System and Method for Relay Node Selection

• US 20100157845A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• 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 8,446,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• 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: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches. The method includes recommending the relay node based on a relay node selection rank.

Claims

1. A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches, comprising:

recommending the relay node based on a relay node selection rank.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relay node selection rank is based on any one or any combination of the following:

a reference signal receive power of the relay node;

a preference parameter for the relay node;

a power offset parameter for the relay node; and

a hysteresis parameter for the relay node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user agent calculates the relay node selection rank for a plurality of relay nodes and recommends the relay node with the highest relay node selection rank.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user agent informs an access node associated with the relay node of the recommendation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user agent informs the access node of the recommendation in an RRC Connection Setup Complete message.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the user agent receives at least one of the preference parameter, the power offset parameter, and the hysteresis parameter from an access node in at least one of:

radio resource control signaling; and

a broadcast channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user agent recommends the relay node based on the relay node selection rank when at least one of the following conditions occurs:

the user agent switches from an idle mode to a connected mode; and

the user agent receives a message from an access node to trigger the relay node rank recommendation procedure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user agent is in the idle mode.

9. A method for recommending a relay node to which a user agent attaches, comprising:

when the user agent is in a connected mode, handing the user agent over to the relay node after handing the user agent over to an access node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the relay node is recommended based on a relay node selection rank based on any one or any combination of the following:

a reference signal receive power of the relay node;

a preference parameter for the relay node;

a power offset parameter for the relay node; and

a hysteresis parameter for the relay node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user agent calculates the relay node selection rank for a plurality of relay nodes, recommends the relay node with the highest relay node selection rank, and informs the access node of the recommendation.

12. A user agent, comprising:

a processor configured to recommend a relay node based on a relay node selection rank.

13. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the relay node selection rank is based on any one or any combination of the following:

a reference signal receive power of the relay node;

a preference parameter for an the relay node;

a power offset parameter for the relay node; and

a hysteresis parameter for the relay node.

14. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the user agent calculates the relay node selection rank for a plurality of relay nodes and recommends the relay node with the highest relay node selection rank.

15. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the user agent informs an access node associated with the relay node of the recommendation.

16. The user agent of claim 15, wherein the user agent informs the access node of the recommendation in an RRC Connection Setup Complete message.

17. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the user agent receives at least one of the preference parameter, the power offset parameter, and the hysteresis parameter from an access node in at least one of:

radio resource control signaling; and

a broadcast channel.

18. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to recommend the relay node based on the relay node selection rank when at least one of the following conditions occurs:

the user agent switches from an idle mode to a connected mode; and

the user agent receives a message from an access node to trigger the relay node rank recommendation procedure.

19. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured, when the user agent is in a connected mode, to promote handing the user agent over to a second relay node after the user agent is handed over to an access node.

20. The user agent of claim 19, wherein the second relay node is recommended based on the relay node selection rank.

21. The user agent of claim 12, wherein the user agent is in the idle mode.

22. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a component configured to receive an identity of a relay node recommended based on a relay node selection rank and to promote attaching a user agent to the relay node.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the relay node selection rank is based on any one or any combination of the following:

a reference signal receive power of the relay node;

a preference parameter for the relay node;

a power offset parameter for the relay node; and

a hysteresis parameter for the relay node.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the relay node selection rank is calculated for a plurality of relay nodes, the relay node with the highest relay node selection rank is recommended, and the identity of the recommended relay node is transmitted to the component by the user agent.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the component receives the identity of the recommended relay node from the user agent in an RRC Connection Setup Complete message.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the component transmits at least one of the preference parameter, the power offset parameter, and the hysteresis parameter in at least one of:

radio resource control signaling; and

a broadcast channel.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein, when the user agent is in a connected mode, the component hands the user agent over to another element in the system after the user agent is handed over to the component.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein, when the other element is another relay node, the other relay node is recommended based on the relay node selection rank.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the component is an access node.