Enhancement of inter-cell interference coordination with adaptive reduced-power almost blank subframes based on neighbor cell profile data

• US 10,243,622 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Zhi, Liu, Cheng P., Lei, Hongyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asefa, Debebe A
• Application Number:
  US15/476,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20170207827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0053 using co-ordinated multipoint transmission/reception co-ordinated antenna or beam-forming aspects H04B7/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An inter-cell interference coordination procedure in heterogeneous networks (HetNets) is enhanced based on utilization of cell profile data associated with neighbor access points to improve HetNet spectrum efficiency, mobility performance, and/or overall network capacity. In one aspect, a macro access point can receive cell profile data associated with neighbor access points and modify a power level of reduced-power almost blank subframes (ABS) transmitted by the macro access point to manage macro cell capacity. Further, the macro access point can configure the ABS pattern and transmit the ABS pattern to the neighbor access points. Based on the ABS pattern, the neighbor access points can schedule transmissions to user equipment that are located at (or close to) their cell-edge to reduce inter-cell interference.

Claims

1. A metro cell access point device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining cell profile information representative of a feature associated with the metro cell access point device; and

directing the cell profile information to a macro cell access point device to facilitate selection of a non-zero value for a transmission power to be utilized by the macro cell access point device to transmit user plane data during a subframe of a transmission frame, wherein the subframe comprises a variable-power subframe of the transmission frame that is associated with a variable transmission power, wherein the non-zero value comprises a value that corresponds to the cell profile information stored within table data that has been populated based on operator-defined information received from a network device, and wherein the non-zero value is selected to facilitate an increase in a capacity of the macro cell access point device during the subframe.

2. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the cell profile information comprises antenna data indicative of a configuration of an antenna associated with the metro cell access point device.

3. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the cell profile information comprises location data indicative of a geographical location of the metro cell access point device.

4. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the capacity is a first capacity and wherein the cell profile information comprises capacity data indicative of a second capacity of the metro cell access point device.

5. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the cell profile information comprises access data indicative of access control associated with the metro cell access point device.

6. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the cell profile information to the macro cell access point device via a communication link that employs an access point-to-access point signaling protocol.

7. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the cell profile information to the macro cell access point device via a network device.

8. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of a first coverage area of the metro cell access point device is determined to overlap with a second portion of a second coverage area of the macro cell access point device.

9. The metro cell access point device of claim 1, wherein the metro cell access point device and the macro cell access point device are determined to share a portion of a cell edge.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, by a first access point device comprising a processor, cell profile information representing a characteristic associated with the first access point device; and

facilitating, by the first access point device, a transmission of the cell profile information to a second access point device to facilitate selecting a value for a transmission power employable by the second access point device to transmit user plane data during a subframe of a transmission frame, wherein the subframe is an adaptive-power subframe of the transmission frame that is associated with a variable transmission power, wherein the value is greater than zero and corresponds to the cell profile information stored within table data that has been populated based on operator-defined information received from a network device, and wherein a first coverage area of the first access point device is smaller than a second coverage area of the second access point device, and wherein the value is selected to facilitate an increase in a capacity of the second access point device during the subframe.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises determining cell type data indicative of a type of the first access point device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises determining performance data indicative of a performance of the first access point device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises determining antenna data indicative of a configuration of an antenna associated with the first access point device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises determining classification data indicative of a classification of a geographical location of the first access point device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission power is a first transmission power and the determining comprises determining power data indicative of a second transmission power employed by the first access point device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining comprises determining carrier aggregation data associated with an aggregation of carrier frequencies employed by the first access point device.

17. A machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor of a metro cell access point device to perform operations, comprising:

determining cell profile information representing a characteristic associated with the metro cell access point device; and

facilitating a transmission of the cell profile information to a network device, wherein the cell profile information is linked to a non-zero value for a transmission power that is to be utilized by a macro cell access point device to transmit user plane data during a subframe of a transmission frame, wherein the subframe is a variable-power subframe of the transmission frame that is associated with a variable transmission power that is varied based on a change in the cell profile information, and wherein the non-zero value is selected based on performance data and is selected to facilitate an increase in a capacity of the macro cell access point device during the subframe.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the subframe is a first subframe and the non-zero value is a first value that is less than a second value of the transmission power utilized by the macro cell access point device to transmit the user plane data during a second subframe of the transmission frame, and wherein the second subframe is not associated with the variable transmission power.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the capacity is a first capacity and wherein the cell profile information comprises capacity data indicative of a second capacity of the metro cell access point device.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the cell profile information comprises access data indicative of access control associated with the metro cell access point device.