Method and apparatus for sidelink identifier change in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed from the perspective of a first UE (User Equipment) to update Layer-2 Identities (IDs). In one embodiment, the method includes the first UE establishing a unicast link with a second UE, wherein a first Layer-2 ID of the first UE and a second Layer-2 ID of the second UE are used for data transmission and reception on the unicast link. The method further includes the first UE transmitting a Link Identifier Update Request message for the unicast link to the second UE, wherein the Link Identifier Update Request message includes a new first Layer-2 ID of the first UE. The method also includes the first UE receiving a Link Identifier Update Accept message for the unicast link from the second UE, wherein the Link Identifier Update Accept message includes a new second Layer-2 ID of the second UE. In addition, the method includes the first UE passing the new first Layer-2 ID of the first UE and the new second Layer-2 ID of the second UE down to the lower layer(s) after a Link Identifier Update Acknowledgement (ACK) message is passed to the lower layer(s) for transmission in response to reception of the Link Identifier Update Accept message.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.