# US 11,310,726 B2 · Resource allocation and timing handling in cellular mesh networks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,726 B2 - Document ID: US11310726B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/821,735 - Filed: 2020-03-17 - Published: 2020-09-24 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-19 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Vishnu Vardhan Ratnam; Jeongho Jeon; Joonyoung Cho; Russell Douglas Ford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310726B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 56/0045: {compensating for timing error by altering transmission time} - H04W 56/009: {Closed loop measurements} - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods and apparatuses for resource allocation and timing handling in a wireless communication network. A method of operating a base station (BS) in the wireless communication network includes communicating with at least a first parent BS of the BS in the wireless communication network according to a slot pattern of the BS. The slot pattern indicates slots on which the BS can receive and slots on which the BS can transmit. The method further includes receiving discovery information about a neighbor BS in the wireless communication network and determining whether to add the neighbor BS as a second parent BS of the BS based on the discovery information about the neighbor BS. The method further includes determining a resource allocation to the second parent BS based on the slot pattern of the BS and communicating with the second parent BS based on the determined resource allocation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A base station (BS) in a wireless communication network, the BS comprising: a transceiver configured to: receive, from a first parent BS, information indicating a slot pattern of the BS, the slot pattern indicating slots on which the BS can receive and slots on which the BS can transmit; and receive discovery information about a neighbor BS in the wireless communication network; and a processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine whether to add the neighbor BS as a second parent BS of the BS based on: the discovery information about the neighbor BS and one of: comparison of a timing offset to a threshold, a function of a round trip time (RTT), or a guard time between slots; and determine a resource allocation to the second parent BS based on the slot pattern of the BS, wherein the transceiver is further configured to communicate with the second parent BS based on the determined resource allocation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is configured to receive, from the first parent BS, information indicating a slot pattern of the first parent BS, the processor is configured to determine the resource allocation to the second parent BS based on the slot pattern of the BS and the slot pattern of the first parent BS, and the transceiver is configured to transmit, to the second parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The BS of claim 2, wherein in determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS, the processor is further configured to: assign slots from the slot pattern of the BS that are compatible with the slot pattern of the first parent BS to the first parent BS; and assign remaining slots from the slot pattern of the BS to the second parent BS as the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The BS of claim 2, wherein: the slot pattern comprises (i) hard slots where one of transmission, reception, or both transmission and reception is unconditionally available for the BS to use in uplink and downlink directions and (ii) soft slots where one of the transmission, reception or both transmission and reception is conditionally available for the BS to use in uplink and downlink directions subject to confirmation from the first parent BS, and in determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS, the processor is configured to determine to share only resources for the hard slots from the slot pattern with the first parent BS and the second parent BS and to use resources for the soft slots from the slot pattern with the first parent BS. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The BS of claim 2, wherein: the second parent BS is one of multiple second parent BSs, and in determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS, the processor is further configured to: assign slots from the slot pattern of the BS that are compatible with the slot pattern of the first parent BS to the first parent BS; and assign remaining slots from the slot pattern of the BS to one of the multiple second parent BSs, respectively, according to a preference order for a type of the respective remaining slot, wherein the preference order for each slot is determined based on a slot type of the BS and a slot type of the second parent BSs. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein: the first and second parent B Ss are two of a plurality of parent B Ss of the B S; the processor is further configured to determine a resource allocation to each of the plurality of parent BSs based on the slot pattern of the BS and slot patterns of the plurality of parent BSs; and the transceiver is configured to: transmit, to the first parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the first parent BS; and transmit, to the second parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive information indicating a slot timing of a child BS of the BS; and the processor is further configured to: determine a timing advance to use for downlink transmissions to the child BS based on the received information; and adjust transmission timing to align the downlink transmissions to the child BS with the slot timing of the child BS. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify timing information for slots of the first parent BS; and use guard times and timing advances to avoid transmission slots overlapping with reception slots. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify a timing offset for slots of the neighbor BS relative to a timing of slots of the BS; and identify the RTT for communication with the neighbor BS. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The BS of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify the RTT for communication with the neighbor BS; determine whether to add the neighbor BS as the second parent BS of the BS as the function of the RTT and the guard time between slots; and determine the resource allocation to the second parent BS based on a timing offset for slots of the second parent BS relative to a timing of slots of the B S, the slot pattern of the B S, and the slot pattern of the second parent BS. ### Claim 11 A method of operating a base station (BS) in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving, from a first parent BS, information indicating a slot pattern of the BS, the slot pattern indicating slots on which the BS can receive and slots on which the BS can transmit; receiving discovery information about a neighbor BS in the wireless communication network; determining whether to add the neighbor BS as a second parent BS of the BS based on: the discovery information about the neighbor BS and one of: comparison of a timing offset to a threshold, a function of a round trip time (RTT), or a guard time between slots; determining a resource allocation to the second parent BS based on the slot pattern of the BS; and communicating with the second parent BS based on the determined resource allocation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving, from the first parent BS, information indicating the slot pattern of the BS and information indicating a slot pattern of the first parent BS; determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS based on the slot pattern of the BS and the slot pattern of the first parent BS; and transmitting, to the second parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS comprises: assigning slots from the slot pattern of the BS that are compatible with the slot pattern of the first parent BS to the first parent BS; and assigning remaining slots from the slot pattern of the BS to the second parent BS as the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the slot pattern comprises (i) hard slots where one of transmission, reception, or both transmission and reception is unconditionally available for the BS to use in uplink and downlink directions and (ii) soft slots where one of the transmission, reception or both transmission and reception is conditionally available for the BS to use in uplink and downlink directions subject to confirmation from the first parent BS, and determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS comprises determining to share only resources for the hard slots from the slot pattern with the first parent BS and the second parent BS and to use resources for the soft slots from the slot pattern with the first parent BS. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein: the second parent BS is one of multiple second parent BSs, and determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS comprises: assigning slots from the slot pattern of the BS that are compatible with the slot pattern of the first parent BS to the first parent BS; and assigning remaining slots from the slot pattern of the BS to one of the multiple second parent BSs, respectively, according to a preference order for a type of the respective remaining slot, wherein the preference order for each slot is determined based on a slot type of the BS and a slot type of the second parent BSs. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second parent BSs are two of a plurality of parent BSs of the BS, the method further comprising: determining a resource allocation to each of the plurality of parent BSs based on the slot pattern of the BS and slot patterns of the plurality of parent BSs; transmitting, to the first parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the first parent BS; and transmitting, to the second parent BS, information indicating the resource allocation to the second parent BS. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving information indicating a slot timing of a child BS of the BS; determining a timing advance to use for downlink transmissions to the child BS based on the received information; and adjusting transmission timing to align the downlink transmissions to the child BS with the slot timing of the child BS. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying timing information for slots of the first parent BS; and using guard times and timing advances to avoid transmission slots overlapping with reception slots. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying a timing offset for slots of the neighbor BS relative to a timing of slots of the BS; and identifying the RTT for communication with the neighbor BS. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying the RTT for communication with the neighbor BS; determining whether to add the neighbor BS as the second parent BS of the BS as the function of the RTT and the guard time between slots; and determining the resource allocation to the second parent BS based on a timing offset for slots of the second parent BS relative to a timing of slots of the BS, the slot pattern of the BS, and the slot pattern of the second parent BS.