Wireless relay measurement reporting in a wireless communication network
A wireless relay serves wireless User Equipment (UEs). In the wireless relay, a user transceiver exchanges user signaling and user data with the UEs and exchanges access signaling and the user data with a network transceiver. The network transceiver determines wideband radio measurements and wirelessly exchanges the user data and relay signaling with a wireless data network over the wideband. The relay signaling includes the access signaling and the wideband radio measurements. The network transceiver determines when communication quality for the UEs falls below a quality threshold. In response, the network transceiver determines sub-band radio measurements for the sub-bands within the wideband and wirelessly exchanges additional relay signaling with the wireless data network over the sub-bands. The additional relay signaling has the sub-band radio measurements. The network transceiver may receive instructions to determine sub-band radio measurements instead of wideband radio measurements.
1. A method of operating a wireless relay to serve wireless User Equipment (UEs), the method comprising:
a relay user transceiver exchanging user signaling and user data with the UEs and exchanging access signaling and the user data with a relay network transceiver;
the relay network transceiver determining wideband radio measurements within a wideband and wirelessly exchanging the user data and relay signaling with a wireless data network over sub-bands in the wideband wherein the relay signaling includes the access signaling and the wideband radio measurements and wherein the wideband is 20 megahertz or greater and the sub-bands are one megahertz or smaller;
the relay network transceiver determining when wireless communication quality for the UEs falls below a quality threshold wherein the quality threshold comprises an amount of wireless session drops for the UEs;
the relay network transceiver receiving an instruction to determine the sub-band radio measurements instead of the wideband radio measurements wherein receiving the instruction comprises receiving Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network; and,
the relay network transceiver responsively determining sub-band radio measurements for the sub-bands within the wideband and wirelessly exchanging additional relay signaling with the wireless data network over the sub-bands wherein the additional relay signaling has the sub-band radio measurements.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the relay network transceiver avoiding some of the sub-bands in the wideband responsive to the wireless communication quality for the UEs falling below the quality threshold.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the relay network transceiver receiving the instruction comprises the relay network transceiver receiving Non-Access Stratum Radio (NAS) signaling or N1 signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the relay network transceiver receiving the instruction comprises the relay user transceiver receiving S1-MME signaling, N2 signaling, or X2 signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network and transferring the instruction to the relay network transceiver.
5. A wireless relay to serve wireless User Equipment (UEs), the wireless relay comprising:
a relay user transceiver configured to exchange user signaling and user data with the UEs and exchange access signaling and the user data with a relay network transceiver;
the relay network transceiver configured to determine wideband radio measurements within a wideband and wirelessly exchange the user data and relay signaling with a wireless data network over sub-bands in the wideband wherein the relay signaling includes the access signaling and the wideband radio measurements, and wherein the wideband is 20 megahertz or greater and the sub-bands are one megahertz or smaller;
the relay network transceiver configured to determine when wireless communication quality for the UEs falls below a quality threshold wherein the quality threshold comprises an amount of wireless session drops for the UEs;
the relay network transceiver configured to receive an instruction to determine the sub-band radio measurements instead of the wideband radio measurements wherein the relay network transceiver is configured to receive Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network; and
the relay network transceiver configured to responsively determine sub-band radio measurements for the sub-bands within the wideband and wirelessly exchange additional relay signaling with the wireless data network over the sub-bands wherein the additional relay signaling has the sub-band radio measurements.
6. The wireless relay of claim 5 further comprising the relay network transceiver configured to avoid some of the sub-bands in the wideband responsive to the wireless communication quality for the UEs falling below the quality threshold.
7. The wireless relay of claim 5 wherein the relay network transceiver is configured to receive Non-Access Stratum Radio (NAS) signaling or N1 signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network.
8. The wireless relay of claim 5 wherein the relay network transceiver is configured to receive S1-MME signaling, N2 signaling, or X2 signaling having the instruction from the wireless data network and transfer the instruction to the relay network transceiver.