# US 12,120,574 B2 · Relay switching for a remote user equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,574 B2 - Document ID: US12120574B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/443,305 - Filed: 2021-07-23 - Published: 2022-03-10 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-09 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Inventors: Hung Dinh Ly; Tingfang Ji; Seyedkianoush Hosseini - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120574B2 ## CPC - H04W 36/38: by fixed network equipment - H04B 7/155: Ground-based stations (H04B7/204 takes precedence) - H04W 36/302: {due to low signal strength} - H04B 7/15528: {Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium} - H04W 36/037: {by reducing handover delay, e.g. latency} - H04W 36/305: {Handover due to radio link failure (control signalling for hand-off failure H04W36/0079)} - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a remote user equipment (UE) may receive a measurement reference channel configuration from a source relay. The UE may transmit a reference channel based at least in part on the measurement reference channel configuration. The UE may receive, from the source relay, a command for the remote UE to switch from the source relay to a target relay based at least in part on a measurement of the reference channel transmitted from the remote UE. Numerous other aspects are provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of wireless communication performed by a remote user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving a measurement reference channel configuration from a source relay, the measurement reference channel configuration including a set of parameters configuring the remote UE to transmit a reference channel to a network entity or to the source relay and at least one candidate relay; transmitting, responsive to a channel condition between the remote UE and the source relay satisfying a threshold, the reference channel via a broadcast based at least in part on the measurement reference channel configuration, wherein the reference channel includes a remote UE identifier; and receiving, from the source relay, a relay switch command that indicates the at least one candidate relay as a target relay, the relay switch command being for the remote UE to switch from the source relay to the target relay, wherein receiving the relay switch command for the remote UE to switch is based at least in part on a measurement of the reference channel transmitted from the remote UE. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: receiving the measurement reference channel configuration comprises receiving the measurement reference channel configuration from the network entity via the source relay; transmitting the reference channel comprises transmitting the reference channel to the network entity or to a plurality of relays connected to the network entity, wherein the plurality of relays include the source relay and the at least one candidate relay; and receiving the relay switch command comprises receiving the relay switch command from the network entity via the source relay. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the relay switch command is included in sidelink control information; or the relay switch command is included in a PC5 medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, to the target relay, a message to set up a PC5 interface between the remote UE and the target relay; switching from the source relay to the target relay based at least in part on the relay switch command received from the source relay; and releasing a PC5 interface between the remote UE and the source relay after switching to the target relay. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the reference channel comprises transmitting the reference channel over a sidelink shared channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein: the reference channel is associated with a first sidelink resource pool, and discovery and communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second sidelink resource pool; the reference channel is distinguishable from the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel based at least in part on an indication in a payload of the sidelink shared channel; the reference channel is associated with a first numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second numerology; or the reference channel is associated with a numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with the numerology. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the reference channel comprises transmitting the reference channel based at least in part on an occurrence of a triggering event that occurs when a radio condition of the source relay is satisfied. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, from the source relay, a configuration that indicates a transmission mode for the remote UE to use when transmitting the reference channel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: measuring a path loss based at least in part on a demodulation reference signal received from the source relay; and controlling a power of the reference channel based at least in part on the path loss. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the switch from the source relay to the target relay is an intra-cell relay switch. ### Claim 11 A method of wireless communication performed by a relay, comprising: receiving, from a remote user equipment (UE), a reference channel via a broadcast based at least in part on a channel condition between the remote UE and the relay satisfying a threshold, wherein the reference channel includes a remote UE identifier; performing a measurement of the reference channel received from the remote UE; and transmitting, to the remote UE, a relay switch command that indicates a target relay, the relay switch command being for the remote UE to switch to the target relay, wherein transmitting the relay switch command for the remote UE to switch is based at least in part on the measurement of the reference channel received from the remote UE. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving a measurement reference channel configuration from a network entity, the measurement reference channel configuration including a set of parameters configuring the remote UE to transmit the reference channel via the broadcast; and transmitting the measurement reference channel configuration to the remote UE, wherein the reference channel received from the remote UE is based at least in part on the measurement reference channel configuration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: selecting the target relay based at least in part on the measurement of the reference channel; receiving, from the remote UE, an indication that a PC5 interface with the remote UE is to be released; and transmitting, to the remote UE, a configuration that indicates a transmission mode for the remote UE to use when transmitting the reference channel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: sending, to a network entity, a measurement report that includes the measurement of the reference channel; and receiving, from the network entity, an indication of the target relay based at least in part on the measurement report. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the reference channel is received from the remote UE over a sidelink shared channel; the reference channel is associated with a first sidelink resource pool, and discovery and communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second sidelink resource pool; the reference channel is distinguishable from the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel based at least in part on an indication in a payload of the sidelink shared channel; or the reference channel is received periodically from the remote UE. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein: the reference channel is associated with a first numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second numerology; the reference channel is associated with a numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with the numerology; the reference channel is received from the remote UE based at least in part on an occurrence of a triggering event that occurs when a radio condition of the relay is satisfied; or the reference channel is received aperiodically from the remote UE. ### Claim 17 A remote user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to: receive a measurement reference channel configuration from a source relay, the measurement reference channel configuration including a set of parameters configuring the remote UE to transmit a reference channel to a network entity or to the source relay and at least one candidate relay; transmit, responsive to a channel condition between the remote UE and the source relay satisfying a threshold, the reference channel via a broadcast based at least in part on the measurement reference channel configuration, wherein the reference channel includes a remote UE identifier; and receive, from the source relay, a relay switch command that indicates the at least one candidate relay as a target relay, the relay switch command being for the remote UE to switch from the source relay to the target relay, wherein receiving the relay switch command for the remote UE to switch is based at least in part on a measurement of the reference channel transmitted from the remote UE. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein: the one or more processors, to receive the measurement reference channel configuration, are configured to receive the measurement reference channel configuration from the network entity via the source relay; the one or more processors, to transmit the reference channel, are configured to broadcast the reference channel to the network entity or to a plurality of relays connected to the network entity, wherein the plurality of relays include the source relay and the at least one candidate relay; and the one or more processors, to receive the relay switch command, are configured to receive the relay switch command from the network entity via the source relay. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit, to the target relay, a message to set up a PC5 interface between the remote UE and the target relay; switch from the source relay to the target relay based at least in part on the relay switch command received from the source relay; and release a PC5 interface between the remote UE and the source relay after switching to the target relay. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors, to transmit the reference channel, are configured to transmit the reference channel over a sidelink shared channel, wherein: the reference channel is associated with a first sidelink resource pool, and discovery and communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second sidelink resource pool; the reference channel is distinguishable from the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel based at least in part on an indication in a payload of the sidelink shared channel; the reference channel is associated with a first numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second numerology; or the reference channel is associated with a numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with the numerology. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive, from the source relay, a configuration that indicates a transmission mode for the remote UE to use when transmitting the reference channel. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: measure a path loss based at least in part on a demodulation reference signal received from the source relay; and control a power of the reference channel based at least in part on the path loss. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The remote UE of claim 17, wherein the switch from the source relay to the target relay is an intra-cell relay switch. ### Claim 24 A relay for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to: receive, from a remote user equipment (UE), a reference channel via a broadcast based at least in part on a channel condition between the remote UE and the relay satisfying a threshold, wherein the reference channel includes a remote UE identifier; perform a measurement of the reference channel received from the remote UE; and transmit, to the remote UE, a relay switch command that indicates a target relay, the relay switch command being for the remote UE to switch to the target relay, wherein transmitting the relay switch command for the remote UE to switch is based at least in part on the measurement of the reference channel received from the remote UE. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The relay of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: receive a measurement reference channel configuration from a network entity, the measurement reference channel configuration including a set of parameters configuring the remote UE to transmit the reference channel via the broadcast; and transmit the measurement reference channel configuration to the remote UE, wherein the reference channel received from the remote UE is based at least in part on the measurement reference channel configuration. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The relay of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: select the target relay based at least in part on the measurement of the reference channel; receive, from the remote UE, an indication that a PC5 interface with the remote UE is to be released; and transmit, to the remote UE, a configuration that indicates a transmission mode for the remote UE to use when transmitting the reference channel. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The relay of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: send, to a network entity, a measurement report that includes the measurement of the reference channel; and receive, from the network entity, an indication of the target relay based at least in part on the measurement report. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The relay of claim 24, wherein: the reference channel is received from the remote UE over a sidelink shared channel; the reference channel is associated with a first sidelink resource pool, and discovery and communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second sidelink resource pool; the reference channel is distinguishable from the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel based at least in part on an indication in a payload of the sidelink shared channel; or the reference channel is received periodically from the remote UE. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The relay of claim 28, wherein: the reference channel is associated with a first numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with a second numerology; the reference channel is associated with a numerology, and the discovery and the communication performed over the sidelink shared channel is associated with the numerology; the reference channel is received from the remote UE based at least in part on an occurrence of a triggering event that occurs when a radio condition of the relay is satisfied; or the reference channel is received aperiodically from the remote UE. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: establishing a connection with the at least one candidate relay before transmitting the reference signal via the broadcast.