Patent ID: 7970347

Claim:
A transmission method for use in a multi-hop wireless communication system, the system comprising a source apparatus, a destination apparatus and one or more intermediate apparatuses, the transmission method comprising: in a first transmission window, transmitting data and/or control information for the destination apparatus from the source apparatus to a subsequent intermediate apparatus on a transmission path between the source apparatus and the destination apparatus; receiving the data and/or control information for the destination apparatus from a previous apparatus in the first transmission window, where the previous apparatus is the source apparatus or a previous intermediate apparatus on the transmission path; transmitting the received data and/or the received control information for the destination apparatus to a subsequent apparatus in a second transmission window, where the subsequent apparatus is the destination apparatus or a subsequent intermediate apparatus on the transmission path; and in the second transmission window, receiving the data and/or control information for the destination apparatus from a previous intermediate apparatus on the transmission path to the destination apparatus; wherein: a time-frequency format is used for transmission in the system, with a plurality of transmission windows being included within a transmission period, each window occupying a different part of the transmission period, each said window being assignable for transmission; and the first transmission window and the second transmission window are included within a same transmission period corresponding to a downlink subframe or an uplink subframe.