Mobile relay communication system

Abstract

A mobile relay system for supporting communications between a fixed station and mobile terminals comprising a plurality of mobile relay stations that are associated with each other and provided on a moving platform, wherein each of the plurality of mobile relay stations is capable of facilitating communications with mobile terminals within communication range and at least one of the plurality of mobile relay stations is further capable of facilitating communications with a fixed station within communication g range of the at least one of the plurality of mobile relay stations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile relay system for supporting communications between a fixed station and mobile terminals comprising a plurality of mobile relay stations that are associated with each other and provided on a moving platform, wherein each of the plurality of mobile relay stations is capable of facilitating communications with mobile terminals within communication range and at least one of the plurality of mobile relay stations is further capable of facilitating communications with a fixed station within communication range of the at least one of the plurality of mobile relay stations. 
     
     
         2 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein the fixed station is a fixed relay station. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein the fixed station is a fixed base station. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of mobile relay stations are affixed to the moving platform and have a fixed relationship with respect to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of mobile relay stations define a cluster. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile relay system of  claim 5  wherein the cluster appears as a single relay station to the mobile terminals regardless of which of the plurality of mobile relay stations are serving the mobile terminals. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile relay system of  claim 5  wherein the cluster appears as a single relay station to the fixed station regardless of which of the plurality of mobile relay stations are communicating with the fixed station. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile relay system of  claim 5  wherein the cluster is handed off from the fixed station to a second fixed station as the moving platform moves from a first area supported by the fixed station to a second area supported by the second fixed station. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile relay system of  claim 8  wherein service for the mobile terminals is maintained by the cluster throughout the handoff. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein certain of the plurality of mobile relay stations are adapted to communicate with each other to facilitate relaying communications between the fixed station and a mobile terminal via at least two of the plurality of mobile relay stations. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of mobile relay stations is adapted to communicate with the fixed station. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile relay system of  claim 1  wherein only certain of the plurality of mobile relay stations are adapted to communicate with the fixed station, and other ones of the plurality of mobile relay stations are adapted to communicate with at least one of the certain of the plurality of mobile relay stations to facilitate communications with the fixed station.