SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OVER THE AIR LOAD INDICATOR FOR WIRELESS SCHEDULING

• US 20110222416A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Vajapeyam, Madhavan Srinivasan
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating inter-cell interference coordination using load indication are described. A UE may receive load indicator signals from a plurality of base stations in adjacent cells and determine, based at least in part on the load indicator signals, a transmit power metric. The transmit power metric may be provided to a serving base station, which may allocate uplink resources based on the transmit power metric. Additional information related to receiver sensitivity and/or path loss may be used to determine the transmit power metric.

Claims

1. A method for providing inter-cell interference coordination, comprising:

receiving one or more load indicator signals from a corresponding one or more network nodes operating in one or more adjacent cells;

determining a transmit power metric based at least in part on the one or more load indicator signals; and

sending the transmit power metric to a serving network node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a transmit power metric includes generating a maximum power per resource block metric.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the maximum power per resource block metric is based on a subband metric generated for each of one or more configured subbands.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a receiver sensitivity data, wherein the transmit power metric is further based in part on the receiver sensitivity data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmit power metric is further based in part on a path loss value associated with one or more of the corresponding network nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending includes sending the transmit power metric in a protocol data unit (PDU) format corresponding to a configured number of subbands.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a transmit power metric includes determining ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, and the transmit power metric is based on one or more of the maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a transmit power metric includes determining ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, and the transmit power metric is based on a minimum of the plurality of maximum power metrics.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving network node and the one or more network nodes operating in adjacent cells are eNBs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining is performed during a single subframe.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending is performed once per subframe or once per an integer multiple of subframes.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a specific uplink channel assignment, wherein the transmit power metric is sent on the received uplink channel assignment.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes for causing a computer to:

receive one or more load indicator signals from a corresponding one or more network nodes operating in one or more adjacent cells;

determine a transmit power metric based at least in part on the one or more load indicator signals; and

send the transmit power metric to a serving network node.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the codes for determining a transmit power metric include codes for causing the computer to generate a maximum power per resource block metric.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the codes further include codes for causing the computer to receive sensitivity data, wherein the transmit power metric is further based in part on the receiver sensitivity data.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the codes further include codes for causing the computer to generate the transmit power metric at least in part based on a path loss value associated with one or more of the corresponding network nodes.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the codes for determining a transmit power metric include codes for causing the computer to determine ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, wherein the transmit power metric is based on one or more of the maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the codes for determining a transmit power metric include codes for causing the computer to determine ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, wherein the transmit power metric is based on a minimum of the plurality of maximum power metrics.

19. A communications device, comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive one or more load indicator signals from a corresponding one or more network nodes operating in one or more adjacent cells;

a processor module configured to determine a transmit power metric based at least in part on the one or more load indicator signals; and

a transmitter module configured to send the transmit power metric to a serving network node.

20. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the processor module is configured to determine a transmit power metric by generating a maximum power per resource block metric.

21. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the processor module is further configured to generate the transmit power metric based in part on receiver sensitivity data.

22. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the processor module is further configured to generate the transmit power metric based on a path loss value associated with one or more of the corresponding network nodes.

23. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the processor module is further configured to determine ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, wherein the transmit power metric is based on one or more of the maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals.

24. The communications device of claim 19, wherein the processor module is further configured to determine ones of a plurality of maximum power metrics for each of the plurality of load indicator signals, wherein the transmit power metric is based on a minimum of the plurality of maximum power metrics.

25. A communications device, comprising:

means for receive one or more load indicator signals from a corresponding one or more network nodes operating in one or more adjacent cells;

means for determining a transmit power metric based at least in part on the one or more load indicator signals; and

means for sending the transmit power metric to a serving network node.

26. A method for providing load indication, comprising:

receiving a transmit power metric from a served UE; and

generating, based at least in part on the transmit power metric, an uplink scheduling assignment for the served UE.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmit power metric comprises a maximum power per resource block metric.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmit power metric is received once per subframe or once per an integer multiple of subframes.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing uplink allocation for sending the transmit power metric; and

receiving the transmit power metric consistent with the allocation.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising sending the uplink scheduling assignment to the served UE.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes for causing a computer to:

receive a transmit power metric from a served user equipment (UE); and

generate, based at least in part on the transmit power metric, an uplink scheduling assignment for the served UE.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the transmit power metric comprises a maximum power per resource block metric.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the transmit power metric is received once per subframe or once per an integer multiple of subframes.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the codes further include codes for causing the computer to:

provide an uplink allocation for sending the transmit power metric; and

receive the transmit power metric consistent with the allocation.

35. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the codes further include codes for causing the computer to send the uplink scheduling assignment to the served UE.

36. A communications device, comprising:

a receiver module configured to receive a transmit power metric from a served UE; and

a processor module configured to generate, based at least in part on the transmit power metric, an uplink scheduling assignment for the served UE.

37. The communications device of claim 36, wherein the transmit power metric comprises a maximum power per resource block metric.

38. The communications device of claim 36, wherein the transmit power metric is received once per subframe or once per an integer multiple of subframes.

39. The communications device of claim 36, wherein the processor module is further configured to provide an uplink allocation for sending the transmit power metric;

and

the receiver module is further configured to receive the transmit power metric consistent with the allocation.

40. The communications device of claim 36, further comprising a transmitter module configured to send the uplink scheduling assignment to the served UE.

41. A communications device, comprising:

means for receiving a transmit power metric from a served UE; and

means for generating, based at least in part on the transmit power metric, an uplink scheduling assignment for the served UE.