US Patent 7953374 Scheduling methods and systems for wireless multi-hop relay communications

A scheduling method for a wireless multi-hop relay communication system, wherein the communication system includes a base station dominating a plurality of relay stations, the scheduling method including separating the plurality of relay stations into N groups, N being a natural number, dividing a period for providing a service by the base station into N phases, wherein N is the number of the groups of the relay stations, serving the relay stations in a jth group during an ith phase by the base station, wherein 1≦i, j≦N, and serving a user or a subordinate relay station within service areas of the relay stations not in the jth group during the ith phase by the relay stations not in the jth group.