System and Method for Resource Allocation

• US 20100159935A1
• 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 8,335,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• 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

An access node comprising a processor configured to promote allocation of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) resource to a relay node. The PDCCH resource is configured for use by the relay node. The access node is further configured to exclusively control allocation of the PDCCH resource.

Claims

1. An access node, comprising:

a processor configured to promote allocation of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) resource to a relay node, wherein the PDCCH resource is configured for use by the relay node, and wherein the access node is further configured to exclusively control allocation of the PDCCH resource.

2. The access node of claim 1 wherein the PDCCH resource is further configured to provide scheduling information for a user agent.

3. The access node of claim 1 wherein the access node is further configured to allocate a second PDCCH resource to a second relay node, and wherein the access node exclusively controls allocation of PDCCH resources to both the relay node and the second relay node.

4. The access node of claim 1 wherein the access node is further configured to determine the PDCCH resource.

5. The access node of claim 1 wherein the access node is further configured to transmit the PDCCH resource using radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

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

allocating a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) resource to a relay node, wherein the PDCCH resource is configured for use by the relay node; and

controlling, using the access node exclusively, allocation of the PDCCH resource.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the PDCCH resource is further configured to provide scheduling information for the user agent.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

allocating a second PDCCH resource to a second relay node; and

controlling, using the access node exclusively, allocation of the PDCCH resource to the relay node and allocation the second PDCCH resource to the second relay node.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining the PDCCH resource using the access node.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting the PDCCH resource using radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

11. A relay node, comprising:

a processor configured to promote receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) resource from an access node, and wherein the relay node is further configured to use the received PDCCH resource.

12. The relay node of claim 11 wherein the relay node is further configured to provide scheduling information for the user agent using the received PDCCH resource.

13. A method implemented in a relay node, the method comprising:

receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) resource from an access node; and

using, among at least some PDCCH resources, only the received PDCCH resource.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing scheduling information for the user agent using the received PDCCH resource.

15. An access node, comprising:

a processor configured to promote transmission of a physical uplink control signaling resource to a user agent, wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource is configured by the access node for uplink transmission by the user agent, and wherein the access node is further configured to exclusively control allocation of the physical uplink control signaling resource.

16. The access node of claim 15 wherein the user agent is in communication with a relay node.

17. The access node of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to promote transmission of the physical uplink control channel signaling resource to a relay node.

18. The access node of claim 15 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource is one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a sounding reference signal (SRS).

19. The access node of claim 15 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource is transmitted over one of a direct link, an access link, and a relay link.

20. The access node of claim 15 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource comprises a PUCCH resource that comprises at least one of an uplink channel quality indicator (CQI), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and a rank indication (RI).

21. The access node of claim 15 wherein the access node is further configured to transmit the physical uplink control signaling resource using radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

22. The access node of claim 15 wherein the access node is further configured to determine the physical uplink control signaling resource.

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

transmitting a physical uplink control signaling resource to a user agent, wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource is configured by the access node for uplink transmission by the user agent; and

controlling, using the access node exclusively, allocation of the physical uplink control signaling resource.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the user agent is in communication with a relay node.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource is one of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and a sounding reference signal (SRS).

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

transmitting the physical uplink control signaling resource to a relay node.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource comprises a PUCCH resource that comprises at least one of an uplink channel quality indicator (CQI), a preceding matrix indicator (PMI), and a rank indication (RI).

28. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

transmitting the physical uplink control signaling resource using radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining the physical uplink control signaling resource.

30. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

allocating a second physical uplink control signaling resource to a second user agent; and

controlling, using the access node exclusively, both allocation of the physical uplink control signaling resource to the user agent and allocation of the second physical uplink control signaling resource to the second user agent.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource comprises a PUCCH resource and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a transmission from the user agent on the PUCCH resource at the relay node.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

updating the physical uplink control signaling resource; and

transmitting the updated physical uplink control signaling resource to the user agent.

33. A user agent, comprising:

a processor configured to promote receiving a physical uplink control signaling resource from an access node, and wherein the user agent is further configured to use, among at least some physical uplink control signaling resources, only the received physical uplink control signaling resource.

34. The user agent of claim 33 wherein the user agent is in communication with a relay node.

35. The user agent of claim 33 wherein the physical uplink control signaling resource comprises a PUCCH resource that comprises at least one of an uplink channel quality indicator (CQI), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and a rank indication (RI).

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

receiving a physical uplink control signaling resource from an access node; and

using, among at least some physical uplink control signaling resources, only the received physical uplink control signaling resource.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the user agent is communication with a relay node.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the received physical uplink control signaling resource comprises a PUCCH resource that comprises at least one of an uplink channel quality indicator (CQI), a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and a rank indication (RI).