METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE CONFIGURATION MODE OF SPECIAL SUBFRAME AND THE USAGE MODE OF TIME-DOMAIN RESOURCE

• US 20110292846A1
• Filed: 02/01/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Company Limited (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: China Academy of Telecom Technology (China Information Communication Technology Group Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fang, Jiayi, Qin, Fei, Ding, Yu, Xiao, Guojun, Wang, Ying, Hu, Haijing
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for determining the configuration mode of special subframe of a cell are provided, and the method includes: receiving notification messages sent from adjacent cells, and the notification messages containing the information indicating the configuration modes of special subframes of the adjacent cells; determining the configuration modes of special subframes of the adjacent cells in accordance with the notification messages; among the possible configuration modes of special subframes of the current cell, selecting preferably a configuration mode of special subframe, which meets the interference requirement of the current cell and has less interference with the adjacent cells, as the current configuration mode of special subframe. The embodiments of the present invention also provide a method and an apparatus for determining the usage mode of the time-domain resource of a cell.

Claims

1. A method for determining a configuration of special subframe in a cell, characterized in comprising:

receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell, which contains information for indicating a configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell;

determining the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell according to the notification information; and

selecting the configuration of special subframe in the cell according to the notification information previously received from the neighbor cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell comprises:

receiving the notification information which is sent by the neighbor cell when the neighbor cell is initially established or when the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell is changed.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of selecting the configuration of special subframe in the cell according to the notification information previously received from the neighbor cell comprises selecting a configuration which causes less interference to the neighbor cell as the configuration of special subframe in the cell, and the selected configuration is a configuration in which a length of guard period GP is greater than or equal to a length of GP in the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell and a level of interference caused by a transmission in Downlink Pilot Time Slot DwPTS of the neighbor cell to a transmission in Uplink Pilot Time Slot UpPTS of the cell is less than a predetermined threshold.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the step of selecting the configuration of special subframe in the cell in accordance with the notification information comprises selecting a configuration of special subframe which causes less interference to the neighbor cell as the configuration of special subframe in the cell, and the selected configuration, and the selected configuration comprises:

a configuration in which DwPTS does not correspond to GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell;

or

a configuration in which the DwPTS corresponds to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell and a length of the DwPTS is shorter.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in further comprising:

if GP or UpPTS in the configuration of subframe in the cell corresponds to DwPTS of the neighbor cell, measuring a level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the configuration of special subframe in the cell; and

if the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the configuration of subframe in the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold, setting the UpPTS in the configuration of subframe in the cell to be a disabled time slot.

3. (canceled)

7. A method for determining a usage of time-domain resource in a cell, characterized in comprising:

receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell, which contains information for indicating a configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell;

determining the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell according to the notification information;

setting usage priorities of respective special time slots in a special subframe of the cell according to the notification information.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the step of receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell comprises:

receiving the notification information which is sent by the neighbor cell when the neighbor cell is initially established or when the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell is changed.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the step of setting usage priorities of respective special time slots in the special subframe of the cell according to the notification information comprises:

if DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a lower usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell;

if the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell does not correspond to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a higher usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell; and

if the GP or UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to the DwPTS of the neighbor cell or a length of the GP in the special subframe of the cell is greater than or equal to a length of the GP of the neighbor cell, measuring a level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell; and

if the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell is greater than a determined threshold, setting the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell to be a disabled time slot.

11. The method according to claim 7, characterized in further comprising:

if a level of interference with the neighbor cell caused by the configuration of special subframe in the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold or a level of interference caused by the neighbor cell to the configuration of special subframe in the cell is greater than the predetermined threshold, selecting, from predetermined possible configurations, the configuration which satisfies a requirement that a downlink transmission of the cell has less interference with an uplink transmission and causes less interference to the neighbor cell, as the configuration of special subframe.

9. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for determining a configuration of special subframe in a cell, characterized in comprising:

a first information receiving unit for receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell, the notification information containing information for indicating a configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell;

a first determination unit for determining the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell according to the notification information; and

a first selection unit for selecting the configuration of special subframe in the cell in accordance with the notification information previously received from the neighbor cell.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the notification information is sent when the neighbor cell is initially established or when the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell is changed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the first selection unit is adapted to select the configuration of special subframe which causes less interference to the neighbor cell as the configuration of special subframe in the cell, and the selected configuration comprises:

a configuration in which a length of guard period GP is greater than or equal to a length of GP in the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell and a level of interference caused by a transmission in Downlink Pilot Time Slot DwPTS of the neighbor cell to a transmission in Uplink Pilot Time Slot UpPTS of the cell is less than a predetermined threshold;

or a configuration in which the DwPTS does not correspond to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell;

or a configuration in which the DwPTS corresponds to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell and the length of the DwPTS is shorter.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in further comprising:

a first priority setting unit for measuring a level of interference suffered by UpPTS in the configuration of special subframe in the cell when GP or UpPTS in a special subframe of the cell corresponds to DwPTS of the neighbor cell, and for setting an usage priority of the UpPTS according to the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the configuration of special subframe in the cell.

14. (canceled)

17. An apparatus for determining a usage of time-domain resource, characterized in comprising:

a second information receiving unit for receiving notification information sent from a neighbor cell, the notification information containing information for indicating a configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell;

a second determination unit for determining the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell according to the notification information; and

a second priority setting unit for setting usage priorities of respective special time slots in a special subframe of the cell according to the notification information.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the notification information is sent when the neighbor cell is initially established or when the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell is changed.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in further comprising:

a second selection unit for selecting, when a level of interference caused by the configuration of special subframe in the cell to the neighbor cell or a level of interference caused by the neighbor cell to the configuration of special subframe in the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold, a configuration moe which satisfies a requirement that a downlink transmission of the cell has less interference with an uplink transmission and causes less interference to the neighbor cell, from predetermined possible configurations, as the configuration of special subframe.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the second priority setting unit comprises:

a comparison unit for comparing the configuration of special subframe in the cell with the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell; and

a setting unit for acquiring a comparison result from the comparing unit, and if the comparison result shows that DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a lower usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell;

or if the comparison result shows that the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell does not correspond to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a higher usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell; and

if the comparison result shows that the GP or UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to the DwPTS of the neighbor cell, or a length of GP in the special subframe of the cell is greater than or equal to a length of GP of the neighbor cell, measuring a level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell, and setting the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell to be a disabled time slot when the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, characterized in that the second priority setting unit comprises:

a comparison unit for comparing the configuration of special subframe in the cell with the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell; and

a setting unit for acquiring a comparison result from the comparing unit, and if the comparison result shows that DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a lower usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell;

or if the comparison result shows that the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell does not correspond to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a higher usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell; and

if the comparison result shows that the GP or UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to the DwPTS of the neighbor cell, or a length of GP in the special subframe of the cell is greater than or equal to a length of GP of the neighbor cell, measuring a level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell, and setting the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell to be a disabled time slot when the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, characterized in that the second priority setting unit comprises:

a comparison unit for comparing the configuration of special subframe in the cell with the configuration of special subframe in the neighbor cell; and

a setting unit for acquiring a comparison result from the comparing unit, and if the comparison result shows that DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a lower usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell;

or if the comparison result shows that the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell does not correspond to the GP or UpPTS of the neighbor cell, setting a higher usage priority for the DwPTS in the special subframe of the cell; and

if the comparison result shows that the GP or UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell corresponds to the DwPTS of the neighbor cell, or a length of GP in the special subframe of the cell is greater than or equal to a length of GP of the neighbor cell, measuring a level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell, and setting the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell to be a disabled time slot when the level of interference suffered by the UpPTS in the special subframe of the cell is greater than a predetermined threshold.

19. (canceled)