Relays in telecommunications networks

In a telecommunications network including a plurality of mobile terminals in communication with a network base station, and a plurality of relay nodes configured to assist the base station with data transmissions between the base station and one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals, a method of enabling communication resource reuse amongst the plurality of said relay nodes, the method comprising:

• defining a plurality of communication resource sets each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node can receive data in a receiving resource set and transmit data in a transmission resource set;
• determining which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• configuring at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• in the receiving resource set, receiving data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node, at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• in the transmission resource set, simultaneously transmitting the received resource element from the first relay node and the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node.

In a telecommunications network including a plurality of mobile terminals in communication with a network base station, and a plurality of relay nodes configured to assist the base station with data transmissions between the base station and one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals, a method of enabling communication resource reuse amongst the plurality of said relay nodes, the method comprising:

• defining a plurality of communication resource sets, each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node can receive data in a receiving resource set and transmit data in a transmission resource set;
• determining which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• configuring at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more mobile terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• disassociating the first relay node from the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• in the receiving resource set, receiving data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• in the transmission resource set, transmitting the received data from the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals.

A radio access subsystem comprising a network base station, and a plurality of relay nodes configured to assist the base station with data transmissions between the base station and one or more of a plurality of mobile terminals, the subsystem being arranged to:

• define a plurality of communication resource sets each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node can receive data in a receiving resource set and transmit data in a transmission resource set;
• determine which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• and
• configure at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets,
• the subsystem further comprising:
• a first calculating device that calculates the efficiency of a first data transmission path directly communicating between the base station and one of said mobile terminals;
• a second calculating device that calculates the efficiency of a second data transmission path between the base station and the one of said mobile terminals via one or more of said relay nodes;
• and
• a selecting device that selects the most efficient data transmission path for use in data transmission between the base station and the one of said mobile terminals.

A radio access subsystem comprising a network base station, and a plurality of relay nodes configured to assist the base station with data transmissions between the base station and one or more of a plurality of mobile terminals, the subsystem being arranged to:

• define a plurality of communication resource sets each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node can receive data in a receiving resource set and transmit data in a transmission resource set;
• determine which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• and
• configure at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more mobile terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node, the subsystem further comprising:
• in the receiving resource set, a receiver that receives data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node, at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• in the transmission resource set, a transmitter that simultaneously transmits the received resource element from the first relay node and the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node.

A radio access subsystem comprising a network base station, and a plurality of relay nodes configured to assist the base station with data transmissions between the base station and one or more of a plurality of mobile terminals, the subsystem being arranged to:

• define a plurality of communication resource sets each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node can receive data in a receiving resource set and transmit data in a transmission resource set;
• determine which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• and
• configure at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node,
• the subsystem further comprising:
• a disassociating device that disassociates the first relay node from the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• in the receiving resource set, a receiver that receives data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• in the transmission resource set, a transmitter that transmits the received data from the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer software that enables communication resource reuse among a plurality of relay nodes, the computer software comprising:

• executable code that defines a plurality of communication resource sets, each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node receives data in a receiving resource set and transmits data in a transmission resource set;
• executable code that determines which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• executable code that configures at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets;
• executable code that calculates the efficiency of a first data transmission path directly communicating between the base station and one of said mobile terminals;
• executable code that calculates the efficiency of a second data transmission path between the base station and the one of said mobile terminals via one or more of said relay nodes;
• and
• executable code that selects the most efficient data transmission path for use in data transmission between the base station and the one of said mobile terminals.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer software that enables communication resource reuse among a plurality of relay nodes, the computer software comprising:

• executable code that defines a plurality of communication resource sets, each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node receives data in a receiving resource set and transmits data in a transmission resource set;
• executable code that determines which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• executable code that configures at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• executable code that receives data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node, at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• executable code that transmits the received resource element from the first relay node and the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer software that enables communication resource reuse among a plurality of relay nodes, the computer software comprising:

• executable code that defines a plurality of communication resource sets each resource set comprising one or more communication resource elements, the communication resource sets arranged so that each relay node receives data in a receiving resource set and transmits data in a transmission resource set;
• executable code that determines which of two or more relay nodes are spatially separated from one another;
• executable code that configures at least two of the two or more spatially separated relay nodes to use the same communication resource sets, wherein one or more mobile terminals is associated with a first relay node, and one or more terminals is associated with a second relay node, at least one of said mobile terminals being associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• executable code that disassociates the first relay node from the at least one of said mobile terminals associated with both the first relay node and the second relay node;
• executable code that receives data scheduled for the at least one of said mobile terminals at the first relay node and the second relay node in the same resource element;
• and
• executable code that transmits the received data from the second relay node to the at least one of said mobile terminals.