Wireless Relay Network Media Access Control Layer Control Plane System and Method

• US 20080285500A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hang, Tong, Wen, Ma, Jianglei, Zhu, Peiying, Fong, Mo-Han
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method and system for using a communication network having a relay node to provide wireless communication with a mobile station. A ranging region is established with the mobile station in which the establishment of the ranging region includes the transmission of control information corresponding to the relay node. The mobile station is allowed to enter the communication network. The relay node is used to wirelessly communicate with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions.

Claims

1. A method for using a communication network having a relay node to provide wireless communication with a mobile station, the method comprising:

establishing a ranging region with the mobile station, the establishment of the ranging region including the transmission of control information corresponding to the relay node;

allowing the mobile station to enter the communication network;

using the relay node to wirelessly communicate with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the relay node to provide unbalanced wireless communication with the mobile station.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the relay node to provide wireless communication service with the mobile station in a base station coverage hole.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the relay node to provide wireless communication service with the mobile station at an outer region of a base station coverage region.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the relay node to supplement the wireless communication capacity of a base station in a corresponding base station coverage region.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the relay node as an air protocol translation device to translate between a first protocol used between the mobile station and the relay node, and a second protocol used between the relay node and a base station, the first protocol being different than the second protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a ranging region with the mobile station includes providing a common access point switch ranging region.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein allowing the mobile station to enter the network includes monitoring a down link channel description message and an uplink channel description message for information related to the relay node.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein allowing the mobile station to enter the network further includes selecting an access point, the access point being one of a relay node and a base station.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frame structure for using the relay node to wirelessly communicate with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions includes a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe, a portion of the downlink subframe being allocated for communication to the mobile station from the relay node and a portion of the uplink subframe being allocated for communication to the relay node from the mobile station.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the portion of the downlink subframe allocated for communication to the mobile station from the relay node includes resource allocation signalling mapping information.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising handing off communication to a selected target relay node based on a macro diversity set, the macro diversity set including a list of potential target relay nodes for communication hand off.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the target relay node is in a same base station coverage region as the relay node.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the target relay node is in a different base station coverage region as the relay node.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing flow control with the relay node to facilitate hand off, the flow control being based on at least one of an upper bound of a communication data rate with the relay node and a hand off action time.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing MAC management messages for communication with a relay node, the MAC management messages including messages corresponding to configuration, traffic scheduling, flow control, network entry and access point switching messages.

17. A system for wirelessly communicating with a mobile station, the system comprising:

a relay node, the relay node;

ranging with the mobile station;

using MAC control plane messages to establish wireless communications with the mobile station; and

wirelessly communicating with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising using the relay node to provide unbalanced wireless communication with the mobile station.

19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising using the relay node to provide wireless communication service with the mobile station in a base station coverage hole.

20. The system according to claim 17, further comprising using the relay node to provide wireless communication service with the mobile station at an outer region of a base station coverage region.

21. The system according to claim 17, further comprising using the relay node to supplement the wireless communication capacity of a base station in a corresponding base station coverage region.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the system further includes a base station, the relay node translating between a first protocol used between the mobile station and the relay node, and a second protocol used between the relay node and a base station, the first protocol being different than the second protocol.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein the relay node monitors at least one of a common initial ranging region, a common access point switch ranging region and a private ranging region to range with the mobile station.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein the relay node monitors at least one of a common ranging region and a private ranging region to range with the mobile station, the common ranging region defining a common initial ranging region and a common access point switch ranging region.

25. The system according to claim 17, wherein the relay node uses a frame to wirelessly communicate with the mobile station in at least one of the uplink and downlink directions, the frame including a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe, a portion of the downlink subframe being allocated for communication to the mobile station from the relay node and a portion of the uplink subframe being allocated for communication to the relay node from the mobile station.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the portion of the downlink subframe allocated for communication to the mobile station from the relay node includes resource allocation signalling mapping information.

27. The system according to claim 17, wherein the relay node performs flow control with one of another relay node and a base station to facilitate hand off, the flow control being based on at least one of an upper bound of a communication data rate with the relay node and a hand off action time.

28. The system according to claim 17, wherein the relay node uses MAC management messages for communication, the MAC management messages including messages corresponding to configuration, traffic scheduling, flow control, network entry and access point switching messages.

29. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a base station in communication with the relay node, the relay node using MAC messages to communicate MAC control plane information, the MAC messages including at least one of messages corresponding to configuration, traffic scheduling, flow control, network entry and access point switching messages.

30. A method for using a communication network have a relay node, the method comprising:

implementing a frame structure for communication with the relay node, the frame structure including a downlink sub-frame and an uplink sub-frame; and

using at least a portion of one of the downlink sub-frame and the uplink sub-frame for communication with the relay node.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the relay node receives communication from a base station in the portion of the downlink subframe.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the relay node receives communication from a mobile station in the portion of the uplink subframe.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the relay node transmits communication to a base station in the portion of the uplink subframe.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein the relay node transmits communication to a mobile station in the portion of the downlink subframe.