Relay Zone Subframe Structure for Wireless Resource Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing wireless communication systems employing relay stations face challenges in effectively allocating radio resources while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy user equipment, as relay stations struggle to perform blind decoding across the full frequency band in a subframe.
Innovation Solution
A subframe structure is introduced, dividing it into a user zone for user equipment and a relay zone for the relay station, using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in the time domain and subcarriers in the frequency domain, with the relay zone allocated specific subcarriers for efficient radio resource allocation and control channel monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If relay station performs blind decoding throughout full frequency band in subframe, then relay station can receive control channel, but decoding time increases and resource allocation becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The subframe frequency band is segmented into a user zone and a relay zone. The relay station only performs blind decoding in the allocated relay zone rather than the full frequency band, reducing decoding time while maintaining control channel reception capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones within the subframe are assigned different functions: the user zone serves user equipment with legacy LTE compatibility, while the relay zone is optimized for relay station control channel reception. This local differentiation improves overall system efficiency.
2Productivity
If subframe is divided into user zone and relay zone, then radio resources are effectively allocated to relay station, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The subframe structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it maintains backward compatibility with legacy LTE user equipment in the user zone while simultaneously providing dedicated resource allocation for relay stations in the relay zone, achieving multi-functionality without requiring separate systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If relay zone is allocated specific subcarriers, then backward compatibility with legacy user equipment is maintained, but frequency resource flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution introduces a spatial/frequency dimension differentiation by allocating specific subcarriers to the relay zone while maintaining the original LTE frequency structure in the user zone. This dimensional separation allows legacy equipment to operate unchanged while enabling relay functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a method of allocating a radio resource for a relay station includes: transmitting configuration information through a higher layer signal, the configuration information including information regarding an OFDM symbol at which a relay zone begins; allocating the relay zone to the relay station in a subframe based on the configuration information; and transmitting a relay control channel to the relay station in the relay zone. The subframe includes OFDM symbols in a time domain and subcarriers in a frequency domain. The relay zone includes a subset of the OFDM symbols in the time domain and a portion of the subcarriers in the frequency domain. The configuration information indicates an OFDM symbol from among a second OFDM symbol, a third OFDM symbol and a fourth OFDM symbol. The relay control channel is transmitted from the fourth OFDM symbol of the subframe.