Methods and systems for managing relays in LTE based communication networks

A method for communication in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) based communication network, the network comprising at least one User Equipment (UE) functioning as a relay (103) between at least one User Equipment (UE) (101) and an eNodeB (102) and a packet handler node (105) located between an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (104) and an Application Server (AS) (106), wherein the relay (103) and the UE (101) comprise of an additional radio interface, the method comprising

• encapsulating at least one data packet received from the AS (106) by the packet handler node (105), if the data packet is for a UE (101) which is connected to the eNodeB (102) through at least one relay (103), wherein the encapsulation is done in an IP packet destined for the at least one relay (103);
• forwarding the at least one encapsulated data packet to the relay (103) by the packet handler node (105);
• de-encapsulating the encapsulated data packet by the relay (103), on receiving the encapsulated data packet;
• and
• forwarding the de-encapsulated data packet by the relay (103) to the UE.

A Long Term Evolution (LTE) based communication network, the network comprising at least one User Equipment (UE) functioning as a relay (103) between at least one User Equipment (UE) (101) and an eNodeB (102) and a packet handler node (105) located between an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (104) and an Application Server (AS) (106), wherein the relay (103) and the UE (101) comprise of an additional radio interface, the relay (103) configured for

• encapsulating at least one data packet received from at least one UE (101), wherein the encapsulation is done using IP packet of the relay (103);
• and
• forwarding the at least one encapsulated data packet to the packet handler node (105);
• and
• the packet handler node (105) configured for
• de-encapsulating the encapsulated data packet, on receiving the encapsulated data packet;
• and
• forwarding the de-encapsulated data packet to the AS (106).

A Long Term Evolution (LTE) based communication network, the network comprising at least one User Equipment (UE) functioning as a relay (103) between at least one User Equipment (UE) (101) and an eNodeB (102) and a packet handler node (105) located between an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) (104) and an Application Server (AS) (106), wherein the relay (103) and the UE (101) comprise of an additional radio interface, the packet handler node (105) configured for

• encapsulating at least one data packet received from the AS (106), if the data packet is for a UE (101) which is connected to the eNodeB (102) through at least one relay (103), wherein the encapsulation is done in an IP packet destined for the at least one relay (103);
• and
• forwarding the at least one encapsulated data packet to the relay (103);
• and
• the relay (103) configured for
• de-encapsulating the encapsulated data packet, on receiving the encapsulated data packet;
• and
• forwarding the de-encapsulated data packet to the UE (101).