Communication system, communication apparatus, communication method and computer program product

A mobile station for use in a wireless communications system having a first base station that services a first coverage area and a second base station that services a second coverage area, said mobile station comprising:

• a controller;
• a scheduling information storage device that is accessible to said controller and stores information including a scheduling table indicating wireless resources for communication with the first base station and the second base station;
• and
• a transmitter, wherein
• when said mobile station is within said first coverage area, said controller controls said transmitter to establish a first link with said first base station, said first link being one of an uplink and a downlink, and establish a second link with said second base station via a relay node within said second coverage area, said second link being an other of said uplink and said downlink,
• when a communication quality of said first link is below a predetermined level and when said first link is an uplink, said transmitter receives a first instruction from said first base station, the first instruction to disconnect said first link from said first base station, establish an uplink with said second base station and maintain said second link with said second base station, said second link being a downlink, and
• when a communication quality of said first link is below a predetermined level and said second link is a downlink, said transmitter receives a second instruction from said first base station, the second instruction to disconnect said first link from said first base station, establish a downlink with said second base station and maintain said second link with said second base station, said second link being an uplink.

A base station for a wireless mobile communication system, said base station comprising:

• a transmitter that provides wireless coverage over a first coverage area and establishes a link with a mobile station within said first coverage area, said link being one of an uplink and a downlink, and said first coverage area abutting a second coverage area provided by a second base station;
• and
• a relay mode decision circuit that
• determines, when said mobile station is within said first coverage area, whether a communication quality of said link between said mobile station and said base station is below said predetermined level,
• controls the transmitter to transmit a first instruction to said mobile station when said communication quality of said link is below said predetermined level and said link is an uplink, said first instruction to disconnect said link with said base station, establish an uplink with said second base station and maintain a second link between said mobile station and said second base station, said second link being a downlink, and
• controls the transmitter to transmit a second instruction to said mobile station when said communication quality of said first link is below said predetermined level and said first link is a downlink, said first instruction to disconnect said first link with said base station, establish a downlink with said second base station and maintain said second link between said mobile station and said second base station, said second link being an uplink.

A method for conducting wireless communications in a mobile communication system, comprising:

• establishing, by a first base station that services a first coverage area, a first link with a mobile station within said first coverage area, said first link being one of an uplink and a downlink;
• establishing, by a second base station that services a second coverage area, a second link with said mobile station via a relay node within said second coverage area, said second link being an other of said uplink and said downlink;
• determining, by said first base station, whether a communication quality of the first link is below a predetermined threshold;
• transmitting, by said first base station, a first instruction to said mobile station when said communication quality of said first link is below said predetermined level and said first link is an uplink, said first instruction to disconnect said first link with first said base station, establish an uplink with said second base station and maintain said second link with said second base station, said second link being a downlink;
• and
• transmitting, by said first base station, a second instruction to said mobile station when said communication quality of said first link is below said predetermined level and said first link is a downlink, said second instruction to disconnect said first link with said first base station, establish a downlink with said second base station and maintain said second link with said second base station, said second link being an uplink.