Control signaling techniques for wireless networks

• US 7,983,302 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Doppler, Klaus, Lindh, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US11/935,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 370/473, 370/442, 370/310.2, 370/314, 370/321, 370/322, 370/329, 370/332
• US Class Current: 370/473
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays

Abstract

Various example embodiments are disclosed relating to wireless networks, such as relay networks or multi-hop networks, and also relating to control signaling techniques for wireless networks. In an example embodiment, a method or technique may include transmitting (e.g., data or control) frames in a downlink direction and control frames in an uplink direction during a first phase, and transmitting (e.g., data or control) frames in an uplink direction and control frames in a downlink direction during a second phase.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting and receiving data using a multi-phase operation comprising:

transmitting at least data frames in a downlink direction and control frames in an uplink direction during a first phase;

receiving frames in an uplink direction during a second phase;

receiving frames in a downlink direction during a third phase; and

transmitting at least data frames in an uplink direction and control frames in a downlink direction during a fourth phase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a phase comprises a time slot.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising receiving an uplink/downlink split message indicating a number or ratio of the length of or amount of subframes of uplink and downlink phases.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the method comprises:

performing the following by a first group of wireless nodes in a relay network;

transmitting at least data frames in a first direction and control frames in a second direction during a first phase; and

transmitting at least data frames in the second direction and control frames in the first direction during a fourth phase; and

performing the following by a second group of wireless nodes in a relay network;

transmitting at least data frames in the second direction and control frames in the first direction during a second phase; and

transmitting at least data frames in a first direction and control frames in a second direction during a third phase.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first direction comprises a downlink direction and the second direction comprises an uplink direction.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second direction comprises a downlink direction and the first direction comprises an uplink direction.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the controller;

the apparatus configured to;

transmit at least data frames in a first direction and control frames in a second direction during a first phase;

receive frames in the second direction during a second phase;

receive frames in the first direction during a third phase; and

transmit at least data frames in the second direction and control frames in the first direction during a fourth phase.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus comprises a first wireless transceiver for transmitting on subcarriers or frequencies in the downlink direction, and a second wireless transceiver for transmitting on subcarriers or frequencies in the uplink direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first direction comprises a downlink direction and the second direction comprises an uplink direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second direction comprises a downlink direction and the first direction comprises an uplink direction.