Hierarchical Frame Structure for OFDMA Systems with Relay

• US 20080151809A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Marchenko, Vladimir, Chindapol, Aik, Chui, Jimmy
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1484 operating bytewise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

An orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame for transmitting data between a mobile station and a base station includes a downlink subframe including a region for transferring first data to the base station and second data to a relay station at substantially the same time and frequency, and an uplink subframe.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting information within a communications network, comprising:

a mobile station;

a base station for providing network access to the mobile station;

a relay station for relaying data between the mobile station and the base station; and

a scheduler for providing a transmission region within a frame for transmitting first data along a first data path that includes the relay station and for transmitting second data along a second data path that does not include the relay station, wherein the first data are transmitted at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency as the second data are transmitted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises one or more additional relay stations for providing additional data paths through which additional data may be transmitted at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency as the first and second data are transmitted.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the transmission region provided by the scheduler includes:

a first structure for transmitting from the mobile station to the base station and the relay station at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency;

a second structure for transmitting from the mobile station to the base station and an additional relay station of the one or more additional relay stations at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency; and

a third structure for transmitting from the mobile station to the relay station and the additional relay station at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network is an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network and the frame is an OFDMA frame.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission region provided by the scheduler includes a structure for transmitting the first data along the first data path and a structure for transmitting the second data along the second data path at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the frame structure is hierarchical.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data is distinct from the second data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first data is substantially identical to the second data.

9. A method for transmitting information within a communications network, comprising:

transmitting first data along a first data path, that includes a relay station, within a frame; and

transmitting second data along a second data path, that does not include the relay station, within the frame at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency.

10. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising transmitting third data along a third data path that includes both the relay station and an additional relay station, within the frame, at substantially the same time and at substantially the same frequency as the first and second data are transmitted.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications network is an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network and the frame is an OFDMA frame.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the frame is provided by a scheduler.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmission of the first data and the transmission of the second data are performed within a hierarchical structure within the frame.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first data is distinct from the second data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first data is substantially identical to the second data.

16. An orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame for transmitting data between a mobile station and a base station, the frame including:

a downlink subframe including a region for transferring first data to the base station and second data to a relay station at substantially the same time and frequency; and

an uplink subframe.

17. The frame of claim 16, wherein the region for transferring first and second data is hierarchical.

18. The frame of claim 16, wherein the first data is distinct from the second data.

19. The frame of claim 16, wherein the first data is substantially identical to the second data.

20. An orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) frame for transmitting data between a mobile station and a base station, the frame including a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe, the downlink subframe including:

a region for transferring first data along a first data path directly between the mobile station and the base station;

a region for transferring second data along a second data path between the mobile station and the base station through a first relay station; and

a region for transferring third data along a third data path between the mobile station and the base station through a second relay station, wherein the first data are transferred through the first data path, the second data are transferred through the second data path and the third data are transferred through the third data path at substantially the same time and frequency.