Patent ID: 8099042

Claim:
A method for data transmission to a mobile station from a base station using a plurality of relay stations, comprising: determining a relay group of relay stations from the plurality of relay stations; classifying each relay station in the relay group as either a reliable relay station or as an unreliable relay station with regard to a channel condition between each relay station and the base station and between each relay station and the mobile station; cooperatively transmitting a data packet from the base station through the reliable relay stations to the mobile station, wherein unreliable relay stations that reliably overhear the transmission of the data packet are overheard reliable relay stations; and at each relay station in the relay group, receiving a positive acknowledgement or a negative acknowledgement of receipt of the data packet from the mobile station; and if a negative acknowledgment is received, cooperatively re-transmitting the data packet through the reliable relay stations and the overheard reliable relay stations.