METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING INTER-CELL INTERFERENCE IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120184206A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Hak Seong, Seo, Han Byul, Lee, Dae Won, Kim, Ki Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system. The method for reducing inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a step in which a first terminal receives, from a first cell, scheduling information for the transmission of a first signal to a second cell; and a step in which the first terminal transmits the first signal to the second cell on the basis of the scheduling information. The scheduling information is provided by the first cell in the event an uplink or downlink transmission of the first cell is interfered with by an uplink or downlink transmission of the second cell. The first signal indicates a request for reducing the transmitting power of the second cell or of the second terminal served by the second cell.

Claims

1. A method for reducing intercell interference in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first user equipment from a first cell, scheduling information for transmission of a first signal to a second cell; and

transmitting, at the first user equipment, the first signal to the second cell based on the scheduling information,

wherein the scheduling information is provided by the first cell when uplink or downlink transmission of the first cell is interfered by uplink or downlink transmission of the second cell, and

wherein the first signal indicates a request to reduce transmission power of the second cell or a second user equipment served by the second cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring, at the first user equipment, a strength of downlink signal transmission from the first cell and intensity strength of downlink signal transmission from the second cell; and

reporting, at the first user equipment, a result of the measurement to the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first cell measures a strength of uplink signal transmission from the first user equipment and a strength of uplink signal transmission from a user equipment served by the second cell.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmission of the first signal from the first user equipment to the second cell is performed while communication between the first user equipment and the first cell is maintained.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scheduling information includes a grant for at least one candidate of a time and frequency resource region for transmitting the first signal, and

wherein the at least one candidate of the time and frequency resource region for transmitting the first signal is predetermined and shared between the first and second cells.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first signal is transmitted at timing aligned to the first cell or at timing aligned to the second cell.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first signal includes at least one of a preamble having a predetermined length, a guard period or an identifier of the second cell.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first signal includes at least one of information on resource re-allocation of the second cell or information on carrier switching of the second cell.

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. A method for reducing intercell interference in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining, at a first cell, whether or not uplink or downlink transmission of the first cell is interfered by uplink or downlink transmission of a second cell; and

transmitting, from the first cell to the first user equipment, scheduling information for transmission of a first signal from a first user equipment to the second cell when determining the interference has occurred,

wherein the first signal is transmitted from the first user equipment to the second cell based on the scheduling information, and

wherein the first signal indicates a request to reduce transmission power of the second cell or a second user equipment served by the second cell.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the first user equipment, a report of a result of measurement of a strength of downlink signal transmission from the first cell and a strength of downlink signal transmission from the second cell.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

measuring, at the first cell, a strength of uplink signal transmission from the first user equipment and a strength of uplink signal transmission from a user equipment served by the second cell.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein transmission of the first signal from the first user equipment to the second cell is performed while communication between the first user equipment and the first cell is maintained.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the scheduling information includes a grant for at least one candidate of a time and frequency resource region for transmitting the first signal, and

wherein the at least one candidate of the time and frequency resource region for transmitting the first signal is predetermined and shared between the first and second cells.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first signal is transmitted at timing aligned to the first cell or at timing aligned to the second cell.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first signal includes a preamble having a predetermined length, a guard period or an identifier of the second cell.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first signal includes at least one of information on resource re-allocation of the second cell or information on carrier switching of the second cell.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

21. A user equipment that supports intercell interference reduction in a wireless communication system, the user equipment comprising:

a reception module for receiving a downlink signal from a first base station;

a transmission module for transmitting an uplink signal to the first base station; and

a processor for controlling the user equipment including the reception module and the transmission module,

wherein the processor is configured to receive scheduling information for transmission of a first signal to a second base station from the first base station through the reception module and to transmit the first signal to the second base station based on the scheduling information through the transmission module, and

wherein the scheduling information is provided by the first base station when uplink or downlink transmission of the first base station is interfered by uplink or downlink transmission of the second base station, and

wherein the first signal indicates a request to reduce transmission power of the second base station or a user equipment served by the second base station.

22. A base station that supports intercell interference reduction in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising:

a reception module for receiving a downlink signal from a first base station;

a transmission module for transmitting an uplink signal to the first base station; and

a processor for controlling the base station including the reception module and the transmission module,

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether or not uplink or downlink transmission of the base station is interfered by uplink or downlink transmission of other base station, and to transmit, from the base station to the first user equipment, scheduling information for transmission of a first signal from a first user equipment to the other base station through the transmission module when determining the interference has occurred, and

wherein the first signal is transmitted from the first user equipment to the different base station based on the scheduling information, and

wherein the first signal indicates a request to reduce transmission power of the different base station or a second user equipment served by the different base station.