# US 8,787,214 B2 · Method and arrangement in a wireless communication network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,214 B2 - Document ID: US8787214B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/123,594 - Filed: 2010-05-25 - Published: 2011-12-01 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-25 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericcson (publ) - Applicants: Jiansong Gan; Niklas Johansson; Yin Liu; Qingyu Miao; Peter Moberg; Hai Wang - Inventors: Jiansong Gan; Niklas Johansson; Yin Liu; Qingyu Miao; Peter Moberg; Hai Wang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787214B2 ## CPC - H04B 7/15557: {Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode} - H04B 7/15564: {Relay station antennae loop interference reduction} - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract Method and arrangement in a relay node, for selecting communication mode. The relay node is configured to communicate with a base station via a donor antenna over a first link and to communicate with a user equipment via a coverage antenna over a second link. The method comprises obtaining an isolation value, based on the radio wave isolation between the relay donor antenna and the relay coverage antenna. The obtained isolation value is compared with an isolation threshold level value. The relay node is configured to communicate in full duplex mode if the obtained isolation value exceeds the isolation threshold level value, otherwise in half duplex mode. Information concerning the configured duplex mode of the relay node is transmitted to the base station. Also a method and arrangement in a base station is described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a relay node for selecting a communication mode, which relay node is configured to communicate with a base station via a donor antenna over a first link and to communicate with a user equipment via a coverage antenna over a second link, comprising: obtaining an isolation value, based on a radio wave isolation between the donor antenna and the coverage antenna; comparing the isolation value with a threshold level value; configuring the relay node to communicate in full duplex mode if the isolation value exceeds the threshold level value, and to communicate in half duplex mode if the isolation value does not exceed the threshold level value; and transmitting information concerning a configured duplex mode of the relay node to the base station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the isolation value comprises: transmitting a signal from the donor antenna; receiving the signal at the coverage antenna; and establishing the isolation value by comparing a power of the signal transmitted from the donor antenna with a power of the signal received at the coverage antenna. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the isolation value further comprises: correlating the signal received at the coverage antenna with the signal transmitted from the donor antenna before establishing the isolation value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the isolation value comprises: measuring a first power of a first signal received from the base station at the donor antenna; measuring a second power of a second signal received from the coverage antenna at the donor antenna; and establishing the isolation value by comparing the first power with the second power. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level value is based on either: a maximum affordable interference at the donor antenna and a transmission power of the coverage antenna; or a maximum affordable interference at the coverage antenna and a transmission power of the donor antenna. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level value is configurable from a network node other than the relay node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the relay node is adapted to communicate in different duplex modes with the base station over the first link and with the user equipment over the second link, respectively, based on different threshold level values used when communicating over the first link and the second link. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed during start-up of the relay node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed periodically during operation of the relay node. ### Claim 10 An arrangement in a relay node for selecting a communication mode, the relay node being configured to communicate with a base station via a donor antenna over a first link and to communicate with a user equipment via a coverage antenna over a second link, the arrangement comprising: an obtaining unit configured to obtain an isolation value, based on a radio wave isolation between the donor antenna and the coverage antenna; a comparison unit configured to compare the isolation value with a threshold level value; a configuration unit configured to configure the relay node to communicate in full duplex mode if the isolation value exceeds the threshold level value, and to communicate in half duplex mode if the isolation value does not exceed the threshold level value; and a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the base station, information concerning a configured duplex mode of the relay node. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The arrangement of claim 10, wherein the obtaining unit is configured to obtain the isolation value by at least comparing a power of a signal transmitted from the donor antenna with a power of the signal received at the coverage antenna. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the obtaining unit is configured to obtain the isolation value by at least correlating the signal received at the coverage antenna with the signal transmitted from the donor antenna. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The arrangement of claim 11, wherein the obtaining unit is configured to obtain the isolation value by at least comparing a first power of a first signal received from the base station at the donor antenna with a second power of a second signal received from the coverage antenna at the donor antenna. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The arrangement of claim 10, wherein the threshold level value is based on either: a maximum affordable interference at the donor antenna and a transmission power of the coverage antenna; or a maximum affordable interference at the coverage antenna and a transmission power of the donor antenna. ### Claim 15 A method in a base station for adapting its communication mode according to a communication mode of a relay node that is configured to communicate with the base station via a donor antenna over a first link and to communicate with a user equipment via a coverage antenna over a second link, the method comprising: receiving information concerning the communication mode of the relay node in a wireless transmission from the relay node, wherein the communication mode of the relay node includes full duplex mode if an isolation value exceeds a threshold level value and half duplex mode if the isolation value does not exceed the threshold level value, and the isolation value is based on a radio wave isolation between the donor antenna and the coverage antenna; and configuring the base station to communicate in full duplex mode with the relay node if the received information indicates that the communication mode of the relay node is full duplex mode, and to communicate in half duplex mode with the relay node if the received information indicates that the communication mode of the relay node is half duplex mode. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: configuring the threshold level value of the relay node, and transmitting the threshold level value to the relay node. ### Claim 17 An arrangement in a base station for adapting its communication mode according to a communication mode of a relay node that is configured to communicate with the base station via a donor antenna over a first link and to communicate with a user equipment via a coverage antenna over a second link, the arrangement comprising: a receiver configured to receive information concerning a configured duplex mode of the relay node in a wireless transmission from the relay node, wherein the communication mode of the relay node includes full duplex mode if an isolation value exceeds a threshold level value and half duplex mode if the isolation value does not exceed the threshold level value, and the isolation value is based on a radio wave isolation between the donor antenna and the coverage antenna; and a configuration unit configured to configure the base station to communicate in full duplex mode with the relay node if the information indicates that the relay node is configured in full duplex mode, and to communicate in half duplex mode with the relay node if the received information indicates that the relay node is configured in half duplex mode.