Apparatus and method for supporting relay service in a multi-hop relay broadband wireless access communication system

A method for configuring a downlink subframe in order to support a relay service in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• configuring a Base Station (BS)-Mobile Station (MS) link subframe and a Relay Station (RS)-MS link subframe in a first period of the downlink subframe, the BS-MS link subframe being a subframe for a link between a BS and an MS and the RS-MS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS and an MS;
• configuring a 1st group RS-2nd group next-hop RS link subframe in a second period of the downlink subframe, the 1st group RS-2nd group next-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of a first group including odd-hop RSs and a next-hop RS of a second group including even-hop RSs;
• and
• configuring a BS-1-hop RS link subframe and a 2nd group RS-1st group next-hop RS link subframe in a third period of the downlink subframe, the BS-1-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between the BS and a 1-hop RS and the 2nd group RS-1st group next-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of the second group and a next-hop RS of the first group.

A method for configuring a downlink subframe in order to support a relay service in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• configuring a Base Station (BS)-Mobile Station (MS) link subframe and a Relay Station (RS)-MS link subframe in a first period of the downlink subframe, the BS-MS link subframe being a subframe for a link between a BS and an MS and the RS-MS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS and an MS;
• configuring a BS-1-hop RS link subframe and a 2nd group RS-1st group next-hop RS link subframe in a second period of the downlink subframe, the BS-1-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between the BS and a 1-hop RS and the 2nd group RS-1st group next-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of a second group including even-hop RSs and a next-hop RS of a first group including odd-hop RSs;
• and
• configuring a 1st group RS-2nd group next-hop RS link subframe in a third period of the downlink subframe, the 1st group RS-2nd group next-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of the first group and a next-hop RS of the second group.

A method for configuring an uplink subframe in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• configuring a Mobile Station (MS)-Base Station (BS) link subframe and an MS-Relay Station (RS) link subframe in a first period of the uplink subframe, the MS-BS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an MS and a BS and the MS-RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an MS and an RS;
• configuring a 2nd group RS-1st group previous-hop RS link subframe in a second period of the uplink subframe, the 2nd group RS-1st group previous-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of a second group including even-hop RSs and a previous-hop RS of a first group including odd-hop RSs;
• and
• configuring a 1-hop RS-BS link subframe and a 1st group RS-2nd group previous-hop RS link subframe in a third period of the uplink subframe, the 1-hop RS-BS link subframe being a subframe for a link between a 1-hop RS and the BS and the 1st group RS-2nd group previous-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of the first group and a previous-hop RS of the second group.

A method for configuring an uplink subframe in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• configuring a Mobile Station (MS)-Base Station (BS) link subframe and an MS-Relay Station (RS) link subframe in a first period of the uplink subframe, the MS-BS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an MS and a BS and the MS-RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an MS and an RS;
• configuring a 1-hop RS-BS link subframe and a 1st group RS-2nd group previous-hop RS link subframe in a second period of the uplink subframe, the 1-hop RS-BS link subframe being a subframe for a link between a 1-hop RS and the BS and the 1st group RS-2nd group previous-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of a first group including odd-hop RSs and a previous-hop RS of a second group including even-hop RSs;
• and
• configuring a 2nd group RS-1st group previous-hop RS link subframe in a third period of the uplink subframe, the 2nd group RS-1st group previous-hop RS link subframe being a subframe for a link between an RS of the second group and a previous-hop RS of the first group.

A method of a Base Station (BS) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• allocating resources to a first period and a second period of a subframe, the first period being for communicating with at least one of a Mobile Station (MS) and a secondary Relay Station (RS) that does not provide a synchronization channel and the second period being for communicating with a primary RS that provides a synchronization channel;
• communicating with the at least one of the MS and the secondary RS in the first period of the subframe;
• and
• communicating with the primary RS in the second period of the subframe.

A method of a Relay Station (RS) that provides a synchronization channel in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• setting a first period and a second period according to control information received from an upper node, the first period being for communicating with a Mobile Station (MS) and the second period being for communicating with at least one of the upper node and a lower RS;
• communicating with the MS in the first period;
• and
• communicating with the at least one of the upper node and the lower RS in the second period.

An method of a Relay Station (RS) that does not provide a synchronization channel in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• setting a first period and a second period according to control information received from an upper node, the first period being for communicating with the upper node and the second period being for communicating with a Mobile Station (MS);
• communicating with the upper node in the first period;
• and
• communicating with the MS in the second period.

An apparatus of a Base Station (BS) in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a timing controller for providing a timing signal for transmission and reception according to a subframe configuration in which a first period and a second period are defined, the first period being for communicating with at least one of a Mobile Station (MS) and a secondary Relay Station (RS) that doest not provide a synchronization channel and the second period being for communicating with a primary RS that provides a synchronization channel;
• a transmitter for generating one of a first period signal and a second period signal according to the timing signal and transmitting the generated signal;
• and
• a receiver for receiving one of the first period signal and the second period signal according to the timing signal and recovering the received signal.

An apparatus of a Relay Station (RS) that provides a synchronization channel in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a timing controller for providing a timing signal for transmission and reception according to a subframe configuration in which a first period and a second period are defined, the first period being for communicating with at least one of a Mobile Station (MS) and a secondary RS that doest not provide a synchronization channel and the second period being for communicating with an upper node;
• a transmitter for generating one of a first period signal and a second period signal according to the timing signal and transmitting the generated signal;
• and
• a receiver for receiving one of the first period signal and the second period signal according to the timing signal and recovering the received signal.

An apparatus of a Relay Station (RS) that does not provide a synchronization channel in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a timing controller for providing a timing signal for transmission and reception according to a subframe configuration in which a first period and a second period are defined, the first period being for communicating with an upper node and the second period being for communicating with a Mobile Station (MS);
• a transmitter for generating one of a first period signal and a second period signal according to the timing signal and transmitting the generated signal;
• and
• a receiver for receiving one of the first period signal and the second period signal according to the timing signal and recovering the received signal.