Peer-to-peer communication protocol for relay enhanced cellular wireless communication systems

A relay enhanced cellular (REC) wireless communication system, comprising:

• multiple mobile stations;
• and
• a resource controller provides a communication resource allocation for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication between a pair of mobile stations during a P2P enhanced time frame wherein one mobile station is assigned a role as a transparent relay station (MRS) and another mobile station is assigned a role as a peer mobile station (MS) in the pair, and delivers resource allocation information comprising communication periods and frequency subcarriers to the pair of mobile stations, for the mobile station pair to conduct one-way communication between the mobile station pair in the P2P enhanced time frame, wherein the resource allocation information comprises a message including an indication for P2P resource allocation information and an indication that identifies the role of each mobile station in the mobile station pair as a peer MS or a peer MRS, wherein the mobile station assigned as the MRS communicates directly with adjacent mobile stations,
• wherein an enhanced P2P frame structure for supporting communication by the MRS and peer mobile stations comprises a modified REC frame structure, wherein the modified REC frame structure comprises a single frame structure including transparent and non-transparent relay frame structures combined into the single frame structure, wherein control information is transmitted at a start of each enhanced P2P frame;
• wherein the message comprises a P2P-MAP message that includes a modified field format based on a portion of a UL-MAP message format, wherein the indication comprises a P2P channel ID field that includes information that:
• uniquely identifies a P2P mobile station pair,
• identifies the role of each mobile station in the P2P mobile station pair as the peer MS or the peer MRS,
• identifies communication direction, and
• identifies communication channel information.

A computer program product for mobile station communication in a relay enhanced cellular (REC) wireless communication system, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to:
• provide a communication resource allocation for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication between a pair of mobile stations during a P2P enhanced time frame wherein one mobile station is assigned a role as a transparent relay station (MRS) and another mobile station is assigned a role as a peer mobile station (MS) in the pair;
• and deliver resource allocation information comprising said communication resource allocation to the pair of mobile stations, for the mobile station pair to conduct P2P communication between the mobile station pair in the P2P enhanced time frame, wherein the resource allocation information comprises a message including an indication for P2P resource allocation information and an indication that identifies the role of each mobile station in the mobile station pair as a peer MS or a peer MRS, wherein the mobile station assigned the role of the MRS communicates directly with adjacent mobile stations,
• wherein an enhanced P2P frame structure for supporting communication by the MRS and peer mobile stations comprises a modified REC frame structure, wherein the modified REC frame structure comprises a single frame structure including transparent and non-transparent relay frame structures combined into the single frame structure, wherein control information is transmitted at a start of each enhanced P2P frame;
• wherein the message comprises a P2P-MAP message that includes a modified field format based on a portion of a UL-MAP message format, wherein the indication comprises a P2P channel ID field that includes information that:
• uniquely identifies a P2P mobile station pair,
• identifies the role of each mobile station in the P2P mobile station pair as the peer MS or the peer MRS,
• identifies communication direction, and
• identifies communication channel information.