Reuse of a physical control channel in a distributed cellular radio communication system

A method for the reuse of physical control channels in at least one cell in a distributed cellular radio communication system, said distributed cellular radio communication system comprising at least one mobile station and a number of radio units, wherein at least one cell comprises a number of radio units controlled by at least one central unit, said mobile stations communicating with said radio units through connections comprising physical uplink and downlink channels, wherein said physical uplink and downlink channels transfer logical uplink and downlink channels, respectively and wherein at least one physical uplink channel and at least one physical downlink channel in the cell are designated as the physical uplink control channel and the physical downlink control channel respectively, for transferring logical uplink and downlink control channels respectively, said method in each cell comprising the following steps:

• a) simultaneously receiving signals on the physical uplink control channel for each radio unit, wherein said received signals can transfer different information;
• b) identifying the type of logical uplink channels transmitted on said physical uplink control channel;
• c) interpreting the information in the logical control channel of the type access channel, referred to as the logical access channel, wherein said information comprises a request for contact with the radio communication system;
• d) generating logical downlink control channels of the type common control channels in dependence of said interpretation;
• e) mapping one of the logical downlink control channels generated in step d) onto the physical downlink control channel for each radio unit;
• f) transmitting signals on the physical downlink control channel from all radio units;
• g) repeating steps e) and f).

A method for the reuse of physical control channels in at least one cell in a distributed cellular radio communication system, said distributed cellular radio communication system comprising at least one mobile station and a number of radio units, wherein at least one cell comprises a number of radio units controlled by at least one central unit, said mobile stations communicating with said radio units through connections comprising physical uplink and downlink channels, wherein said physical uplink and downlink channels transfer logical uplink and downlink channels, respectively, and wherein at least one physical uplink channel and at least one physical downlink channel in the cell are designated as the physical uplink control channel and the physical downlink control channel respectively, for transferring logical uplink and downlink control channels respectively, said method in each cell comprising the following steps:

• a) receiving signals on the physical uplink control channel for all radio units at different points in time, wherein only one signal may be received at one point in time, which received signals can transfer different information;
• b) identifying the type of logical uplink channels transmitted on said physical uplink control channel at each point in time;
• c) interpreting the information in each logical uplink channel of the type access channel, referred to as the logical access channel, wherein said information comprises a request for contact with the radio communication system;
• d) generating a logical downlink control channel for each radio unit in dependence of said interpretation;
• e) mapping the logical downlink control channels mentioned in step d) onto the physical control channel for each radio unit;
• f) simultaneously transmitting signals on the physical downlink control channel from each radio unit, wherein different information in the logical downlink control channels may be transmitted on the physical control channel from different radio units in the cell.

A distributed cellular radio communication system for reuse of physical control channels in at least one cell in a distributed cellular radio communication system, said distributed cellular radio communication system comprising:

• least one mobile station and a number of radio units, wherein at least one cell comprises a number of radio units controlled by at least one central unit, said mobile stations communicating with said radio units through connections comprising physical uplink and downlink channels, wherein said physical uplink and downlink channels transfer logical uplink and downlink channels, respectively, and wherein at least one physical uplink channel and at least one physical downlink channel in the cell are designated as the physical uplink control channel and the physical downlink control channel respectively, for transferring logical uplink and downlink control channels respectively;
• receiver means for receiving signals on physical uplink channels for each radio unit, wherein said received signals can transfer different information;
• channel separating means for separating received bit streams on a physical uplink channel and a logical uplink channel and for identifying the logical uplink channel transferred on said physical uplink channel;
• interpretation means for interpreting the information in the logical control channels of the type access channel, referred to as the logical access channels, wherein said information comprises a request for contact with the radio communication system;
• decoding means for decoding the information transferred on said logical access channels;
• generating means for generating logical downlink control channels in dependence of said interpretation;
• channel generating means for mapping said logical downlink control channels onto the physical downlink control channel;
• transmitting means for transmitting signals on the physical control channel from each radio unit, said signals being able to transfer different information;
• and
• supervision means for controlling and supervising said means.