Method and Apparatus for Platoon-Based Communications

A method performed by a terminal device, comprising:

• determining whether the terminal device is to become a radio layer group header of a device group, wherein the device group comprises at least the terminal device, and
• wherein the radio layer group header is responsible for management of the device group at a radio layer;
• wherein determining whether the terminal device is to become the radio layer group header of the device group comprises:
• determining to appoint the terminal device itself as the radio layer group header of the device group, in response to occurrence of one or more predefined events at the terminal device, or
• determining to request to become the radio layer group header of the device group, in response to occurrence of one or more predefined events at the terminal device.

A first network node, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories comprising computer program codes,
• the one or more memories and the computer program codes configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the first network node to determine, at a radio layer, a group header of a device group which comprises at least a terminal device, wherein the group header comprises at least one of:
• an application layer group header being responsible for management of the device group at an application layer, and
• a radio layer group header being responsible for management of the device group at the radio layer.

A terminal device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories comprising computer program codes,
• the one or more memories and the computer program codes configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the terminal device to:
• determine whether the terminal device is to become a radio layer group header of a device group, wherein the device group comprises at least the terminal device, and wherein the radio layer group header is responsible for management of the device group at a radio layer;
• wherein determining whether the terminal device is to become the radio layer group header of the device group comprises:
• determining to appoint the terminal device itself as the radio layer group header of the device group, in response to occurrence of one or more predefined events at the terminal device, or
• determining to request to become the radio layer group header of the device group, in response to occurrence of one or more predefined events at the terminal device.