BASE STATION, RELAY STATION, AND BACKHAUL CONTROL COMMUNICATION METHODS THEREOF

• US 20100322146A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Original Assignee: Institute For Information Industry
• Inventors: LIU, Shu-Tsz, LOA, Kanchei, HSU, Chun-Yen, WU, Chih-Chiang
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A relay station and a backhaul control communication thereof are provided. A wireless communication system comprises the relay station, a base station, and a core network. The relay station is wirelessly connected to the base station, while the base station is wiredly connected to the core network. The relay station comprises a processing unit and a transceiver. The processing unit is configured to create a radio link having a control plane connection between the relay station and the base station and create a backhaul link between the relay station and the base station by the control plane connection of the radio link. The transceiver is configured to transmit a backhaul control message to the core network via the backhaul link.

Claims

1. A backhaul control communication method for use in a relay station, a wireless communication system comprising the relay station, a base station, and a core network, the relay station being wirelessly connected to the base station, the base station being wiredly connected to the core network, and the backhaul control communication method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling the relay station to create a radio link having a control plane connection between the relay station and the base station;

(b) enabling the relay station to create a backhaul link between the relay station and the base station by the control plane connection of the radio link; and

(c) enabling the relay station to transmit a backhaul control message via the backhaul link.

2. The backhaul control communication method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the long term evolution (LTE) standard, the relay station is one of a relay node, a Relay E-UTRAN NodeB (ReNB), and a relay eNB, the base station is a Doner E-UTRAN NodeB (DeNB), the core network is an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), and the step (a) comprises the steps of:

(a1) enabling the relay station to create a downlink path between the relay station and the base station; and

(a2) enabling the relay station to create an uplink path between the relay station and the base station;

wherein the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating at least one of an S1 interface and an X2 interface of the LTE standard between the relay station and the base station.

3. The backhaul control communication method of claim 2, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating the S1 interface, the step (b) comprises the steps of:

enabling the relay station to add a parameter in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, the parameter being related to of a container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an S1 setup request message;

enabling the relay station to generate a first S1-AP message carrying the S1 setup request message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink message carrying the first S1-AP message by the ULInformationTransfer message;

enabling the relay station to transmit the uplink message;

enabling the relay station to receive a downlink message from the base station;

enabling the relay station to extract a second S1-AP message from the downlink message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to extract an S1 setup response message from the second S1-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message.

4. The backhaul control communication method of claim 3, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

enabling the relay station to add the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard;

enabling the relay station to generate the backhaul control message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink S1-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink control message carrying the uplink S1-AP control message by the ULInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to transmit the uplink control message; and

the backhaul control communication method further comprising the steps of;

enabling the relay station to receive a downlink control message from the base station;

enabling the relay station to extract a downlink S1-AP control message from the downlink control message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to extract a backhaul control response message from the downlink S1-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message.

5. The backhaul control communication method of claim 2, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating the X2 interface, and the step (b) comprises the steps of:

enabling the relay station to add a parameter in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, the parameter being related to a container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an X2 setup request message;

enabling the relay station to generate a first X2-AP message carrying the X2 setup request message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink message carrying the first X2-AP message by the ULInformationTransfer message;

enabling the relay station to transmit the uplink message;

enabling the relay station to receive a downlink message from the base station;

enabling the relay station to extract a second X2-AP message from the downlink message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to extract an X2 setup response message from the second X2-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message.

6. The backhaul control communication method of claim 5, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

enabling the relay station to add the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard;

enabling the relay station to generate the backhaul control message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink X2-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the relay station to generate an uplink control message carrying the uplink X2-AP control message by the ULInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to transmit the uplink control message; and

the backhaul control communication method further comprising the following steps of;

enabling the relay station to receive a downlink control message from the base station;

enabling the relay station to extract a downlink X2-AP control message from the downlink control message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the relay station to extract a backhaul control response message from the downlink X2-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message.

7. The backhaul control communication method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the IEEE 802.16m standard, the backhaul control message is transmitted by the AAI_L2-XFER interface in the IEEE 802.16m standard.

8. A relay station for use in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising the relay station, a base station, and a core network, the relay station being wirelessly connected to the base station, the base station being wiredly connected to the core network, the relay station comprising:

a processing unit being configured to create a radio link having a control plane connection between the relay station and the base station and create a backhaul link between the relay station and the base station by the control plane connection of the radio link; and

a transceiver being configured to transmit or receive a backhaul control message via the backhaul link.

9. The relay station of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the LTE standard, the relay station is one of a relay node, a ReNB, and a relay eNB, the base station is a DeNB, the core network is an EPC, the processing unit creates the radio link by creating a downlink path and an uplink path between the relay station and the base station, and the processing unit creates the backhaul link by creating one of an S1 interface and X2 interface of the LTE standard between the relay station and the base station.

10. The relay station of claim 9, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the processing unit adds a parameter related to a container for dedicated information of S1-AP message in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates an S1 setup request message, generates a first S1-AP message carrying the S1 setup request message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message, and generates an uplink message carrying the first S1-AP message by the ULInformationTransfer message, the transceiver transmits the uplink message and receives a downlink message from the base station, the processing unit extracts a second S1-AP message from the downlink message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message, and extracts an S1 setup response message from the second S1-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message so as to creates the S1 interface.

11. The relay station of claim 10, wherein the processing unit further adds the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates the backhaul control message, generates an uplink S1-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message, and generates an uplink control message carrying the uplink S1-AP control message by the ULInformationTransfer message, and the transceiver transmits the uplink control message;

similarly, the transceiver receives a downlink control message from the base station, the processing unit further extracts a downlink S1-AP control message from the downlink control message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message, and the processing unit further extracts a backhaul control message from the downlink S1-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message.

12. The relay station of claim 9, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, and the processing unit adds a parameter related to a container for dedicated information of X2-AP message in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates an X2 setup request message, generates a first X2-AP message carrying the X2 setup request message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message, and generates an uplink message carrying the first X2-AP message by the ULInformationTransfer message, the transceiver transmits the uplink message and receives a downlink message from the base station, the processing unit extracts a second X2-AP message from the downlink message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message, and extracts an X2 setup response message from the second X2-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message so as to create the X2 interface.

13. The relay station of claim 12, wherein the processing unit further adds the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates the backhaul control message, generates an uplink X2-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message, generates an uplink control message carrying the uplink X2-AP control message by the ULInformationTransfer message and the transceiver transmits the uplink control message;

similarly, the transceiver receives a downlink control message from the base station, the processing unit extracts a downlink X2-AP control message from the downlink control message by removing the DLInformationTransfer message, and the processing unit extracts a backhaul control message from the downlink X2-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message.

14. The relay station of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the IEEE 802.16m standard, the backhaul control message is transmitted by the AAI_L2-XFER interface in the IEEE 802.16m standard.

15. A backhaul control communication method for use in a base station, a wireless communication system comprising a relay station, the base station, and a core network, the relay station being wirelessly connected to the base station, the base station being wiredly connected to the core network, the backhaul control communication method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling the base station to create a radio link having a control plane connection between the relay station and the base station;

(b) enabling the base station to create a backhaul link between the relay station and the base station by the control plane connection of the radio link; and

(c) enabling the base station to receive a backhaul control message from the relay station.

16. The backhaul control communication method of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the LTE standard, the relay station is one of a relay node, a ReNB, and a relay eNB, the base station is a DeNB, the core network is an EPC, and the step (a) comprises the steps of:

(a1) enabling the base station to create a downlink path between the relay station and the base station; and

(a2) enabling the base station to create an uplink path between the relay station and the base station;

wherein the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating one of an S1 interface and X2 interface of the LTE standard between the relay station and the base station.

17. The backhaul control communication method of claim 16, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating the S1 interface, and the step (b1) comprises the steps of:

enabling the base station to receive an uplink message;

enabling the base station to extract a first S1-AP message from the uplink message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message;

enabling the base station to extract an S1 setup request message from the first S1-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the base station to add a parameter in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, the parameter being related to a container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate an S1 setup response message;

enabling the base station to generate a second S1-AP message carrying the S1 setup response message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink message carrying the second S1-AP message by the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to transmit the downlink message.

18. The backhaul control communication method of claim 17, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

enabling the base station to receive an uplink control message;

enabling the base station to extract an uplink S1-AP control message from the uplink control message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to extract a backhaul control message from the uplink S1-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message; and

the backhaul control communication method further comprising the steps of;

enabling the base station to add the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard;

enabling the base station to generate a backhaul control message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink S1-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink control message carrying the downlink S1-AP control message by the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to transmit the downlink control message.

19. The backhaul control communication method of claim 18, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the step (b) creates the backhaul link by creating the X2 interface, and the step (b1) comprises the steps of:

enabling the base station to receive an uplink message;

enabling the base station to extract a first X2-AP message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message;

enabling the base station to extract an X2 setup request message from the first X2-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the base station to add a parameter in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, the parameter being related to a container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate an X2 setup response message;

enabling the base station to generate a second X2-AP message carrying the X2 setup response message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink message carrying the second X2-AP message by the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to transmit the downlink message.

20. The backhaul control communication method of claim 19, wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

enabling the base station to receive an uplink control message;

enabling the base station to extract an uplink X2-AP control message from the uplink control message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to extract a backhaul control message from the uplink X2-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message; and

the backhaul control communication method further comprising the steps of;

enabling the base station to add the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard;

enabling the base station to generate a backhaul control message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink X2-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

enabling the base station to generate a downlink control message carrying the downlink X2-AP control message by the DLInformationTransfer message; and

enabling the base station to transmit the downlink control message.

21. The backhaul control communication method of claim 15, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the IEEE 802.16m standard, the backhaul control message is transmitted by the AAI_L2-XFER interface in the IEEE 802.16m standard from the relay station.

22. A base station for use in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a relay station, the base station, and a core network, the relay station being wirelessly connected to the base station, the base station being wiredly connected to the core network, the base station comprising:

a processing unit being configured to create a radio link having a control plane connection between the relay station and the base station and create a backhaul link between the relay station and the base station by the control plane connection of the radio link; and

a transceiver being configured to receive a backhaul control message from the relay station and to transmit a backhaul control message to the relay station.

23. The base station of claim 22, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the LTE standard, the relay station is one of a relay node, a ReNB, and a relay eNB, the base station is a DeNB, the core network is an EPC, the processing unit creates the radio link by creating a downlink path and an uplink path between the relay station and the base station, and the processing unit creates the backhaul link by creating one of an S1 interface and X2 interface of the LTE standard between the relay station and the base station.

24. The base station of claim 23, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the transceiver receives an uplink message, the processing unit extracts a first S1-AP message from the uplink message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message, extracts an S1 setup request message from the first S1-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message, adds a parameter related to a container for dedicated information of S1-AP message in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates an S1 setup response message, generates a second S1-AP message carrying the S1 setup response message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message, and generates a downlink message carrying the second S1-AP message by the DLInformationTransfer message and the transceiver transmits the downlink message so as to create the S1 interface.

25. The base station of claim 24, wherein the transceiver receives an uplink control message, the processing unit extracts an uplink S1-AP control message from the uplink control message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message, and the processing unit extracts a backhaul control message from the uplink S1-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message;

similarly, the processing unit adds the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates a backhaul control message, generates a downlink S1-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of S1-AP message, and generates a downlink control message carrying the downlink S1-AP control message by the DLInformationTransfer message, and the transceiver transmits the downlink control message.

26. The base station of claim 23, wherein the uplink path is a ULInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the downlink path is a DLInformationTransfer message of the LTE standard, the transceiver receives an uplink message, the processing unit extracts a first X2-AP message from the uplink message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message, extracts an X2 setup request message from the first X2-AP message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message, adds a parameter related to a container for dedicated information of X2-AP message in a dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates an X2 setup response message, generates a second X2-AP message carrying the X2 setup response message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message, and generates a downlink message carrying the second X2-AP message by the DLInformationTransfer message and the transceiver transmits the downlink message so as to create the X2 interface.

27. The base station of claim 26, wherein the transceiver receives an uplink control message, the processing unit extracts an uplink X2-AP control message from the uplink control message by removing the ULInformationTransfer message, and the processing unit extracts a backhaul control message from the uplink X2-AP control message by removing the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message;

similarly, the processing unit adds the parameter in the dedicatedInformationType of the LTE standard, generates a backhaul control message, generates a downlink X2-AP control message carrying the backhaul control message by the container for dedicated information of X2-AP message, and generates a downlink control message carrying the downlink X2-AP control message by the DLInformationTransfer message, and the transceiver transmits the downlink control message.

28. The base station of claim 22, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to the IEEE 802.16m standard, the backhaul control message is transmitted by the AAI_L2-XFER interface in the IEEE 802.16m standard from the relay station.