US 12,302,216 B2
Methods, wireless communications networks and infrastructure equipment
Yuxin Wei, Basingstoke (GB); Vivek Sharma, Basingstoke (GB); and Hideji Wakabayashi, Basingstoke (GB)
Assigned to SONY GROUP CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Sony Group Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/732,546.
Application 17/732,546 is a continuation of application No. 17/041,451, granted, now 11,343,749, previously published as PCT/EP2019/056670, filed on Mar. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18164792 (EP), filed on Mar. 28, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0256435 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04W 40/24 (2009.01); H04W 40/12 (2009.01); H04W 40/22 (2009.01); H04W 84/04 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 40/24 (2013.01) [H04W 40/12 (2013.01); H04W 40/22 (2013.01); H04W 84/047 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a first infrastructure equipment forming part of a wireless communications network wherein the first infrastructure equipment is configured to act as a donor node connected to a core network part of the wireless communications network, the method comprising
determining that a plurality of communications paths exist from a second infrastructure equipment to the first infrastructure equipment via one or more other infrastructure equipment acting as relay nodes;
reserving a communications path between the first infrastructure equipment and the second infrastructure equipment via the one or more other infrastructure equipment acting as the relay nodes, wherein use of the reserved communications path is triggered in response to one or more predetermined conditions being met; and
transmitting an indication regarding at least part of each of one or more of the plurality of communications paths to the second infrastructure equipment, the indication for use by the second infrastructure equipment for selection of at least one of the plurality of communications paths for communicating with the first infrastructure equipment.