Frame structure for multi-hop relay in wireless communication systems

A method for transmitting information among base stations, relay stations, and subscriber stations in a wireless relay communication network, comprising:

• using a frame structure to allowing a plurality of relay stations to transmit in parts of a downlink subframe of the frame structure, wherein the frame structure comprises:
• a first group of received protocol data units for a first relay station based on the relay station topology;
• a second, different group of received protocol data units for a second relay station based on the relay station topology, including the first group of received protocol data units into a relay protocol data unit for the first relay station, and including the second group of received protocol data units into the relay protocol data unit for the first relay station as a subordinate relay protocol data unit for the second relay station, wherein the second relay station is subordinate to the first relay station;
• and
• a transmission schedule with channel resources allocation information, in which at least one relay station is designated to receive corresponding created relay protocol data units;
• and
• causing the first relay station to receive the relay protocol data unit for the first relay station, decode the received relay protocol data unit into a decoded subordinate relay protocol data unit and one or more decoded protocol data units, transmit the one or more decoded protocol data units to one or more subscriber stations, respectively, and transmit the decoded subordinate relay protocol data unit to the second relay station to cause the second relay station to transmit one or more protocol data units to one or more one or more subscriber stations.

A wireless relay communication network comprising at least one base station, a plurality of relay stations, and a subscriber station,

• the plurality of relay stations being configured to use a frame structure to transmit in parts of a downlink subframe of a frame structure, wherein the frame structure comprises:
• a first group of received protocol data units for a first relay station based on a topology of the plurality of relay stations;
• a second, different group of received protocol data units for a second relay station based on the topology of the plurality of relay stations, including the first group of received protocol data units into a relay protocol data unit for the first relay station, and including the second group of received protocol data units into the relay protocol data unit for the first relay station as a subordinate relay protocol data unit for the second relay station, wherein the second relay station is subordinate to the first relay station;
• and
• a transmission schedule with channel resources allocation information, in which at least one relay station is designated to receive corresponding created relay protocol data units;
• and
• the first relay station configured to:
• receive the relay protocol data unit for the first relay station,
• decode the received relay protocol data unit into a decoded subordinate relay protocol data unit and one or more decoded protocol data units,
• transmit the one or more decoded protocol data units to one or more subscriber stations, respectively, and
• transmit the decoded subordinate relay protocol data unit to the second relay station to cause the second relay station to transmit one or more protocol data units to one or more one or more subscriber stations.