# US 11,115,886 B2 · Method for obtaining radio capability information of terminal, core network entity, base station, and terminal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,886 B2 - Document ID: US11115886B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/310,445 - Filed: 2016-06-17 - Published: 2019-10-24 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-17 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hui Jin; Guowei Ouyang; Xiaoyan Duan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115886B2 ## CPC - H04W 36/0016: {Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions} - H04W 76/23: Manipulation of direct-mode connections - H04W 36/0033: {with transfer of context information} - H04W 36/033: {in pre-organised networks} - H04W 8/22: Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - H04W 92/14: between access point controllers and backbone network device - H04W 92/18: between terminal devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for obtaining radio capability information of a terminal, a core network entity, a base station, and a terminal. When a first terminal changes from a first communication path for the first terminal to directly access a network to a second communication path for the first terminal to access the network by using a second terminal, the first terminal receives a first message that is sent by a base station to obtain radio capability information of the first terminal; and then sends the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, where the radio capability information includes information about a manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and identification information of the second terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for obtaining radio capability information of a terminal, wherein the method comprises: directly accessing, by a first terminal, a network via a first communication path; switching, by the first terminal, the access to the network from the first communication to a second communication path, wherein in the second communication path, the first terminal is configured to access the network through a second terminal, second terminal having a higher radio capability than the first terminal; receiving, by the first terminal, a first message sent by a base station of the network, the first message being configured for obtaining radio capability information of the first terminal; and in response to the first message, sending, by the first terminal, the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, wherein the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and, identification information of the second terminal, or radio capability information of the second terminal, before receiving, by the first terminal, the first message sent by the base station, further comprising: sending, by the first terminal, a second message to a mobility management entity (MME), wherein the second message comprises capability update indication information and access path indication information of the first terminal, so that the MME is enabled to: determine, based on the update indication information of the first terminal, that a network access manner of the first terminal has changed, and send a third message to the base station, and determines, based on the access path indication information of the first terminal, that the first terminal changes from the first communication path to the second communication path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein before sending, by the first terminal, the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, the method further comprises: obtaining, by the first terminal, the information about a manner of the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and the identification information of the second terminal. ### Claim 3 A method for obtaining radio capability information of a terminal, wherein the method comprises: determining, by a mobility management entity (MME), that a first terminal has changed its access to a network from a first communication path to a second communication path, wherein the first terminal directly accesses the network in the first communication path, and accesses the network indirectly thorough a second terminal in the second communication path, the second terminal having a higher radio capability than the first terminal; sending, by the MME, a first message to a base station of the network, wherein the first message is configured for triggering the base station to obtain radio capability information of the first terminal from the first terminal; and receiving, by the MME, a second message sent by the base station, wherein the second message comprises the radio capability information of the first terminal, and the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of a connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and, identification information of the second terminal, or radio capability information of the second terminal, wherein before sending, by the MME, the first message to the base station, the method further comprises: receiving, by the MME, a third message sent by the first terminal, wherein the third message comprises capability update indication information and access path indication information of the first terminal; and, wherein the determination by the MME that first terminal has changed its access to the network from the first communication path to the second communication path is based on the third message. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein after the MME obtains the radio capability information of the first terminal, the method further comprises: sending, by the MME, attribute information of the second communication path to a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF) by using a gateway entity, wherein the attribute information of the second communication path comprises the information about the manner of the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and the identification information of the second terminal, so that the PCRF is enabled to determine a Policy Control and Charging (PCC) rule for the first terminal based on the information about the manner of the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and the identification information of the second terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the attribute information of the second communication path further comprises access network type information, so that the PCRF is enabled to determine the PCC rule for the first terminal based on the information about the manner of the connection between the first terminal and the second terminal, the identification information of the second terminal, and the access network type information. ### Claim 6 A terminal comprising: a processor configured to: directly access a network via a first communication path; and switch the access to the network from the first communication to a second communication path, wherein in the second communication path, the terminal is configured to access the network through a second terminal, second terminal having a higher radio capability than the terminal; a receiver, configured to receive a first message sent by a base station, wherein the first message is configured for the base station to obtain radio capability information of the terminal; and a transmitter, configured to in response to the first message, send the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, wherein the radio capability information of the first terminal comprises information about a manner of a connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and, identification information of the second terminal, or radio capability information of the second terminal, wherein before the receiver receives the first message sent by the base station, the transmitter is further configured to send a second message to a mobility management entity (MME), wherein the second message comprises capability update indication information and access path indication information of the first terminal, so that the MME is enabled to: determine, based on the update indication information of the first terminal, that a network access manner of the first terminal has changed, send a third message to the base station, and determine, based on the access path indication information of the first terminal, that the first terminal has changed its access to the network from the first communication path to the second communication path. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The terminal according to claim 6, wherein before the transmitter sends the radio capability information of the first terminal to the base station, the processor of the terminal is further configured to: obtain the information about the manner of connection between the first terminal and the second terminal and the identification information of the second terminal.