RELAY STATION, RELAY METHOD, RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND RADIO COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20120176962A1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Ryota
• Granted Patent: US 9,184,825 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: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A relay node in a mobile communication network for relaying communications between a base station and a mobile terminal The relay node includes a first communication unit that communicates with the base station via a backhaul link using at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method, and a second communication unit that communicates with the mobile terminal via an access link using at least one of a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method. The relay node also includes a communication control unit that selects the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method, or selects the at least one of the second modulation method and the second multiplexing method based on a characteristic of a link, a type of link or a type of data included in a communication signal.

Claims

1. A relay node in a mobile communication network for relaying communications between a base station and a mobile terminal, the relay node comprising:

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the base station via a backhaul link using at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the mobile terminal via an access link using at least one of a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method; and

a communication control unit configured to select the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method, or select the at least one of the second modulation method and the second multiplexing method based on a characteristic of a link, a type of link or a type of data included in a communication signal.

2. The relay node of claim 1, wherein

the first modulation method is a same modulation method as the second modulation method.

3. The relay node of claim 1, wherein

the first modulation method is a different modulation method than the second modulation method.

4. relay node of claim 1, wherein

the first multiplexing method is a same multiplexing method as the second multiplexing method.

5. The relay node of claim 1, wherein

the first multiplexing method is a different multiplexing method than the second multiplexing method.

6. The relay node of claim 1, wherein

the communication control unit is configured to select the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method based on a characteristic of the backhaul link.

7. The relay node of claim 6, wherein

the combination of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) or Single Carrier-Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA).

8. The relay node of claim 7, wherein

the communication control unit is configured to select OFDMA for an downlink connection with the base station via the backhaul link.

9. The relay node of claim 7, wherein

the communication control unit is configured to select SC-FDMA for a uplink connection with the base station via the backhaul link.

10. A computer-readable recording medium including computer program code, which when executed by a relay node, cause the relay node to perform a method of relaying communications between a base station and a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

selecting at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method for communicating with a base station via a backhaul link;

selecting at least one of a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method for communicating with the mobile station via an access link;

communicating with the base station via the backhaul link using the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method; and

communicating with the mobile station via the at least one of the second modulation method and the second multiplexing method.

11. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the first modulation method is a same modulation method as the second modulation method.

12. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the first modulation method is a different modulation method than the second modulation method.

13. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the first multiplexing method is a same multiplexing method as the second multiplexing method.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the first multiplexing method is a different multiplexing method than the second multiplexing method.

15. A method performed by a relay node of relaying communications between a base station and a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

selecting, by a communication control unit of the relay node, at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method for communicating with a base station via a backhaul link;

selecting, by a communication control unit of the relay node, at least a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method for communicating with the mobile station via an access link;

communicating, by a first communication unit of the relay node, with the base station via the backhaul link using the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method; and

communicating, by a second communication unit of the relay node, with the mobile station via the access link using the at least one of the second modulation method and the second multiplexing method.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein

the first modulation method is a same modulation method as the second modulation method.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein

the first modulation method is a different modulation method than the second modulation method.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein

the first multiplexing method is a same multiplexing method as the second multiplexing method.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein

the first multiplexing method is a different multiplexing method than the second multiplexing method.

20. A wireless communication system, comprising:

a base station;

a relay node configured to relay communications between the base station and a mobile terminal;

a first communication control unit configured to select at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method for communication between the relay node and the base station via a backhaul link;

a second communication control unit configured to select at least a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method for communication between the relay node and the mobile station via an access link;

a first communication unit, at the relay node, configured to communicate with the base station via the backhaul link using the at least one of the first modulation method and the first multiplexing method; and

a second communication unit, at the relay node, configured to communicate with the mobile station via the access link using the at least one of the second modulation method and the second multiplexing method.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein

the first communication control unit and the second communication control unit are the same communication control unit.

22. A mobile terminal in a mobile communication network for receiving communications relayed from a base station to the mobile terminal via a relay node, the mobile terminal comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive data from the relay node via an access link using at least one of a first modulation method and a first multiplexing method, which are selected by the relay node, wherein the data transmitted from the relay node to the mobile terminal is received at the relay node via a backhaul link using at least one of a second modulation method and a second multiplexing method.