Scanning apparatus and method in a multi-hop relay broadband wireless access communication system

• US 7,668,504 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Mi-Hyun, Lee, Sung-Jin, Son, Yeong-Moon, Hong, Song-Nam, Kang, Hyun-Jeong, Kim, Young-Ho, Son, Jung-Je, Lim, Hyoung-Kyu, Joo, Pan-Yuh, Cho, Jae-Wong
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tu X
• Application Number:
  US11/519,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20070060048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/436, 455/443, 455/444
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A scanning apparatus and method in a multi-hop relay Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) communication system are provided. In the scanning method, a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) sends a scan request message requesting scanning to a Base Station (BS) via a Relay Station (RS). The BS sends a scan response message containing information for the scanning of the MSS to the MSS via the RS. The BS then sends a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS.

Claims

1. A communication method in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising:

transmitting a scan request message received from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) to a Base Station (BS);

transmitting a scan response message received from the BS to the MSS, the scan response message containing information for scanning the MSS;

receiving a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS from the BS;

receiving a scan report message containing a scanning result from the MSS;

transmitting the scan report message to the BS; and

receiving a scan result message indicating the scanning result of the MSS from the BS.

2. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan request message includes information about desired neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

3. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan response message includes at least one of a scan duration, a scan report mode, a scan report period, the type of information reported as a scanning result, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, a time interval between scannings, and information about neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

4. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan notify message includes at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

5. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan report message includes at least one of a scan report mode, the type of information reported as the scanning result, information about scanned neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs, and scanning result information.

6. The communication method of claim 5, wherein the scanning result information is one of Carrier-to-Interference and Noise Ratio (CINR), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), and a delay.

7. The communication method of claim 1, wherein the scan result message includes at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

8. A communication method in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, comprising:

determining, upon receipt of a scan request message from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), a scanning schedule for the MSS based on information included in the scan request message;

transmitting a scan response message including the determined scanning schedule information to the MSS;

transmitting a scanning-inform-message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS;

receiving a scanning-inform-acknowledge-message indicating reception of the scanning-inform-message from the BS;

receiving a scan report message containing a scanning result from the MSS;

generating a report message reporting information included in the scan report message; and

transmitting the report message to the BS.

9. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the scan request message includes information about desired neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

10. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the scan response message includes at least one of a scan duration, a scan report mode, a scan report period, the type of information reported as a scanning result, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, a time interval between scannings, and information about neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs to be scanned.

11. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the scan notify message includes at least one MSS that is to scan.

12. The communication method of claim 8, further comprising buffering data to be transmitted to the MSS, during the scanning in the MSS.

13. The communication method of claim 8, wherein the scan report message includes at least one of a scan report mode, the type of information reported as the scanning result, information about scanned neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs, and scanning result information.

14. A communication method in a Relay Station (RS) in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

determining, upon receipt of a scan request message from a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS), a scanning schedule for the MSS based on information included in the scan request message;

transmitting a scan response message including the determined scanning schedule information to the MSS;

transmitting a scanning-inform-message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS;

receiving a scanning-inform-acknowledge-message indicating reception of the scanning-inform-message from the BS;

discontinuing communication with the MSS during the scanning in the MSS; and

transmitting a scanning-finish-message indicating completion of the scanning to a serving BS, when communication with the MSS resumes.

15. The communication method of claim 14, wherein the scan finish message includes information about at least one MSS that has completed scanning.

16. A communication method in a Base Station (BS) in a cellular communication system, comprising:

receiving a scan request message of a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS) from a Relay Station (RS);

determining a scanning schedule for the MSS based on information included in the scan request message;

transmitting a scan response message containing the determined scanning schedule information to the MSS via the RS;

transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS;

receiving a scan report message including a scanning result from the MSS; and

transmitting a scan result message indicating the scanning result of the MSS to the RS.

17. The communication method of claim 16, wherein the scan notify message includes at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

18. The communication method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS via the RS, when receiving the scan report message.

19. The communication method of claim 16, wherein the scan result message includes at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

20. A scanning method in a cellular communication system, comprising:

transmitting a scan request message requesting scanning to a Base Station (BS) via a Relay Station (RS) by a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

transmitting a scan response message containing information for scanning of the MSS to the MSS via the RS by the BS;

transmitting a scan notify message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the RS by the BS;

scanning neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs according to information included in the scan response message by the MSS;

transmitting a scan report message containing a scanning result to the BS via the RS by the MSS; and

transmitting a scan result message indicating the scanning result to the RS by the BS.

21. The scanning method of claim 20, wherein the scan notify message includes at least one of an MSS Identifier (ID), a scan duration, a scan start time, a scan iteration number, and a time interval between scannings.

22. The scanning method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS via the RS by the BS.

23. The scanning method of claim 20 wherein the scan result message includes at least one of an MSS ID, the IDs of nodes that the MSS has scanned, and scanning result information.

24. A scanning method in a cellular communication system, comprising;

transmitting a scan request message requesting scanning to a Relay Station (RS) by a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

transmitting a scan response message containing information for scanning of the MSS to the MSS by the RS; and

transmitting a scanning-inform-message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS by the RS;

transmitting a scanning-inform-acknowledge-message indicating reception of the scanning-inform-message to the RS by the BS;

scanning neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs according to information included in the scan response message by the MSS;

transmitting a scan report message including a scanning result to the RS by the MSS;

generating a report message reporting information included in the scan report message; and

transmitting the report message to the BS by the RS.

25. The scanning method of claim 24, wherein the scanning-inform-acknowledge-message includes information about at least one MSS that performs scanning.

26. The scanning method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the MSS by the RS.

27. The scanning method of claim 24, further comprising transmitting data buffered during the scanning in the MSS to the RS by the BS.

28. A scanning method in a cellular communication system, comprising:

transmitting a scan request message requesting scanning to a Relay Station (RS) by a Mobile Subscriber Station (MSS);

transmitting a scan response message containing information for scanning of the MSS to the MSS by the RS;

transmitting a scanning-inform-message indicating the scanning of the MSS to the BS by the RS;

scanning neighbor BSs and neighbor RSs according to information included in the scan response message by the MSS; and

transmitting a scanning-finish-message indicating a completion of the scanning to the BS by the RS.

29. The scanning method of claim 28, wherein the scanning-finish-message includes information about at least one MSS that has completed scanning.