METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING AN APPROPRIATE LINK PATH IN A MULTI-HOP COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100296475A1
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sartori, Phillippe J., Baum, Kevin L., Cudak, Mark C., Visotsky, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,202 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A determination of link quality (C_SR) is made from the subscriber station to a relay station. A determination of link quality (C_RB) is made from the relay station to the base station, and a determination of link quality (C_SB) is made from the subscriber station to the base station. A quality of a first link path from the subscriber station to the base station that passes through the relay station is determined based on at least the link qualities (Csr, Crb). A quality of a second link path from the subscriber station to the base station that does not pass through the relay station is determined based on at least the link quality (Csb). Finally, a determination is made whether to utilize the first link path or the second link path from the subscriber station to the base station based on at least the quality of the first and second link paths.

Claims

1. A base station comprising:

a transmitter requesting channel quality information from a subscriber and a relay;

a receiver receiving an over-the-air transmission that contains channel quality information; and

logic circuitry determining a link quality (C_SR) from the subscriber station to a relay station, determining a link quality (C_RB) from the relay station to the base station, determining a link quality (C_SB) from the subscriber station to the base station, determining a quality of a first link path from the subscriber station to the base station that passes through the relay station based on the link qualities (C_SR, C_RB), determining a quality of a second link path from the subscriber station to the base station that does not pass through the relay station based on the link quality (C_SB), and determining whether to utilize the first link path or the second link path from the subscriber station to the base station based on at least the quality of the first and second link paths.

2. The base station of claim 1 wherein the over-the-air transmission comprises an IEEE 802.16 MOB_SCN-REP message containing quality information.

3. The base station of claim 1 wherein request for link quality measurements comprises an IEEE 802.16 MOB_SCN-RSP message.

4. The base station of claim 3 wherein the over-the-air transmission comprises an IEEE 802.16 MOB_SCN-REP message containing quality information.

5. A base station comprising:

a receiver receiving an over-the-air transmission that contains channel quality information related to a subscriber station and a relay station; and

logic circuitry determining a link quality (C_SR) from the subscriber station to a relay station, determining a link quality (C_RB) from the relay station to the base station, determining a link quality (C_SB) from the subscriber station to the base station, determining a quality of a first link path from the subscriber station to the base station that passes through the relay station based on the link qualities (C_SR, C_RB), determining a quality of a second link path from the subscriber station to the base station that does not pass through the relay station based on the link quality (C_SB), and determining whether to utilize the first link path or the second link path from the subscriber station to the base station based on at least the quality of the first and second link paths.

6. The base station of claim 5 wherein the over-the-air transmission comprises an IEEE 802.16 MOB_SCN-REP message containing quality information.