Wireless communications system and method

摘要

A wireless communications system includes a base station, a plurality of intermediate devices and a terminal device. The base station is operable to wirelessly transmit downlink signals to the terminal device, the downlink signals including terminal control signals identifying one of the intermediate devices as a target device to which the terminal device is to direct uplink signals intended for the base station. The terminal device wirelessly transmits the uplink signals to the base station via the intermediate device identified by the terminal control signals. In this way, downlink communications may be provided directly from the base station to the terminal device, including control signals which instruct the terminal device where to send uplink data. This enables the base station to directly control scheduling of uplink communications, and in particular to define the uplink route from the terminal device to the base station via one or more intermediate devices.

主权项

1. A wireless communications system, comprising:
a base station; a plurality of intermediate devices; and a terminal device; wherein the base station is configured to wirelessly transmit downlink signals to the terminal device, the downlink signals comprising terminal control signals identifying a first intermediate device as a target device to which the terminal device is to direct uplink signals intended for the base station, wherein the terminal device is configured to wirelessly transmit the uplink signals to the base station via the first intermediate device identified by the terminal control signals, wherein, when the uplink signals from the terminal device to the base station are to be routed via more than one intermediate device, the base station is configured to wirelessly transmit intermediate control signals to the first intermediate device via which the uplink signals are to be routed from the terminal device to the base station, the intermediate control signals indicating a second intermediate device as a target device to which the first intermediate device is to direct the uplink signals, and wherein the first intermediate device is configured to wirelessly transmit the uplink signals received from the terminal device to the second intermediate device identified by the intermediate control signals.