RELAY STATION, BASE STATION AND METHOD FOR EXTENDING A COVERAGE AREA OF A BASE STATION IN A RADIO NETWORK

• US 20090088165A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wei, Ni, Jin, Shan, Shen, Gang, Zou, Wei, Liu, Jimin
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• 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 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method for extending a coverage of a base station in a wireless communication network is disclosed, characterized in that a relay station transfers control information and communication related information between the base station and the mobile station according to an indication of the base station.

Claims

1. A method for implementing relay in a relay station in a wireless communication network, characterized in that:

forwarding control information from a base station to a mobile station or forwarding control information from the mobile station to the base station according to the instruction from the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication control message from said base station;

regenerating a communication control message for the mobile station based on said communication control message from said base station;

sending the regenerated communication control message to said mobile station on a first subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising the steps of:

receiving the signals from a mobile station on a second subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

judging whether the strength of said signals from the mobile station is greater than a predetermined threshold or not;

if the strength of said signals from the mobile station is greater than the predetermined threshold, obtaining the status information of the mobile station from said signals;

sending a status report message to said base station on a third subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station, said status report message including said status information of the mobile station.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized by further comprising the steps of:

receiving a status request information from said base station on a fourth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

sending said status request information to one or more mobile stations on a fifth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

5. The method according to any of claim 1, characterized by further comprising the following steps:

receiving a communication related message from a mobile station on a sixth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

sending said communication related message from the mobile station to said base station on a seventh subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized by further comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication related message from said base station on a eighth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

sending said communication related message from said base station to a corresponding mobile station on a ninth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized by:

said communication related message from the mobile station including a communication establishing request message, a communication ending request message and traffic bearer data.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized by:

said communication related message from said base station including a communication establishing response message, a communication ending response message and traffic bearer data.

9. A relay station for implementing relay in a wireless communication network, characterized in that:

forwarding control information from a base station to a mobile station or forwarding control information from the mobile station to the base station according to the instruction from the base station.

10. The relay station according to claim 9, characterized in that, comprising:

a first receiving means for receiving a communication control message from said base station;

a regenerating means for regenerating a communication control message for the mobile station based on said communication control message from said base station;

a first sending means for sending the regenerated communication control message to said mobile station on a first subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

11. The relay station according to claim 10, characterized in that, further comprises:

a second receiving means for receiving the signals from a mobile station on a second subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

a judging means for judging whether the strength of said signals from the mobile station is greater than a predetermined threshold or not;

an obtaining means for if the strength of said signals from the mobile station is greater than a predetermined threshold, obtaining the status information of the mobile station from said signals;

a second sending means for sending a status report message to said base station on a third subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station, said status report message including said status information of the mobile station.

12. The relay station according to claim 10, characterized in that:

said first receiving means is further used for receiving a status request information from said base station on a fourth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

said first sending means is further used for sending said status request information to one or more mobile stations on a fifth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

13. The relay station according to claim 11, characterized in that:

said second receiving means is further used for receiving a communication related message from a mobile station on a sixth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

said second sending means is further used for sending said communication related message from the mobile station to said base station on a seventh subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

14. The relay station according to claim 10, characterized in that:

said first receiving means is further used for receiving a communication related message from said base station on a eighth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station;

said first receiving means is further used for sending said communication related message from said base station to a corresponding mobile station on a ninth subchannel according to said communication control message from said base station.

15. The relay station according to claim 13, characterized by:

said communication related message from said mobile station including a communication establishing request message, a communication ending request message and traffic bearer data.

16. The relay station according to claim 14, characterized by:

said communication related message from said base station including a communication establishing response message, a communication ending response message and traffic bearer data.

17. A method for utilizing a relay station for communication in a base station in a wireless communication network comprising the steps of:

sending a communication control message to a relay station;

receiving a status report message from said relay station on a third subchannel and receiving the signals from a mobile station on a tenth subchannel according to said communication control message;

obtaining a first status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said mobile station and said relay station and a second status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said relay station and a base station from the signals from said relay station, and obtaining a third status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said mobile station and said base station from the signals from said mobile station;

selecting a suitable communicating path for communicating with said mobile station based on said first status information, said second status information and said third status information;

controlling the communication with said mobile station according to said selected suitable communicating path.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized by further comprising the steps of:

sending a status request message to said relay station on a fourth channel according to said communication control message.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, further comprises the steps of:

generating a new communication control message based on said selected suitable communicating path;

wherein said step of sending a communication control message to a relay station comprising;

sending said new communication control message to said relay station.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that, when establishing a relay path between said mobile station and said base station via said relay station, said step of controlling the communication with said mobile station comprises the following steps:

controlling sending a first communication related information to said relay station on a eighth subchannel, and controlling receiving a second communication related information from said relay station on the seventh subchannel according to said communication control message.

21. The method according to claim 20, characterized in that:

said first communication related information includes a communication establishing request message, a communication ending request message and traffic bearer data from said mobile station; and

said second communication related message includes a communication establishing response message, a communication ending response message and traffic bearer data from said base station.

22. The method according to claim 17, characterized by:

said communication path including the direct communication path between said mobile station and said base station and the indirect communication path between said mobile station and said base station via said relay station with one-hop or multi-hop relay links.

23. A base station for utilizing a relay station for communication with coverage extended in a wireless communication network, comprises:

a sending means for sending a communication control message to a relay station;

a receiving means for receiving a status report message from said relay station on a third subchannel and receiving the signals from a mobile station according to said communication control message;

an obtaining means for obtaining a first status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said mobile station and said relay station and a second status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said relay station and a base station from the signals from said relay station, and obtaining the third status information presenting the channel status of the channel between said mobile station and said base station from the signals from said mobile station;

a path selecting means for selecting a suitable communicating path for communicating with said mobile station based on said first status information, said second status information and said third status information;

communication control means for controlling the communication with said mobile station according to said selected suitable communicating path.

24. The base station according to claim 23, characterized in that:

said sending means is further used for sending a status request message to said relay station on a fourth channel according to said communication control message.

25. The base station according to claim 23, characterized in that, further comprises:

a generating means for generating a new communication control message based on said selected suitable communicating path;

wherein, said sending means is further used for sending said new communication control message to said relay station.

26. The base station according to claim 23, characterized in that, said communication means is further used for controlling said sending means to send a first communication related information to said relay station on a eighth subchannel, and controlling said receiving means to receive a second communication related information from said relay station on a seventh subchannel according to said communication control message when establishing a relay path between said mobile station and said base station via said relay station.

27. The base station according to claim 26, characterized in that:

said first communication related information includes a communication establishing request message, a communication ending request message and traffic bearer data from said mobile station; and

said second communication related message includes a communication establishing response message, a communication ending response message and traffic bearer data from said base station.

28. The base station according to claim 23, characterized in that:

said communication path including the direct communication path between said mobile station and said base station and the indirect communication path between said mobile station and said base station via said relay station with one-hop or multi-hop relay links.