IN A RADIO NETWORK ENVIRONMENT, REDUCING INTERFERENCE AMONG OVERLAPPING CELLS
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for a femtocell to reduce interference with an overlapping macrocell. The femtocell determines soft-frequency-reuse (“SFR”) information of the macrocell. From that information, the femtocell determines which frequency sub-channels are assigned by the macrocell for its cell-center users and which frequency sub-channels are assigned for cell-edge users. (Cell-edge users are given a higher transmission power profile in order to overcome potential interference with neighboring macrocells.) Then, the femtocell selects from the cell-center user frequency sub-channels for transmission to the femtocell'"'"'s users. By transmitting on the cell-center user frequency sub-channels, the femtocell reduces interference with the overlapping macrocell. The femtocell continues to update its knowledge of the macrocell'"'"'s SFR information and re-assigns frequency sub-channels as the SFR changes. If the macrocell detects that one of its cell-center users is “close enough” to the femtocell, then the macrocell re-assigns the cell-center user as a cell-edge user to overcome interference.
12 Citations
20 Claims
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1-13. -13. (canceled)
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14. A method for a macrocell to reduce signal interference with a femtocell that overlaps the macrocell, the method comprising:
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assigning, by the macrocell, a first set of frequency sub-channels to be used by cell-center users of the macrocell; assigning, by the macrocell, a second set of frequency sub-channels to be used by cell-edge users of the macrocell; detecting, by the macrocell, that a cell-center user of the macrocell is close enough to the femtocell; and assigning, by the macrocell, higher schedule priority for the cell-center user of the macrocell that is close enough to the femtocell to a subset of the first set of frequency sub-channels than to frequency sub-channels in the first set but not in the subset. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. A controller for controlling a macrocell, the controller comprising:
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a transceiver; and a processor operatively connected to the transceiver and configured for assigning a first set of frequency sub-channels to be used by cell-center users of the macrocell, for assigning a second set of frequency sub-channels to be used by cell-edge users of the macrocell, for detecting that a cell-center user of the macrocell is close enough to the femtocell, and for assigning higher schedule priority for the cell-center user of the macrocell that is close enough to the femtocell to a subset of the first set of frequency sub-channels than to frequency sub-channels in the first set but not in the subset. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification