Optionally, when the direct connection path is released, the fifth indication information may specifically indicate that the non-direct connection path is not released, or indicate that the non-direct connection path is reserved, or indicate that the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is not released, or indicate that the configuration information of the non-direct connection path is reserved. Equivalently, the release of the direct connection path is indirectly indicated by indicating that the non-direct connection path is reserved. For example, the fifth indication information may be referred to as a non-direct reservation, or may be other information.

Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration message may further include sixth indication information, which may indicate the PDCP entity to reconstruct or recover data, so that the remote UE may perform the reconstruction or the data recovery of the PDCP entity according to the sixth indication information. Thus, for DRBs in acknowledged mode (acknowledged mode, AM), the remote UE may retransmit data packets that were not successfully transmitted on the released direct link, e.g., may utilize the unreleased non-direct link.

For example, for any of the embodiments of fig. 6, 8 or 12, the first release mode may be employed to release the direct path therein. If the embodiment shown in fig. 12 is adopted to add a direct path, after the direct path is released, the SCG (for example, the SCG including the non-direct path) of the remote UE or the RCG may be automatically changed to the MCG of the remote UE.

2. And a second release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path, and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the second release mode, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path. For example, if the embodiment shown in fig. 12 is used to add a direct path, and the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, the first cell is a different cell than the second cell, and the second cell is a PSCell in the SCG of the remote UE, the direct path may be released in this way.

In the second release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message may release the direct connection path by indicating to release the MCG, for example, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the MCG. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, which may include fifth indication information, which may indicate that the MCG corresponding to the MCG cell is released, for which reference may be made to fig. 15B. For another example, the fifth indication information may be directly included in the RRC reconfiguration message, not necessarily included in other cells of the RRC reconfiguration message, for which reference is made to fig. 15C. For example, the fifth indication information is release information, or other information. The remote UE may release the MCG according to the fifth indication information, which corresponds to releasing the direct path. Since the MCG has been released, the SCG of the remote UE (e.g., the SCG including the non-direct path) may be automatically changed to the MCG, and if the SRB0/SRB1/SRB 2 of the remote UE is not yet connected to the access network device through the relay UE, the remote UE may automatically associate the PDCP entity corresponding to the SRB1/SRB 2 to the SRAP entity corresponding to the relay UE.

The direct connection path is released by releasing the MCG, the process is simpler, and the RRC reconfiguration message contains less content, thereby being beneficial to saving transmission overhead.

3. The third release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path, and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the third release mode, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path. For example, for the embodiment shown in any of fig. 6, 8 or 12, the third release mode is applicable as long as SCG is present.

In a third release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message may release the direct connection path by indicating that SCG is released. However, the cell corresponding to the direct connection path is included in the MCG, so that the MCG and the SCG can be subjected to role exchange first, and then the SCG after role exchange is released, so that the direct connection path is released. For example, the fifth indication information may include first sub information and second sub information. The first sub-information may indicate that the MCG where the cell corresponding to the direct connection path is located is changed to the SCG, and/or the first sub-information indicates that the SCG where the cell corresponding to the non-direct connection path is located is changed to the MCG. For example, the SCG obtained by changing the original MCG is referred to as a new MCG, and the MCG obtained by changing the original SCG is referred to as a new SCG. The second sub-information may indicate that a new SCG is released. Alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, which may include first and second sub-information, for which reference may be made to fig. 15D. Alternatively, the first sub-information and the second sub-information may be directly included in the RRC reconfiguration message, not necessarily included in other cells of the RRC reconfiguration message, for which reference is made to fig. 15E. For example, the MCG cell comprises a release list (release list), which may comprise an identification of the SCGs to be released, and the second sub-information is for example comprised in the release list, e.g. the second sub-information comprises an identification of new SCGs.

The remote UE may exchange roles between the MCG and the SCG according to the first sub-information, and then release the new SCG according to the second sub-information, thereby releasing the direct connection path.

The third release mode releases the direct connection path by releasing the SCG, the process is simpler, and the RRC reconfiguration message contains less content, thereby being beneficial to saving the transmission overhead. And the MCG and the SCG are exchanged in roles, and then the new SCG is released, so that the situation of MCG deletion can not occur.

4. And a fourth release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the fourth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path. For example, if the first cell is an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, the direct path may be released in a fourth release manner.

Since the current remote UE maintains both the direct path and the non-direct path, release of the direct path may be achieved by switching the path switch to the non-direct path along the path, i.e. the RRC reconfiguration message may comprise a synchronous reconfiguration cell, which may comprise a sidelink path switch configuration cell, e.g. a sl-path switch config cell. According to the normal path to non-direct path flow, after the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message including the sl-path configuration cell, the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the remote UE needs to be changed to the default configuration, but the configuration of the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path of the relay UE is not changed, and the configuration of the SRB1 of the remote UE may be different from the configuration of the SRB1 of the relay UE, so that the relay UE needs to reconfigure the SRB1 corresponding to the non-direct path, which causes waste of network resources and increases communication delay.

Thus, release of the direct path can be achieved by following the procedure of switching to the direct path. According to the normal flow of switching to the direct connection path, after the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message, random access needs to be initiated to the cell (for example, the first cell) corresponding to the direct connection path again according to the random access parameter indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message, which causes waste of network resources and increases communication delay. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the fifth instruction information is added to the RRC reconfiguration message, and the remote UE may explicitly not release the direct connection path according to the fifth instruction information, or may explicitly not need to initiate random access to the cell corresponding to the direct connection path again. Therefore, the waste of network resources is reduced, and the communication delay is also reduced.

The first cell is an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and may be a cell connected to another path of the remote UE, for example, the remote UE may not be directly connected to the first cell through the relay UE, in addition to the cell connected to the direct connection path (first path) to be released by the remote UE. Then, if the remote UE is connected to the first cell only through the direct path to be released, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the first cell; alternatively, if the remote UE is connected to the first cell through other paths in addition to the non-direct path to be released, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the direct path, but not the first cell.

The RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, and the fifth indication information may be included in the MCG cell. Alternatively, one way in which the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information is, for example, that the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell that includes the fifth indication information. Reference is made to fig. 15F for this. At this time, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the direct path, for example, the fifth indication information includes direct release information (directorywise); alternatively, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the first cell, e.g. the fifth indication information comprises release information. For example, the fifth instruction information includes direct connection release information to instruct release of a direct connection path. Optionally, the fifth indication information may further include other information of the direct path.

Alternatively, if the fifth indication information may indicate to release the first cell, one way in which the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information is, for example, that the MCG cell directly includes the fifth indication information, i.e., the fifth indication information is not included in other cells included in the MCG cell, for which reference may be made to fig. 15G. For example, the special cell configuration element comprises a release list comprising an identity of the SCell to be released in the MCG, and fifth indication information is included in the release list, e.g. the fifth indication information comprises an identity of the first cell to indicate to release the first cell.

5. And a fifth release mode, wherein the first path is a non-direct path and the second path is a direct path. That is, in the fifth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the non-direct path. For example, for the embodiment shown in any of fig. 6, 8 or 12, the fifth release pattern is applicable.

Since the current remote UE maintains the direct path and the non-direct path, release of the non-direct path can be achieved by following the procedure of switching to the direct path. When the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message according to the normal procedure of switching to the direct connection path, the remote UE needs to initiate random access to a cell (e.g., a first cell) corresponding to the direct connection path again according to the random access parameter indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message. Since the remote UE has good connection with the cell corresponding to the direct connection path, the random access will be performed again, which will cause waste of network resources and increase communication delay. Therefore, the embodiment of the application adds fifth indication information in the RRC reconfiguration message, wherein the fifth indication information can indicate to release the non-direct connection path. The remote UE can explicitly not release the direct link path according to the fifth instruction information, or explicitly not need to initiate random access to the cell corresponding to the direct link path again. Therefore, the waste of network resources is reduced, and the communication delay is also reduced.

Alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, and the fifth indication information may be included in the MCG cell. One way in which the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information is, for example, that the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fifth indication information. Optionally, the synchronization reconfiguration cell may further include other information, for example, configuration information including a non-direct path, for example, a timer T304, an RNTI, and the like, for which reference may be made to fig. 15H. When the MCG cell in the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE comprises a special cell configuration cell, and the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell and fifth indication information, the remote UE does not need to start T304 and does not need to perform random access with a cell indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message; or when the MCG cell in the RRC reconfiguration message received by the remote UE includes a special cell configuration cell, where the special cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell and does not include fifth indication information, the remote UE needs to switch the PCell to a cell indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message, and at this time, the remote UE may turn on T304 to perform random access with the cell indicated in the RRC reconfiguration message.

For example, the fifth indication information includes indirect release (indirect release) information to indicate release of the indirect path. Optionally, the fifth indication information may further include other information of the non-direct path, for example, including an identifier of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct path (for example, a layer 2ID of the relay UE), or including an identifier of the remote UE corresponding to the non-direct path (for example, a local identifier (local ID) of the remote UE), etc. If the remote UE maintains multiple non-direct paths and the fifth indication information indicates to release some of the non-direct paths, the fifth indication information may indicate which non-direct paths are specifically released by including the identity of the relay UE and/or the identity of the remote UE.

Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration message may further include sixth indication information, which may indicate the PDCP entity to reconstruct or recover data, so that the remote UE may perform the reconstruction or the data recovery of the PDCP entity according to the sixth indication information. Therefore, for the DRB of the AM, the remote UE may retransmit the data packet that is not successfully transmitted on the released non-direct connection path, for example, may retransmit the data using the unreleased direct connection path.

6. And a sixth release mode, wherein the first path is a non-direct path and the second path is a direct path. That is, in the sixth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the non-direct path. For example, for the embodiment shown in any of fig. 6, 8 or 12, the sixth release pattern is applicable.

Since the current remote UE maintains the direct path and the non-direct path, release of the direct path can be achieved by following the procedure of switching to the direct path. According to the normal flow of switching to the direct connection path, after the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message, random access needs to be initiated to the cell (for example, the first cell) corresponding to the direct connection path again according to the random access parameter indicated by the RRC reconfiguration message, which causes waste of network resources and increases communication delay. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, the fifth instruction information is added to the RRC reconfiguration message, and the remote UE may explicitly not release the direct connection path according to the fifth instruction information, or may explicitly not need to initiate random access to the cell corresponding to the direct connection path again. Therefore, the waste of network resources is reduced, and the communication delay is also reduced.

The second cell is an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and may be a cell connected to another path of the remote UE, for example, the remote UE may be directly connected to the second cell through a Uu interface, in addition to the cell connected to the non-direct connection path (the first path) to be released by the remote UE. Then, if the remote UE is connected to the second cell only through the non-direct path to be released, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the second cell; alternatively, if the remote UE is connected to the second cell through another path in addition to the non-direct path to be released, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the non-direct path, but not the second cell.

The RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, and the fifth indication information may be included in the MCG cell. Alternatively, one way in which the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information is, for example, that the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell that includes the fifth indication information. Reference may be made to fig. 15F for this. For example, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the non-direct path, e.g., the fifth indication information includes non-direct release information; alternatively, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the second cell, e.g. the fifth indication information comprises release (release) information. For example, the fifth indication information includes non-direct connection release information to indicate release of the non-direct connection path. Optionally, the fifth indication information may further include other information of the non-direct path, for example, including an identifier of the relay UE corresponding to the non-direct path (for example, a layer 2ID of the relay UE), or including an identifier of the remote UE corresponding to the non-direct path (for example, a local identifier (local ID) of the remote UE), etc.

Alternatively, if the fifth indication information may indicate to release the second cell, one way in which the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information is, for example, that the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell that includes the fifth indication information. Reference may be made to fig. 15G for this. For example, the special cell configuration element comprises a release list comprising an identity of the SCell to be released in the MCG, and fifth indication information is included in the release list, e.g. the fifth indication information comprises an identity of the second cell to indicate to release the second cell.

7. And a seventh release mode, wherein the first path is a non-direct path and the second path is a direct path. That is, in the seventh release mode, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the non-direct path. For example, if the embodiment shown in fig. 10 is used to add a non-direct path, and the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the first cell is a different cell than the second cell, e.g., the first cell is an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE, then the non-direct path may be released in a seventh release manner. For another example, if the embodiment shown in fig. 12 is used to add a non-direct path, and the second cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the first cell is a different cell than the second cell, e.g., the first cell is a PSCell in the SCG of the remote UE, then the non-direct path may be released in a seventh release manner.

Because the first cell is different from the second cell, the non-direct path may be released by the procedure of switching to the first cell. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell including a special cell configuration cell, and handover to the first cell may be indicated by adding a synchronization reconfiguration cell to the special cell configuration cell. For example, the special cell configuration information may include configuration information of a direct connection path, which is equivalent to changing a first cell corresponding to the direct connection path to a PCell. In addition, the MCG cell further includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell may include configuration information of a non-direct connection path to be released, which is equivalent to changing a second cell corresponding to the non-direct connection path to an SCell; or, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes an SCG cell, where the SCG corresponding to the SCG cell is originally the SCG where the first cell is located, and the SCG cell may include configuration information of a non-direct link to be released, for example, the configuration information of the non-direct link is included in a special cell configuration cell of the SCG cell, which is equivalent to changing the second cell to a PSCell in the SCG.

However, as can be seen from the foregoing, this process of switching cells causes the remote UE to initiate random access to the first cell, so in the embodiment of the present application, fifth indication information is added to the RRC reconfiguration message, and the remote UE can definitely not initiate random access to the first cell according to the fifth indication information. Optionally, the fifth indication information is included in a special cell configuration cell of the MCG cell. For example, the special cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, which may include fifth indication information, for which reference may be continued to fig. 15A. The fifth indication information may indicate to release the non-direct path, or to change the first cell to PCell, or to change the second cell to SCell, or to release SCG.

8. And an eighth release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the eighth release mode, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path. For example, if the embodiment shown in fig. 12 is used to add a non-direct path, the second cell corresponding to the non-direct path is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, then the eighth release manner may be used to release the direct path.

In an eighth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message may release the non-direct path by indicating to release the MCG, for example, the fifth indication information may indicate to release the MCG. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, which may include fifth indication information, which may indicate that the MCG corresponding to the MCG cell is released, for which reference may be continued to fig. 15B or fig. 15C. For example, the fifth indication information includes release information, or includes other information. The remote UE may release the MCG according to the fifth indication information, which corresponds to releasing the direct path. Since the MCG has been released, the SCG of the remote UE (e.g., the SCG including the direct path) may be automatically changed to the MCG.

The non-direct connection path is released by releasing the MCG, so that the process is simpler, and the RRC reconfiguration message contains less content, thereby being beneficial to saving transmission overhead.

9. And a ninth release mode, wherein the first path is a direct connection path, and the second path is a non-direct connection path. That is, in the ninth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the direct connection path. For example, if the embodiment shown in fig. 12 is used to add a direct path, the first cell is a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the first cell and the second cell are different cells, the non-direct path may be released in a ninth manner.

In a ninth release manner, the RRC reconfiguration message may release the non-direct path by indicating to release the SCG. However, the cell corresponding to the non-direct connection path is included in the MCG, so that the MCG and the SCG can be subjected to role exchange first, and then the SCG after role exchange is released, so that the non-direct connection path is released. For example, the fifth indication information may include first sub information and second sub information. The first sub-information may indicate that the MCG where the cell corresponding to the non-direct path is located is changed to the SCG, and/or the first sub-information indicates that the SCG where the cell corresponding to the direct path is located is changed to the MCG. For example, the SCG obtained by changing the original MCG is referred to as a new MCG, and the MCG obtained by changing the original SCG is referred to as a new SCG. The second sub-information may indicate that a new SCG is released. Alternatively, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell, which may include the first sub-information and the second sub-information, for which reference may be continued to fig. 15D or fig. 15E. For example, the MCG cell comprises a release list, which may comprise an identification of the SCG to be released, and the second sub-information is for example comprised in the release list, e.g. the second sub-information comprises an identification of the new SCG.

The remote UE may exchange roles between the MCG and the SCG according to the first sub-information, and then release the new SCG according to the second sub-information, thereby releasing the non-direct connection path.

The ninth release mode releases the non-direct connection path by releasing the SCG, the process is simpler, and the RRC reconfiguration message includes less content, which is beneficial to saving transmission overhead. And the MCG and the SCG are exchanged in roles, and then the new SCG is released, so that the situation of MCG deletion can not occur.

S1403, the remote UE releases the first path according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not release the second path.

The RRC reconfiguration message may be indicated in one of the release manners described in S1402, and the remote UE releases the first path according to the RRC reconfiguration message and continues to reserve the second path.

S1404, the remote UE sends an RRC reconfiguration complete message to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration complete message sent by the remote UE.

For example, the remote UE may transmit the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the second path after releasing the first path according to the RRC reconfiguration message.

By the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the application, the direct connection path or the non-direct connection path can be released, and the communication of one path cannot be influenced when the other path is released, so that the process of reconfiguring or establishing the other path when the remote UE releases the one path is reduced, and the communication time delay is reduced.

For example, the remote UE originally maintained a direct path with the first cell and maintained a non-direct path through the relay UE to communicate with the second cell. The method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 14 may release the direct path for the remote UE, for which reference is made to fig. 15I. As can be seen from fig. 15I, the remote UE can continue to maintain the non-direct path after releasing the direct path.

As another example, the remote UE may have maintained a direct path with the first cell and a non-direct path through the relay UE to communicate with the second cell. The method provided by the embodiment shown in fig. 14 may release the non-direct path for the remote UE, for which reference is made to fig. 15J. As can be seen from fig. 15J, the remote UE can continue to maintain the direct path after releasing the non-direct path.

As can be seen from fig. 4, the RRC reconfiguration message may include a sidelink layer 2 remote configuration cell and a sidelink configuration dedicated NR cell, where the sidelink layer 2 remote configuration cell includes SRAP entity configuration information of the remote UE, and the sidelink configuration dedicated NR cell includes RLC entity configuration information of the remote UE. Wherein the SRAP entity configuration information and the RLC entity configuration information are both corresponding to non-direct paths. If the remote UE maintains multiple non-direct paths, in the case of adding or releasing one of the non-direct paths for the remote UE, the remote UE may not know which non-direct path the SRAP entity configuration information and the RLC entity configuration information in the RRC reconfiguration message correspond to, and thus the remote UE may not complete the addition or release of the non-direct paths. Therefore, the embodiment of the application provides a fifth communication method, by which the remote UE can explicitly add or release configuration information corresponding to the non-direct connection path. Please refer to fig. 16, which is a flowchart of the method.

S1601, the access network device determines to modify a non-direct connection path of the remote UE, where the non-direct connection path is a path that the remote UE is connected to the second cell through the relay UE. The remote UE is further connected to the first cell through other non-direct paths. Or it is understood that the remote UE has maintained a non-direct path. For example, the non-direct connection path that the remote UE has maintained is referred to as a first non-direct connection path, or referred to as a non-direct connection path 1, where the non-direct connection path 1 corresponds to the first cell and the non-direct connection path corresponds to the relay UE1; the non-direct connection path to be modified by the remote UE is referred to as a second non-direct connection path or referred to as a non-direct connection path 2, where the non-direct connection path 2 corresponds to the second cell and the non-direct connection path corresponds to the relay UE2.

Optionally, the remote UE may have maintained other non-direct paths and/or direct paths in addition to the non-direct path 1, which is not limited by the embodiment of the present application.

The first cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device, or a cell provided by another access network device, and the remote UE is served by the first cell through the relay UE 1. The second cell is, for example, a cell provided by the access network device or a cell provided by other access network devices.

The modification described here is for example addition or release, i.e. S1601 may also be replaced by the access network device determining to add a non-direct path (e.g. non-direct path 2) for the remote UE; alternatively, the access network device determines to release the non-direct path (e.g., non-direct path 2) for the remote UE.

S1602, the access network device sends RRC reconfiguration information to the remote UE. Accordingly, the remote UE receives the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device. For example, the access network device may send the RRC reconfiguration message to the remote UE through the non-direct path 1 (or, through the relay UE 1), and correspondingly, the remote UE may receive the RRC reconfiguration message from the access network device through the non-direct path 1 (or, through the relay UE 1), as illustrated in fig. 16.

The RRC reconfiguration message may indicate to modify (e.g., add or release) the non-direct path 2 of the remote UE connection with the second cell through the relay UE. For example, the RRC reconfiguration message includes seventh indication information, which may indicate modification of the non-direct path 2. Optionally, the RRC reconfiguration message may include an MCG cell including seventh indication information. For example, the seventh indication information includes configuration information of the non-direct path 2 to be modified, for example, includes an identity of the relay UE, etc.

One way in which the MCG cell includes the seventh indication information is that the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the seventh indication information. Alternatively, the MCG cell includes a seventh indication information, and the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell, where the secondary cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, and the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes the seventh indication information. For the manner in which the RRC reconfiguration message includes the seventh indication information, the content indicated by the seventh indication information, and the like, reference may be made to the foregoing respective embodiments.

In addition, the RRC reconfiguration message may further include a first association relationship and a second association relationship. The first association relationship is, for example, an association relationship between RLC entity configuration information of the remote UE and an identifier of the relay UE; the second association relationship is, for example, an association relationship between SRAP entity configuration information of the remote UE and an identity of the relay UE. For example, the relay UE is a relay UE corresponding to a non-direct connection path to be released; or, the relay UE is a relay UE corresponding to a non-direct connection path that is not released (or reserved).

For example, the access network device adds the non-direct connection path 2 to the remote UE through the RRC reconfiguration message, where the non-direct connection path 2 corresponds to the second cell. The remote UE has maintained a non-direct path 1, the non-direct path 1 corresponding to the first cell. The first cell is, for example, a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the second cell is, for example, the same cell as the first cell. One implementation of the RRC reconfiguration message may refer to fig. 17A. In fig. 17A, a side SRAP configuration relation (SL-SRAP-Config-relation) cell is newly added to a side layer 2 far-end configuration cell, where the side SRAP configuration relation cell may include a side SRAP configuration cell, a side serving cell information cell, and the like, and the side SRAP configuration relation cell further includes an identifier of the relay UE (for example, expressed as targetracueidentity). For example, one or more side SRAP configuration relation cells may be newly added in the far-end configuration cell of the side column layer 2, where one side SRAP configuration relation cell corresponds to one non-direct connection path, that is, the side SRAP configuration relation cell may correspond to the non-direct connection path one by one, and the identifier of the relay UE included in one side SRAP configuration relation cell is the identifier of the relay UE of the non-direct connection path corresponding to the side SRAP configuration relation cell. It is understood that a sideline SRAP configuration relation cell includes a second association relation. For example, the identifier of the relay UE included in the sideline SRAP configuration relation cell shown in fig. 17A is the identifier of the relay UE2 corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 to be released.

In fig. 17A, a side RLC Channel relation (SL-RLC-Channel-relation) cell is also newly added to the side configuration dedicated NR cell, where the side RLC Channel relation cell may include a side RLC Channel to add mode list cell, and may further include an identity of the relay UE (e.g., as shown in targetraceyueidentity). For example, one or more side RLC channel relation cells may be newly added in the side-row configuration dedicated NR cell, where one side RLC channel relation cell corresponds to one non-direct path, that is, the side RLC channel relation cells may correspond to the non-direct paths one to one, and the identity of the relay UE included in one side RLC channel relation cell is the identity of the relay UE of the non-direct path corresponding to the side RLC channel relation cell. It is understood that a sidelink RLC channel relationship cell includes a first association. For example, the identity of the relay UE included in the sidelink RLC channel relation cell shown in fig. 17A is the identity of the relay UE2 corresponding to the non-direct link path 2 to be released.

In fig. 17A, the seventh instruction information includes an identifier of the relay UE, and for example, the seventh instruction information is configured for the second path. For example, the seventh indication information in fig. 17A includes an identifier of the relay UE2 corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 to be released. It can be seen that, through the identification of the relay UE2, a connection is established between the SRAP entity configuration information and the RLC entity configuration information, so that the remote UE can determine the SRAP entity configuration information and the RLC entity configuration information corresponding to the current modified non-direct connection path 2, and/or the remote UE can determine the SRAP entity configuration information and the RLC entity configuration information corresponding to the unmodified non-direct connection path 2.

For example, the access network device adds the non-direct connection path 2 to the remote UE through the RRC reconfiguration message, where the non-direct connection path 2 corresponds to the second cell. The remote UE has maintained a non-direct path 1, the non-direct path 1 corresponding to the first cell. The first cell is, for example, a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the second cell is, for example, a different cell than the first cell. One implementation of the RRC reconfiguration message may refer to fig. 17B. The seventh instruction information in fig. 17B is, for example, the second path configuration. Fig. 17B is a diagram illustrating an SCell in the MCG in which the second cell is the remote UE. In addition, the second cell may be a PSCell in the SCG of the remote UE. For example, the identifier of the relay UE shown in fig. 17B is the identifier of the relay UE2 corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 to be released.

For another example, the access network device releases the non-direct path 2 for the remote UE through the RRC reconfiguration message, where the non-direct path 2 corresponds to the second cell. The remote UE has maintained a non-direct path 1, the non-direct path 1 corresponding to the first cell. The second cell is, for example, a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the second cell is, for example, a different cell than the first cell. One implementation of this RRC reconfiguration message may be referred to in fig. 17C. The seventh indication information in fig. 17C is, for example, a non-direct connection reservation. Here, at this time, the identifier of the relay UE shown in fig. 17C, for example, the identifier of the relay UE1 corresponding to the non-direct connection path 1 reserved for the remote UE.

Also for example, the access network device releases the non-direct path a for the remote UE through the RRC reconfiguration message, where the direct path a corresponds to the second cell. The remote UE has maintained a non-direct path B, which corresponds to the first cell. The first cell is, for example, a PCell in the MCG of the remote UE, and the second cell is, for example, a different cell than the first cell, for example, the second cell is an SCell in the MCG of the remote UE. One implementation of this RRC reconfiguration message may refer to fig. 17D. The seventh indication information in fig. 17D is, for example, a non-direct release. Here, the identifier of the relay UE shown in fig. 17D at this time is, for example, the identifier of the relay UE2 corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 released by the remote UE.

For the relevant content of fig. 17B to 17D, reference is made to the description of fig. 17A above.

S1603, the remote UE modifies the non-direct path (e.g., non-direct path 2) according to the RRC reconfiguration message, and does not modify other paths. The other paths are paths maintained by the remote UE other than the non-direct path (e.g., non-direct path 2), including, for example, a direct path and/or a non-direct path. That is, for paths for which the RRC reconfiguration message does not indicate modification, the remote UE may continue maintenance without modification (e.g., without reconfiguration nor release).

For example, the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that non-direct path 2 is added. The remote UE can determine the configuration information corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 according to the first association information and the second association information included in the RRC reconfiguration message, so that the non-direct connection path 2 is added according to the configuration information, and other paths (including, for example, a direct connection path and/or a non-direct connection path) of the remote UE are maintained unchanged.

For another example, if the RRC reconfiguration message indicates that the non-direct connection path 2 is released, the remote UE can determine configuration information corresponding to the non-direct connection path 2 or the non-released non-direct connection path 1 according to the first association information and the second association information included in the RRC reconfiguration message, so that the non-direct connection path 2 is released according to the configuration information, and the non-direct connection path 1 is maintained unchanged.

S1604, the remote UE sends RRC reconfiguration completion information to the access network equipment, and correspondingly, the access network equipment receives the RRC reconfiguration completion information sent by the remote UE.

For example, if the RRC reconfiguration message indicates to add non-direct path 2, the remote UE may send the RRC reconfiguration complete message through non-direct path 2 (or through relay UE 2) after adding non-direct path 2 according to the RRC reconfiguration message; alternatively, the remote UE may send the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the non-direct path 1 (or, through the relay UE 1) after adding the non-direct path 2 according to the RRC reconfiguration message, as illustrated in fig. 16.

For another example, if the RRC reconfiguration message indicates release of the non-direct path 2, the remote UE may send the RRC reconfiguration complete message through the non-direct path 1 (or through the relay UE 1) after releasing the non-direct path 2 according to the RRC reconfiguration message.

The embodiment of the application can support the remote UE to maintain a plurality of non-direct-connection paths, and can help the remote UE to distinguish the configuration information of the currently added or released non-direct-connection paths when adding or releasing a part of the non-direct-connection paths so as to improve the success rate of adding or releasing the non-direct-connection paths. And when one non-direct link is added or released, the communication of other non-direct links is not influenced, and the communication time delay can be reduced.

Fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 1800 may be an access network device or a circuitry of the access network device in the embodiments shown in any of the figures 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 for implementing the method corresponding to the access network device in the above method embodiments. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 1800 may be circuitry of the remote UE in the embodiments shown in any of fig. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16, for implementing the method corresponding to the remote UE in the above method embodiments. Specific functions can be seen from the description of the method embodiments described above. One type of circuitry is, for example, a chip system.

The communication device 1800 includes at least one processor 1801. The processor 1801 may be used for internal processing of the device, implementing certain control processing functions. Optionally, the processor 1801 includes instructions. Optionally, the processor 1801 may store data. Alternatively, the different processors may be separate devices, may be located in different physical locations, and may be located on different integrated circuits. Alternatively, the different processors may be integrated in one or more processors, e.g., integrated on one or more integrated circuits.

Optionally, the communications device 1800 includes one or more memories 1803 to store instructions. Optionally, the memory 1803 may further store data therein. The processor and the memory may be provided separately or may be integrated.

Optionally, the communications device 1800 includes a communications line 1802, and at least one communications interface 1804. Among them, since the memory 1803, the communication line 1802, and the communication interface 1804 are optional, they are all indicated by dotted lines in fig. 18.

Optionally, the communication device 1800 may also include a transceiver and/or an antenna. Wherein the transceiver may be used to transmit information to or receive information from other devices. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver, a transceiver circuit, an input-output interface, etc. for implementing the transceiver function of the communication device 1800 via an antenna. Optionally, the transceiver comprises a transmitter (transmitter) and a receiver (receiver). Illustratively, a transmitter may be used to generate a radio frequency (radio frequency) signal from the baseband signal, and a receiver may be used to convert the radio frequency signal to the baseband signal.

The processor 1801 may include a general purpose central processing unit (central processing unit, CPU), microprocessor, application specific integrated circuit (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of programs in accordance with aspects of the present application.

Communication line 1802 may include a pathway to transfer information between the aforementioned components.

The communication interface 1804, uses any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as ethernet, radio access network (radio access network, RAN), wireless local area network (wireless local area networks, WLAN), wired access network, etc.

The memory 1803 may be, but is not limited to, a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (random access memory, RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (compact disc read-only memory) or other optical disc storage, a compact disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. The memory 1803 may be self-contained and coupled to the processor 1801 via communication line 1802. Alternatively, the memory 1803 may be integrated with the processor 1801.

The memory 1803 is used for storing computer-executable instructions for executing the present application, and is controlled by the processor 1801. The processor 1801 is configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1803, thereby implementing the communication method provided by the above-described embodiment of the present application.

Alternatively, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may be referred to as application program codes, which are not particularly limited in the embodiments of the present application.

In a particular implementation, the processor 1801 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in fig. 18, as one embodiment.

In a particular implementation, as one embodiment, the communications apparatus 1800 may include a plurality of processors, such as processor 1801 and processor 1808 in fig. 18. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or may be a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. A processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and/or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

When the apparatus shown in fig. 18 is a chip, for example, a chip of an access network device, or a chip of a remote UE, the chip includes a processor 1801 (may further include a processor 1808), a communication line 1802, a memory 1803, and a communication interface 1804. In particular, the communication interface 1804 may be an input interface, pin or circuit, etc. The memory 1803 may be a register, a cache, or the like. The processor 1801 and the processor 1808 may be a general-purpose CPU, microprocessor, ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of programs in the communication method of any of the above embodiments.

The embodiment of the application can divide the functional modules of the device according to the method example, for example, each functional module can be divided corresponding to each function, and two or more functions can be integrated in one processing module. The integrated modules may be implemented in hardware or in software functional modules. It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present application, the division of the modules is schematic, which is merely a logic function division, and other division manners may be implemented in actual implementation. For example, in the case of dividing the respective functional modules by the respective functions, fig. 19 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 1900, which may be an access network device or a remote UE, or a chip in the access network device or a chip in the remote UE, involved in the respective method embodiments described above. The apparatus 1900 includes a transmitting unit 1901, a processing unit 1902, and a receiving unit 1903.

It should be understood that the apparatus 1900 may be used to implement steps performed by the access network device or the remote UE in the method according to the embodiments of the present application, and relevant features may refer to the foregoing embodiments, which are not described herein.

Alternatively, the functions/implementation procedures of the transmission unit 1901, the reception unit 1903, and the processing unit 1902 in fig. 19 may be implemented by the processor 1801 in fig. 18 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 1803. Alternatively, the functions/implementation procedures of the processing unit 1902 in fig. 19 may be implemented by the processor 1801 in fig. 18 invoking computer-executed instructions stored in the memory 1803, and the functions/implementation procedures of the transmitting unit 1901 and the receiving unit 1903 in fig. 19 may be implemented by the communication interface 1804 in fig. 18.

Alternatively, when the apparatus 1900 is a chip or a circuit, the functions/implementation procedures of the transmitting unit 1901 and the receiving unit 1903 may also be implemented by pins or circuits, or the like.

The present application also provides a computer readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions which, when executed, implement the method performed by an access network device or a remote UE in the foregoing method embodiments. Thus, the functions described in the above embodiments may be implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present application may be embodied in essence or contributing part or part of the technical solution in the form of a software product stored in a storage medium, comprising several instructions for causing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the method according to the embodiments of the present application. The storage medium includes: a usb disk, a removable hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc.

The present application also provides a computer program product comprising: computer program code which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method performed by the access network device or the remote UE in any of the method embodiments described above.

The embodiment of the application also provides a processing device, which comprises a processor and an interface; the processor is configured to perform a method performed by the access network device or the remote UE according to any of the above method embodiments.

In the above embodiments, it may be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When loaded and executed on a computer, produces a flow or function in accordance with embodiments of the present application, in whole or in part. The computer may be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions may be stored in or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another, for example, by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. that contains an integration of one or more available media. The usable medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a Solid State Disk (SSD)), or the like.

The various illustrative logical blocks and circuits described in connection with the embodiments of the application may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (digital signal processor, DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (application specific integrated circuit, ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (field-programmable gate array, FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the general purpose processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software unit executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software elements may be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In an example, a storage medium may be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC, which may reside in a terminal device. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside in different components in a terminal device.

These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart flow or flows and/or block diagram block or blocks.

Although the embodiments of the present application have been described in connection with specific features and embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations thereof can be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the application. Accordingly, the present embodiments and figures are merely exemplary illustrations of embodiments of the application defined by the appended claims and are considered to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations, or equivalents of the embodiments that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the present application without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the application. Thus, the embodiments of the present application are intended to include such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the embodiments of the application as claimed and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method of communication, for application to an access network device, the method comprising:

determining to add a direct connection path connected with a first cell for a remote terminal device, wherein the remote terminal device is connected with a second cell through a non-direct connection path;

and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal equipment to switch to the direct connection path, and the RRC reconfiguration message also comprises first indication information, and the first indication information is used for indicating that the non-direct connection path is not released.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the position of the substrate comprises,

the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell including the first indication information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the MCG cell includes the first indication information, comprising:

the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the first indication information; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the first indication information.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the special cell configuration element comprises parameters for the remote terminal device to communicate under the first cell.

5. The method according to any of claims 2-4, wherein the MCG cell further comprises a secondary cell configuration cell, the secondary cell configuration cell comprising second indication information for indicating a change of the second cell from a special cell in the MCG of the remote terminal device to a secondary cell in the MCG.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second indication information comprises configuration information of the non-direct path.

7. The method according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the first cell and the second cell are the same cell or are different cells.

8. A method of communication, for application to an access network device, the method comprising:

determining to add a non-direct-connection path connected with the second cell through the relay terminal equipment for the remote terminal equipment, wherein the remote terminal equipment is connected with the first cell through the direct-connection path;

and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises third indication information, and the third indication information is used for indicating the addition of the non-direct connection path.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message includes an MCG cell, the MCG cell including the third indication information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the MCG cell includes the third indication information, comprising:

the MCG cell comprises a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell comprises a synchronous reconfiguration cell, and the synchronous reconfiguration cell comprises the third indication information; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell including the third indication information.

11. The method according to any of claims 8-10, wherein the third indication information comprises configuration information of the non-direct path.

12. A method of communication, for application to an access network device, the method comprising:

determining to add a first path for a remote terminal device, where the remote terminal device is connected with a network through a second path, the first path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with a first cell of the access network device, the second path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with the second cell through a relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path where the remote terminal device is connected with the first cell of the access network device;

And sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is used for indicating the remote terminal equipment to add the first path in the SCG.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message is configured to instruct the remote terminal device to add the first path in an SCG, comprising:

the RRC reconfiguration message includes an SCG cell, where the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, and the special cell configuration cell includes fourth indication information, where the fourth indication information is used to indicate that the first path is added.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first path is the direct path and the fourth indication information comprises configuration information of the first path.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first path is the non-direct path and the fourth indication information comprises configuration information of the non-direct path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining the position of the probe is performed,

the SCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fourth indication information.

17. A method of communication, for application to an access network device, the method comprising:

determining to release a first path for a remote terminal device, wherein the remote terminal device is connected with a network through a second path, the first path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a first cell of the access network device, the second path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with a second cell through a relay terminal device, or the first path is a non-direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the second cell through the relay terminal device, and the second path is a direct connection path of the remote terminal device connected with the first cell of the access network device;

and sending an RRC reconfiguration message to the remote terminal equipment, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises fifth indication information, and the fifth indication information is used for indicating to release the first path.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the fifth indication information is specifically used to indicate that the second path is not released.

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the RRC reconfiguration message comprises an MCG cell, the MCG cell comprising the fifth indication information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, comprising:

if the first path is the direct connection path, the second path is the non-direct connection path, the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell includes a synchronization reconfiguration cell, the synchronization reconfiguration cell includes a side-row path switching configuration cell, and the side-row path switching configuration cell includes the fifth indication information.

21. The method according to any of claims 17-20, wherein if the first path is the direct path and the second path is the non-direct path, the RRC reconfiguration message further includes sixth indication information, the sixth indication information being used to indicate PDCP entity re-establishment or data recovery.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein if the first path is the non-direct path and the second path is the direct path, the MCG cell includes the fifth indication information, comprising:

The MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell including a synchronization reconfiguration cell including the fifth indication information; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the MCG cell comprises a secondary cell configuration cell, and the secondary cell configuration cell comprises the fifth indication information; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the MCG cell includes a special cell configuration cell and a secondary cell configuration cell, the special cell configuration cell includes the fifth indication information and the configuration information of the direct-connection path, and the secondary cell configuration cell includes the configuration information of the non-direct-connection path.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein, if the MCG cell includes a secondary cell configuration cell that includes the fifth indication information,

if the remote terminal device is connected with the cell corresponding to the first path through other paths, the fifth indication information is specifically used for indicating to release the first path; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

and if the remote terminal equipment is connected with the cell corresponding to the first path only through the first path, the fifth indication information is specifically used for indicating to release the auxiliary cell corresponding to the auxiliary cell configuration cell.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the first path is released, comprising:

the fifth indication information is specifically configured to indicate to release the SCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the fifth indication information is used for indicating to release the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located; or alternatively, the first and second heat exchangers may be,

the fifth indication information comprises first sub information and second sub information, the first sub information is used for indicating that the MCG where the cell corresponding to the first path is located is changed to be a new SCG, the original SCG is changed to be a new MCG, and the second sub information is used for indicating that the new SCG is released.

25. A communication device, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories;

and one or more computer programs, wherein the one or more computer programs are stored in the one or more memories, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 1-7, or cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 8-11, or cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 12-16, or cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 17-24.

26. A computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7 or to perform the method of any one of claims 8 to 11 or to perform the method of any one of claims 12 to 16 or to perform the method of any one of claims 17 to 24.

27. A chip comprising one or more processors and a communication interface, the one or more processors configured to read instructions to perform the method of any one of claims 1-7, or to perform the method of any one of claims 8-11, or to perform the method of any one of claims 12-16, or to perform the method of any one of claims 17-24.