Abstract: According to various embodiments, a method is provided at a relay node for enabling subframe allocation between a backhaul link and an access link of the relay node. The relay node is connected to a controlling entity via the backhaul link, and is connectable to at least one user equipment via the access link. The relay node receives a trigger or configuration information from the controlling entity from the controlling entity. Based on the received trigger or configuration information, the relay node sends information to the controlling entity, indicating a resource utilization of the access link and/or indicating a quality of the access link.

Abstract: Method and arrangement in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station. The base station is adapted to serve the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to transmit scheduling requests to the base station only at certain predetermined scheduling request opportunities. The method comprises triggering a scheduling request transmission, transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity, starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running. Also, a corresponding method and arrangement in a base station is described.

Abstract: Method and arrangement in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station. The base station is adapted to serve the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to transmit scheduling requests to the base station only at certain predetermined scheduling request opportunities. The method comprises triggering a scheduling request transmission, transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity, starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running. Also, a corresponding method and arrangement in a base station are described.

Abstract: Automatically adjust the size of a Physical Uplink Control Channel, PUCCH, of an uplink communication subframe. In a particular embodiment, the size of a semi-static region of the PUCCH is adjusted. The adjustment is based on a utilization factor of the PUCCH over a time period. The adjustment can also be based on the connection factor (connections between the wireless terminals and the cell) and/or based on the utilization factor of a PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). The result is an efficient resource utilization on the PUCCH, and a properly dimensioned PUCCH region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for enabling intercell interference coordination in a network node 112, 132, which is comprised in a wireless communications network 100. The network node 112, 132 comprises at least two antennas for multi-antenna transmission and/or reception. According to the method, the network node 112, 132 transmits an indication of an amount of spatially multiplexed streams for at least one block of radio resources to at least one receiving network node 122, which is also comprised in the wireless communications network 100. By indicating the amount of spatially multiplexed streams, it is made possible for the receiving network node 122 to take the intercell interference in the spatial domain into consideration, for instance in a scheduling and/or link adaptation decision.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mobile relay node, RN, (16) with complete and valid neighbor cell information. The RN (16) requests this information from a donor base station (12) upon detecting a defined condition characteristically indicating that movement of the RN (16) has rendered previously obtained neighbor cell information incomplete or invalid. The RN (16) may generate the request to identify cells (18) currently neighboring the mobile cell (20). The donor base station (12) may then provide the RN (16) information that more specifically pertains to the mobile cell's neighbors, rather than generally pertaining to the donor cell's neighbors. Other embodiments compensate for the RN's incomplete or invalid neighbor cell information. These embodiments permit the RN (16) to identify a target cell (18) with a non-unique cell identifier in a handover message sent to the donor base station (12).

Abstract: A radio access network comprises a donor base station node (29) and a relay base station node (20). The relay base station node (29) participates in communications across a first radio interface with a wireless terminal (30) and also participates in communications over a backhaul link across a second radio interface, the second radio interface reusing at least some functionality of the first interface. The donor base station node (28) configures a subframe configuration pattern. The subframe configuration pattern is arranged to specify which subframe(s) of a frame structure may be utilized for the backhaul link. As a result of subframe configuration, a HARQ process state in a HARQ process at one of the base station nodes is known by the other base station node by any of several operational modes.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for estimating the current channel quality for a data transfer in a mobile network. In a sending system entity, a channel quality estimate (CQE) associated with a data transfer to a receiving system entity in a mobile communication network is adjusted. One or more probing packets are communicated 400 between the sending system entity and the receiving system entity, each probing packet being formatted according to a predefined combination of transmission parameters. Furthermore, is a Channel State Information (CSI) report received 404 from the receiving system entity, and the CQE is adjusted 406 based on the CSI report and which probing packets have been successfully communicated. By sending a sequence of probing packets, each formatted according to a predefined combination of transmission parameters, and not waiting for each packet to be acknowledged, a fast and accurate estimation of the current channel quality is achieved.

Abstract: A method in a user equipment for requesting that a base station schedule the user equipment for an uplink data transmission to the base station is provided. The user equipment comprises a buffer. Directly or indirectly responsive to receiving data into the buffer to be transmitted to the base station, the user equipment generates a scheduling request trigger. The scheduling request trigger is configured to trigger the sending of a scheduling request to the base station if the trigger is pending at the next scheduling request opportunity, and to remain pending until it is cancelled. The user equipment cancels the pending scheduling request trigger when the data is accounted for in a buffer status report, which reports the size of the buffer to the base station, or when the data is included directly in a scheduled uplink data transmission whichever occurs first.

Abstract: A radio access network comprises a donor base station node (29) and a relay base station node (20). The relay base station node (29) participates in communications across a first radio interface with a wireless terminal (30) and also participates in communications over a backhaul link across a second radio interface, the second radio interface reusing at least some functionality of the first interface. The donor base station node (28) configures a subframe configuration pattern. The subframe configuration pattern is arranged to specify which subframe(s) of a frame structure may be utilized for the backhaul link. As a result of subframe configuration, a HARQ process state in a HARQ process at one of the base station nodes is known by the other base station node by any of several operational modes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a radio base station (4) which actively monitor the error rate for messages transmitted over an uplink control channel between the radio base station (4) and one or more mobile terminals (6). The distribution of messages transmitted on the uplink control channel is then adapted in dependence on the measured error rate.

Abstract: A method in a user equipment for requesting that a base station schedule the user equipment for an uplink data transmission to the base station is provided. The user equipment comprises a buffer. Directly or indirectly responsive to receiving data into the buffer to be transmitted to the base station, the user equipment generates a scheduling request trigger. The scheduling request trigger is configured to trigger the sending of a scheduling request to the base station if the trigger is pending at the next scheduling request opportunity, and to remain pending until it is cancelled. The user equipment cancels the pending scheduling request trigger when the data is accounted for in a buffer status report, which reports the size of the buffer to the base station, or when the data is included directly in a scheduled uplink data transmission whichever occurs first.

Abstract: A method of estimating path loss for a channel between a user equipment and a base station of a wireless communication system, the method performed at the base station and comprising the steps of: measuring (302) a signal power PSDrx for a received signal transmitted from the user equipment to the base station on the channel; and estimating (304) a path loss PL*, based on the measured signal power PSDrx and a path loss compensation value ? associated with the base station. A base station and a computer readable medium is also described.

Abstract: Teachings herein include a base station and a relay node for propagating system information changes from the base station to the relay node. Upon receiving changes from the base station, the relay node advantageously determines whether to apply the changes immediately or to defer application until a set time period. The relay node then applies the changes at a time in accordance with that determination. In some embodiments, the relay node employs deferred application for fundamental changes (those changes that would fatally disrupt ongoing communications if applied before the set time period), but employs immediate application for non-fundamental changes in order to minimize relay node complexity. Regardless, the relay node may make the determination based on preconfigured rules, or on control indicators received from the base station. Correspondingly, the base station may generate the control indicators to explicitly direct the relay node to employ immediate application or deferred application.

Abstract: A method in a user equipment for deciding whether or not to send an uplink transmission (ie. Channel State Information, CSI, and/or Sounding Reference Signal, SRS) to a radio access network node (Node B) is provided. The user equipment and radio access network node (Node B) are comprised in a communications network. The user equipment is configured with Discontinuous Reception, DRX, to be in active time or not be in active time. The user equipment decides (201) whether or not to send the uplink transmission at a transmission time t, based on whether the user equipment was in active time or not at a predefined earlier time instance relative to the transmission time t.

Abstract: Teachings herein include a base station for propagating system information changes from the base station to the relay node. Upon transmitting system information changes to the relay node, the base station defers data transmission between the base station and the relay node until a set time period. In many embodiments, the base station is configured to actually apply the system information changes during this time period, while the relay node applies the changes before then, e.g., by applying them immediately upon reception. The base station's deferral of data transmission until the set time period thus ensures that data transmission does not occur until both the base station and the relay node have applied the pending changes. This in turn prevents radio link failure from occurring due to use of different system parameters by the base station and relay node.

Abstract: Method and arrangement in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station. The base station is adapted to serve the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to transmit scheduling requests to the base station only at certain predetermined scheduling request opportunities. The method comprises triggering a scheduling request transmission, transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity, starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running. Also, a corresponding method and arrangement in a base station are described.

Abstract: Method and arrangement in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station. The base station is adapted to serve the user equipment. The user equipment is configured to transmit scheduling requests to the base station only at certain predetermined scheduling request opportunities. The method comprises triggering a scheduling request transmission, transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity, starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running. Also, a corresponding method and arrangement in a base station is described.

Abstract: A donor radio base station and relay node for configuring information associated with radio bearers in a radio communications network. The donor radio base station controls the relay node, which serves a cell and controls a number of first radio bearers over a first radio interface between the relay node and at least one user equipment served in the cell. The donor radio base station further controls a number of second radio bearers over a second radio interface between the donor radio base station and the relay node. The donor radio base station receives characteristic information indicating a characteristic of the relay node, and configures bearer information associated with at least one of the first radio bearers or the second radio bearers based on the indicated characteristic in the received characteristic information. The configured bearer information is utilized in the radio communications network during operation.

Abstract: A method in a user equipment for transmitting scheduling requests to a base station includes triggering a scheduling request transmission and transmitting a scheduling request to the base station at the next occurring scheduling request opportunity as a response to the triggering. The method also includes starting a scheduling request prohibiting timer in the user equipment when the scheduling request is transmitted to the base station and prohibiting any further scheduling request retransmission at future scheduling request opportunities while the scheduling request prohibiting timer is running.