Patent Description:
These systems may employ technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple-access communications system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, which may be otherwise known as user equipment (UE).

The wireless multiple-access communications system may further support millimeter wave (mmW), or frequency range <NUM> (FR2), cooperative transmissions. That is, a wireless communications system may utilize frequencies that are greater than <NUM> to wirelessly communicate between the multiple wireless devices. In such cases, one or more UEs may act as a relay that may jointly transmit to a Next Generation Node B (gNB) using only one of an amplify and forward (AF) or a decode and forward (DF) transmission scheme. Such limitations may reduce the likelihood of successful reception of the forwarded message at the gNB.

<CIT> discloses a cooperative communication relay station comprising a signal receiving unit, a signal generation unit, and a signal transmission unit. The signal generation unit generates a first relay signal and a second relay signal utilizing the received source signal RR and the multiple relaying signal. In this case, the first relay signal XDF is a signal which is generated by decoding the multiple relaying signal according an decode-and-forward scheme, and the second relay signal XAF is a signal which is generated by amplifying a power of the source signal XS. The second relay signal XAF may be generated by multiplying the received source signal RR by HSR H and a power amplification coefficient √{square root over (ρR )}, which may be represented by, XAF =√{square root over (ρR )} (|HSR |<NUM> XS +HSR H NR ).

3GPP RP-<NUM> proposes that if UE cooperation is used to improve Uu UL performance, the packet of the source UE (SUE) could be relayed by CUE or jointly transmitted by CUE/SUE on Uu link. In either way, the packet of SUE would be split into more TB(s). For those TB(s) that need other CUE(s) to transmit, they will be shared on SL first. The CUE(s) could then either relay them to the gNB or transmit them jointly with the remaining TB(s) transmitted by SUE itself. At the gNB side, upon receiving the TB(s) of SUE from either SUE and/or CUE(s), the TB(s) can be reassembled to recover the original packet of the SUE.

Advantageous embodiments are subject to the dependent claims.

In the following, each of the described methods, apparatuses, systems, examples and aspects, which does not fully correspond to the invention as defined in the appended claims, is thus not according to the invention and is, as well as the whole following description, present for illustration purposes only or to highlight specific aspects or features of the appended claims.

Generally, the described techniques provide for a user equipment (UE) to utilize one or a combination of an amplify and forward (AF) or decode and forward (DF) transmission scheme to transmit one or more portions of a sidelink message received from a second UE to a base station. Factors including thermal constraints, link budgets, power availability, latency at the UEs and the next generation NodeB (gNB), and non-intermixed usage of the distinct transmission schemes may be considered to provide efficient data forwarding. Further, a UE may attempt to decode a message received from a sidelink UE and depending on whether the decoding is successful, the UE may select AF, DF, or some combination thereof, prior to forwarding to the base station.

A wireless communications system may support both direct links and sidelinks for communications between wireless devices. A direct link may refer to a communication link between a user equipment (UE) and a base station. For example, a direct link may support uplink signaling, downlink signaling, connection procedures, etc. A sidelink may refer to any communication link between similar wireless devices (e.g., a communication link between UEs, a communication link between a sending UE and a relay UE, a backhaul communication link between base stations, etc.). It is noted that while various examples provided herein are discussed for UE sidelink devices, such sidelink techniques may be used for any type of wireless devices that use sidelink communications. For example, a sidelink may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, message relaying, discovery signaling, beacon signaling, or any combination of these or other signals transmitted over-the-air from one wireless device to one or more other wireless devices.

As demand for wireless communications, sidelink communications, increases, (due to increased V2X demand for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles, D2D communication between Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, factory automation, etc.), techniques to efficiently and reliably enhance throughput and reliability of frequency range <NUM> (FR2) spectrum wireless communications may be beneficial. The described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support FR2 spectrum wireless communications between at least one UE and a base station. Generally, the described techniques provide for efficient transmissions between a first UE (UE1), a second relay UE (UE2), and a base station utilizing a millimeter wave (mmW) frequency band (e.g., FR2, frequency range <NUM> (FR4), etc.) by facilitating use of multiple transmission schemes as part of a single transmission based on a plurality of determined factors at the UEs, the base station, and within the transmission itself.

In some examples of a wireless communications system, UE1 may send a transmission to the base station over a direct link or UE1 may send the transmission to the base station via an indirect link, or sidelink, with UE2. In some cases, UE2 may receive the transmission from UE1 via the sidelink and may then forward the received transmission to the base station. In some cases, UE2 may select one or more of the amplify and forward (AF) scheme or the decode and forward (DF) scheme to forward the received transmission to the base station. In some cases, UE2 may attempt to decode the received transmission from UE1 and determine if the transmission has been successfully decoded based on a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code performed on the received transmission. If UE2 is successful at decoding the complete received transmission, UE2 may solely utilize the DF scheme to transmit the received and decoded transmission to the gNB. Additionally or alternatively, UE2 may transmit the re-encoded portions of the received transmission using the DF scheme and may transmit, using the AF scheme, the portions of the received transmission that were not decoded or unable to be successfully decoded. In some cases, when using the AF scheme during the forwarding process, UE2 may correct or compensate for an in-phase signal/quadrature signal (I/Q) amplitude imbalance based on one or more factors at UE1, UE2, or the base station.

In some examples, the base station may utilize improved decoding techniques to decode the portions of the received transmission from UE2 that have been forwarded from UE1 by UE2. In some cases, improved decoding techniques at the base station may include a relatively lower noise figure; a greater number of radio frequency (RF) chains; enhanced transmission or reception; or enhanced computational and energy efficient processing capabilities. In some cases, the UE2 transmits a signal to the base station to indicate whether UE2 utilized the AF scheme, the DF scheme, or a combination of the AF scheme and the DF scheme during forwarding of the received transmission from UE1. In some cases, receipt by the base station of the signal from UE2 facilitates determination by the base station of relative weights, via log-likelihood radio (LLR) combining, of the portions of the transmission received from UE2.

Particular aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented to realize one or more advantages. The described techniques may support improving communications using mmW transmissions, decreasing signaling overhead, and improving reliability, among other advantages. As such, supported techniques may include improved network operations and, in some examples, may promote network efficiencies, among other benefits.

Aspects of the disclosure are initially described in the context of wireless communications systems. Aspects are then described with respect to a process flow. Aspects of the disclosure are further illustrated by and described with reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts that relate to combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless communications system <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The wireless communications system <NUM> may include one or more base stations <NUM>, one or more UEs <NUM>, and a core network <NUM>. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may support enhanced broadband communications, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission critical) communications, low latency communications, communications with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof.

The base stations <NUM> may communicate with the core network <NUM>, or with one another, or both. For example, the base stations <NUM> may interface with the core network <NUM> through one or more backhaul links <NUM> (e.g., via an S1, N2, N3, or other interface). The base stations <NUM> may communicate with one another over the backhaul links <NUM> (e.g., via an X2, Xn, or other interface) either directly (e.g., directly between base stations <NUM>), or indirectly (e.g., via core network <NUM>), or both. In some examples, the backhaul links <NUM> may be or include one or more wireless links.

A carrier may be associated with a frequency channel (e.g., an evolved universal mobile telecommunication system terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) absolute radio frequency channel number (EARFCN)) and may be positioned according to a channel raster for discovery by the UEs <NUM>. A carrier may be operated in a standalone mode where initial acquisition and connection may be conducted by the UEs <NUM> via the carrier, or the carrier may be operated in a non-standalone mode where a connection is anchored using a different carrier (e.g., of the same or a different radio access technology).

The communication links <NUM> shown in the wireless communications system <NUM> may include uplink transmissions from a UE <NUM> to a base station <NUM>, or downlink transmissions from a base station <NUM> to a UE <NUM>. Carriers may carry downlink or uplink communications (e.g., in an FDD mode) or may be configured to carry downlink and uplink communications (e.g., in a TDD mode).

For example, the carrier bandwidth may be one of a number of determined bandwidths for carriers of a particular radio access technology (e.g., <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, or <NUM> megahertz (MHz)). Devices of the wireless communications system <NUM> (e.g., the base stations <NUM>, the UEs <NUM>, or both) may have hardware configurations that support communications over a particular carrier bandwidth or may be configurable to support communications over one of a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may include base stations <NUM> or UEs <NUM> that support simultaneous communications via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each served UE <NUM> may be configured for operating over portions (e.g., a sub-band, a BWP) or all of a carrier bandwidth.

Signal waveforms transmitted over a carrier may be made up of multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)). In a system employing MCM techniques, a resource element may include a symbol period (e.g., a duration of one modulation symbol) and one subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. A wireless communications resource may refer to a combination of a radio frequency spectrum resource, a time resource, and a spatial resource (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and the use of multiple spatial layers may further increase the data rate or data reliability for communications with a UE <NUM>.

One or more numerologies for a carrier may be supported, where a numerology may include a subcarrier spacing (Δf) and a cyclic prefix. A carrier may be divided into one or more BWPs having the same numerology. In some examples, a UE <NUM> may be configured with multiple BWPs. In some examples, a single BWP for a carrier may be active at a given time and communications for the UE <NUM> may be restricted to one or more active BWPs.

The time intervals for the base stations <NUM> or the UEs <NUM> may be expressed in multiples of a basic time unit which may, for example, refer to a sampling period of Ts = <NUM>/(Δfmax · Nf) seconds, where Δfmαx may represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, and Nf may represent the maximum supported discrete Fourier transform (DFT) size. Time intervals of a communications resource may be organized according to radio frames each having a specified duration (e.g., <NUM> milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame may be identified by a system frame number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from <NUM> to <NUM>).

A subframe, a slot, a mini-slot, or a symbol may be the smallest scheduling unit (e.g., in the time domain) of the wireless communications system <NUM> and may be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the TTI duration (e.g., the number of symbol periods in a TTI) may be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communications system <NUM> may be dynamically selected (e.g., in bursts of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

Each base station <NUM> may provide communication coverage via one or more cells, for example a macro cell, a small cell, a hot spot, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used for communication with a base station <NUM> (e.g., over a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier for distinguishing neighboring cells (e.g., a physical cell identifier (PCID), a virtual cell identifier (VCID), or others). In some examples, a cell may also refer to a geographic coverage area <NUM> or a portion of a geographic coverage area <NUM> (e.g., a sector) over which the logical communication entity operates. Such cells may range from smaller areas (e.g., a structure, a subset of structure) to larger areas depending on various factors such as the capabilities of the base station <NUM>. For example, a cell may be or include a building, a subset of a building, or exterior spaces between or overlapping with geographic coverage areas <NUM>, among other examples.

A macro cell generally covers a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by the UEs <NUM> with service subscriptions with the network provider supporting the macro cell. A small cell may be associated with a lower-powered base station <NUM>, as compared with a macro cell, and a small cell may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed, unlicensed) frequency bands as macro cells. Small cells may provide unrestricted access to the UEs <NUM> with service subscriptions with the network provider or may provide restricted access to the UEs <NUM> having an association with the small cell (e.g., the UEs <NUM> in a closed subscriber group (CSG), the UEs <NUM> associated with users in a home or office). A base station <NUM> may support one or multiple cells and may also support communications over the one or more cells using one or multiple component carriers.

In some examples, a carrier may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured according to different protocol types (e.g., MTC, narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)) that may provide access for different types of devices.

The wireless communications system <NUM> may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the base stations <NUM> may have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations <NUM> may be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the base stations <NUM> may have different frame timings, and transmissions from different base stations <NUM> may, in some examples, not be aligned in time.

Some UEs <NUM>, such as MTC or IoT devices, may be low cost or low complexity devices and may provide for automated communication between machines (e.g., via Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication). In some examples, M2M communication or MTC may include communications from devices that integrate sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application program that makes use of the information or presents the information to humans interacting with the application program. Some UEs <NUM> may be designed to collect information or enable automated behavior of machines or other devices.

In some examples, half-duplex communications may be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power conservation techniques for the UEs <NUM> include entering a power saving deep sleep mode when not engaging in active communications, operating over a limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communications), or a combination of these techniques. For example, some UEs <NUM> may be configured for operation using a narrowband protocol type that is associated with a defined portion or range (e.g., set of subcarriers or resource blocks (RBs)) within a carrier, within a guard-band of a carrier, or outside of a carrier.

In some examples, a UE <NUM> may also be able to communicate directly with other UEs <NUM> over a D2D communication link <NUM> (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocol).

In some systems, the D2D communication link <NUM> may be an example of a communication channel, such as a sidelink communication channel, between vehicles (e.g., UEs <NUM>). In some examples, vehicles may communicate using V2X communications, V2V communications, or some combination of these. A vehicle may signal information related to traffic conditions, signal scheduling, weather, safety, emergencies, or any other information relevant to a V2X system. In some examples, vehicles in a V2X system may communicate with roadside infrastructure, such as roadside units, or with the network via one or more network nodes (e.g., base stations <NUM>) using vehicle-to-network (V2N) communications, or with both.

The core network <NUM> may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or <NUM> core (5GC), which may include at least one control plane entity that manages access and mobility (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) and at least one user plane entity that routes packets or interconnects to external networks (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)). The control plane entity may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for the UEs <NUM> served by the base stations <NUM> associated with the core network <NUM>. User IP packets may be transferred through the user plane entity, which may provide IP address allocation as well as other functions. The user plane entity may be connected to the network operators IP services <NUM>. The operators IP services <NUM> may include access to the Internet, Intranet(s), an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or a Packet-Switched Streaming Service.

The wireless communications system <NUM> may operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of <NUM> megahertz (MHz) to <NUM>. Generally, the region from <NUM> to <NUM> is known as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelengths range from approximately one decimeter to one meter in length. The UHF waves may be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but the waves may penetrate structures sufficiently for a macro cell to provide service to the UEs <NUM> located indoors. The transmission of UHF waves may be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than <NUM> kilometers) compared to transmission using the smaller frequencies and longer waves of the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portion of the spectrum below <NUM>.

The wireless communications system <NUM> may also operate in a super high frequency (SHF) region using frequency bands from <NUM> to <NUM>, also known as the centimeter band, or in an extremely high frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from <NUM> to <NUM>), also known as the millimeter band. In some examples, the wireless communications system <NUM> may support mmW communications between the UEs <NUM> and the base stations <NUM>, and EHF antennas of the respective devices may be smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some examples, this may facilitate use of antenna arrays within a device. The propagation of EHF transmissions, however, may be subject to even greater atmospheric attenuation and shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. The techniques disclosed herein may be employed across transmissions that use one or more different frequency regions, and designated use of bands across these frequency regions may differ by country or regulating body.

A base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM> may be equipped with multiple antennas, which may be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, or beamforming. The antennas of a base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM> may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels, which may support MIMO operations or transmit or receive beamforming. In some examples, antennas or antenna arrays associated with a base station <NUM> may be located in diverse geographic locations. Additionally or alternatively, an antenna panel may support radio frequency beamforming for a signal transmitted via an antenna port.

The base stations <NUM> or the UEs <NUM> may use MIMO communications to exploit multipath signal propagation and increase the spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. Such techniques may be referred to as spatial multiplexing. Each of the multiple signals may be referred to as a separate spatial stream and may carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device, and multiple-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

A base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM> may use beam sweeping techniques as part of beamforming operations. For example, a base station <NUM> may use multiple antennas or antenna arrays (e.g., antenna panels) to conduct beamforming operations for directional communications with a UE <NUM>. Some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) may be transmitted by a base station <NUM> multiple times in different directions. For example, the base station <NUM> may transmit a signal according to different beamforming weight sets associated with different directions of transmission. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used to identify (e.g., by a transmitting device, such as a base station <NUM>, or by a receiving device, such as a UE <NUM>) a beam direction for later transmission or reception by the base station <NUM>.

Some signals, such as data signals associated with a particular receiving device, may be transmitted by a base station <NUM> in a single beam direction (e.g., a direction associated with the receiving device, such as a UE <NUM>). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmissions along a single beam direction may be determined based on a signal that was transmitted in one or more beam directions. For example, a UE <NUM> may receive one or more of the signals transmitted by the base station <NUM> in different directions and may report to the base station <NUM> an indication of the signal that the UE <NUM> received with a highest signal quality or an otherwise acceptable signal quality.

In some examples, transmissions by a device (e.g., by a base station <NUM> or a UE <NUM>) may be performed using multiple beam directions, and the device may use a combination of digital precoding or radio frequency beamforming to generate a combined beam for transmission (e.g., from a base station <NUM> to a UE <NUM>). The UE <NUM> may report feedback that indicates precoding weights for one or more beam directions, and the feedback may correspond to a configured number of beams across a system bandwidth or one or more sub-bands. The base station <NUM> may transmit a reference signal (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)), which may be precoded or unprecoded. The UE <NUM> may provide feedback for beam selection, which may be a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) or codebook-based feedback (e.g., a multi-panel type codebook, a linear combination type codebook, a port selection type codebook). Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted in one or more directions by a base station <NUM>, a UE <NUM> may employ similar techniques for transmitting signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., for identifying a beam direction for subsequent transmission or reception by the UE <NUM>) or for transmitting a signal in a single direction (e.g., for transmitting data to a receiving device).

A receiving device (e.g., a UE <NUM>) may try multiple receive configurations (e.g., directional listening) when receiving various signals from the base station <NUM>, such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals. For example, a receiving device may try multiple receive directions by receiving via different antenna subarrays, by processing received signals according to different antenna subarrays, by receiving according to different receive beamforming weight sets (e.g., different directional listening weight sets) applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, or by processing received signals according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, any of which may be referred to as "listening" according to different receive configurations or receive directions. In some examples, a receiving device may use a single receive configuration to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving a data signal). The single receive configuration may be aligned in a beam direction determined based on listening according to different receive configuration directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have a highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or otherwise acceptable signal quality based on listening according to multiple beam directions).

The wireless communications system <NUM> may be a packet-based network that operates according to a layered protocol stack. The MAC layer may also use error detection techniques, error correction techniques, or both to support retransmissions at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer may provide establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between a UE <NUM> and a base station <NUM> or a core network <NUM> supporting radio bearers for user plane data. At the physical layer, transport channels may be mapped to physical channels.

The UEs <NUM> and the base stations <NUM> may support retransmissions of data to increase the likelihood that data is received successfully. Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback is one technique for increasing the likelihood that data is received correctly over a communication link <NUM>. HARQ may include a combination of error detection (e.g., using a CRC), forward error correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., automatic repeat request (ARQ)). HARQ may improve throughput at the MAC layer in poor radio conditions (e.g., low signal-to-noise conditions). In some examples, a device may support same-slot HARQ feedback, where the device may provide HARQ feedback in a specific slot for data received in a previous symbol in the slot.

In some examples, a UE <NUM> in wireless communications system <NUM> may be in communication with another UE <NUM> via a sidelink communications link (e.g., D2D communications link <NUM>). The UE <NUM> may receive a message from the other UE <NUM> and may forward the message to a base station <NUM>. Prior to forwarding, the UE <NUM> may select a transmission scheme, such as an AF or DF transmission scheme, and may use the selected transmission scheme for forwarding the message to the base station <NUM>. According to the invention, the transmission scheme may be selected after the UE <NUM> performs decoding on the message received from the other UE <NUM>, and based on the success or failure of the decoding, the UE <NUM> may perform AF or DF. In some cases, a portion of the message received from the other UE <NUM> may be successfully decoded, and another portion of the message may fail decoding. In such cases, the UE <NUM> may utilize a combination of AF and DF. That is, the UE <NUM> may perform DF on the portion that was successfully decoded and AF on the portion that was not successfully decoded.

A base station <NUM> may receive the forwarded message from the UE <NUM> and in some cases, may receive a message directly from the other UE <NUM>, and the base station <NUM> may perform a joint decoding procedure on both the messages. The joint decoding procedure may be performed based on decoding weights determined by the base station <NUM>, which may be calculated based on whether AF or DF was used for forwarding the message to the base station <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an example of a wireless communications system <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with the invention. In some examples, wireless communications system <NUM> may implement aspects of wireless communications system <NUM>. The wireless communications system <NUM> includes a UE <NUM>-a, a UE <NUM>-b, and a base station <NUM>-a that may be examples of UEs <NUM> and base stations <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>. In this example, UE <NUM>-a may function as a sending UE <NUM> and UE <NUM>-b may function as a relay UE <NUM>. One or more of the UEs <NUM> may communicate with base station <NUM> using a corresponding direct link <NUM>. In this example, base station <NUM>-a may communicate with UE <NUM>-a via direct link <NUM>-a and may communicate with UE <NUM>-b via direct link <NUM>-b.

The UEs <NUM> communicate with one or more UEs <NUM> using a corresponding sidelink <NUM>. UE <NUM>-a communicate with UE <NUM>-b via sidelink <NUM>-a. In this example, UE <NUM>-a and <NUM>-b may be members of a sidelink communications group, in which members of the group may communicate with other members of the group to provide data or other information via sidelinks, such as sidelink <NUM>-a. In some cases, an applications layer at base station <NUM>-a may prompt creation of the sidelink communications group, and the group may be established through communications with the applications layer of other UEs <NUM> in the group. It is noted that the illustrated sidelink communications group provides communication between two UEs <NUM>, which are illustrated in wireless communications system <NUM> for the sake of brevity, and the techniques described herein may be applicable to any number of UEs <NUM> within a system that may establish a communications group. Further, sidelink communication techniques may be used for D2D communication of wireless devices other than UEs, such as base station communications (e.g., wireless backhaul links between base stations or TRPs, etc.), communications between access points, and the like.

UE <NUM>-a transmits a first message <NUM> via sidelink <NUM>-a to UE <NUM>-b for forwarding to base station <NUM>-a. UE <NUM>-b determine, based on a number of factors, to perform one of the AF or DF transmission schemes on first message <NUM> as part of the forwarding of first message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a in the form of a second message <NUM>. In a DF transmission scheme, the UE <NUM>-b decodes the first message <NUM> and encode (e.g., re-encode) the decoded first message <NUM> to form second message <NUM> prior to forwarding the second message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a. In an AF transmission scheme, the UE <NUM>-b refrains from decoding the first message <NUM>, and may instead amplify at least a portion of the received first message <NUM> to form second message <NUM> prior to forwarding second message <NUM> to the base station <NUM>-a. The UE <NUM>-b may therefore act as a relay, an analog or digital repeater, a customer premises equipment (CPE), or another suitable device.

UE <NUM>-b receives first message <NUM> and perform a decoding process on the encoded first message <NUM>. In some cases, UE <NUM>-b successfully decodes first message <NUM> and based on a successful decoding, UE <NUM>-b selects a DF transmission scheme for forwarding the first message <NUM> to the base station <NUM>-a. UE <NUM>-b re-encodes the decoded first message <NUM> and forwards the re-encoded portions of first message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a as second message <NUM>.

In other cases, UE <NUM>-b attempts to perform the decoding process on the encoded first message <NUM> but is unable to decode some or all of first message <NUM>. UE <NUM>-b selects to perform the AF transmission scheme on the non-decoded first message <NUM> by amplifying and forwarding first message <NUM> as second message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a. In some examples, as part of performing the AF transmission scheme, UE <NUM>-b may forward I/Q portions of first message <NUM> as second message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a. Additionally or alternatively, as part of the AF transmission scheme, UE <NUM>-b may perform an I/Q compensation and correction on first message <NUM>. In such examples, UE <NUM>-b may make corrections to an I/Q imbalance present in first message <NUM> based on one or more of parameters associated with sidelink <NUM>-a, one or more capabilities or parameters associated with UE <NUM>-b, or one or more capabilities or parameters associated with base station <NUM>-a.

In some cases, UE <NUM>-b performs both of the AF and DF transmission schemes on first message <NUM>. For instance, UE <NUM>-b may, after attempting to perform decoding on all or some of first message <NUM>, determine if decoding of all or some of first message <NUM> was successful. In such examples, UE <NUM>-b may determine a success of the decoding process by performing a CRC on the first message <NUM>. Based on the output of the CRC, UE <NUM>-b may determine if all or some of first message <NUM> is successfully decoded.

In such cases, UE <NUM>-b re-encodes a portion of first message <NUM> that has been determined to have been successfully decoded during the decoding process. Further, UE <NUM>-b may amplify and correct I/Q imbalances in a portion of first message <NUM> that has been determined to have not been successfully decoded during the decoding process before forwarding the re-encoded portion and the non-decoded portion to base station <NUM>-a in the form of second message <NUM>.

In some cases, base station <NUM>-a may receive second message <NUM> from UE <NUM>-b and may perform a decoding process on portions of second message <NUM> containing portions of first message <NUM> that were not decoded by UE <NUM>-b. In some examples, base station <NUM>-a may include improved hardware and operating parameters as compared to UE <NUM>-b and may have improved decoding capabilities as compared to UE <NUM>-b. For example, base station <NUM>-a may be a centrally located device that may be capable of processing lower SNRs as compared to UE <NUM>-b, or the base station <NUM>-a may have improved hardware or higher thermal overhead mitigation capabilities as compared to UE <NUM>-b. Further, the base station <NUM>-a may have a greater number of RF chains, improved reception sensitivity, or greater power availability as compared to UE <NUM>-b, among other factors.

In some examples, after having performed one or both of the AF or DF transmission schemes on first message <NUM> and transmitted second message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a, UE <NUM>-b may transmit a transmission scheme message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a. In some examples, transmission scheme message <NUM> may include an indication of whether UE <NUM>-b has performed one or both of the AF or DF transmission schemes on first message <NUM>. In some cases, the transmission scheme message <NUM> may include an indication of the portions of first message <NUM> and the corresponding transmission scheme used on each portion. In some cases, UE <NUM>-b may transmit transmission scheme message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a before transmitting second message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a.

In some examples, as shown in <FIG>, UE <NUM>-b may transmit transmission scheme message <NUM> to base station <NUM>-a via direct link <NUM>-b. In some cases, transmission scheme message <NUM> may be transmitted to base station <NUM>-a using FR2. In other examples, transmission scheme message <NUM> may be transmitted to base station <NUM>-a via a FR2 channel established between UE <NUM>-b and base station <NUM>-a, via a frequency range <NUM> (FR1) channel established between UE <NUM>-b and base station <NUM>-a, or a control channel between UE <NUM>-b and base station <NUM>-a.

In some cases, base station <NUM>-a may determine, based on the received transmission scheme message <NUM>, a relative weighting (e.g., an LLR weighting) for decoding the first message <NUM>. For example, the base station <NUM>-a may determine a weighting for the portion of first message <NUM> on which UE <NUM>-b performed the DF transmission scheme, which may be different than a weighting of the portion of first message <NUM> on which UE <NUM>-b performed the AF transmission scheme. In some examples, performance of the AF transmission scheme by UE <NUM>-b on some or all of first message <NUM> may indicate to base station <NUM>-a that the corresponding some or all of first message <NUM> included within second message <NUM> may include relatively less reliable data, as compared to data resulting from performance of the DF transmission scheme. In some cases, performance of the DF transmission scheme by UE <NUM>-b on some or all of first message <NUM> may indicate to base station <NUM>-a that the corresponding some or all of first message included within second message <NUM> may include relatively more reliable data, as compared to performance of the AF transmission scheme on the some or all of first message <NUM>.

In some examples, UE <NUM>-b may transmit the portions of first message <NUM> that have been processed using the DF transmission scheme using a relatively wider transmission beam and a relatively fewer number of antennas, as compared to a transmission of data using the AF transmission scheme. In such examples, the relatively lesser number of antennas and the relatively wider transmission beam may be used because data resulting from performance of the DF transmission scheme may be transmitted using a relatively smaller link budget, as compared to data resulting from performance of the AF transmission scheme. Additionally, in some examples, a relatively narrower beam and a relatively greater number of antennas may be used to transmit second message <NUM> from UE <NUM>-b to base station <NUM>-a in instances where the AF transmission scheme was used by UE <NUM>-a to transmit first message <NUM> to UE <NUM>-b. In such examples, the relatively greater number of antennas and the relatively narrower beam may be used because a relatively higher link budget, as compared to the link budget which may be used to transmit data resulting from performance of the DF transmission scheme, may be used to transmit the data transmitted to UE <NUM>-b from UE <NUM>-a using the AF transmission scheme.

In some cases, the base station <NUM>-a may receive the second message <NUM> from UE <NUM>-b via direct link <NUM>-b and may also receive the first message <NUM> from UE <NUM>-a via direct link <NUM>-a. In such cases, the base station <NUM>-a may perform a joint decoding procedure using the first message <NUM> received via direct link <NUM>-a and the second message <NUM> received via direct link <NUM>-b. The joint decoding procedure may utilize decoding weights, which may be determined based on whether AF or DF was used for the second message <NUM>. For instance, if DF was used for the second message <NUM>, the base station <NUM>-a may give higher decoding weights to the second message <NUM>, or portions of the second message in which DF was used, as compared to if AF was used for the second message <NUM> (or the portions of the second message <NUM> on which AF was performed).

<FIG> illustrates an example of a process flow <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with the invention. In some examples, process flow <NUM> may implement aspects of wireless communications systems <NUM> or <NUM>.

Process flow <NUM> may be implemented by a base station <NUM>-b, a sending UE <NUM>-c, and a relay or receiving UE <NUM>-d.

At <NUM>, a sidelink communication link may be established between sending UE <NUM>-c and receiving UE <NUM>-d. Although not shown, receiving UE <NUM>-d may establish sidelink communications links with multiple UEs <NUM> and may act as a relay for each of the multiple UEs <NUM>.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-c may transmit a first message to UE <NUM>-d. UE <NUM>-d receives the first message via the sidelink communication link established at <NUM>. The first message may be transmitted and received according to configured beamforming parameters. For example, UE <NUM>-c may utilize transmission beam parameters for transmitting the first message and UE <NUM>-d may utilize reception beam parameters for receiving the first message.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-d performs decoding on the first message received at <NUM>. For example, the UE <NUM>-d attempts to decode the first message and if successful, selects a DF transmission scheme at <NUM>. If the decoding at <NUM> is unsuccessful, the UE <NUM>-d selects an AF transmission scheme at <NUM>. In some cases, a portion of the first message may be successfully decoded, and a different portion of the first message may not be successfully decoded. In such instances, the UE <NUM>-d selects AF for the portion that failed decoding, and selects DF for the portion having a successful decoding.

Decoding at <NUM> may be performed and may include a CRC on the first message. If the CRC passes, the UE <NUM>-d may select a DF transmission scheme at <NUM>. If the CRC fails, the UE <NUM>-d may select an AF transmission scheme at <NUM>. Additionally or alternatively, if the decoding at <NUM> is unsuccessful, the UE <NUM>-d may optionally perform a correction procedure to correct I/Q issues of the received first message. The correction procedure may be based on an I/Q imbalance based on channel conditions between the UE <NUM>-c and the UE <NUM>-d, the capabilities of UE <NUM>-d, or the capabilities of UE <NUM>-c.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-d selects one or both of AF and DF transmission schemes based on the decoding performed at <NUM>.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-d generates and transmit a second message to base station <NUM>-b, which may include portions of the first message or at least some information of the first message. If decoding was successful at <NUM>, the UE <NUM>-d may perform encoding prior to transmitting the second message at <NUM>. In some examples, the second message may include undecoded samples of the first message, which may be amplified if decoding was unsuccessful for the samples, for instance.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-c may optionally transmit the first message, or information of the first message, to base station <NUM>-b.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM>-d may optionally transmit an AF/DF indication, which may indicate to the base station <NUM>-b whether AF or DF was selected. In some examples, the AF/DF indication may include the portions of the second message associated with AF and portions of the second message associated with DF.

At <NUM>, the base station <NUM>-b may perform decoding on the second message received at <NUM>, and optionally, may perform a joint decoding procedure if a first message was received from UE <NUM>-c at <NUM>. The base station <NUM>-b may determine decoding weights for decoding based on whether AF or DF was used for the second message. The weights may be determined based on channel conditions between the UE <NUM>-c and the base station <NUM>-b or the channel conditions between the UE <NUM>-d and the base station <NUM>-b.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a UE <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The receiver <NUM> may receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications, etc.). Information may be passed on to other components of the device <NUM>. The receiver <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the transceiver <NUM> described with reference to <FIG>. The receiver <NUM> may utilize a single antenna or a set of antennas.

The communications manager <NUM> may receive, via a sidelink communications link, a first message from a second UE for forwarding by the first UE to a base station, perform a decoding procedure on the first message, select, based on a result of the decoding procedure, between generating a second message including a re-encoded portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station or generating the second message including an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station, and transmit the second message to the base station based on the selecting. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> described herein.

If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communications manager <NUM>, or its sub-components may be executed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

The actions performed by the communications manager <NUM> as described herein may be implemented to realize one or more potential advantages. One implementation may enable a UE, such as a relay UE, to select between AF and DF transmission schemes prior to forwarding a message from another UE to a base station. This selection may be based on the success or failure of a decoding procedure performed on the message to be forwarded to the base station. Such techniques may improve the likelihood of a successful decoding of the forwarded message at the base station, which may result in higher throughput and more efficient communications (e.g., less communication errors), among other advantages.

Based on implementing the techniques as described herein, a processor of a UE (e.g., a processor controlling the receiver <NUM>, the communications manager <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, or a combination thereof) may increase the likelihood of successful forwarding from a UE to a base station. For example, the techniques described herein may leverage performance advantages for each of AF or DF depending on UE capabilities, channel conditions, and decoding success, which may result in reduced signaling overhead and power savings, among other benefits.

In some examples, the communications manager <NUM> may be implemented as an integrated circuit or chipset for a mobile device modem, and the receiver <NUM> and transmitter <NUM> may be implemented as analog components (e.g., amplifiers, filters, antennas) coupled with the mobile device modem to enable wireless transmission and reception over one or more bands.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a device <NUM>, or a UE <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> as described herein. The communications manager <NUM> may include a sidelink receiver <NUM>, a decoder <NUM>, a selection manager <NUM>, and a transmission component <NUM>. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> described herein.

The sidelink receiver <NUM> may receive, via a sidelink communications link, a first message from a second UE for forwarding by the first UE to a base station.

The decoder <NUM> may perform a decoding procedure on the first message.

The selection manager <NUM> may select, based on a result of the decoding procedure, between generating a second message including a re-encoded portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station or generating the second message including an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station.

The transmission component <NUM> may transmit the second message to the base station based on the selecting.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a communications manager <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a communications manager <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, or a communications manager <NUM> described herein. The communications manager <NUM> may include a sidelink receiver <NUM>, a decoder <NUM>, a selection manager <NUM>, a transmission component <NUM>, an encoder <NUM>, an error checking module <NUM>, an amplifier <NUM>, a correction module <NUM>, and an indication transmitter <NUM>. Each of these modules may communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

In some examples, the sidelink receiver <NUM> may receive the first message via a FR2 spectrum band, a sub-<NUM> spectrum band, a control channel, or any combination thereof.

In some examples, the decoder <NUM> may determine the result of the decoding procedure based on a success or failure of the error checking procedure.

In some examples, the transmission component <NUM> may transmit the second message using a wider beam or a reduced number of antennas relative to a beam used for communication of the first message based on an unsuccessful decoding procedure.

In some examples, the transmission component <NUM> may transmit the second message using a narrower beam or an increased number of antennas relative to a beam used for communication of the first message based on a successful decoding procedure.

The encoder <NUM> may encode, based on a successful decoding procedure, a decoded portion of the first message before generating the second message.

The error checking module <NUM> may perform, as part of the decoding procedure, an error checking procedure on the first message.

In some cases, the error checking procedure includes a CRC procedure.

The amplifier <NUM> may amplify, based on an unsuccessful decoding procedure, an undecoded portion of the first message before generating the second message.

In some cases, the second message includes a set of undecoded samples of the first message based on the unsuccessful decoding procedure.

The correction module <NUM> may perform, based on an unsuccessful decoding procedure, a correction procedure for one or more I or Q samples of the first message based on channel conditions associated with the sidelink communications link, one or more capabilities of the first UE, one or more capabilities of the second UE, or any combination thereof.

In some cases, the correction procedure may be for an I/Q imbalance based on the channel conditions associated with the sidelink communications link, the one or more capabilities of the first UE, the one or more capabilities of the second UE, or any combination thereof.

The indication transmitter <NUM> may transmit, to the base station, an indication of a transmission scheme used for transmitting the second message based on the selecting, where the transmission scheme includes an amplify and forward transmission scheme based on an unsuccessful decoding procedure or a decode and forward transmission scheme based on a successful decoding procedure.

In some cases, the indication conveys a corresponding reliability for the transmission scheme, where the amplify and forward transmission scheme may be associated with a lower reliability than the decode and forward transmission scheme.

In some cases, the indication may be transmitted via a control channel.

<FIG> shows a diagram of a system <NUM> including a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of or include the components of device <NUM>, device <NUM>, or a UE <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a communications manager <NUM>, an I/O controller <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, an antenna <NUM>, memory <NUM>, and a processor <NUM>. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus <NUM>).

The communications manager <NUM> may receive, via a sidelink communications link, a first message from a second UE for forwarding by the first UE to a base station, perform a decoding procedure on the first message, select, based on a result of the decoding procedure, between generating a second message including a re-encoded portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station or generating the second message including an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station, and transmit the second message to the base station based on the selecting.

In some cases, the memory <NUM> may contain, among other things, a basic I/O system (BIOS) which may control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.

The processor <NUM> may include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor <NUM> may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In other cases, a memory controller may be integrated into the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM>) to cause the device <NUM> to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications).

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a base station <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The communications manager <NUM> may establish a first communications link with a first UE that is in communication with a second UE via a sidelink communications link, receive a first message from the second UE via a second communications link, receive, from the first UE on the first communications link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme, and perform a joint decoding procedure of the first message and the second message based on the transmission scheme. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> described herein.

If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functions of the communications manager <NUM>, or its sub-components may be executed by a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, a FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described in the present disclosure.

In some examples, the communications manager <NUM>, or its sub-components, may be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to an I/O component, a transceiver, a network server, another computing device, one or more other components described in the present disclosure, or a combination thereof in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a device <NUM>, or a base station <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include a receiver <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, and a transmitter <NUM>. The device <NUM> may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> as described herein. The communications manager <NUM> may include a link establishing component <NUM>, a first message receiver <NUM>, a second message receiver <NUM>, and a joint decoder <NUM>. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of the communications manager <NUM> described herein.

The link establishing component <NUM> may establish a first communications link with a first UE that is in communication with a second UE via a sidelink communications link.

The first message receiver <NUM> may receive a first message from the second UE via a second communications link.

The second message receiver <NUM> may receive, from the first UE on the first communication link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme.

The joint decoder <NUM> may perform a joint decoding procedure of the first message and the second message based on the transmission scheme.

<FIG> shows a block diagram <NUM> of a communications manager <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The communications manager <NUM> may be an example of aspects of a communications manager <NUM>, a communications manager <NUM>, or a communications manager <NUM> described herein. The communications manager <NUM> may include a link establishing component <NUM>, a first message receiver <NUM>, a second message receiver <NUM>, a joint decoder <NUM>, an indication receiver <NUM>, and a weight component <NUM>. Each of these modules may communicate, directly or indirectly, with one another (e.g., via one or more buses).

The second message receiver <NUM> may receive, from the first UE on the first communications link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme.

In some examples, the joint decoder <NUM> may perform the joint decoding procedure based on the set of decoding weights.

The indication receiver <NUM> may receive, from the first UE, an indication of the transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message.

In some examples, the indication receiver <NUM> may receive the indication via a control channel.

In some cases, the indication may convey a corresponding reliability for the transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the amplify and forward transmission scheme may be associated with a lower reliability than the decode and forward transmission scheme, and where the set of decoding weights are determined based on the corresponding reliability for the transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message.

The weight component <NUM> may determine a set of decoding weights for decoding the second message based on the indication.

<FIG> shows a diagram of a system <NUM> including a device <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The device <NUM> may be an example of or include the components of device <NUM>, device <NUM>, or a base station <NUM> as described herein. The device <NUM> may include components for bi-directional voice and data communications including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a communications manager <NUM>, a network communications manager <NUM>, a transceiver <NUM>, an antenna <NUM>, memory <NUM>, a processor <NUM>, and an inter-station communications manager <NUM>. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus <NUM>).

The communications manager <NUM> may establish a first communications link with a first UE that is in communication with a second UE via a sidelink communications link, receive a first message from the second UE via a second communications link, receive, from the first UE on the first communications link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme, and perform a joint decoding procedure of the first message and the second message based on the transmission scheme.

The processor <NUM> may include an intelligent hardware device, (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some cases, the processor <NUM> may be configured to operate a memory array using a memory controller. In some cases, a memory controller may be integrated into processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory <NUM>) to cause the device <NUM> to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications).

<FIG> shows a flowchart illustrating a method <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with the invention. The operations of method <NUM> may be implemented by a UE <NUM> or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method <NUM> may be performed by a communications manager as described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, a UE may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, a UE may perform aspects of the functions described herein using special-purpose hardware.

At <NUM>, the UE receives, via a sidelink communications link, a first message from a second UE for forwarding by the first UE to a base station. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a sidelink receiver as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the UE performs a decoding procedure on the first message. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a decoder as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the UE selects, based on a result of the decoding procedure, between generating a second message including a re-encoded portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station or generating the second message including an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the base station. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a selection manager as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the UE transmits the second message to the base station based on the selecting. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a transmission component as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the UE may perform, as part of the decoding procedure, an error checking procedure on the first message. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by an error checking module as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the UE determines the result of the decoding procedure based on a success or failure of the error checking procedure. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a decoder as described with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a flowchart illustrating a method <NUM> that supports combining techniques for message forwarding in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The operations of method <NUM> may be implemented by a base station <NUM> or its components as described herein. For example, the operations of method <NUM> may be performed by a communications manager as described with reference to <FIG>. In some examples, a base station may execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the base station to perform the functions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, a base station may perform aspects of the functions described herein using special-purpose hardware.

At <NUM>, the base station may establish a first communications link with a first UE that is in communication with a second UE via a sidelink communications link. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a link establishing component as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may receive a first message from the second UE via a second communications link. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a first message receiver as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may receive, from the first UE on the first communications link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a second message receiver as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may perform a joint decoding procedure of the first message and the second message based on the transmission scheme. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a joint decoder as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may receive, from the first UE from the first communications link, a second message that includes a portion of the first message based on a transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message, where the transmission scheme includes one of an amplify and forward transmission scheme or a decode and forward transmission scheme. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a second message receiver as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may receive, from the first UE, an indication of the transmission scheme used for transmission of the second message. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by an indication receiver as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may determine a set of decoding weights for decoding the second message based on the indication. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a weight component as described with reference to <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the base station may perform a joint decoding procedure of the first message and the second message based on the transmission scheme and the set of decoding weights. The operations of <NUM> may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations of <NUM> may be performed by a joint decoder as described with reference to <FIG>.

Due to the nature of software, functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or combinations of any of these.

A non-transitory storage medium may be any available medium that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, non-transitory computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disk (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory medium that may be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also included within computer-readable media.

As used herein, the phrase "or" as used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items prefaced by a phrase such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). For example, an example step that is described as "based on condition A" may be based on both a condition A and a condition B.

The term "example" used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples. In some instances, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

Claim 1:
An apparatus for wireless communications at a first user equipment, UE, comprising:
a processor (<NUM>),
memory (<NUM>) coupled with the processor; and
wherein the apparatus is characterised in that the processor is configured to:
receive, via a sidelink communications link, a first message from a second UE for forwarding by the first UE to a network device;
perform a decoding procedure on portions of the first message;
select, based on a success or failure of the decoding procedure, between
generating a second message comprising a re-encoded portion of the first message for forwarding to the network device, wherein the portion to be re-encoded was successfully decoded in the decoding procedure,
generating the second message comprising an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the network device, wherein the portion to be amplified failed to be successfully decoded in the decoding procedure, or
generating the second message comprising a re-encoded portion of the first message and an amplified portion of the first message for forwarding to the network device, wherein the portion to be re-encoded was successfully decoded and the portion to be amplified failed to be successfully decoded in the decoding procedure; and
transmit the second message to the network device based at least in part on the selecting.