APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING DATA USING MULTI-PATH IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM OF DISTRIBUTED MAC

• US 20090290528A1
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Yong Sun, Hong, Seung Eun, Kim, Jin Kyeong, Lee, Woo Yong, Kwon, Hyoung Jin, Kim, Kyeongpyo
• Granted Patent: US 9,236,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/20 Repeater circuits; Relay circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data using multiple paths in a wireless communication system using a distributed Media Access Control (MAC). More particularly, provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving data that may select a path with a better channel status from multiple paths that include a direct path using a Line of Sight (LOS) and a relay path passing through a relay apparatus, in a wireless communication system that may transmit data via the LOS using a distributed MAC and a directional antenna.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system using a distributed Media Access Control (MAC), the method comprising:

transmitting and receiving the data to and from a relay apparatus or a destination device, in a mode set for an antenna training process and via a data transceiving path set for the antenna training process;

determining whether a change reason of the data transceiving path occurs;

changing the data transceiving path to an available data transceiving path or to another data transceiving path with channel status information better than a currently using data transceiving path, when the change reason of the data transceiving path occurs; and

periodically verifying whether a previous data transceiving path is available, while transmitting and receiving the data via the changed data transceiving path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode set for the antenna training mode includes any one of an alternative mode to transmit and receive the data alternatively using a direct path or a relay path, and a normal mode to transmit and receive the data via any one of the direct path and the relay path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the change reason of the data transceiving path corresponds to any one of a blockage of data transceiving, a case where the channel status information is deteriorated, and a case where channel status information of an unused data transceiving path is better than channel status information of the currently using data transceiving path.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing sets a data transmission rate to be less than or equal to a predetermined value, when both a direct path and a relay path are not blocked and the channel status information is insufficient to transmit the data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the change reason of the data transceiving path is determined depending on whether an acknowledgement (ACK) frame with respect to a data frame is received from the destination device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the change reason of the data transceiving path is determined by comparing channel status information, received from the destination device or the relay apparatus, with a predetermined threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the change reason of the data transceiving path is determined by comparing a retransmission demand subframe ratio or a frame error rate (FER) with a predetermined threshold value.

8. An apparatus for transmitting and receiving data in a wireless communication system using a distributed MAC, the apparatus comprising:

an association management unit to manage an association for setting a link with a relay apparatus and a destination device;

a relay reservation management unit to perform a relay reservation process for transmitting the data via the relay apparatus;

a data transceiving path selection unit to select, between a direct path and a relay path, a data transceiving path to transmit the data;

a channel status management unit to manage a data channel status of the direct path and the relay path; and

a communication unit to transmit and receive data via the selected data transceiving path.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an antenna training performing unit to perform antenna training for setting the link with the relay apparatus and the destination device.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a channel scan management unit to scan a channel of a unused data transceiving path between the direct path and the relay path.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a timer to verify whether a previous data transceiving path is available, when the data transceiving path is changed.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the relay apparatus operates according to an amplify-and-forward scheme that amplifies a signal, received via any one of two radio frequency (RF) chains, and forwards the amplified signal to another RF chain.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the association management unit manages a MAC capability information element to inform the relay apparatus and the destination device about a use of a relay link.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein, when a change reason of the data transceiving path occurs, the data transceiving path selection unit changes the data transceiving path to an available data transceiving path or another data transceiving path with channel status information better than a currently using data transceiving path.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the change reason of the data transceiving path corresponds to any one of a blockage of data transceiving, a case where the channel status information is deteriorated, and a case where channel status information of an unused data transceiving path is better than channel status information of the currently using data transceiving path.