COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE, INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT, MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK AND METHODS

摘要

A communications device configured to transmit signals representing data to a first in-coverage communications device acting as source relay node for the communications device, the first in-coverage communications device being able to transmit signals to the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network, and to receive signals representing the data from the first in-coverage communications device acting as the source relay node. The source relay node is within a coverage area of the infrastructure equipment of the mobile communications network, the source relay node being configured to transmit the signals representing the data received from the communications device to the infrastructure equipment and to transmit the signals representing the data to the communications device which are received from the infrastructure equipment. Subject to predetermined conditions, the controller is configured to receive one or more beacon signals from one or more other in-coverage communications devices which can act as a relay node for the communications device when out-of-coverage so that the receiver cannot receive the signals from the infrastructure equipment or transmit the signals to the infrastructure equipment, or to transmit a beacon signal to the one or more other in-coverage communications devices which can act as a relay node for the communications device when out-of-coverage, and to transmit the signals representing the data to one of the other in-coverage communications devices to act as a target relay node for transmitting the data to the infrastructure equipment, or to receive the signals representing the data from one of the other in-coverage communications devices acting as a target relay node which have been received from the infrastructure equipment. Accordingly, an out-of-coverage communications device, which is using an in-coverage communications device to act as a relay node to communicate data to and/or from an infrastructure equipment can change affiliation from one in-coverage communications device to another.