Adaptive Frame structure for Mobile Multihop Relay (MMR) Networks

Frame structure is essential to the proper operation of a Mobile Multihop Relay networks such as the IEEE 802.16e OFDMA network, as it governs the fundamental channel access in both time and frequency domain. The frame structure design is more challenging in the new mobile multihop relay based (MMR) network architecture, as numerous dimensions of design constraints and challenges have been introduced therein. In this paper, we propose a simple yet flexible multi-zone framework based upon the current 802.16e OFDMA frame structure design, which enables multihop operation while still maintaining the backward compatibility with the legacy mobile stations1. Further performance evaluation not only demonstrates the capacity improvement an MMR network can achieve based upon the proposed frame structure, but also establishes a more profound understanding on the range extension aspect of a relay network².