Methods, systems and devices to improve channel utilization

• US 10,396,838 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Original Assignee: ISCO International LLC
• Inventors: Abdelmonem, Amr
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US15/790,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 370329, 455411
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1036 with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7097 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1045 Adjacent-channel interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1054 by changing bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1072 by tuning the receiver frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70728 Frequency aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0021 in which the algorithm uses adaptive thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/242 by comparing a transmitted test signal with a locally generated replica
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 : Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/243 : using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 : using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 : the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 : Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 : Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 : at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 : in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 : Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 : between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, by a system comprising a processor, interference information associated with one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) from each base station of a plurality of base stations. Further, the method can include determining, by the system, from the interference information a strategy for improving a PRB utilization of a first base station of the plurality of base stations. In addition, the method can include conveying, by the system, the strategy to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a system comprising a processor, interference information associated with one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) from each base station of a plurality of base stations;

determining, by the system, from the interference information a strategy for improving a PRB utilization of a first base station of the plurality of base stations;

determining, by the system, from the interference information that an interference signal is located in a first resource block and there is no signal in a second resource block, wherein the interference signal is generated by a second base station of the plurality of base stations; and

conveying, by the system, the strategy to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations, wherein the strategy comprises instructions to adjust the second base station such that the interference signal is located in the second resource block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting from the interference information that a communication device communicatively coupled to the second base station of the plurality of base stations is a source of interference of at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining further comprises

generating the strategy according to the detecting, wherein the strategy comprises instructions to update a resource block schedule assigned to the communication device to mitigate interference caused to the at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining further comprises

generating the strategy according to the detecting, wherein the strategy comprises instructions to filter interference in the at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises detecting from the interference information that the second base station of the plurality of base stations is a source of interference of at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining further comprises

generating the strategy according to the detecting, wherein the strategy comprises instructions to reconfigure wireless transmission by the second base station to mitigate interference caused to the at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining further comprises

generating the strategy according to the detecting, wherein the strategy comprises instructions to filter interference in the at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining updated interference information from each base station of the plurality of base stations; and

determining from the updated interference information whether the PRB utilization of the first base station of the plurality of base stations has improved.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each base station of the plurality of base stations determines the interference information by obtaining uplink information associated with one or more communication devices in communication with each base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the uplink information is obtained by each base station by monitoring downlink information transported over an optical fiber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the downlink information conforms to a common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each base station of the plurality of base stations determines the interference information from a plurality of Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) measurements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of base stations comprises a small cell base station, a micro cell base station, a pico cell base station, a femto cell base station, an access point, or any combinations thereof, and wherein the system is configured to perform the obtaining, the determining and the conveying steps in relation to at least one of the plurality of base stations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of base stations is configured to use a frequency reuse strategy, and wherein the interference signal is generated at least in part by the frequency reuse strategy.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a macro cell manages the plurality of base stations utilizing the system.

16. The method claim 15, wherein the macro cell is configured for filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and wherein the interference signal is generated at least in part by the filtered OFDM.

17. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

receiving a plurality of interference reports associated with one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) from each base station of a plurality of base stations;

determining an interference mitigation strategy to improve PRB utilization of a first base station of the plurality of base stations;

determining from the plurality of interference reports that an interference signal is located in a first resource block and there is no signal in a second resource block, wherein the interference signal is generated by a second base station of the plurality of base stations; and

transmitting the interference mitigation strategy to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations, wherein the interference mitigation strategy comprises instructions to adjust the second base station such that the interference signal is located in the second resource block.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises detecting from the plurality of interference reports that a communication device communicatively coupled to the second base station of the plurality of base stations is a source of interference of at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises detecting from the plurality of interference reports that the second base station of the plurality of base stations is a source of interference of at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the determining further comprises

generating the interference mitigation strategy according to the detecting, wherein the interference mitigation strategy comprises instructions to reconfigure wireless transmission by the second base station to mitigate interference caused to the at least one PRB of the first base station of the plurality of base stations.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of base stations comprises a small cell base station, a micro cell base station, a pico cell base station, a femto cell base station, an access point, or any combinations thereof, and wherein the processing system is configured to perform the receiving, the determining and the transmitting steps in relation to at least one of the plurality of base stations.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of base stations is configured to use a frequency reuse strategy, and wherein the interference signal is generated at least in part by the frequency reuse strategy.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein a macro cell manages the plurality of base stations utilizing the processing system.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the macro cell is configured for filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and wherein the interference signal is generated at least in part by the filtered OFDM.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

detecting interference associated with one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) from each base station of a plurality of base stations;

identifying a PRB utilization strategy to improve PRB utilization of a first base station of the plurality of base stations;

determining from the interference that an interference signal is located in a first resource block and there is no signal in a second resource block, wherein the interference signal is generated by a second base station of the plurality of base stations; and

transmitting the PRB utilization strategy to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations to mitigate the interference, wherein the PRB utilization strategy comprises instructions to adjust the second base station such that the interference signal is located in the second resource block.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein each base station of the plurality of base stations determines the interference by obtaining uplink information associated with one or more communication devices in communication with each base station.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the uplink information is obtained by each base station by monitoring a downlink information transported over an optical fiber.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the downlink information conforms to a common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the plurality of base stations comprises a small cell base station, a micro cell base station, a pico cell base station, a femto cell base station, an access point, or any combinations thereof, and wherein the processing system is configured to perform the detecting, the identifying and the transmitting steps in relation to at least one of the plurality of base stations.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the plurality of base stations is configured to use a frequency reuse strategy, and wherein the interference is generated at least in part by the frequency reuse strategy.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein a macro cell manages the plurality of base stations utilizing the processing system.

32. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the macro cell is configured for filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and wherein the interference is generated at least in part by the filtered OFDM.