Systems and methods for selecting a donor for a relay wireless device based on feedback

1. A method for selecting a donor for a relay wireless device using feedback, the method comprising:

scanning for signals received at a relay wireless device to determine potential donor access nodes;

communicating with the potential donor access nodes such that a power head room report is generated for each potential donor access node;

ranking the potential donor access nodes based on the generated power head room reports;

selecting a donor access node from among the potential donor access nodes based on the ranking; and

communicating backhaul data for one or more wireless devices between the relay wireless device with the selected donor access node.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the selecting is further based on a monitored load for the ranked potential donor access nodes.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports;

wherein ranking the potential donor access nodes is further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports; and

determining a power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room report relative to each potential donor access node;

wherein the raking is further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes and the determined power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to each potential donor access node.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports;

determining a power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room report relative to each potential donor access node; and

determining a trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room reports relative to one or more of the potential donor access nodes;

wherein the ranking is further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes, the determined power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to each potential donor access node, and the determined trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to one or more potential donor access node.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

excluding at least one potential donor access node from the ranking based on the determined trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to the one potential donor access node.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein excluding the one potential donor access node from the ranking comprises comparing multiple head room power values generated for communication with the one potential donor access node to a trend criteria and excluding the one potential donor access node when two or more of the multiple power head room values meet the trend criteria.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein scanning signals received at a relay wireless device to determine potential donor access nodes further comprises measuring a received signal level from each potential donor access node to determine a list of potential donor access nodes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the potential donor access nodes that comprise the determined list meet a criteria such that a measured signal level received at the relay wireless device from each potential donor access nodes that comprises the list is greater than a threshold.

10. A system for selecting a donor for a relay wireless device using feedback, the system comprising:

a relay wireless device comprising:

a wireless interface for communicating with donor access nodes; and

a processor configured to:

scan for signals received at a relay wireless device to determine potential donor access nodes;

communicate with the potential donor access nodes such that a power head room report is generated for each potential donor access node;

rank the potential donor access nodes based on the generated power head room reports;

select a donor access node from among the potential donor access nodes based on the ranking; and

communicate backhaul data for one or more wireless devices between the relay wireless device with the selected donor access node.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the relay wireless device is further configured to:

select a donor access node from among the potential donor access nodes for the relay wireless device based on a monitored load for the ranked potential donor access nodes.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the relay wireless device is further configured to:

determine a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports; and

rank the potential donor access nodes further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the relay wireless device is further configured to:

determine a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports;

determine a power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room report relative to each potential donor access node; and

rank the potential donor access nodes further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes and the determined power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to each potential donor access node.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the relay wireless device is further configured to:

determine a path loss for the potential donor access nodes based on the power head room reports;

determine a power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room report relative to each potential donor access node;

determine a trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device based on the generated power head room reports relative to one or more of the potential donor access nodes; and

rank the potential donor access nodes further based on the determined path loss for the potential donor access nodes, the determined power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to each potential donor access node, and the determined trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to one or more potential donor access node.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the relay wireless device is further configured to:

exclude at least one potential donor access node from the ranking based on the determined trend in power head room remaining for the relay wireless device relative to the one potential donor access node.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein excluding the one potential donor access node from the ranking comprises comparing multiple head room power values generated for communication with the one potential donor access node to a trend criteria and excluding the one potential donor access node when two or more of the multiple power head room values meet the trend criteria.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein scanning signals received at a relay wireless device to determine potential donor access nodes further comprises measuring a received signal level from each potential donor access node to determine a list of potential donor access nodes.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the potential donor access nodes that comprise the determined list meet a criteria such that a measured signal level received at the relay wireless device from each potential donor access nodes that comprises the list is greater than a threshold.