Supplemental Node Transmission Assistance in a Wireless Communications Network

• US 20110223900A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Song, Yi, Hu, Rose, Yu, Yi, Cai, Zhijun
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

Supplemental node transmission assistance in a wireless network provides for transmissions between a wireless network and wireless user equipment in a first direction using a serving node of the wireless network while providing for transmissions between the wireless network and wireless user equipment in a second direction using a supplemental node of the wireless network. The supplemental node is selected based on providing better channel conditions between the network and the user equipment in the second direction than the serving node. The supplemental node thus provides transmission assistance for the serving node in order to provide the best available downlink and uplink communications between the user equipment and the network.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communications between a wireless communications network and wireless user equipment, comprising:

selecting a first node of the wireless communications network as a serving node for the user equipment;

using the serving node for transmissions in a first direction between the user equipment and the wireless communications network;

selecting a second node of the wireless communications network as a supplemental node; and

using the supplemental node for transmissions in a second direction between the wireless communications network and the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node and the second node are wireless communications network nodes selected from the group of wireless communications network nodes consisting of E-UTRAN Node B nodes, relay nodes, and other low power transmission nodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

selecting the second node includes selecting a second node of the wireless communications network that receives a stronger uplink signal from the user equipment than the serving node as the supplemental node;

transmissions in the first direction are downlink transmissions from the serving node to the user equipment; and

transmissions in the second direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the supplemental node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

selecting a second node of the wireless communication network as a supplemental node includes selecting a plurality of nodes of the wireless communication network as a plurality of uplink supplemental nodes forming an uplink supplemental node set; and

using the supplemental node for uplink transmissions to the wireless communications network from the user equipment includes receiving uplink transmissions from the user equipment by a plurality of the uplink supplemental nodes in the uplink supplemental node set.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein using the supplemental node for transmissions between the wireless communications network and the user equipment includes:

receiving uplink transmission data from the user equipment by the supplemental node; and

sending the received uplink transmission data from the supplemental node to the serving node.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein using the supplemental node for transmissions between the wireless communications network and the user equipment includes sending uplink scheduling parameters from the serving node to the supplemental node.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising adapting parameters of a wireless communications link for the transmissions in the second direction by the serving node.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising determining retransmission statistics for transmissions in the second direction and adapting parameters of the wireless communications link for the transmissions in the second direction based on the determined retransmission statistics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transmissions in the first direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the serving node; and

transmissions in the second direction are downlink transmissions from the supplemental node to the user equipment.

10. A communications network for wireless communications with user equipment, comprising:

a serving node adapted for transmissions in a first direction between the user equipment and the wireless communications network and adapted to select a supplemental node; and

a supplemental node, wherein the supplemental node is selected by the serving node and adapted for transmissions in a second direction between the wireless communications network and the user equipment.

11. The communications network of claim 10, wherein the serving node and the supplemental node are wireless communications network nodes selected from the group of wireless communications network nodes consisting of E-UTRAN Node B nodes, relay nodes, and other low power transmission nodes.

12. The communications network of claim 10, wherein:

the supplemental node receives a stronger uplink signal from the user equipment than the serving node;

transmissions in the first direction are downlink transmissions from the serving node to the user equipment; and

transmissions in the second direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the supplemental node.

13. The communications network of claim 12, wherein:

the serving node is further adapted to select a plurality of nodes of the wireless communication network as a plurality of uplink supplemental nodes forming an uplink supplemental node set; and

each of the plurality of nodes in the uplink supplemental node set is adapted to receive uplink transmissions from the user equipment.

14. The communications network of claim 12, wherein the supplemental node is adapted to receive uplink transmission data from the user equipment and to send the received uplink transmission data from the supplemental node to the serving node.

15. The communications network of claim 12, wherein the serving node is adapted to send uplink scheduling parameters from the serving node to the supplemental node.

16. The communications network of claim 10, wherein the serving node is adapted to adapt parameters of a wireless communications link for the transmissions in the second direction.

17. The communications network of claim 16, wherein the serving node is adapted to determine retransmission statistics for transmissions in the second direction and to adapt parameters of the wireless communications link for the transmissions in the second direction on the determined retransmission statistics.

18. The communications network of claim 10, wherein:

transmissions in the first direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the serving node; and

transmissions in the second direction are downlink transmissions from the supplemental node to the user equipment.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code stored thereon for controlling a processing unit of a node of a wireless communications network to:

be selected to operate as a serving node adapted for transmissions in a first direction between the user equipment and the wireless communications network and adapted to select a supplemental node; and

be selected by a node of a wireless communications network operating as a serving node to operate as a supplemental node adapted for transmissions in a second direction between the wireless communications network and the user equipment.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

transmissions in the first direction are downlink transmissions from the node of the wireless communications network operating as a serving node to the user equipment; and

transmissions in the second direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the node of the wireless communications network operating as a supplemental node.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code is further adapted for controlling a processing unit of a node of a wireless communications network to:

when operating as a serving node, select a plurality of nodes of the wireless communication network as a plurality of uplink supplemental nodes forming an uplink supplemental node set.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code is further adapted for controlling a processing unit of a node of a wireless communications network to:

when operating as a supplemental node, receive uplink transmission data from the user equipment and send the received uplink transmission data from the supplemental node to another node of the wireless communications network operating as a serving node.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer usable program code is further adapted for controlling a processing unit of a node of a wireless communications network to:

when operating as a serving node, send uplink scheduling parameters from the serving node to another node of the communications network operating as a supplemental node.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer usable program code is further adapted for controlling a processing unit of a node of a wireless communications network to:

when operating as a serving node, adapt parameters of a wireless communications link for transmissions in the second direction.

25. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein:

transmissions in the first direction are uplink transmissions from the user equipment to the node of the communications network operating as a serving node; and

transmissions in the second direction are downlink transmissions from the node of the communications network operating as a supplemental node to the user equipment.