Granted Patent B2

US 8,971,899 · App. 10/577,664 · Granted Mar 3, 2015

Abstract

Claims (43)

1. A method for determining a path to convey information from a first radio station to a second radio station via at least one intermediate radio station, the information being conveyed such that the first radio station and each intermediate radio station transfer the information to an adjacent radio station in a direction of the path, from a transferor radio station to a transferee radio station, comprising:

dividing a frequency band into a plurality of frequency subbands for communication between the radio stations, with at least one frequency subband being assigned to each radio station, the frequency band being divided at a base station;

determining the path at the base station upon request of the first radio station, the path being determined by identifying links from the first radio station to the second radio station via at least one intermediate radio station and assigning a frequency subband to each link on the path;

transmitting first path identification information, from the base station to the first radio station, the first path identification information describing a first link, which extends from the first radio station, first path identification information specifying the intermediate radio station connected to the first radio station via the first link and information regarding the at least one subband assigned to the intermediate radio station connected to the first radio station via the first link; and

separately transmitting from the base station directly to each of the one or more intermediate radio station later path identification information, the later path identification information describing a later link from the intermediate radio station, the later path identification information specifying (a) a next adjacent radio station connected to the intermediate radio station via the later link, and (b) the frequency subband assigned to the later link,

wherein the base station transmits to each intermediate radio station:

information identifying the transferor radio station for the intermediate radio station, and

information identifying the frequency subband assigned to the transferor radio station.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein,

the base station transmits the path identification information to the second radio station.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the base station also transmits to the second radio station:

information identifying the transferor radio station for the second radio station and

information identifying the frequency subband assigned to the transferor radio station.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein,

the radio stations of the radio communications system are combined into groups,

each group has a single representative radio station, and

the base station only communicates with the representative radio stations in transmitting the path identification information, the information identifying the radio station and the information identifying the frequency subband assigned on it.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein in identifying the transferee radio station and the frequency subband assigned to it:

the base station transmits information relating to the transferee radio station.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein in identifying the radio station and the frequency subband assigned to it:

the base station also transmits information relating to the transferor radio station.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein,

each representative radio station forwards the path information and/or sends information identifying the transferee radio station and/or sends information identifying the frequency subband to at least one radio station of its group.

8. A method according to claim 4 , wherein,

at least one representative radio station forwards the path information and/or the information identifying the radio station and/or the information identifying the frequency subband to at least one radio station of its group.

9. A method according to claim 4 , wherein each representative radio station is in direct radio contact with all other radio stations of the group.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the path identification information is a path number.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein,

the base station transmits the path identification information to the second radio station.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the base station also transmits to the second radio station:

information identifying the transferor radio station for the second radio station and

information identifying the frequency subband assigned to the transferor radio station.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory to store neighboring relationships between radio stations of a radio communications system;

a processor configured to assign a frequency subband to each radio station for communication with another radio station, each frequency subband being part of a frequency band divided into a plurality of frequency subbands;

a memory to store information about how the frequency subbands have been assigned to the radio stations;

the processor configured to determine at least a portion of a path to convey information from a first radio station to a second radio station via at least one intermediate radio station, the information being conveyed such that the first radio station and each intermediate radio station transfer the information to an adjacent radio station in a direction of the path, from a transferor radio station to a transferee radio station, the path being determined upon receipt of a request, the path being determined by identifying links from the first radio station to the second radio station via at least one intermediate radio station and assigning a frequency subband to each link on the path; and

a transmitter to separately transmit:

first path identification information to the first radio station, the first path identification information describing a first link, which extends from the first radio station, first path identification information specifying the intermediate radio station connected to the first radio station via the first link and information regarding the at least one subband assigned to the intermediate radio station connected to the first radio station via the first link; and

later path identification information directly to each of the one or more intermediate radio station, the later path identification information describing a later link from the intermediate radio station, the later path identification information specifying (a) a next adjacent radio station connected to the intermediate radio station via the later link, and (b) the frequency subband assigned to the later link,

wherein the transmitter is configured to further transmit to each intermediate radio station:

information identifying the transferor radio station for the intermediate radio station, and

information identifying the frequency subband assigned to the transferor radio station.

Assignments (11)