Wireless system

A base station for use in a cellular wireless network using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the network comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of relay stations, the network being arranged to allocate radio resources within the network to the base stations and the relay stations in accordance with a frame structure, the frame structure comprising first selected frequencies corresponding to a first sub-set of OFDM subcarriers and second selected frequencies corresponding to a second, different sub-set of OFDM subcarriers, the frame structure further comprising a first timeslot for the transmission of control data and a second timeslot for the transmission of payload data;

• wherein the base station is configured so as to transmit control data within the first timeslot at the first selected frequencies, and to transmit payload data within the second timeslot at the second selected frequencies, the second selected frequencies being allocated to the relay stations to transmit control data during the first timeslot, and the first selected frequencies being allocated to the relay stations to transmit payload data during the second timeslot.

A relay station for use in a cellular wireless network using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the network comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of relay stations, the network being arranged to allocate radio resources within the network to the base stations and the relay stations in accordance with a frame structure, the frame structure comprising first selected frequencies corresponding to a first sub-set of OFDM subcarriers and second selected frequencies corresponding to a second, different sub-set of OFDM subcarriers, the frame structure further comprising a first timeslot for the transmission of control data and a second timeslot for the transmission of payload data;

• wherein the relay station is configured so as to transmit control data within the first timeslot at the second selected frequencies, and to transmit payload data within the second timeslot at the first selected frequencies, the first selected frequencies being allocated to the base stations to transmit control data during the first timeslot, and the second selected frequencies being allocated to the base stations to transmit payload data during the second timeslot.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for operating a base station used in a cellular wireless network using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the network comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of relay stations, the network being arranged to allocate radio resources within the network to the base stations and the relay stations in accordance with a frame structure, the frame structure comprising first selected frequencies corresponding to a first sub-set of OFDM subcarriers and second selected frequencies corresponding to a second, different sub-set of OFDM subcarriers, the frame structure further comprising a first timeslot for the transmission of control data and a second timeslot for the transmission of payload data, wherein the computer executable instructions are executable by a processor of the base station to:

• transmit control data within the first timeslot at the first selected frequencies, and to transmit payload data within the second timeslot at the second selected frequencies, the second selected frequencies being allocated to the relay stations to transmit control data during the first timeslot, and the first selected frequencies being allocated to the relay stations to transmit payload data during the second timeslot.

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for operating a relay station used in a cellular wireless network using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, the network comprising a plurality of base stations and a plurality of relay stations, the network being arranged to allocate radio resources within the network to the base stations and the relay stations in accordance with a frame structure, the frame structure comprising first selected frequencies corresponding to a first sub-set of OFDM subcarriers and second selected frequencies corresponding to a second, different sub-set of OFDM subcarriers, the frame structure further comprising a first timeslot for the transmission of control data and a second timeslot for the transmission of payload data, wherein the executable instructions are executable by a processor of the relay station to:

• transmit control data within the first timeslot at the second selected frequencies, and to transmit payload data within the second timeslot at the first selected frequencies, the first selected frequencies being allocated to the base stations to transmit control data during the first timeslot, and the second selected frequencies being allocated to the base stations to transmit payload data during the second timeslot.