Patent ID: 8447307

Claim:
An intermediate node in a wireless communication network, the intermediate node being arranged to relay information between a donor node and at least one served node, the intermediate node comprising: a served antenna arrangement that is adapted to communicate with each donor node by means of at least a first antenna radiation lobe and a second antenna radiation lobe, wherein the antenna radiation lobes are electrically steerable and the intermediate node is configured such that: (a) during a first mode of operation, the served antenna arrangement is adapted to direct the first and second antenna radiation lobes towards a first donor node, (b) during a second mode of operation, following the first mode of operation, when the first donor node has been determined to be exchanged with a second donor node by means of handover, the served antenna arrangement is adapted to direct at least the first antenna radiation lobe towards the second donor node and to maintain at least the second antenna radiation lobe directed towards the first donor node such that, during the second mode of operation, the intermediate node is in contact with both the first donor node and the second donor node during hand-over procedures for the first donor node and the second donor node, and (c) during a third mode of operation, corresponding to the first mode of operation, the served antenna arrangement is adapted to direct the first and second antenna radiation lobes towards the second donor node, and the served antenna arrangement is arranged to communicate by means of a first polarization and a second polarization, the first polarization being associated with each antenna radiation lobe directed towards the second donor node during the second mode of operation and the second polarization being associated with each antenna radiation lobe directed towards the first donor node during the second mode of operation.