System and Method for Autonomous Combining

• US 20100150177A1
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: YU, Yi, CAI, Zhijun, WOMACK, James Earl
• Granted Patent: US 8,040,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/476
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/026 Co-operative diversity, e.g. using fixed or mobile stations as relays

Abstract

A user agent capable of autonomous combining. The user agent can be implemented as a processor configured to promote receiving a first signal from an access node and a second signal from a relay node. The processor may be further configured to combine the first and second signals.

Claims

1. A user agent, comprising:

a processor configured to promote receiving a first signal from an access node and a second signal from a relay node, the processor further configured to combine the first and second signals.

2. The user agent of claim 1, wherein the first and second signals are further defined as first and second transmissions, respectively, containing a first and second data, respectively, and wherein combining the first and second signals is further defined as separately demodulating portions of the first and second transmissions and combining the portions of the first and second data.

3. The user agent of claim 2 wherein the second transmission is received a first time after the first transmission, and wherein the user agent is further configured to:

combine the first and second data after the user agent waits for a second time that is at least as long as the first time.

4. The user agent of claim 2 wherein combining is facilitated by the user agent receiving additional data coded in a control channel.

5. The user agent of claim 4 wherein the additional data indicates to the user agent, before receipt of the second transmission, that the first and second data are substantially similar.

6. The user agent of claim 4 wherein the additional data comprises a particular set of addresses from among a plurality of sets of addresses, and wherein the particular set of addresses includes a first subset of addresses that identify a corresponding relay node that can provide service for the user agent, and wherein the particular set of addresses includes a second subset of addresses that identify the user agent.

7. The user agent of claim 2 wherein the user agent is further configured to:

disable a function that allows the first and second data to be combined.

8. The user agent of claim 7 wherein the user agent is further configured to:

disable the function responsive to a failure to receive the first transmission.

9. The user agent of claim 7 wherein the user agent is further configured to:

disable the function responsive to the first transmission having a weak strength relative to a desired signal strength.

10. The user agent of claim 9 wherein the user agent is further configured to:

re-enable the function responsive to the first transmission improving.

11. The user agent of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to combine the first and second data using either incremental redundancy combining or blind decoding.

12. A method implemented in a user agent, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from an access node;

receiving a second signal from a relay node, and

combining the first and second signals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second signals are further defined as first and second transmissions, respectively, containing a first and second data, respectively, and wherein combining the signals is further defined as separately demodulating portions of the first and second transmissions and combining the portions of the first and second data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second transmission is received a first time after the first transmission, and wherein the method further comprises:

combining the first and second data after the user agent waits for a second time that is at least as long as the first time.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein combining is facilitated by the user agent receiving additional data coded in a control channel.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the additional data comprises a particular set of addresses from among a plurality of sets of addresses, and wherein the particular set of addresses includes a first subset of addresses that identify a corresponding relay node that can provide service for the user agent, and wherein the particular set of addresses includes a second subset of addresses that identify the user agent.

17. An access node comprising:

a processor configured to provide an address indicating one of a plurality of relay nodes and further indicating one of a plurality of user agents, wherein the processor is further configured to promote transmission of the address to one or more of the plurality of relay nodes.

18. The access node of claim 17 wherein the address comprises a first set of bits and a second set of bits, wherein the first set of bits identifies a corresponding relay node and wherein the second set of bits identifies a corresponding user agent within a donor cell of the corresponding relay node.

19. The access node of claim 17 wherein the access node is further configured to:

transmit a signal to a particular user agent to instruct the particular user agent to disable autonomous combining.

20. The access node of claim 17 wherein the access node is further configured to:

transmit a signal to a particular user agent to instruct the particular user agent to enable autonomous combining.

21. The access node of claim 17 wherein the access node is further configured to:

add a field to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal, wherein the field includes an index to identify a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) at a user agent.

22. A method implemented in an access node, the method comprising:

providing an address indicating one of a plurality of relay nodes and further indicating one of a plurality of user agents; and

transmitting the address to one or more of the plurality of relay nodes.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the address comprises a first set of bits and a second set of bits, wherein the first set of bits identifies a corresponding relay node and wherein the second set of bits identifies a corresponding user agent within a donor cell of the corresponding relay node.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

transmitting a signal to a particular user agent to instruct the particular user agent to disable autonomous combining.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

transmitting a signal to a particular user agent to instruct the particular user agent to enable autonomous combining.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

adding a field to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal, wherein the field includes an index to identify a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) at a user agent.