Hybrid macro diversity and cooperative relaying method of ultra-reliable and real-time multi-user communication

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
• determining, by the at least one base station, a strength of a channel to each of a plurality of user equipments in a wireless multi-user network;
• scheduling, by the at least one base station, first downlink resources for transmitting first downlink messages to a first group of the plurality of user equipments comprising the user equipments having the strongest channels;
• transmitting, via broadcasting and by the at least one base station, the first downlink messages to the first group of the user equipments using the first downlink resources;
• scheduling, by the at least one base station, second downlink resources for transmitting second downlink messages to a second group of remaining user equipments from the plurality of user equipments, wherein the second resources comprise broadcasting resources and cooperative relaying resources;
• transmitting, via broadcasting and by the at least one base station, the second downlink messages to the first and second group of the user equipments using the broadcasting resources;
• and
• participating, by the at least one base station, in a cooperative relaying scheme at least by transmitting information about the cooperative relaying resources to be used for relaying the second downlink messages at least by user equipments in the first group that successfully decoded the second downlink messages.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a first user equipment from at least one base station in a multi-user network comprising a plurality of user equipments, downlink information comprising at least:
• an indication of at least one resource scheduled for the first user equipment of a plurality of downlink resources, wherein the plurality of downlink resources comprise first downlink resources configured for communicating first downlink messages to a first downlink group of the user equipments having strongest channels, and second downlink resources for communicating second downlink messages to a second downlink group of the user equipments that are not in the first downlink group, wherein the second resources comprise broadcasting resources and cooperative relaying resources, and
• an indication the first user equipment is in the first downlink group;
• receiving, at the first user equipment from the at least one base station, the first downlink messages in accordance with the first downlink resources of the downlink information;
• the receiving, at the first user equipment from the at least one base station, second downlink messages in accordance with the broadcasting resources of the downlink information;
• participating by the first user equipment in a cooperative relaying scheme at least by receiving information from the at least one base station about the cooperative relaying resources to be used for relaying the second downlink messages at least by user equipments in the first group that successfully decoded the second downlink messages, and in response to the first user equipment successfully decoding the second downlink messages, relaying the second downlink messages that were successfully decoded using the cooperative relaying resources.