Patent ID: 7990905

Claim:
Method for allocation of transmission periods in a communication system that comprises at least one super base station, at least one terminal and at least one relay base station that is useable to relay up- and downlink data between said at least one super base station and said at least one terminal, a start and a duration of up- and downlink relay base station-terminal transmission periods, in which up- and downlink transmissions between said at least one relay base station and said at least one terminal take place, and a start and a duration of up- and downlink relay base station-super base station transmission periods, in which up- and downlink transmissions between said at least one relay base station and said at least one super base station take place, defined by a relay base station frame structure, said method comprising: dynamically allocating said up- and downlink relay base station-super base station transmission periods in said relay base station frame structure under consideration of an asymmetry between said up- and downlink data relayed between said at least one super base station and said at least one terminal via said at least one relay base station, wherein an uplink period, in which uplink transmissions between said at least one relay base station and said at least one terminal can take place, and a downlink period, in which downlink transmissions between said at least one relay base station and said at least one terminal are allowed to take place, are fixedly defined in said relay base station frame structure, wherein said dynamically allocating said up- and downlink relay base station-super base station transmission periods in said relay base station frame structure comprises at least partially overlaying said uplink and/or downlink periods with said up- and/or downlink relay base station-super base station transmission periods, and wherein said asymmetry between said up- and downlink data relayed between said at least one super base station and said at least one terminal via said at least one relay base station is considered in said dynamically allocating said up- and downlink relay base station-super base station transmission periods in said relay base station frame structure by increasing said overlaid uplink portion if there is more data to be transmitted in said downlink transmission between said at least one relay base station and said at least one terminal as compared to said uplink transmission, and increasing said overlaid downlink portion if there is more data to be transmitted in said uplink transmission between said at least one relay base station and said at least one terminal as compared to said downlink transmission.