NETWORK-RELAY SIGNALING FOR DOWNLINK TRANSPARENT RELAY

• US 20110205955A1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Inventors: Xu, Hua, Zhang, Hang, Ma, Jianglei, Jia, Ming
• Application Number:
  US12/887,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20110205955A1
• 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 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

In a method of providing downlink retransmissions to a mobile station in a wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising a base station communicatively linked to a transparent relay station, the base station receives a request for a retransmission from the mobile station; schedules resources for the retransmission; signals scheduling information for the retransmission to the transparent relay station via a control link; and the transparent relay station receives the scheduling information for the retransmission on the control link; and sends the retransmission to the mobile station in a retransmit subframe on a retransmit frequency band.

Claims

1. A method of providing DL retransmissions to a mobile station in a wireless communication network, said wireless communication network comprising a base station communicatively linked to a transparent relay station, said method comprising:

at said base station;

receiving a request for a retransmission from said mobile station;

scheduling resources for said retransmission;

signalling scheduling information for said retransmission to said transparent relay station via a control link;

at said transparent relay station;

receiving said scheduling information for said retransmission on said control link; and

sending said retransmission to said mobile station in a retransmit subframe on a retransmit frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at said base station, sending said retransmission to said mobile station in said retransmit subframe on said retransmit frequency band.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said control link occupies said retransmit frequency band.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said control link occupies a designated frequency band, said designated frequency band being different than said retransmit frequency band.

5. The method of claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said signalling said scheduling information for said retransmission occurs in a scheduling subframe, and said retransmit subframe is consecutive to said scheduling subframe.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said signalling said scheduling information for said retransmission occurs in said retransmit subframe.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said designated frequency band is the 2.5 GHz band.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising, at said base station, identifying said mobile station as requiring relay assistance prior to said scheduling said resources for said retransmission.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifying said mobile station as requiring relay assistance comprises identifying said mobile station as being near a cell edge.

10. A base station in a wireless communication network, said base station comprising a controller operable to:

receive a request for a retransmission from a mobile station;

schedule resources for said retransmission;

signal scheduling information for said retransmission to a transparent relay station via a control link; and

wherein said signalling of said scheduling information enables said transparent relay station to send said retransmission to said mobile station in a retransmit subframe on a retransmit frequency band.

11. The base station of claim 11, wherein said controller is further operable to send said retransmission to said mobile station in said retransmit subframe on said retransmit frequency band.

12. The base station of claim 12, wherein said control link occupies said retransmit frequency band.

13. The base station of claim 12, wherein said control link occupies a designated frequency band, said designated frequency band being different than said retransmit frequency band.

14. The base station of claim 13 or 14, wherein said signalling said scheduling information for said retransmission occurs in a scheduling subframe, and said retransmit subframe is consecutive to said scheduling subframe.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein said signalling said scheduling information for said retransmission occurs in said retransmit subframe.

16. The base station of claim 14, wherein said designated frequency band is the 2.5 GHz band.

17. The base station of claim 12, wherein said controller is further operable to identify said mobile station as requiring relay assistance prior to said scheduling said resources for said retransmission.

24. The transparent relay station of claim 12, wherein said designated frequency band is the 2.5 GHz band.

19. A transparent relay station in a wireless communication network, said transparent relay station comprising a controller operable to:

receive, on a control link from a base station, scheduling information for a retransmission to a mobile station; and

send said retransmission to said mobile station in said retransmit subframe on said retransmit frequency band.

18. The base station of claim 19, wherein said identifying said mobile station as requiring relay assistance comprises identify said mobile station as being near a cell edge.

20. The transparent relay station of claim 19, wherein said control link occupies said retransmit frequency band.

21. The transparent relay station of claim 19, wherein said control link occupies a designated frequency band, said designated frequency band being different than said retransmit frequency band.

22. The transparent relay station of claim 20 or 21, wherein said receiving said scheduling information occurs in a scheduling subframe, and said retransmit subframe is consecutive to said scheduling subframe.

23. The transparent relay station of claim 21, wherein said receiving said scheduling information occurs in said retransmit subframe.