Power control at a relay station in a wireless network

1. A method for use in a wireless network including a base station and a relay station for extending wireless coverage of the base station, the method comprising:

communicating downlink data sent by the base station and relayed through the relay station to a mobile station, wherein the downlink data is associated with control information that is sent directly from the base station to the mobile station; and

adjusting a transmit power of the relay station for transmitting the downlink data from the relay station to the mobile station to reduce a difference between a first power level of the control information received at the mobile station and a second power level of the downlink data received at the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the transmit power is performed by the relay station.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the transmit power is performed by the base station.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmit power of the relay station is adjusted based on a message from the base station.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the base station determining a difference between a first path loss from the base station to the mobile station and a second path loss from the relay station to the mobile station, wherein the adjustment of the transmit power of the relay station is based on the determined difference.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

dividing plural mobile stations within a zone of the relay station into multiple groups; and

communicating with the mobile stations in the multiple groups at different times.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the relay station, downlink data to the mobile stations in the different groups at different transmit powers.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein transmitting the downlink data to the mobile stations in the different groups at different transmit powers comprises at least:

transmitting downlink data from the relay station to a mobile station in a first group at a first transmit power; and

transmitting downlink data from the relay station to a mobile station in a second group at a second transmit power.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

storing information relating to multiple groups of mobile stations, wherein mobile stations are assigned to the multiple groups based on relay station path losses between the mobile stations and the relay station.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein base station path losses are present between the base station and the mobile stations, and wherein the mobile stations are assigned to the multiple groups based on differences between respective base station path losses and respective relay station path losses.

11. A base station for use in a wireless network having a relay station that is able to relay data between a mobile station and the base station, the base station comprising:

a wireless interface to transmit downlink data to the mobile station through the relay station, wherein the downlink data is associated with control information sent directly from the base station to the mobile station; and

a processor to adjust a transmit power of the relay station for transmitting the downlink data to achieve a relationship between a first power level of the control information received by the mobile station and a second power level of the downlink data received by the mobile station such that the mobile station is able to successfully recover the downlink data.

12. The base station of claim 11 , wherein the processor is to assign mobile stations to multiple groups of mobile stations based on relay station path losses between the mobile stations and the relay station.

13. The base station of claim 12 , wherein base station path losses are present between the base station and the mobile stations, and wherein the mobile stations are assigned to the multiple groups based on differences between respective base station path losses and respective relay station path losses.

14. The relay station of claim 11 , wherein the processor is to further:

determine a difference between a first path loss between the base station and the mobile station and a second path loss between the relay station and the mobile station, wherein the transmit power of the relay station is adjusted based on the difference.

15. The relay station of claim 11 , wherein the base station is a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) base station.

16. An article comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed cause a base station to:

transmit downlink data to a mobile station through a relay station;

transmit control information directly to the mobile station, wherein the control information is associated with the downlink data; and

adjust a transmit power of the relay station for transmitting the downlink data from the relay station to the mobile station to reduce a difference between a first power level of the control information received at the mobile station and a second power level of the downlink data received at the mobile station.

17. The article of claim 16 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the base station to:

group mobile stations into multiple groups according to path losses between the mobile stations and the relay station.

18. The article of claim 16 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the relay station to further:

transmit downlink data to the mobile stations in different ones of the multiple groups at different power levels.