Patent ID: 8532016
Filing Date: 2013-09-10
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a wireless communications system comprising at least a base station, a first relay station, a second relay station and one or more subscriber stations; wherein the base station, the first relay station and one or more of the said subscriber stations are operable to communicate with each other using at least a first wireless protocol, and wherein the base station, the second relay station and one or more of the said subscriber stations are operable to communicate with each other using at least a second wireless protocol; the method comprising operating the system according to an overall frame structure in which a subframe comprises: the subframe further comprising an idle period for the first relay station for substantially the whole of one or both of the second-protocol access period and the second-protocol relay period, to avoid communications using the first wireless protocol interfering with communications using the second wireless protocol; and wherein the overall frame structure is arranged to position the idle period for the first relay station between the first-protocol access period and the first-protocol relay period, to accommodate switching of the first relay station between the one of the transmit mode and the receive mode and the other of the transmit mode and the receive mode.