Patent ID: 8665773
Filing Date: 2014-03-04
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a mobile telecommunications network including a plurality of nodes and a network core, wherein a plurality of mobile telecommunications devices, including first-type mobile telecommunications devices of a first type and second-type mobile telecommunications devices of a second type, are registered with the mobile telecommunications network and communicate with the network core via the nodes, wherein at least one relay is provided between at least one particular node of said plurality of nodes and at least one particular first-type telecommunications device of said plurality of mobile telecommunications devices to extend the radio coverage provided by the said particular node, wherein the at least one relay is not able to link with the second-type mobile telecommunications devices, the method comprising: transmitting channel quality measurement data to said particular first-type telecommunications device in a link with the relay to enable the particular first-type telecommunications device to calculate the channel quality for the following: making the channel quality measurement data available, via the relay, to only the first-type mobile telecommunications devices of the plurality of mobile telecommunications devices by transmitting the channel quality measurement data in at least one data frame having a first frame format that the second-type mobile telecommunications devices ignore, wherein the channel quality measurement data are transmitted in a predetermined part of the at least one data frame, and wherein the channel quality measurement data in the first frame format includes a first portion which enables the particular first-type telecommunications device to calculate the channel quality between the particular first-type telecommunications device and the relay, and a second portion which enables the particular first-type telecommunications device to calculate the channel quality between the particular first-type telecommunications device and the particular node, the first and second portions being in different predetermined parts of the data frame, and wherein, by virtue of positions of the first portion and the second portion in the redetermined parts of the data frame, the particular first-type telecommunications device is able to use the first portion or the second portion to calculate the channel quality.