Patent ID: 8995331
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a radio access network having a radio access network node and plural wireless terminals, wherein a first wireless terminal is configured to utilize mixed carrier aggregation, the mixed carrier aggregation comprising licensed component carriers and unlicensed component carriers, the method comprising: the radio access network node sending a paging message to the plural wireless terminals to locate a candidate wireless terminal to serve as a relay node, wherein the paging message includes information regarding a required data rate for relaying between the radio access network node and the first wireless terminal, and an expected time period to serve as the relay node; the radio access network node receiving a response message from the candidate wireless terminal agreeing to serve as the relay node; interfacing the candidate wireless terminal as the relay node with the radio access network node and with the first wireless terminal; and utilizing the relay node as a relay to transmit uplink and downlink data over a wireless interface between the radio access network node and the first wireless terminal using an unlicensed component carrier; wherein the first wireless terminal receives the downlink data from the relay node on the unlicensed component carrier, receives additional downlink data from the radio access network node on a licensed component carrier, and the first wireless terminal performs carrier aggregation of the unlicensed component carrier and the licensed component carrier received by the first wireless terminal.