Abstract: Methods of operating user equipment for device-to-device, D2D, communications are provided. Operations include transmitting a quality of service, QoS, flow establishment request, the flow establishment request indicating that the QoS flow is to be transmitted over a sidelink, responsive to a determination that a required QoS flow will be fulfilled, receiving a message indicating that a requested sidelink QoS flow will be supported and receiving mapping and configuration data corresponding to the sidelink QoS flow, and responsive to determining that the required QoS may not be fulfilled, receiving a message indicating that the requested sidelink QoS flow will not be established.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for radio connection. The method which may be performed by a first terminal device comprises determining first information about whether to set up a connection over a direct path between the first terminal device and a target network node in a communication network. The method further comprises transmitting the first information towards a first network node via a second terminal device. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the target network node may be the first network node or a second network node different from the first network node in the communication network.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method in a first terminal device. The method includes: receiving, from a second terminal device serving as a relay between the first terminal device and a network node, system information related to sidelink communication between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

Abstract: The present application generally relates to wireless communication technology. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for controlling sidelink (SL) Quality of Service (QoS). According to one or more embodiments, a method for controlling sidelink (SL) Quality of Service (QoS) comprising the following steps carried out at a User Equipment (UE): a) generating QoS requirement from characteristics for one or more packets to be transmitted via a sidelink; b) determining bearer configuration corresponding to the QoS requirement; and c) performing SL transmission on the basis of the bearer configuration.

Abstract: A wireless communication device (10) simultaneously maintains a first DRX configuration for D2D communication and a second DRX configuration for D2D communication. Based on at least one of the first DRX configuration and the second DRX configuration, the wireless communication device (10) participates in D2D communication with one or more further wireless communication devices (10).

Abstract: A wireless communication device obtains configuration information defining multiple geographical areas. Further, the wireless communication device sends an outgoing D2D transmission. The outgoing D2D transmission comprises an area identifier to identify one of the geographical areas as target geographical area of the outgoing D2D transmission and to address the outgoing D2D transmission to one or more wireless communication devices in the identified target geographical area of the outgoing D2D transmission.

Abstract: A D2D communication device (10) receives a D2D communication message transmitted on a direct wireless link (21) from a first other D2D communication device (10) to a second other D2D communication device (10). The D2D communication message comprises at least one identifier of the first other D2D communication device. Based on the at least one identifier, the D2D communication device controls establishment of a direct wireless link (22) between the D2D communication device (10) and the first other D2D communication device (10).

Abstract: A radio device configures a group of further radio devices as candidate relay nodes for communication with the wireless communication network. Further, the radio device selects one or more of the further radio devices from the group as relay node for communication with the wireless communication network. Further, the radio device communicates with the wireless communication network via said one or more selected further radio devices.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes selecting a resource within a resource selection window for an initial transmission of a first Medium Access Control protocol data unit (MAC PDU) of a plurality of periodic MAC PDUs to be transmitted by a first communication device (TX UE) over a device-to-device, D2D, link to a second communication device (RX UE). The method further includes selecting a period (P) for periodic transmission of the plurality of periodic MAC PDUs so that initial transmissions of all MAC PDUs of the plurality of periodic MAC PDUs other than the first MAC PDU occur in resources after the resource selection window. Communication devices (RX UE) and computer program products are also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for communicating between devices using sidelinks. There is provided a method performed by a transmitting device for transmitting a packet to a destination device. The method comprises duplicating the packet and adding header information to form duplicated modified packets, each having a respective duplication identifier. Multiple wireless pathways to the destination device are determined, each wireless pathway comprising a sidelink. The duplicated modified packets are transmitted onto respective wireless pathways.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for sidelink measurement reporting. In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless device for reporting sidelink measurements comprises obtaining a configuration of a plurality of threshold conditions for triggering an aperiodic sidelink measurement report and detecting one of the plurality of threshold conditions for triggering an aperiodic sidelink measurement report. The method further comprises, in response to detecting the one of the plurality of threshold conditions for triggering an aperiodic sidelink measurement report, sending an aperiodic sidelink measurement report. In this manner, more accurate path loss or channel busy ratio (CBR) estimation in sidelink communication is enabled, thereby improve sidelink power control performance, resource allocation performance, and hence the overall sidelink communication performance.

Abstract: A method performed by a first user equipment (UE) configured for device-to-device (D2D) wireless communication. The method includes starting a keep-alive timer associated with a unicast sidelink (SL) connection with a second UE configured for D2D wireless communication. In response to expiration of the keep-alive timer, without receiving a transmission from the second UE while the keep-alive timer was running, a keep-alive message is transmitted to the second UE. In response to not receiving an acknowledgement of the keep-alive message, from the second UE within a predetermined duration, release of the unicast SL connection with the second UE is initiated without transmitting a further keep-alive message to the second UE.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method (400) in a first terminal device. The method (400) includes: transmitting (410) a first message indicating a first sidelink Access Stratum, AS, configuration to a second terminal device; receiving (420) from the second terminal device a second message indicating a failure of the first sidelink AS configuration; and transmitting (430) to a network device a report regarding the failure of the first sidelink AS configuration. The report contains one or more of: an indicator indicating the failure of the first sidelink AS configuration, or an identification of the second terminal device.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for a device to determine transmission priority for a transmission to another device in a device-to-device communication. The present disclosure also provides a corresponding device, computer programs, and computer-readable storage.

Abstract: A method (80) of performing transfer of data packets requiring a specified Quality of Service, QoS, by a User Equipment, UE, in an end-to-end, E2E, multi-hop sidelink radio communication (81). The UE comprises a processor operated protocol stack arranged for providing Physical, PHY, layer functionality, Media Access Control, MAC, layer functionality, Radio Link Control, RLC, layer functionality, and Adaptation, Adapt, layer functionality. The RLC layer functionality providing a plurality of ingress and egress RLC channels for transferring data packets. The method comprising receiving (83), by the RLC layer functionality, data packets a tan ingress RLC channel, mapping (84), by the Adapt layer functionality, data packets received at the ingress RLC channel to an egress RLC channel in accordance with a mapping rule for destining the data packets while maintaining the specified QoS, and transferring (86), by the RLC layer functionality, the mapped data packets at the egress RLC channel.

Abstract: A wireless device (10) is configured to receive a control message (28) from a source radio network node (14S) of a handover. The control message (28) indicates a sidelink configuration (26) that is usable during and/or after the handover. Alternatively or additionally, the control message (28) indicates a sidelink configuration (26) that is supported by a target radio network node (14T) of the handover. The sidelink configuration (26) is a configuration of a sidelink (16) for the wireless device (10).

Abstract: Embodiments of a method implemented in a Sidelink (SL) User Equipment (UE) and corresponding embodiments of an SL UE are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method comprises detecting a trigger for sending a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, wherein the RRC information comprises a request for an RRC procedure related to one or more SL-related configurations, a message comprising information that informs a network about one or more changes made by the SL UE related to one or more SL configurations, or a message that both requests the RRC procedure and comprises the information that informs the network about the one or more changes made by the SL UE related to the one or more SL configurations. The method also comprises sending the RRC information to a network node. Embodiments of a method implemented in a network node and corresponding embodiments of a network node are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method in a network node. The method includes: determining, when a terminal device is in a Radio Resource Control, RRC, _CONNECTED state, that one or more RRC state transition conditions associated with a sidelink are met; and keeping the terminal device in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

Abstract: A method of allocating sidelink radio resources to a group of vehicles, in a telecommunication network, wherein vehicles within said group of vehicles intent to use said sidelink radio resources for vehicle-to-vehicle, V2V, communication, said method comprising the steps of receiving, by a V2V control entity residing in, or accessible via, a core network of said telecommunication network, a resource request, from said group of vehicles, for requesting radio resources to be used for said V2V communication, determining, by said V2V control entity, radio resources to be used for said V2V communication, transmitting, by said V2V control entity, to said group of vehicles, a resource grant comprising said determined radio resources.

Abstract: A first and second UE are connected via a PC5 unicast link. Both maintain a list of potential Side link relay UEs and agree on a common list of UEs that appear in both lists. When the first UE detects that the second UE has trouble receiving it's transmission, e.g. ack/nack timeout or high level of NACKs, decide to use a third UE from the common list as Side Link relay towards the second UE.