Wireless communication methods and systems using relayed wireless communications

Abstract

Wireless communications are transmitted from at least two radioterminals to a base station co-channel over a return link using a return link alphabet. Wireless communications are also transmitted from the base station to the at least two radioterminals over a forward link using a forward link alphabet that has more symbols than the return link alphabet. The co-channel signals are deciphered at the receiver, while the radioterminals can use a smaller return link alphabet, which can reduce the power dissipation at the radioterminals.

1 . A wireless communications method comprising:
 receiving first and second wireless communications from a base station at each one of respective first and second radioterminals that are physically distinct and separate therebetween;   relaying information from the second radioterminal to the first radioterminal; and   using the information that is relayed to the first radioterminal from the second radioterminal to process the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station at the first radioterminal.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein using the information that is relayed to the first radioterminal from the second radioterminal to process the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station at the first radioterminal comprises:
 processing the information that is relayed to the first radioterminal from the second radioterminal and the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station at the first radioterminal to derive first data that is associated with a first one of the first and second radioterminals; and   using the first data to derive second data that is associated with a second one of the first and second radioterminals.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein receiving first and second wireless communications from a base station at each one of respective first and second radioterminals that are physically distinct and separate therebetween comprises:
 receiving first and second wireless co-channel communications from the base station at the first radioterminal and at the second radioterminal.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal comprises:
 transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal that are co-channel with the wireless communications from the first radioterminal.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal that are co-channel with the wireless communications from the first radioterminal comprises:
 transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal that are co-channel with the wireless communications from the first radioterminal responsive to a separation distance between the first and second radioterminals exceeding a predetermined threshold; and   transmitting wireless communications from the first radioterminal and transmitting wireless communications from the second radioterminal that are not co-channel with the wireless communications from the first radioterminal responsive to the separation distance between the first and second radioterminals being less than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein receiving first and second wireless co-channel communications from the base station at the first radioterminal and at the second radioterminal comprises:
 receiving first and second wireless communications that overlap in time, space and frequency and use the same spreading code if the first and second wireless communications relate to a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.   
     
     
         8 . A first radioterminal comprising:
 a receiver that is configured to receive first and second wireless communications from a base station and that is further configured to receive information from a second radioterminal that is physically distinct and separate from the first radioterminal and that also receives the first and second wireless communications from the base station; and   a processor that is configured to use the information that is received from the second radioterminal to process the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station.   
     
     
         9 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to use the information that is received from the second radioterminal to process the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station by performing operations comprising:
 processing the information that is received from the second radioterminal and the first and second wireless communications that are received from the base station to derive first data that is associated with a first one of the first and second radioterminals; and   using the first data to derive second data that is associated with a second one of the first and second radioterminals.   
     
     
         10 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 8 , wherein the first and second wireless communications are received co-channel from the base station at the first radioterminal and at the second radioterminal. 
     
     
         11 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a transmitter that is configured to transmit wireless communications from the first radioterminal.   
     
     
         12 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 11 , wherein the wireless communications that are transmitted from the first radioterminal are transmitted co-channel with wireless communications from the second radioterminal. 
     
     
         13 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the wireless communications are transmitted from the first radioterminal co-channel with the wireless communications from the second radioterminal responsive to a separation distance between the first and second radioterminals exceeding a predetermined threshold; and   the wireless communications are transmitted from the first radioterminal not co-channel with the wireless communications from the second radioterminal responsive to the separation distance between the first and second radioterminals being less than, or equal to, the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         14 . The first radioterminal according to  claim 10 , wherein the co-channel communications overlap in time, space and frequency and use the same spreading code if the first and second wireless communications relate to a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) protocol.