System and method for transmitting data in a communication network

• US 7,751,777 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Xintian E., Li, Qinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Yun; Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/855,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/8, 455/9, 455/16, 455/507, 455/524, 455/525, 455/63.1, 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/11.1, 455/13.1, 455/15
• US Class Current: 455/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for transmitting data from a first base station to a first destination subscriber station (DSS). The first base station is capable of transmitting data directly to the first DSS through a direct route. Co-channel interference is present at neighboring cells during the transmission of the data through the direct route. The method includes selecting a relay station from a plurality of relay stations for transmitting data to the first DSS via a relay route. The relay route includes a route from the first base station to the relay station and further from the relay station to the first DSS. A height of the relay station is lower than a height of the first base station. Further, the method includes transmitting the data through the relay route when a throughput of the relay route is greater than a throughput of the direct route by a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data in a communication network, the communication network comprising a first base station capable of transmitting data to a first destination subscriber station (DSS), and a second base station capable of transmitting data to a second DSS, wherein a co-channel interference is present at the second DSS during a transmission of the data from the first base station to the first DSS through a direct route, the method at the first base station comprising:

selecting a relay station from a plurality of relay stations corresponding to the first base station for transmitting the data via a relay route, wherein the relay route comprises a route from the first base station to the relay station and further from the relay station to the first DSS, and wherein a height of the relay station is lower than a height of the first base station; and

transmitting the data through the relay route when a throughput of the relay route is greater than a throughput of the direct route by a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the co-channel interference is determined based on a predetermined input from the first DSS.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined input from the first DSS is at least one of a signal to interference ratio (SIR) of the first DSS and a channel quality index (CQI) of a signal corresponding to the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the relay station from the plurality of relay stations is based on a presence of a line-of-sight (LOS) path between the final relay station and the first DSS.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is based on an overhead for transmitting the data through the relay route.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold is based on a throughput gain calculated from the throughput of the relay route and the throughput of the direct route.

7. A communication network comprising:

a first destination subscriber station (DSS);

a second DSS;

a first base station capable of transmitting data to the first DSS;

a second base station capable of transmitting the data to the second DSS, wherein a co-channel interference is present at the second DSS during a direct transmission of the data from the first base station to the first DSS through a direct route; and

a plurality of relay stations capable of receiving the data from the first base station;

wherein the first base station comprises

a processor capable of

selecting a relay station from the plurality of relay stations corresponding to the first base station for transmitting the data via a relay route, wherein the relay route comprises a route from the first base station to the relay station and further from the relay station to the first DSS, and wherein a height of the relay station is lower than a height of the first base station, and

computing a throughput of the relay route and a throughput of the direct route,

a comparator operatively coupled to the processor, the comparator capable of comparing the throughput of the relay route with the throughput of the direct route, and

an antenna operatively coupled to the processor and the comparator, the antenna capable of transmitting the data through the relay route when the throughput of the relay route is greater than the throughput of the direct route by a predetermined threshold.

8. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the processor is further capable of determining the co-channel interference based on a predetermined input from the first DSS.

9. The communication network of claim 8, wherein the predetermined input from the first DSS is at least one of a signal to interference ratio (SIR) of the first DSS and a channel quality index (CQI) of a signal corresponding to the data.

10. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the processor is further capable of determining the predetermined threshold based on an overhead for transmitting the data through the relay route.

11. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the processor is further capable of determining the predetermined threshold based on a throughput gain, and wherein the throughput gain is calculated from the throughput of the relay route and the throughput of the direct route.

12. The communication network of claim 7, wherein the processor is capable of selecting the relay station based on a presence of a line-of-sight (LOS) path between the relay station and the first DSS.