Method and system for a relay node to access a network

1. A method for a relay node (RN) to access a network, comprising:

receiving by a base station, a network access message comprising information for identifying the RN; and

enabling the RN to access the network through the base station according to the information for identifying the RN,

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving, by the base station, the network access message comprising the information for identifying the RN comprises:

receiving, by the base station, the network access message forwarded by the RN through an upper-level RN of the RN, wherein the network access message comprises information for identifying the RN.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the enabling, according to the information for identifying the RN, the RN to access the network comprises:

receiving, by an evolved node B (eNB), the random access request message from the RN ;

sending, by the eNB, a random access response message to the RN;

receiving, by the eNB, an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message sent by the RN via uplink (UL) grant resources indicated in the random access response message;

establishing, by the eNB, a temporary routing table entry for the RN by using a temporary cell-radio network temporary ID (TC-RNTI) of the RN carried in the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message;

sending, by the eNB, the initial signaling bearer connection establishment message to the RN as a response;

receiving, by the eNB, an initial signaling bearer connection establishment completion message;

updating, by the eNB, a routing table entry of the RN; and

establishing an initial data bearer between the eNB and the RN after security authentication is performed between the RN and the core network entity.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the enabling the RN to access the network comprises:

receiving, by the base station, capability information of the RN reported by the RN;

sending, by the base station, the capability information of the RN to a core network entity;

receiving, by the base station, a RN configuration message delivered by the core network entity;

delivering, by the base station, the RN configuration message to the RN;

receiving, by the base station, a configuration completion acknowledgment message sent by the RN; and

sending, by the base station, the configuration completion acknowledgment message to the core network entity.

5. A method for a relay node (RN) to access a network, comprising:

sending by an RN, a network access message to a base station, wherein the network access message comprises information for identifying the RN; and

accessing by the RN, the network through the base station according to the information for identifying the RN,

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when the dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the sending, by the RN, the network access message to the base station comprises:

establishing a routing table entry for the RN.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the sending, by the RN, the network access message to the base station comprises:

receiving a network access request acknowledgment message delivered by the base station;

establishing, according to the network access request acknowledgment message, a temporary routing table;

receiving a routing update message sent by the base station; and

establishing, according to the routing update message, a routing table.

8. A device for facilitating a relay node (RN) to access a network, comprising:

a network access message receiving unit, configured to receive from the RN, a network access message comprising information for identifying the RN; and

an access unit, configured to enable the RN to access the network according to the information for identifying the RN,

wherein the network access message receiving unit is configured to receive one of the following:

a random access request message comprising a random access message dedicated to the RN, or

an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when the dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the access unit comprises:

an information receiving subunit, configured to receive capacity information of the RN reported by the RN, or receive an RN configuration message delivered by a core network entity, or receive a configuration completion acknowledgment message sent by the RN; and

an information sending subunit, configured to send the capacity information reported by the RN to the core network entity, or deliver the received RN configuration message to the RN, or send the configuration completion acknowledgment message to the core network entity.

10. A relay node (RN), comprising:

a message receiving unit, configured to receive a network access message sent by an RN, wherein the message comprises information for identifying the RN; and

a message sending unit, configured to send the network access message comprising the information for identifying the RN to a base station, wherein the network access message enables the RN to access the network through the base station,

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when the dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station.

11. The RN according to claim 10 , wherein the message sending unit comprises:

a routing table establishment subunit, configured to establish a routing table entry for the RN.

12. The RN according to claim 10 , wherein the message sending unit comprises:

a temporary routing table establishment subunit, configured to receive a network access request acknowledgment message delivered by the base station and establish, according to the network access request acknowledgement message, a temporary routing table; and a routing table acknowledgment subunit, configured to receive a routing update message sent by the base station and establish, according to the update message, a routing table.

13. A relay node (RN), comprising:

a first unit, configured to send a network access message to a base station, wherein the network access message comprises information for identifying the RN; and

a second unit, configured to access the network through the base station according to the information for identifying the RN,

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when the random dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to directly access the network through the base station.

14. The RN according to claim 13 , wherein:

the first unit configured to send a network access message to a base station is configured to establish a routing table entry for the RN; or

the second unit configured to send a network access message to a base station unit is configured to receive a network access request acknowledgment message delivered by the base station and establish, according to the network access request acknowledgment message, a temporary routing table, and receive a routing update message sent by the base station and establish, according to the routing update message, a routing table.

15. A communication system, comprising:

a base station, configured to receive from a relay node (RN), a network access message comprising information for identifying the relay node (RN) and enable the RN to access the network according to the information for identifying the RN;

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and the dedicated preamble is either assigned to the RN or not assigned to the RN,

when the dedicated preamble is assigned to the RN, the dedicated preamble is sent by the RN to the base station,

when the dedicated preamble is not assigned to the RN, the RN selects another preamble from a group of RN preamble subsets in an internal cell to dedicate the another preamble to the RN, and the RN then sends the selected another preamble to the base station; and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station;

wherein the base station is configured to send a random access response message to the RN after receiving the dedicated preamble from the RN, the random access response message comprises uplink grant (UL Grant), indication of an initial signaling bearer establishment request message, uplink timing advance (TA), and a Temporary Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (TC-RNTI) assigned to the RN.

16. The system according to claim 15 , further comprising:

an upper-level RN of the RN, wherein the RN forwards the network access message to the base station through the upper-level RN of the RN.

17. A method for a relay node (RN) to access a network, comprising:

receiving by a base station, a network access message comprising information for identifying the RN; and

enabling the RN to access the network through the base station according to the information for identifying the RN,

wherein the information for identifying the RN is one of the following: a random access message dedicated to the RN or an initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message, wherein:

the random access message dedicated to the RN comprises a dedicated preamble which distinguishes the RN from a user equipment (UE), and

the initial signaling bearer connection establishment request message comprises a RN identifier for identifying the RN only, wherein the RN identifier enables the RN to access the network through the base station.