Abstract: A method for identifier management for user devices operating in an inactive mode includes receiving a first uplink transmission including a user device identifier associated with a user device, transmitting a first downlink transmission including an indication of an ephemeral identifier assigned to the user device, transmitting a second downlink transmission including data associated with the ephemeral identifier, and discarding the ephemeral identifier.

Abstract: A method for UE capability reduction on a per-component-carrier or a per-frequency-range basis is proposed. In NR networks, UE may be operating in multiple frequency ranges (FRs) and configured with multiple component carriers (CCs) under carrier aggregation. UE can detect an overheating problem due to the RF activity supporting high bandwidth or high MIMO rank on a specific FR or a specific CC. Accordingly, UE indicates to the network a preference for a capability reduction on the specific FR or the specific CC, e.g., a reduced number of carriers, a reduced maximum bandwidth, or a reduced MIMO rank. Such per-FR or per-CC request allows UE to restrict or reduce its capability in a manner that is specific to certain component carriers and/or certain frequency ranges rather than to a global capability reduction that affects all carriers/frequencies.

Abstract: A system and method of communicating sounding reference signals (SRSs) in a cellular time division duplex (TDD) mmWave system. A transmission point (TP) may transmit beamformed reference signals to a user equipment (UE), each of the beamformed reference signals having been transmitted according to a beam direction in a set of beam directions available to the TP. The TP may receive a feedback message from the UE that identifies one of the beamformed reference signals transmitted to the UE. The TP may select, from the set of beam directions available to the TP, a subset of beam directions for SRS reception based on the feedback message received from the UE, and receive uplink SRS signals according to beam directions in the subset of beam directions. The set of beam directions available to the TP includes at least one beam direction that is excluded from the subset of beam directions.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for path switch with service continuity for the UE from the indirect relay link to direct cell link or vice versa. In one novel aspect, the UE is configured with measurement report configuration, which includes triggering event for sending the measurement report. The network sends path switch command to the UE to initiate the path switch based on the measurement report. The UE path switch includes intra-gNB and inter-gNB path switch between the indirect relay link and the direct cellular link. The triggering events are a measurement of the target direct Uu link is an offset better than a measurement of the serving sidelink for a indirect link to direct link switch and a measurement of the PC5 link is better than a predefined threshold for direct link to indirect link switch.

Abstract: A method for operating a user equipment (UE) includes receiving, by the UE from a network, a mobile subscriber identifier for the UE, the mobile subscriber identifier being exclusively assigned to the UE within a wireless tracking area of the network, and transmitting, by the UE to a relay node, an initial message of an access procedure for accessing a user data service of the network, wherein the initial message comprises a request to connect to a control node of the network, and wherein the initial message includes the mobile subscriber identifier, and an indication to relay the initial message over a first signaling radio bearer (SRB) to the control node.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for sidelink measurement configuration and report for open-loop sidelink power control. In one embodiment, the SL measurement report configuration configures a first measurement report, and wherein the reference threshold is an absolute reference threshold. In another embodiment, the reference threshold is an SL measurement result in an SL measurement report previously sent to the transmitting UE. In some embodiments, the reporting condition is the layer-3 (L3) filtered SL RSRP measurement being the offset higher or lower than the reference threshold. In yet another embodiment, the reporting condition is an explicit request of measurement report from the transmitting UE. In one embodiment, the SL measurement report includes one or more elements comprising a Boolean indicator, a delta value between the L3 filtered SL RSRP measurement and the reference threshold, and an absolute value of the L3 filtered SL RSRP measurement.

Abstract: Mechanism of relay UE discovery and relay UE selection and reselection for remote UE data transmission with a serving base station via relay UE is proposed. A method operable for relay UE selection and reselection of remote UE is provided. The UE considers additional criteria such as relay load other than purely radio signal quality (e.g., RSRP) criteria. The relay load can serve different purpose for relay UE and remote UE. The relay load can be the criteria for UE to become a relay UE or not. It can be the criteria for a remote UE to select another UE as its relay UE.

Abstract: A User Equipment (UE) including a wireless transceiver and a controller is provided. The wireless transceiver performs wireless transmission and reception to and from one or more peer UEs. The controller determines a Sidelink (SL) Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration set, and applies the SL DRX configuration set to enable a DRX operation for SL communications with the peer UEs via the wireless transceiver; wherein the SL DRX configuration set is determined based on one of the following: one or more types of one or more SL services which the UE is participating with the peer UEs; one or more SL DRX configurations received from the peer UEs; and control information received from a Base Station (BS).

Abstract: A method for receiving device position determination includes receiving beamformed position reference signals (BF-PRSs) on a plurality of communications beams from at least two transmitting devices in accordance with a BF-PRS configuration, making at least one observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) measurement in accordance with the BF-PRSs on the plurality of communications beams, and transmitting OTDOA feedback including the at least one OTDOA measurement.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for system information delivery through a sidelink relay in a NR network. In one novel aspect, on-demand system information is delivered to a remote UE through a PC5-RRC message. In one embodiment, the relay UE aggregates SI requests from one or more UEs in the SI Request destined to the gNB. In one embodiment, the PC5-RRC message is a PC5 unicast message based on an Uu-RRC broadcast SI Update message from the gNB. In another embodiment, the PC5-RRC message is a PC5 broadcast message, which includes a version number in a MAC header indicating an SI update broadcast. In yet another embodiment, the PC5-RRC message is a PC5 groupcast message. In one embodiment, the remote UE is in an RRC-IDLE state, and wherein the UE sends the SI Request message destined to the gNB through the sidelink in a PC5-RRC SI Request message.

Abstract: An indication method includes: receiving, by first user equipment, a first message sent by second user equipment, where the first message includes information indicating that the second user equipment supports an evolved user equipment-to-network relay function; and receiving, by the first user equipment, a second message sent by a network device, where the second message includes information indicating that the network device supports an evolved user equipment-to-network relay, or the second message includes information indicating that a cell in which the network device sends the second message supports an evolved user equipment-to-network relay.

Abstract: A method includes measuring beam-formed reference signals transmitted by a plurality of mmWave transmission points (TPs), sending a cloud cell formation request including indicators associated with best mmWave TPs determined in accordance with the measured beam-formed reference signals, receiving a cloud cell formation request response including indicators associated with a subset of the best mmWave TPs selected by a central controller in accordance with selection information, where the subset of the best mmWave TPs includes a first mmWave transmission point (TP) serving as a master TP and a second mmWave TP serving as a slave TP, and establishing a cloud cell with mmWave TPs of the subset of the best mmWave TPs selected by the central controller, where a data connection is established with the slave TP and at least a control connection is established with the master TP.

Abstract: A method of connection establishment for UE-to-UE relay in a cellular communication system is proposed. A sidelink interface is used for two remote UEs to communicate directly with a relay UE, and in which the relay UE forwards communications between the remote UEs to allow end-to-end communication between the remote UEs. In one embodiment, a first remote UE initiates a single Direct Communication (DC) Request that triggers the establishment of multiple connections between the first remote UE and the relay UE, and between a second remote UE and the relay UE, such that end-to-end relayed transport is available between the first and second remote UE, with hop-by-hop security. The first and second remote UE can make use of the end-to-end relayed transport to authenticate and establish end-to-end secured connection.

Abstract: This application discloses a path switching method that includes: sending, by a first terminal, a first message to a first network device, where the first message is used to request to switch a second terminal from an indirect connection path for communicating with the first network device by using the first terminal to a direct connection path for communicating with the first network device or a second network device, or the first message is used to request to release a link between the first terminal and the second terminal, and the first network device is different from the second network device; and releasing, by the first terminal, the link between the first terminal and the second terminal. With this solution, a relay terminal can trigger switching of a remote terminal from an indirect connection path to a direct connection path, to adapt to a relay scenario more flexibly.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for observed time difference of arrival (OTDOA) positioning. The method can include receiving from a serving cell of a first network assistance data for measuring time difference of arrival of positioning reference signals (PRSs) received from a plurality of neighboring cells of a second network, receiving from the serving cell a gap pattern for decoding a master information block (MIB) of a first neighboring cell of the plurality of neighboring cells, or a system frame number (SFN) offset of the first neighboring cell, and determining an SFN timing of the first neighboring cell based on the gap pattern for decoding the MIB of the first neighboring cell or the SFN offset of the first neighboring cell.

Abstract: Various solutions for coverage extension allowing improved high-frequency and high-data-rate cellular coverage of devices located in conditions of poor network coverage in mobile communications are described. The described solutions may extend coverage, for example, via a sidelink interface between two mobile devices, a relay device in good coverage and a remote device that may be in poor coverage, thus allowing the remote device to communicate using the relay device as a backhaul link to a cellular network.

Abstract: Embodiments of this application provide a method and a base station for obtaining a data radio bearer identifier. The method for obtaining a data radio bearer identifier includes: sending, by a first base station, a first message to a second base station, where the first message is used to request to add a data radio bearer (DRB); receiving, by the first base station, a second message sent by the second base station, where the second message is used to indicate an identifier of at least one DRB; and sending, by the first base station, first information to user equipment, where the first information includes DRB configuration information, and the DRB configuration information includes the identifier of the at least one DRB.

Abstract: The present invention provides a data transmission method, a device, and a system, and relates to the field of communications technologies, to resolve a problem that a base station cannot well identify specific remote UE from which data sent by relay UE comes. The method may include: receiving, by relay UE, data of remote UE, where the data includes a first identifier of the remote UE; determining, by the relay UE, a second identifier of the remote UE based on the first identifier; and sending the data of the remote UE and the second identifier of the remote UE to a base station.

Abstract: A method of performing a group handover procedure in a layer 2 relaying architecture is proposed to meet the group handover timing constraints. A relay device and one or more remote devices are collectively relocated from a source network node to a target network node, where messages of the group handover procedure are selectively delayed or omitted to ensure synchronisation of the handover operations at the various devices.

Abstract: A method for operating a user equipment (UE) includes detecting an occurrence of an overheating condition in the UE, and based thereon, determining a first set of operating capabilities of the UE from a second set of operating capabilities of the UE, where the first and second set of operating capabilities are associated with a connection between the UE and a network entity, and where the first set of operating capabilities is a reduction in operating capability of the UE when compared to the second set of operating capabilities, triggering a transfer of UE capability information associated with the first set of operating capabilities, and applying, by the UE, the first set of operating capabilities to the connection.