Patent ID: 8040826

Claim:
A method for configuring a subframe to support a relay service in a multi-hop relay wireless communication system including at least one Mobile Station (MS), at least one Base Station (BS), and at least one Relay Station (RS), the method comprising: configuring a BS-MS link subframe for at least one of communication between a BS and a first MS within the coverage area of the BS and an RS-MS link subframe for communication between at least one RS and a second MS within the coverage area of the at least one RS in a first zone of a downlink subframe; if the wireless communication system includes two hops, configuring a BS-RS link subframe for communication between the BS and the at least one RS in a second zone of the downlink subframe; if the wireless communication system includes three or more hops, configuring a BS-RS link subframe for communication between the BS and the at least one RS and an RS-RS link subframe for communication between the at least one RS and another RS in the second zone of the downlink subframe; configuring a BS-MS link subframe for at least one of communication between the BS and the first MS within the coverage area of the BS and an RS-MS link subframe for communication between the at least one RS and the second MS within the coverage area of the at least one RS in a first zone of an uplink subframe; if the wireless communication system includes two hops, configuring a BS-RS link subframe for communication between the BS and the at least one RS in a second zone of the uplink subframe; and if the wireless communication system includes three or more hops, configuring a BS-RS link subframe for communication between the BS and the at least one RS and an RS-RS link subframe for communication between the at least one RS and another RS in the second zone of the uplink subframe, wherein the first zone and the second zone are distinguished in the downlink subframe and uplink subframe by time resource, wherein the first zone and the second zone are located consecutively in the downlink subframe and uplink subframe, wherein a guard region is inserted between the first zone and the second zone of the downlink subframe and uplink subframe, wherein the downlink subframe and the uplink subframe are distinguished by time resources, and wherein a preamble and a MAP are positioned at a start of the first zone of the downlink subframe.