Control device, communication node and methods thereof

A communication node for a multi-hop communication system, the communication node comprising:

• a processor;
• a transceiver;
• reception antenna elements;
• and
• transmission antenna elements;
• wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a composite beam control signal S, wherein the composite beam control signal S comprises antenna beam control information for communication nodes of a communication path comprising a source communication node, at least one intermediate communication node and a destination communication node;
• wherein the processor is configured to
• derive antenna beam control information associated with the communication node from the composite beam control signal S;
• and
• control the beam of the reception antenna elements or the beam of the transmission antenna elements according to the antenna beam control information, wherein the composite beam control signal has the form
• S=Σi=1NCi·Φi,
• wherein Φi is the beam forming information for communication node i=1, . . . , N, where i=1 is the index for the source communication node and i=N is the index for the destination communication node, and Ci is a communication node identity associated with communication node i.

A wireless multi-hop communication system comprising:

• at least one control device;
• and
• at least one communication node, wherein the control device comprising a processor and a transmitter, the processor is configured to:
• generate a composite beam control signal S, wherein the composite beam control signal S comprises antenna beam control information for communication nodes of a communication path comprising a source communication node, at least one intermediate communication node and a destination communication node;
• and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the composite beam control signal S to at least one communication node of the communication path;
• wherein the communication node comprising a processor, a transceiver, reception antenna elements and transmission antenna elements, the transceiver is configured to:
• receive a composite beam control signal S, wherein the composite beam control signal S comprises antenna beam control information for communication nodes of a communication path comprising a source communication node, at least one intermediate communication node and a destination communication node;
• wherein the processor is configured to derive antenna beam control information associated with the communication node from the composite beam control signal S;
• and
• control the beam of the reception antenna elements or the beam of the transmission antenna elements according to the antenna beam control information, wherein the processor further is configured to
• derive the beam forming information Φi for the communication node according to
• S·Ci=(Σi=1NCi·Φi)·Ci=Φi.

A method for a wireless multi-hop communication system;

• the method comprising:
• generating a composite beam control signal S, wherein the composite beam control signal S comprises antenna beam control information for communication nodes of a communication path comprising a source communication node, at least one intermediate communication node and a destination communication node;
• and
• transmitting the composite beam control signal S to at least one communication node of the communication path, wherein the composite beam control signal S has the form
• S=Σi=1NCi·Φi,
• where Φi is the beam forming information for communication node i=1, . . . , N, where i=1 is the index for the source communication node and i=N is the index for the destination communication node, and Ci is a communication node identity associated with communication node i.

A method for a wireless multi-hop communication system;

• the method comprising:
• receiving a composite beam control signal S, wherein the composite beam control signal S comprises antenna beam control information for communication nodes of a communication path comprising a source communication node, at least one intermediate communication node and a destination communication node;
• deriving antenna beam control information associated with the communication node from the composite beam control signal S;
• controlling the beam of the reception antenna elements of the beam of the transmission antenna elements according to the antenna beam control information, and
• deriving the beam forming information Φi for the communication node according to
• S·Ci=(Σi=1NCiΦi)·Ci=Φi.