System and Method for Two-way Relaying with Beamforming

Abstract

A system and method for two-way relaying with beamforming are provided. A method for relay operations includes estimating communications channels between a relay and communications devices coupled to the relay, storing data contained in the transmissions, storing data contained in the transmissions, precoding a transmission including a subset of the stored data with a precoding matrix, and transmitting the precoded transmission. The estimating is based on transmissions made by the communications devices in the subset of communications devices, and the precoding matrix is based on estimates of the communications channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a relay, transmission parameters to a subset of communications devices coupled to the relay;   receiving, by the relay, precoding vectors from communications devices in the subset of communications devices;   determining, by the relay, a precoding matrix from the precoding vectors;   providing, by the relay, the precoding matrix to communications devices coupled to the relay;   storing, by the relay, a portion of transmissions from the subset of communications devices; and   transmitting, by the relay, a transmission comprising a combination of at least a subset of the stored portion of the transmissions, wherein the transmission is precoded with the precoding matrix.