Methods and apparatus for subframe interlacing in heterogeneous networks

• US 10,142,984 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Wei, Yongbin, Barany, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pancholi, Rina C
• Application Number:
  US14/978,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0079 Acquisition of downlink reference signals, e.g. detection of cell-ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2211/005 Long term evolution [LTE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing wireless communications using subframe partitioning are disclosed. Two or more base stations may be allocated subframes in a radio frame. All or part of the subframe allocation may be provided to the associated user equipment (UEs), which may use it to determine signal metrics during assigned subframes for an associated base station.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving information relating to a subframe resource interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource from a first base station;

receiving signaling from the first base station during at least one subframe associated with the subframe resource interlace allocation;

determining a signal metric associated with the signaling, wherein the first DL resource is time-division orthogonal to a second DL resource allocated to a second base station; and

transmitting the signal metric to the first base station;

wherein a base station type of the first base station is one of a first power class macrocell base station, a second power class macrocell base station, a femtocell base station, or a picocell base station, and the base station type of the first base station is different from a base station type of the second base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal metric is a Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) metric, and the method further comprises determining whether to declare Radio Link Failure (RLF) based on the signal metric.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes Radio Resource Management (RRM) control information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes channel feedback information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information further includes channel quality indication (CQI) information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first base station is associated with a macrocell and the second base station is associated with a picocell or femtocell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first base station is associated with a picocell or femtocell and the second base station is associated with a macrocell.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises a reference signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subframe resource interlace allocation is a semi-static resource allocation.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the subframe resource interlace allocation, wherein the subframe resource interlace allocation is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for causing one or more computers to:

receive information relating to a subframe resource interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource from a first base station;

receive signaling from the first base station during at least one subframe associated with the subframe resource interlace allocation;

determine a signal metric associated with the signaling, wherein the first DL resource is time-division orthogonal to a second DL resource allocated to a second base station; and

transmit the signal metric to the first base station;

wherein a base station type of the first base station is one of a first rower class macrocell base station, a second power class macrocell base station, a femtocell base station, or a picocell base station, and the base station type of the first base station is different from a base station type of the second base station.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the signal metric is a Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) metric, and the non-transitory computer-readable medium further includes code for causing the one or more computers to determine whether to declare Radio Link Failure (RLF) based on the signal metric.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the information includes one or more of channel feedback information, channel quality indication (CQI) information, and Radio Resource Management (RRM) control information.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the signaling comprises a reference signal.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, further including code for causing the one or more computers to:

store the subframe resource interlace allocation, wherein the subframe resource interlace allocation is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

16. A wireless communications device, comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory; and

instructions stored in the memory and operable, when executed by the at least one processor, to cause the wireless communications device to;

receive information relating to a subframe resource interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource from a first base station;

receive signaling from the first base station during at least one subframe associated with the subframe resource interlace allocation;

determine a signal metric associated with the signaling, wherein the first DL resource is time-division orthogonal to a second DL resource allocated to a second base station; and

transmit the signal metric to the first base station;

wherein a base station type of the first base station is one of a first power class macrocell base station, a second power class macrocell base station, a femtocells base station, or a picocell base station, and the base station type of the first base station is different from a base station type of the second base station.

17. The wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein the signal metric is a Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) metric, and the at least one processor is further configured to determine whether to declare Radio Link Failure (RLF) based on the signal metric.

18. The wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein the information includes one or more of channel feedback information, channel quality indication (CQI) information, and Radio Resource Management (RRM) control information.

19. The wireless communications device at claim 16, wherein the signaling comprises a reference signal.

20. The wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein the instructions operable to cause the wireless communications device to:

store the subframe resource interlace allocation, wherein the subframe resource interlace allocation is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

21. A wireless communications device, comprising:

means for receiving information relating to a subframe resource interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource from a first base station;

means for receiving signaling from the first base station during at least one subframe associated with the subframe resource interlace allocation;

means for determining a signal metric associated with the signaling, wherein the first DL resource is time-division orthogonal to a second DL resource allocated to a second base station; and

means for transmitting the signal metric to the first base station;

wherein a base station type of the first base station is one of a first power class macrocell base station, a second power class macrocell base station, a femtocell base station, or a picocell base station, and the base station type of the first base station is different front a base station type of the second base station.

22. The wireless communications device of claim 21, wherein the signal metric is a Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) metric, and the wireless communications device further comprises means for determining whether to declare Radio Link Failure (RLF) based on the signal metric.

23. The wireless communications device of claim 21 wherein the information further includes Radio Resource Management (RRM) control information.