Patent ID: 8467397
Filing Date: 2013-06-18
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method of controlling a wireless feeder network used to couple access base stations of an access network with a communications network, the wireless feeder network connecting a plurality of feeder base stations coupled to the communications network and a plurality of feeder terminals coupled to associated access base stations, each feeder terminal having a feeder link with a feeder base station, and the feeder links being established over a wireless resource comprising a plurality of resource blocks, the method comprising the steps of: allocating resource blocks for use by said plurality of feeder base stations and said plurality of feeder terminals to establish said feeder links between feeder base stations in the plurality of feeder base stations and feeder terminals in the plurality of feeder terminals; wherein said resource blocks are allocated to a centrally administered schedule in which each resource block is associated with a predetermined feeder link and to at least one feeder base station administered schedule in which a set of resource blocks is associated with a predetermined feeder base station, said predetermined feeder base station being configured to implement said feeder base station administered schedule dynamically by using said set of resource blocks depending on current traffic requirements of said predetermined feeder base station; monitoring network traffic being carried by said feeder links to determine at least one characteristic of said network traffic; and re-allocating said resource blocks to said centrally administered schedule and to said at least one feeder base station administered schedule depending on said at least one characteristic of said network traffic.