# US 2025/0159596 A1 · Communication method and apparatus, and device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0159596 A1 - Document ID: US20250159596A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/026,798 - Filed: 2025-01-17 - Published: 2025-05-15 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-04 - Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Ruixiong XU; Wenjie PENG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250159596A1 ## CPC - H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 24/10: Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} - H04W 40/12: based on transmission quality or channel quality - H04W 40/22: using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point - H04W 40/246: {Connectivity information discovery} - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H04W 8/24: Transfer of terminal data - H04W 88/04: adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user - 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 A communication method includes obtaining first indication information indicating a first set. The first set includes at least one terminal device. The communication method also includes determining whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with a first relay device. The communication method additionally includes sending, to a first terminal device, second indication information indicating a second set. The second set includes a terminal device that is in the first set and that can communicate with the first relay device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication method, wherein the method comprises: obtaining first indication information indicating a first set, wherein the first set comprises at least one terminal device; determining whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with a first relay device; and sending, to a first terminal device, second indication information indicating a second set, wherein the second set comprises a terminal device that is in the first set and that can communicate with the first relay device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with the first relay device comprises: if a first message is received from a second terminal device, determining that the second terminal device can communicate with the first relay device; or if no first message is received from a second terminal device, determining that the second terminal device cannot communicate with the first relay device, wherein the second terminal device is any terminal device in the first set. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the first message is at least one of the following: an announcement message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the announcement message is used by a communication device other than the second terminal device to discover the second terminal device; and a response message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the response message is used to respond to a solicitation message or a direct communication request sent by the first relay device, the solicitation message is used by a communication device other than the first relay device to discover the first relay device, and the direct communication request is used to request to establish a connection between the first relay device and the second terminal device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending, to a first terminal device, second indication information indicating a second set comprises: sending, to the first terminal device in a first time period after whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with the first relay device is determined, the second indication information indicating the second set. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein signal quality between each terminal device in the second set and the first relay device is greater than or equal to a first threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the signal quality between each terminal device in the second set and the first relay device is less than a second threshold, and the second threshold is greater than the first threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first indication information comprises indication information of each terminal device in the first set, and the second indication information comprises indication information of each terminal device in the second set. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor; wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: obtaining first indication information indicating a first set, wherein the first set comprises at least one terminal device; determining whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with the apparatus; and sending, to a first terminal device, second indication information indicating a second set, wherein the second set comprises a terminal device that is in the first set and that can communicate with the apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the determining whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with the apparatus comprises: if a first message is received from a second terminal device, determining that the second terminal device can communicate with the apparatus; or if no first message is received from a second terminal device, determining that the second terminal device cannot communicate with the apparatus, wherein the second terminal device is any terminal device in the first set. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first message is at least one of the following: an announcement message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the announcement message is used by a communication device other than the second terminal device to discover the second terminal device; and a response message sent by the second terminal device, wherein the response message is used to respond to a solicitation message or a direct communication request sent by the apparatus, the solicitation message is used by a communication device other than the apparatus to discover the apparatus, and the direct communication request is used to request to establish a connection between the apparatus and the second terminal device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sending, to a first terminal device, second indication information indicating a second set comprises: sending, to the first terminal device in a first time period after whether each terminal device in the first set can communicate with the apparatus is determined, the second indication information indicating the second set. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein signal quality between each terminal device in the second set and the apparatus is greater than or equal to a first threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the signal quality between each terminal device in the second set and the apparatus is less than a second threshold, and the second threshold is greater than the first threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first indication information comprises indication information of each terminal device in the first set, and the second indication information comprises indication information of each terminal device in the second set. ### Claim 15 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor; wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: determining whether a direct link can be established between the apparatus and a third terminal device; if determining that the direct link cannot be established between the apparatus and the third terminal device, selecting, based on first information, a first relay device from M relay devices that can communicate with the third terminal device, wherein the first information comprises signal quality between each of the M relay devices and the apparatus, and M is a positive integer; and sending, to the first relay device, a service data packet to be sent to the third terminal device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when executed, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: if determining that the direct link can be established between the apparatus and the third terminal device, sending the service data packet to the third terminal device through the direct link between the apparatus and the third terminal device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the determining whether a direct link can be established between the apparatus and a third terminal device comprises: when signal quality of a second message from the third terminal device is less than a fifth threshold, determining that the direct link cannot be established between the apparatus and the third terminal device; or when signal quality of a second message from the third terminal device is greater than or equal to a fifth threshold, determining that the direct link can be established between the apparatus and the third terminal device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein signal quality between the first relay device and the apparatus is greater than or equal to a third threshold; and/or the first relay device is a relay device that is in the M relay devices and that has highest signal quality with the apparatus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the first information further comprises signal quality between each of the M relay devices and the third terminal device; and the signal quality between the first relay device and the apparatus is greater than or equal to the third threshold, and signal quality between the first relay device and the third terminal device is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold; or the first relay device is the relay device that is in the M relay devices and that has highest signal quality with the apparatus, and signal quality between the first relay device and the third terminal device is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold; or the signal quality between the first relay device and the apparatus is greater than or equal to the third threshold, and the first relay device is a relay device that is in the M relay devices and that has highest signal quality with the third terminal device; or the first relay device is the relay device that is in the M relay devices and that has highest signal quality with the apparatus, and the first relay device is a relay device that is in the M relay devices and that has highest signal quality with the third terminal device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, when executed, before the selecting, based on first information, a first relay device from M relay devices that can communicate with the third terminal device, the instructions cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: separately receiving indication information from each of N relay devices, wherein the indication information from each of the N relay devices indicates at least one terminal device that can communicate with each relay device, and N is a positive integer; and determining, based on indication information from the N relay devices, the M relay devices that are in the N relay devices and that can communicate with the third terminal device.