RELAYS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20100039947A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Xintian E., Li, Qinghua
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting packets in wireless communication networks are disclosed. The methods include a relay mobile station measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for relay mobile stations from a base station The relay mobile station reports a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality. The base station determines the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting packets in a wireless communication network comprising;

a relay mobile station measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for relay mobile stations from a base station;

the relay mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if a channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality; and

the base station determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the base station broadcasting identifiers of the destination mobile stations for which a relay mobile station is required.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting a channel quality indicator for a direct link between the base station and each destination mobile station for which a relay mobile station is required.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined channel quality is the channel quality for a direct link between the base station and the destination mobile station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route based on the following equation:

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the destination mobile station or the relay mobile station transmitting an interference indicator to the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station, determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route based on the following equation:

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the base station scheduling transmissions to the destination mobile station via a relay mobile station to minimize interference with uplink transmissions from another mobile station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the destination mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between an uplink mobile station and the destination mobile station is above a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive to the relay mobile station for performing relay functions.

11. An apparatus comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause transmitting packets in a wireless communication network between a base station and a destination mobile station;

computer readable program code components configured to cause a relay mobile station measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and the destination mobile station in response to a request for relay mobile stations from the base station;

computer readable program code components configured to cause the relay mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if a channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality; and

computer readable program code components configured to cause the base station determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route for transmitting the packets from the base station to the destination mobile station.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause the base station broadcasting identifiers of the destination mobile stations for which a relay mobile station is required.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause the predetermined channel quality to be the channel quality for a direct link between the base station and the destination mobile station.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route based on the following equation;

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause the destination mobile station or the relay mobile station transmitting an interference indicator to the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause determining the relay mobile station that provides an optimal route, where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station, based on the following equation;

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause, the base station scheduling transmissions to the destination mobile station via a relay mobile station to minimize interference with uplink transmissions from another mobile station.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause the destination mobile station reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between an uplink mobile station and the destination mobile station is above a predetermined threshold.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause providing an incentive to the relay mobile station for performing relay functions.

13. The apparatus of claim I 1, further comprising:

computer readable program code components configured to cause broadcasting a channel quality indicator for a direct link between the base station and each destination mobile station for which a relay mobile station is required.

21. A relay mobile station for transmitting packets in a wireless communication network including:

measuring channel quality between the relay mobile station and a destination mobile station in response to a request for relay mobile stations from a base station; and

reporting a channel quality indicator to the base station if the channel quality for a link between the base station and the destination mobile station via the relay mobile station is greater than a predetermined channel quality.

22. The relay mobile station of claim 21, further comprising the destination mobile station or the relay mobile station transmitting an interference indicator to the base station in response to a request from the base station where the relay mobile station shares an uplink slot with an uplink transmission from another mobile station.