Telecommunications system and method

A telecommunications system, for communicating data to and from a mobile device, the system comprising

• a plurality of repeater nodes and a control node, each repeater node having a transceiver unit operable to transmit and to receive data to or from one or more other of the repeater nodes or the control node or the mobile device, wherein
• the control node is operable to transmit data in a downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes and to receive data from the mobile device transmitted in an upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes, and
• the control node, the mobile device and the plurality of repeater nodes are arranged to communicate the data in the downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes using a time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, and to communicate the data in the upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes using the time frame,
• wherein
• the control node is allocated a control time slot in the time frame in order that the control node can communicate control data to the plurality of repeater nodes and each of the repeater nodes includes a processor for controlling the transceiver unit;
• the control node is operable to allocate each of the repeater nodes a time slot of the time frame for transmitting to another one of the repeater nodes in one of the upstream or the downstream directions;
• the processor of each repeater node is operable to receive the time slot from the control node and to control the repeater node to transmit data in its allocated time slot;
• and
• the system is operable to reverse the order of the time slots in one time frame with respect to the order of the time slots in another time frame, so as to select between an order of the time slots which prioritises upstream data communication and an order of the time slots which prioritises downstream data communication.

A method for communicating data from and to a mobile device via a plurality of repeater nodes, the method comprising the steps of

• transmitting data in a downstream direction from a control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes, and
• receiving data from the mobile device transmitted in an upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes, wherein
• the transmitting of the data in the downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes includes transmitting in accordance with a time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, and the receiving of the data in the upstream direction at the control node from the mobile device via the repeater nodes includes transmitting in the slots of the time frame, and the method includes
• allocating a control time slot in the time frame to the control node in order that the control node can communicate control data to the plurality of repeater nodes,
• allocating each of the repeater nodes a time slot of the time frame for transmitting to one of the other repeater nodes in one of the upstream or the downstream directions,
• controlling the repeater nodes to transmit data in the allocated time slot, and
• reversing the order of time slots in one time frame with respect to the order of time slots in another time frame, so as to select between an order of the time slots which prioritises upstream data communication and an order of the time slots which priorities downstream data communication.

A repeater node operable to communicate data in a system according to claim 1, the repeater node comprising:

• a transceiver unit operable to transmit and receive data to or from one or more other repeater nodes or a control node or a mobile device;
• and a processor operable to control the transceiver unit;
• in which the transceiver units of the repeater nodes are operable:
• to communicate data in a downstream direction, the downstream direction being from the control node to the mobile device, and to communicate data in an upstream direction, the upstream direction being from the mobile device;
• and
• to communicate the data using a time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, so that each of the repeater nodes communicates data during a respective one of the time slots in one of the upstream or the downstream directions to another of the repeater nodes;
• and
• the time slots are arranged amongst the repeater nodes in one of an order which prioritises upstream data communication and an order which prioritises downstream data communication.

A control node operable to communicate data to and from a mobile device in a system according to claim 1, wherein

• the control node is operable to transmit data in a downstream direction from the control node to a mobile device or to a repeater node for transmission on to the mobile device and to receive data from the mobile device transmitted in an upstream direction from the mobile device or received from a repeater node to which the data has been transmitted from another repeater node or mobile device;
• the control node is arranged to communicate the data in the downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via one or more repeater nodes using a time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, and to receive data communicated in the upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes using the time frame;
• the control node is operable to allocate time slots of the time frame to the repeater nodes to the effect that each of the repeater nodes transmits to another repeater node in one of the upstream or the downstream directions in a time slot of the time frame;
• and
• the control node is operable to reverse the order of the time slots in one time frame with respect to the order of the time slots in another time frame, so as to select between an order of the time slots which prioritises upstream data communication and an order of the time slots which prioritises downstream data.

A telecommunications system, for communicating data to and from a mobile device, the system comprising

• a plurality of repeater nodes and a control node, each repeater node operable to transmit and receive data to or from one or more other of the repeater nodes or the control node or the mobile device, wherein
• the control node is operable to transmit data in a downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes and to receive data from the mobile device transmitted in an upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes,
• the control node, the mobile device and the plurality of repeater nodes are arranged to communicate the data in the downstream direction using a time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, and to communicate the data in the upstream direction using the time frame, and
• the system is operable to arrange an order of the time slots in the time frame so as to prioritise upstream data communication or prioritise downstream data communication.