Mobile assisted relay selection in a telecommunications system

• US 20060252367A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Haartsen, Jacobus C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,813,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/11.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A mobile station is operated in a telecommunications system that includes a base station and one or more relay stations. The mobile station communicates directly with the base station via a first channel. To facilitate selection of a suitable relay station, the mobile station broadcasts a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations. Relay stations each measure a quality of the received burst and communicate this information to the base station, which uses the information to select a most suitable one of the relay stations for use in carrying on indirect communications between the base station and the mobile station.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile station in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

communicating directly with a base station via a first channel;

broadcasting a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

establishing a connection on a second channel with one of the plurality of relay stations; and

communicating indirectly with the base station via the second channel established with said one of the plurality of relay stations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

communication via the first channel proceeds at a first rate;

communication via the second channel proceeds at a second rate; and

the second rate is higher than the first rate.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

prior to broadcasting the burst for receipt by the plurality of relay stations, requesting a higher rate connection from the base station.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising:

after requesting the higher rate connection from the base station, receiving instructions from the base station, wherein the instructions instruct the mobile station to broadcast the burst for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the burst comprises:

transmitting the burst on a channel that is dedicated to transmissions of bursts for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein broadcasting the burst comprises:

transmitting the burst during a fixed time slot that is dedicated to transmissions of bursts for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

maintaining the first channel concurrently with the second channel; and

using the first channel to communicate control information directly with the base station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first channel is used to communicate all control signaling between the mobile station and the base station; and

the second channel is used to communicate only user traffic between the mobile station and the base station.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first channel is used to communicate only control signaling related to mobility and connection establishment/release between the mobile station and the base station; and

the second channel is used to communicate user traffic and control signaling associated with the user traffic between the mobile station and the base station.

10. A method of operating a relay station in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

scanning for a burst that was broadcast by a mobile station;

receiving the burst;

measuring one or more characteristics of the received burst that are indicative of a quality of reception; and

using a direct link with a base station in the telecommunications system to communicate information indicative of the quality of reception.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

after communicating information indicative of the quality of reception to the base station, receiving instructions from the base station, wherein the instructions instruct the relay station to establish a direct connection with the mobile station,

wherein the relay station uses the direct connection with the mobile station to relay communications exchanged between the mobile station and the base station.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning for the burst comprises:

scanning continuously on a random access channel for bursts from the mobile station.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein scanning for the burst comprises:

receiving one or more instructions from the base station; and

in response to the one or more instructions, scanning on a random access channel for bursts from the mobile station.

14. A method of operating a base station in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

communicating directly with a mobile station via a first channel;

receiving a request for a higher rate connection from the mobile station;

instructing the mobile station to broadcast a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

receiving, from each of one or more relay stations, information indicative of a quality of reception of the burst from the mobile station;

using the information from each of the one or more relay stations as a basis for selecting one of the one or more relay stations; and

communicating indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

before communicating indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station, instructing the selected relay station to establish a direct connection with the mobile station.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising:

in response to receiving the request for the higher rate connection from the mobile station, instructing one or more relay stations to scan for a burst to be broadcast by the mobile station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more relay stations are all of the relay stations with which the base station can communicate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more relay stations are selected from all of the relay stations with which the base station can communicate based on relay station location relative to a location of the mobile station.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising:

maintaining the first channel concurrently with communicating indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station; and

using the first channel to communicate control information directly with the mobile station.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first channel is used to communicate all control signaling between the mobile station and the base station; and

only user traffic is communicated indirectly between the mobile station and the base station.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first channel is used to communicate only control signaling related to mobility and connection establishment/release between the mobile station and the base station; and

user traffic and control signaling associated with the user traffic is communicated indirectly between the mobile station and the base station.

22. A method of operating a base station in a mobile telecommunications system, the method comprising:

communicating indirectly with a mobile station via a first relay station;

instructing the mobile station to broadcast a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

receiving, from each of one or more relay stations, information indicative of a quality of reception of the burst from the mobile station;

using the information from each of the one or more relay stations as a basis for selecting one of the one or more relay stations; and

if the selected relay station is not the first relay station, then providing the mobile station with instructions that will cause the mobile station to communicate indirectly with the base station via the selected relay station.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the instructions that will cause the mobile station to communicate indirectly with the base station via the selected relay station identify a physical channel to be used by the mobile station.

24. An apparatus for operating a mobile station in a telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising:

logic that communicates directly with a base station via a first channel;

logic that broadcasts a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

logic that establishes a connection on a second channel with one of the plurality of relay stations; and

logic that communicates indirectly with the base station via the second channel established with said one of the plurality of relay stations.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

communication via the first channel proceeds at a first rate;

communication via the second channel proceeds at a second rate; and

the second rate is higher than the first rate.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, comprising:

logic that requests a higher rate connection from the base station before the burst is broadcast for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, comprising:

logic that, after the higher rate connection from the base station has been requested, receives instructions from the base station, wherein the instructions instruct the mobile station to broadcast the burst for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the logic that broadcasts the burst comprises:

logic that transmits the burst on a channel that is dedicated to transmissions of bursts for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the logic that broadcasts the burst comprises:

logic that transmits the burst during a fixed time slot that is dedicated to transmissions of bursts for receipt by the plurality of relay stations.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, comprising:

logic that maintains the first channel concurrently with the second channel; and

logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the base station.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the base station uses the first channel to communicate all control signaling between the mobile station and the base station; and

the logic that communicates indirectly with the base station via the second channel uses the second channel to communicate only user traffic between the mobile station and the base station.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the base station uses the first channel to communicate only control signaling related to mobility and connection establishment/release between the mobile station and the base station; and

the logic that communicates indirectly with the base station via the second channel uses the second channel to communicate user traffic and control signaling associated with the user traffic between the mobile station and the base station.

33. An apparatus for operating a relay station in a telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising:

logic that scans for a burst that was broadcast by a mobile station;

logic that receives the burst;

logic that measures one or more characteristics of the received burst that are indicative of a quality of reception; and

logic that uses a direct link with a base station in the telecommunications system to communicate information indicative of the quality of reception.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, comprising:

logic that, after information indicative of the quality of reception to the base station has been communicated, receives instructions from the base station, wherein the instructions instruct the relay station to establish a direct connection with the mobile station,

wherein the relay station uses the direct connection with the mobile station to relay communications exchanged between the mobile station and the base station.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the logic that scans for the burst comprises:

logic that scans continuously on a random access channel for bursts from the mobile station.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the logic that scans for the burst comprises:

logic that receives one or more instructions from the base station; and

logic that, in response to the one or more instructions, scans on a random access channel for bursts from the mobile station.

37. An apparatus for operating a base station in a mobile telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising:

logic that communicates directly with a mobile station via a first channel;

logic that receives a request for a higher rate connection from the mobile station;

logic that instructs the mobile station to broadcast a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

logic that receives, from each of one or more relay stations, information indicative of a quality of reception of the burst from the mobile station;

logic that uses the information from each of the one or more relay stations as a basis for selecting one of the one or more relay stations; and

logic that communicates indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, comprising:

logic that, before communicating indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station, instructs the selected relay station to establish a direct connection with the mobile station.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, comprising:

logic that, in response to receiving the request for the higher rate connection from the mobile station, instructs one or more relay stations to scan for a burst to be broadcast by the mobile station.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the one or more relay stations are all of the relay stations with which the base station can communicate.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the one or more relay stations are selected from all of the relay stations with which the base station can communicate based on relay station location relative to a location of the mobile station.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, comprising:

logic that maintains the first channel concurrently with communicating indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station; and

logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the mobile station.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein:

the logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the mobile station uses the first channel to communicate all control signaling between the mobile station and the base station; and

the logic that communicates indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station communicates only user traffic indirectly between the mobile station and the base station.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein:

the logic that uses the first channel to communicate control information directly with the mobile station uses the first channel to communicate only control signaling related to mobility and connection establishment/release between the mobile station and the base station; and

the logic that communicates indirectly with the mobile station via the selected relay station communicates only user traffic and control signaling associated with the user traffic indirectly between the mobile station and the base station.

45. An apparatus for operating a base station in a mobile telecommunications system, the apparatus comprising:

logic that communicates indirectly with a mobile station via a first relay station;

logic that instructs the mobile station to broadcast a burst for receipt by a plurality of relay stations;

logic that receives, from each of one or more relay stations, information indicative of a quality of reception of the burst from the mobile station;

logic that uses the information from each of the one or more relay stations as a basis for selecting one of the one or more relay stations; and

logic that, if the selected relay station is not the first relay station, provides the mobile station with instructions that will cause the mobile station to communicate indirectly with the base station via the selected relay station.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the instructions that will cause the mobile station to communicate indirectly with the base station via the selected relay station identify a physical channel to be used by the mobile station.