Patent ID: 8638697

Claim:
A method in a node of a cellular radio system for generating downlink/uplink subframe transmission patterns used in frame-based, half-duplex communication between a mobile terminal and a radio base station, wherein each frame includes a total number of N subframes, the method comprising the steps of: generating, by the node, a downlink/uplink, half-duplex, subframe transmission pattern for a mobile terminal such that downlink system information transmissions will partly take place in downlink subframes of the generated downlink/uplink, half-duplex, subframe transmission pattern, wherein the downlink/uplink, half-duplex, subframe transmission pattern is periodic with a period of M subframes, and M is not a multiple of the total number of N subframes, wherein the period M is a fixed value for a duration of a communications session involving the mobile terminal and is selected so that m×M=k×N only for integer values for m and k that exceed a predetermined minimum threshold value, and assigning, by the node, the generated downlink/uplink, half-duplex, subframe transmission pattern to the mobile terminal, wherein the radio base station and the mobile terminal communicate using a half-duplex transmission scheme in accordance with the generated downlink/uplink, half-duplex, subframe transmission pattern.