Multi-path configuration for sidelink (sl) relay

A method of a user equipment (UE) comprising:

• receive a UE to network (U2N) relay configuration, wherein the U2N relay configuration configures a multi-path (MP) sidelink (SL) relay for communicating over an indirect path through a relay UE and a direct path to a network concurrently;
• transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) complete message to the network to provide a confirmation of a successful application of the MP SL relay;
• and
• providing traffic communication over the MP SL relay.

A base station comprising:

• a memory;
• processing circuitry, coupled to the memory, configured to, when executing instructions stored in the memory, cause the base station to:
• receive a UE request for a UE to network (U2N) relay configuration, wherein the U2N relay configuration configures a multi-path (MP) sidelink (SL) relay for communicating over an indirect path through a relay UE and a direct path to a remote UE concurrently;
• transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message that includes information for establishing the MP SL relay by adding the indirect path or the direct path;
• and
• receive an RRC configuration complete message from the remote UE,
• wherein the RRC reconfiguration message to the relay UE comprises a Uu/PC5 relay radio link control (RLC) channels and a sidelink relay adaptation protocol (SRAP) configuration, and wherein the RRC configuration message to the remote UE comprises an MP path configuration IE and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) configuration (PDCP-config) IE.