Radio relay station and control method

• US 9,191,094 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Kitaji, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Behnamian, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US13/575,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 455/438, 455/436, 455/437, 455/452.1, 370/331, 370/332, 370/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/34 Reselection control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/38 by fixed network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A relay node (200) transmits a terminal handover request, which requests permission for a terminal handover, or a relay station handover request, which requests permission for a relay station handover, to a radio base station (100A). When the relay node receives a handover instruction which instructs a relay station handover, the relay node carries out a relay handover; and when the relay node receives a handover instruction which instructs a terminal handover, the relay node transmits the handover instruction to at least one among a group of radio terminals (300E-300G).

Claims

1. A radio relay station, comprising:

a first communication unit configured to communicate with a radio base station or a different radio relay station as a connection destination;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with at least one radio terminal;

a relay unit configured to relay data to be exchanged between a connection destination of the first communication unit and the radio terminal; and

a controller configured to control the first communication unit and the second communication unit, wherein

the controller comprises;

a handover request unit configured to control the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits a relay station handover request for executing a relay station handover in which the first communication unit switches the connection destination or a terminal handover request for executing a terminal handover in which the radio terminal switches a connection destination;

a handover controller configured to control the first communication unit so that the first communication unit executes the relay station handover when the first communication unit receives a response message indicating that the relay station handover is allowed or instructed; and

a handover instruction unit configured to control the second communication unit so that the second communication unit transmits a terminal handover instruction to the radio terminal when the first communication unit receives a response message indicating that the terminal handover is allowed or instructed, wherein

the handover request unit is configured to control the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits the relay station handover request or the terminal handover request when a relay station load that is a load of a communication performed by the second communication unit with the radio terminal exceeds a load acceptable amount determined according to a load of a connection destination of the first communication unit or when it is predicted that the relay station load exceeds the load acceptable amount.

2. The radio relay station according to claim 1, wherein

the controller further comprises:

a notification request unit configured to control the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits a load notification request for requesting a relay station load notification and a terminal load notification, the relay station load notification notifying a load of a relay station handover candidate that is a candidate of a new connection destination of the first communication unit, the terminal load notification notifying a load of a terminal handover candidate that is a candidate of a new connection destination of the radio terminal; and

a handover determination unit configured to determine whether or not to execute the relay station handover based on the relay station load notification received by the first communication unit, wherein

the handover request unit controls the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits the relay station handover request when it is determined that the relay station handover is to be executed.

3. The radio relay station according to claim 2, wherein the handover determination unit calculates a load of the relay station handover candidate that the relay station will have after the relay station handover to the relay station handover candidate based on the relay station load notification and the relay station load, and determines whether or not to execute the relay station handover based on the calculated load.

4. The radio relay station according to claim 2, wherein the handover request unit controls the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits the terminal handover request when it is determined that the relay station handover is not to be executed.

5. The radio relay station according to claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a terminal determination unit which determines at least one radio terminal to be caused to execute the terminal handover so as to keep the relay station load equal to or smaller than the load allowable amount based on the relay station load and a terminal load that is a load of each radio terminal.

6. A control method for a radio relay station which comprises a first communication unit configured to communicate with a radio base station or a different radio relay station as a connection destination, a second communication unit configured to communicate with at least one radio terminal, and a relay unit configured to relay data to be exchanged between a connection destination of the first communication unit and the radio terminal, the control method comprising:

controlling the first communication unit so that the first communication unit transmits a relay station handover request for executing a relay station handover in which the first communication unit switches a connection destination or a terminal handover request for executing a terminal handover in which the radio terminal switches the connection destination, when a relay station load that is a load of a communication performed by the second communication unit with the radio terminal exceeds a load acceptable amount determined according to a load of a connection destination of the first communication unit or when it is predicted that the relay station load exceeds the load acceptable amount,

controlling the first communication unit so that the first communication unit executes the relay station handover when the first communication unit receives a response message indicating that the relay station handover is allowed or instructed, and

controlling the second communication unit so that the second communication unit transmits a terminal handover instruction to the radio terminal when the first communication unit receives a response message indicating that the terminal handover is allowed or instructed.