Wireless communication system using multiple-serving nodes

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for a wireless communication system using multiple-serving nodes are provided. In one embodiment, a method of wireless communication comprises sending from a wireless device an uplink control signal to a first node via a second node using a second communication link; receiving by said wireless device a downlink control signal from said first node using a first communication link; sending from said wireless device another uplink control signal to said second node using said second communication link; and receiving by said wireless device another downlink control signal from said second node via said first node using said first communication link.

1 . A method of wireless communication, comprising:
 sending from a wireless device an uplink control signal to a first node via a second node using a second communication link;   receiving by said wireless device a downlink control signal from said first node using a first communication link;   sending from said wireless device another uplink control signal to said second node using said second communication link; and   receiving by said wireless device another downlink control signal from said second node via said first node using said first communication link.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending from said wireless device an uplink data signal to said first node via said second node using said second communication link; and   receiving by said wireless device a downlink data signal from said first node using said first communication link.   
     
     
         3 . A method of wireless communication, comprising:
 sending from a wireless device an uplink control signal to a first node using a first communication link;   receiving by said wireless device a downlink control signal from said first node using said first communication link;   sending from said wireless device another uplink control signal to a second node using a second communication link; and   receiving by said wireless device another downlink control signal from said second node using said second communication link.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving by said wireless device a downlink data signal from said first node using said first communication link; and   sending from said wireless device an uplink data signal to said first node via said second node using said second communication link.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first communication link includes at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (“PDSCH”), a physical downlink control channel (“PDCCH”), a physical uplink control channel (“PUCCH”) and a physical hybrid automatic repeat request indicator channel (“PHICH”). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said second communication link includes at least one of a physical uplink shared channel (“PUSCH”), physical downlink control channel (“PDCCH”), a physical uplink control channel (“PUCCH”) and a physical hybrid automatic repeat request indicator channel (“PHICH”). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said uplink data signal and said uplink control signal are multiplexed onto a physical uplink shared channel (“PUSCH”) of said second communication link. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said downlink data signal and said other downlink control signal are multiplexed onto a physical downlink shared channel (“PDSCH”) of said first communication link. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said downlink control signal includes at least one of a downlink grant signal, an uplink grant signal, a timing adjustment signal and a transmission power control (“TPC”) signal; and
 wherein said other downlink control signal includes at least one of a downlink grant signal, an uplink grant signal, a timing adjustment signal and a transmission power control (“TPC”) signal. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said uplink control signal includes at least one of a channel quality indicator (“CQI”) signal, an acknowledgment or no acknowledgment (“ACK/NACK”) signal, a pre-coding matrix indicator (“PMI”) signal, a rank indicator (“RI”) signal, a downlink grant signal, a scheduling request indicator (“SRI”) signal and a sounding reference signal (“SRS”) signal; and
 wherein said other uplink control signal includes at least one of a channel quality indicator (“CQI”) signal, an acknowledgment or no acknowledgment (“ACK/NACK”) signal, a pre-coding matrix indicator (“PMI”) signal, a rank indicator (“RI”) signal, a downlink grant signal, a scheduling request indicator (“SRI”) signal and a sounding reference signal (“SRS”) signal. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first node and said second node are the same node. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first node and said second node are time synchronized. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 selecting said first node to provide said downlink data signal using at least one of received signal strength, bit error rate and word error rate.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 selecting said second node to send said uplink data signal using at least one of received signal strength, bit error rate and word error rate.   
     
     
         15 . A wireless device in a wireless communication system, comprising:
 a processor coupled to a memory containing processor-executable instructions, wherein said processor is operable to:   receive a downlink control signal from a first node using a first communication link;   send an uplink control signal to said first node via a second node using a second communication link;   receive another downlink control signal from said second node via said first node using said first communication link; and   send another uplink control signal to said second node using said second communication link.   
     
     
         16 . The wireless device of  claim 15 , wherein said processor is further operable to:
 receive a downlink data signal from said first node using said first communication link; and   send an uplink data signal to said first node via said second node using said second communication link.   
     
     
         17 . A wireless device in a wireless communication system, comprising:
 a processor coupled to a memory containing processor-executable instructions, wherein said processor is operable to:   send an uplink control signal to a first node using a first communication link;   receive a downlink control signal from said first node using said first communication link;   send another uplink control signal to a second node using a second communication link; and   receive another downlink control signal from said second node using said second communication link.   
     
     
         18 . The wireless device of  claim 17 , wherein said processor is further operable to:
 send an uplink data signal to said first node via said second node using said second communication link; and   receive a downlink data signal from said first node using said first communication link.   
     
     
         19 . A system of wireless communication, comprising:
 a wireless device;   a first node communicatively linked to said wireless device using a first communication link;   a second node communicatively linked to said wireless device using a second communication link and to said first node using a third communication link;   wherein said first node sends a downlink control signal to said wireless device using said first communication link and forwards another downlink control signal from said second node to said wireless device using said third communication link and said first communication link; and   wherein said second node receives an uplink control signal from said wireless device and forwards another uplink control signal from said wireless device to said first node using said second communication link and said third communication link.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said first node sends a downlink data signal to said wireless device using said first communication link; and
 wherein said second node forwards an uplink data signal from said wireless device to said first node using said second communication link and said third communication link.