Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/9860711
Timestamp: 2018-01-20 07:22:28
Document Index: 292923506

Matched Legal Cases: ['§119', 'Application No. 200980143336', 'Application No. 200980143336', 'Application No. 2011', 'Application No. 2412', 'Application No. 09823938']

US Patent for Relay techniques suitable for user equipment in downlink Patent (Patent # 9,860,711 issued January 2, 2018) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Time DivisionUS Patent for Relay techniques suitable for user equipment in downlink Patent (Patent # 9,860,711)
The present invention provides a solution to improve coverage and cell edge performance in a mobile user communication system is the use of fixed relays, which are pieces of infrastructure without a wired backhaul connection. The relays transmit or “relay” downlink messages between the base station (BS) and mobile stations (MSs) through a multi-hop communication. The present invention is a method and system for supporting a multiple user mobile broadband communication network that includes relay techniques suitable for user equipment in the downlink communication to the user equipment.
This application is related to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/109,679 filed on Oct. 30, 2008, and priority is claimed for this earlier filing under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). The Provisional patent application is also incorporated by reference into this utility patent application.
To improve the performance of a sectorized cell sector, schemes have been implemented using orthogonal frequency domain multiple access (OFDMA) systems. The various components on the system may be called different names depending on the nomenclature used on any particular network configuration or communication system. For instance, “user equipment” encompasses PC's on a cabled network, as well as other types of equipment coupled by wireless connectivity directly to the cellular network as can be experienced by various makes and models of mobile terminals (“cell phones”) having various features and functionality, such as Internet access, e-mail, messaging services, and the like.
Further, the words “receiver” and “transmitter” may be referred to as “access point” (AP), “basestation,” and “user” depending on which direction the communication is being transmitted and received. For example, an access point AP or a basestaion (eNodeB or eNB) is the transmitter and a user is the receiver for downlink environments, whereas an access point AP or a basestaion (eNodeB or eNB) is the receiver and a user is the transmitter for uplink environments. These terms (such as transmitter or receiver) are not meant to be restrictively defined, but could include various mobile communication units or transmission devices located on the network.
The present invention provides a solution to improve coverage and cell edge performance in a mobile user communication system is the use of fixed relays, which are pieces of infrastructure without a wired backhaul connection. The relays transmit or “relay” downlink messages between the base station (BS) and mobile stations (MSs) through a multi-hop communication. The present invention is a method and system for supporting a multiple user mobile broadband communication network that includes relay techniques suitable for user equipment in the downlink communication to the user equipment. Several specific relay techniques are addressed with respect to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing figures.
In operation, OFDM is preferably used for at least downlink transmission from the base stations 14 to the mobile terminals 16. Each base station 14 is equipped with “n” transmit antennas 28 (n>=1), and each mobile terminal 16 is equipped with “m” receive antennas 40 (m>=1). Notably, the respective antennas can be used for reception and transmission using appropriate duplexers or switches and are so labeled only for clarity. When relay stations 15 are used, OFDM is preferably used for downlink transmission from the base stations 14 to the relays 15 and from relay stations 15 to the mobile terminals 16.
1. A relay station comprised within a wireless radio communication system for communicating packet transmissions from a base station to a mobile unit, comprising:
wireless communication circuitry, configured to perform wireless communication with the base station and the mobile unit; and
processing hardware coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware is configured to operate with the wireless communication circuitry to: receive a first transmission from the base station according to a wireless packet transmission protocol in a data region of a first downlink subframe, wherein the first downlink subframe is divided into a control region and the data region, the control region and data region being contiguous regions and the control region includes one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols at the beginning of the first downlink subframe and remaining OFDM symbols of the first downlink subframe constitute the data region, wherein said first transmission received by the relay station comprises control information for the first transmission received by the relay station, and a first common reference signal for use in decoding the first transmission, wherein the control information for the first transmission is received in one or more dedicated resource blocks in the data region of the first subframe, wherein the one or more dedicated resource blocks are reserved to convey the control information, and wherein the processing hardware is further configured to: in a first configuration, prohibit the relay station from transmitting in the data region of the first downlink subframe, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to use only one radio transceiver in the first configuration; and in a second configuration, transmit only reference signals in the data region of the first downlink subframe to the mobile unit, wherein the wireless communication circuitry is configured to use two separate radio transceivers in the second configuration; transmit a control signal and a second common reference signal to the mobile unit in the control region at the beginning of the first downlink subframe, wherein the mobile unit is configured to use the second common reference signal to perform channel measurement and channel estimation, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to prohibit the relay station from decoding transmissions from the base station in the control region of the first downlink subframe, and wherein, when the first configuration is configured, the mobile unit is further configured to prohibit decoding, conducting of channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe, and wherein, when the second configuration is configured, the mobile unit is further configured to perform decoding, channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe; and transmit to the mobile unit a third common reference signal in a control region of a second downlink subframe and a second transmission in data regions of the second downlink subframe, wherein the second downlink subframe is next in time to the first downlink subframe, and wherein the processing hardware is further configured to prohibit the relay station from receiving any signals in the second downlink subframe.
5. A method of communicating a packet transmission from a base station to a mobile unit served by a relay station, comprising:
receiving a first transmission from said base station at the relay station in a data region of a first downlink subframe, wherein the first downlink subframe is divided into a control region and the data region, the control region and data region being contiguous regions and the control region includes one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols at the beginning of the first downlink subframe and remaining OFDM symbols of the first downlink subframe constitute the data region, wherein said first transmission received by the relay station comprises control information for the first transmission received by the relay station, and a first common reference signal for use in decoding the first transmission, wherein the control information for the transmission is received in one or more dedicated resource blocks in the data region of the first subframe, wherein the one or more dedicated resource blocks are reserved to convey the control information, wherein, in a first configuration, the relay station does not transmit in the data region of the first downlink subframe, wherein the relay station uses only one radio transceiver in the first configuration, wherein, in a second configuration, the relay station transmits only reference signals in the data region of the first downlink subframe to mobile unit, and wherein the relay station uses a second radio transceiver to transmit to the mobile unit in the first subframe in the second configuration;
transmitting from said relay station to said mobile unit a control signal and a second common reference signal in the control region at the beginning of the first downlink subframe, wherein the mobile unit is configured to use the second common reference signal to perform channel measurement and channel estimation, wherein the relay station does not attempt decoding of transmissions from the base station in the control region of the first downlink subframe, wherein, when the first configuration is configured, the mobile unit is further configured to not perform decoding nor conduct channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe, and wherein, when the second configuration is configured, the mobile unit is further configured to perform decoding, channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe; and
transmitting from said relay station to said mobile unit, a third common reference signal in a control region of a second downlink subframe and a second transmission in data regions of the second downlink subframe, wherein the second downlink subframe is next in time to the first downlink subframe, and wherein the relay station does not receive any signals in the second downlink subframe.
one or more processors coupled to wireless communication circuitry, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive, via the wireless communication circuitry, a first transmission from a base station according to a wireless packet transmission protocol in a data region of a first downlink subframe, wherein the first downlink subframe is divided into a control region and the data region, the control region and data region being contiguous regions and the control region includes one or more orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols at the beginning of the first downlink subframe and remaining OFDM symbols of the first downlink subframe constitute the data region, wherein said transmission comprises control information for the first transmission, wherein the control information for the transmission is received in one or more dedicated resource blocks in the data region of the first subframe are reserved to convey the control information, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to: in a first configuration, prohibit the apparatus from transmitting in the data region of the first downlink subframe, wherein the apparatus is configured to use only one radio transceiver in the first configuration; and in a second configuration, transmit only control signals in the data region of the first downlink subframe to a mobile unit, wherein the apparatus is configured to use two separate radio transceivers in the second configuration; transmit, via the wireless communication circuitry, a control signal and a second common reference signal to a mobile station in the control region at the beginning of the first downlink subframe, wherein the mobile station is configured to use the second reference signal to perform channel measurement and channel estimation, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to prohibit decoding of transmissions from the base station in the control region of the first downlink subframe, and wherein, when the first configuration is configured, the mobile station is further configured to prohibit decoding and conducting of channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe, and wherein, when the second configuration is configured, the mobile station is further configured to perform decoding, channel measurement and estimation analysis in the data portion of the first downlink subframe; and transmit, via the wireless communication circuitry, to the mobile station a third common reference signal in a control region of a second downlink subframe and a second transmission in data regions of the second downlink subframe, wherein the second downlink subframe is next in time to the first downlink subframe, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to prohibit reception of any signals in the second downlink subframe.
14. The wireless radio communication system according to claim 1,
wherein subframes in which transmissions from the base station are received according to the wireless packet transmission protocol, including the first subframe, and resource allocation for the control information are indicated by higher-layer signaling received from the base station.
15. The method of communicating a packet transmission from a base station to a mobile unit according to claim 5,
wherein subframes in which transmissions from the base station are received according to the wireless packet transmission protocol, including the first subframe, and the dedicated resource block for the control information are indicated by higher-layer signaling received from the base station.
wherein a location and periodicity of subframes in which transmissions from the base station are received according to the wireless packet transmission protocol, including the first subframe, and resource allocation for the control information are configured by higher-layer signaling received from the base station.
17. The wireless radio communication system according to claim 14,
wherein the higher-layer signaling received from the base station indicates a location and periodicity of the subframes in which transmissions from the base station are received according to the wireless packet transmission protocol.
18. The method of communicating a packet transmission from a base station to a mobile unit according to claim 15,
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Patent number: 9860711
Patent Publication Number: 20120163282
Inventors: Hua Xu (Nepean), Jianglei Ma (Kanata), Hang Zhang (Nepean), Ming Jia (Ottawa), Peiying Zhu (Kanata), Lai King Tee (San Diego, CA), Jun Li (Richardson, TX)
Primary Examiner: Omer S Mian
Application Number: 13/126,226
International Classification: H04W 4/06 (20090101); H04B 7/26 (20060101); H04W 84/04 (20090101); H04L 25/02 (20060101); H04L 27/26 (20060101); H04W 92/04 (20090101);