Efficient in-band backhaul
View Patent ↗A first service flow and a second service flow are combined into a backhaul service flow. One or more data structures within a first downlink frame are defined. The first downlink frame comprises an access region and a backhaul region. The one or more data structures are in the backhaul region. The one or more data structures are also defined within a second downlink frame. The second downlink frame comprises the access region and the backhaul region and the one or more data structures are in the backhaul region. The backhaul service flow is distributed into the one or more data structures. The first downlink frame and the second downlink frame are sent. The first downlink frame and the second downlink frame comprise an access map and a backhaul map. The access map has a size that is larger than the backhaul map.
1. A system for in-band backhaul of wireless communication, comprising:
a central base station configured to
receive a first service flow configured to provide a first Quality of Service (QoS) and a second service flow configured to provide a second Quality of Service (QoS);
combine the first service flow and the second service flow into a backhaul service flow configured to provide a backhaul QoS that meets at least the first QoS requirements and the second QoS requirements;
distribute the backhaul service flow into a downlink frame; and
transmit the downlink frame to a satellite base station, wherein the downlink frame comprises an access region and a backhaul region,
the access region comprises an access map configured to define portions of the downlink frame, where the access map is transmitted using a default modulation and coding scheme for transmitting access map data, and
the backhaul region comprises a backhaul map configured to define a plurality of data structures in the backhaul region, where the backhaul service flow is distributed into the plurality of data structures and the backhaul region is transmitted using a modulation and coding scheme based on conditions of the communication link between the central base station and the satellite base station.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the backhaul map includes a first indicator of a number of the plurality of data structures in the backhaul region and a size for the plurality of data structures.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data structures consist of between two and sixteen data structures.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first connection indicator sent in the backhaul map is associated with a first data structure of the plurality of data structures.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein a second connection indicator associated with a second data structure of the plurality of data structures is implied from the first connection indicator.
6. A method of operating a media access control (MAC) layer for in-band backhaul of wireless communication between a central base station and a satellite base station, comprising:
establishing a first service flow between the satellite base station and a first wireless device, wherein the first service flow is configured to provide a first Quality of Service (QoS);
establishing a second service flow between the satellite station and a second wireless device, wherein the second service flow is configured to provide a second QoS;
establishing an in-band backhaul service flow between the central base station and the satellite base station;
configuring, by the central base station, the in-band backhaul service flow to include the first service flow and the second service flow, wherein the in-band backhaul service flow is configured to provide an in-band backhaul QoS that meets at least the first QoS requirements and the second QoS requirements;
defining, by the central base station, a downlink frame comprising an access region and a backhaul region, wherein the access region comprises an access map that defines portions of the downlink frame and the backhaul region comprises a backhaul map that defines portions of the backhaul region;
defining, by the central base station, a plurality of data structures within the backhaul region; and
distributing, by the central base station, the in-band backhaul service flow into the plurality of data structures of the backhaul region, wherein the access map defines the backhaul region as a single service flow, and the backhaul map defines the plurality of data structures of the backhaul region; and
transmitting, by the central base station, a predetermined amount of downlink frames towards the satellite base station, wherein the access map is transmitted using a default modulation and coding scheme for transmitting access map data, and the backhaul portion is transmitted using a modulation and coding scheme based on conditions of the communication link between the central base station and satellite base station.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of data structures consist of between two and sixteen data structures.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the backhaul map comprises a first connection indicator associated with a first data structure of the plurality of data structures.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a second connection indicator associated with a second data structure of the plurality of data structures is implied from the first connection indicator.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second connection indicator is implied from the first connection indicator by incrementing the first connection indicator.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein
each data structure of the plurality of data structures within the backhaul region of the downlink frame comprises a fixed-size burst and carries a predetermined amount of data slots through each downlink frame of the predetermined amount of downlink frames.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined amount of downlink frames transmitted towards the satellite base station are transmitted without changing the size and the position of each data structure of the plurality of data structures with respect to the downlink frame, and
the predetermined amount of downlink frames is greater than 10.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predetermined amount of downlink frames transmitted towards the satellite base station are transmitted without changing the size and the position of each data structure of the plurality of data structures with respect to the downlink frame, and
the predetermined amount of downlink frames is greater than 100.
14. The method of claim 6 , wherein
each data structure of the plurality of data structures within the backhaul region of the downlink frame comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit, and
each service flow of the first service flow and the second service flow is carried on a corresponding MAC Service Data Unit.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein
a MAC Protocol Data Unit comprises multiplexed MAC Service Data Units of the first service flow and the second service flow.