SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE STATION-ASSISTED INTERFERENCE MITIGATION

• US 20130003588A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gage, William Anthony, Novak, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for using a mobile station to mitigate interference between wireless access points. A mobile station communicates interference mitigation data corresponding to a first and second set of radio resources between a first and second wireless access point (AP). The interference mitigation data is processed by the first wireless AP to resolve conflicts in the claiming, and subsequent assignment, of the first and second radio resource assignments to the mobile station.

Claims

1. A system for mitigating interference between a first wireless access point (AP) of a plurality of access points (APs) and at least a second wireless AP of the plurality of APs, comprising:

the first wireless AP operable to transmit a first resource claim, the first resource claim comprising a first set of radio resources claimed for assignment by the first AP;

the second wireless AP operable to transmit a second resource claim, the second resource claim comprising a second set of radio resources claimed for assignment by the second AP; and

a mobile station operable to communicate interference mitigation data to the first wireless AP, the interference mitigation data associated with the first and second resource claims such that interference is mitigated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of radio resources in the first resource claim are resources that are not claimed by the first wireless AP;

or

the second set of radio resources in the second resource claim are resources that are not claimed by the second wireless AP.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile station is operable to communicate interference mitigation data to the first wireless AP, the interference mitigation data comprising the second set of radio resources.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the radio resources of the first set of radio resources is also included in the second set of radio resources, the first and second resource claims respectively and contemporaneously transmitted by the first wireless AP and the second wireless AP; and

the mobile station is operable to process the first and second resource claims and communicate interference mitigation data comprising the second set of radio resources to the first wireless AP.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the radio resources of the first set of radio resources is also included in the second set of radio resources, the first and second resource claims respectively and contemporaneously transmitted by the first wireless AP and the second wireless AP; and

the mobile station is operable to process the first and second resource claims to generate interference mitigation data comprising radio resource assignment conflict data further comprising a set of conflicted resources included in both the first and second sets of radio resources, the interference mitigation data communicated to the first wireless AP by the mobile station.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first wireless AP is operable to relinquish its claim on the set of conflicted resources and assign resources from a third set of radio resources to the mobile station.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the first wireless AP is operable to assign resources from the set of conflicted resources to the mobile station and reduce a transmit power level (TPL) used on the assigned radio resources.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the first wireless AP is operable to defer its use of the set of conflicted resources and assign resources from the set of conflicted resources to the mobile station at a later time.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the first wireless AP is operable to assign resources from the set of conflicted resources to a second mobile station.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile station is operable to process the first and second resource claims to generate interference mitigation data comprising radio resource selection data, the radio resource selection data comprising a set of selected radio resources from the first set of radio resources and a preference value assigned by the mobile station to each resource in the set of selected radio resources;

the first wireless AP is operable to process the interference mitigation data comprising the radio resource selection data to assign radio resources from the set of selected radio resources to the mobile station according to the preference value assigned by the mobile station.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second resource claims respectively comprise a first and second set of radio resources, the first and second set of radio resources respectively claimed by the first and second wireless APs for assignment to individual mobile stations of a plurality of mobile stations respectively served by the first and second wireless APs.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first resource claim comprises a set of radio resources assigned to the mobile station by the first wireless AP.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first resource claim, or the second resource claim, or both individually, each further comprise at least a first transmit power zone (TPZ) resource claim and a second TPZ resource claim wherein the at least first and second TPZ resource claims comprise respectively a first set of resources claimed for use within a first transmit power zone (TPZ) and a second set of resources claimed for use within a second TPZ.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim is transmitted at a first transmit power level (TPL) corresponding to the first TPZ;

the second TPZ resource claim is transmitted at a second TPL corresponding to the second TPZ; and

a first plurality of mobile stations within the first TPZ is operable to receive the first TPZ resource claim and a second plurality of mobile stations within the second TPZ is operable to receive the first and second TPZ resource claims.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim further comprises an identity of the first TPZ;

the second TPZ resource claim further comprises an identity of the second TPZ;

a first set of power reference signals (PRS) is transmitted at a first transmit power level (TPL) corresponding to the first TPZ;

a second set of PRS is transmitted at a second TPL corresponding to the second TPZ;

a first plurality of mobile stations within the first TPZ is operable to receive the first set of PRS and the first and second TPZ resource claims, and a second plurality of mobile stations within the second TPZ is operable to receive the second set of PRS and the first and second TPZ resource claims;

an individual mobile station of the first plurality of mobile stations is operable to identify the first PRS and the associated first TPZ and further operable to match the identity of the first TPZ to the first TPZ resource claim; and

an individual mobile station of the second plurality of mobile stations is operable to identify the second PRS and the associated second TPZ and further operable to match the identity of the second TPZ to the second TPZ resource claim.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim further comprises a first set of pathloss data associated with the first TPZ;

the second TPZ resource claim further comprises a second set of pathloss data associated with the second TPZ;

a set of power reference signals (PRS) is transmitted at a transmit power level (TPL) to a first and second plurality of mobile stations respectively located within the first and second TPZs, the TPL of the PRS known to the first and second pluralities of mobile stations;

an individual mobile station of the first plurality of mobile stations is operable to measure a Signal to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) of the received set of PRS, calculate a pathloss of the PRS, and match the calculated pathloss to the first set of pathloss data in the first TPZ resource claim; and

an individual mobile station of the second plurality of mobile stations is operable to measure the SINR of the received PRS, calculate the pathloss of the PRS, and match the calculated pathloss to the second set of pathloss data in the second TPZ resource claim.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first resource claim, or the second resource claim, or both individually, each comprises one or more Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, wherein power is applied to at least one reference tone in each radio resource block that is being claimed, the at least one reference tone comprising one sub-carrier of one OFDM symbol and the power is applied to the reference tone at the transmit power level for the corresponding transmit power zone; and

the reference tone is transmitted using the same parameters that are used for data transmission during a corresponding transmission opportunity.

18. A method for mitigating interference between a first wireless access point (AP) of a plurality of access points (APs) and at least a second wireless AP of the plurality of APs, comprising:

using a first resource claim transmitted by the first wireless AP, the first resource claim comprising a first set of radio resources claimed for assignment by the first AP;

using a second resource claim transmitted by the second wireless AP, the second resource claim comprising a second set of radio resources claimed for assignment by the second AP; and

using a mobile station comprising a means for communicating interference mitigation data to the first wireless AP, the interference mitigation data associated with the first and second resource claims such that interference is mitigated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first set of radio resources in the first resource claim are resources that are not claimed by the first wireless AP;

or

the second set of radio resources in the second resource claim are resources that are not claimed by the second wireless AP.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile station communicates interference mitigation data to the first wireless AP, the interference mitigation data comprising the second set of radio resources.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

at least one of the radio resources of the first set of radio resources is also included in the second set of radio resources, the first and second resource claims respectively and contemporaneously transmitted by the first wireless AP and the second wireless AP; and

the mobile station processes the first and second resource claims and communicates interference mitigation data comprising the second set of radio resources to the first wireless AP.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein:

at least one of the radio resources of the first set of radio resources is also included in the second set of radio resources, the first and second resource claims respectively and contemporaneously transmitted by the first wireless AP and the second wireless AP; and

the mobile station processes the first and second resource claims to generate interference mitigation data comprising radio resource assignment conflict data further comprising a set of conflicted resources included in both the first and second sets of radio resources, the interference mitigation data communicated to the first wireless AP by the mobile station.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first wireless AP relinquishes its claim on the set of conflicted resources and assigns resources from a third set of radio resources to the mobile station.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first wireless AP assigns resources from the set of conflicted resources to the mobile station and reduces a transmit power level (TPL) used on the assigned radio resources.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first wireless AP defers its use of the set of conflicted resources and assigns resources from the set of conflicted resources to the mobile station at a later time.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first wireless AP assigns resources from the set of conflicted resources to a second mobile station.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the mobile station processes the first and second resource claims to generate interference mitigation data comprising radio resource selection data, the radio resource selection data comprising a set of selected radio resources from the first set of radio resources and a preference value assigned by the mobile station to each resource in the set of selected radio resources;

the first wireless AP processes the interference mitigation data comprising the radio resource selection data to assign radio resources from the set of selected radio resources to the mobile station according to the preference value assigned by the mobile station.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second resource claims respectively comprise a first and second set of radio resources, the first and second set of radio resources respectively claimed by the first and second wireless APs for assignment to individual mobile stations of a plurality of mobile stations respectively served by the first and second wireless APs.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the first resource claim comprises a set of radio resources assigned to the mobile station by the first wireless AP.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first resource claim, or the second resource claim, or both individually, each further comprise at least a first transmit power zone (TPZ) resource claim and a second TPZ resource claim wherein the at least first and second TPZ resource claims comprise respectively a first set of resources claimed for use within a first transmit power zone (TPZ) and a second set of resources claimed for use within a second TPZ.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim is transmitted at a first transmit power level (TPL) corresponding to the first transmit power zone (TPZ);

the second TPZ resource claim is transmitted at a second TPL corresponding to the second TPZ; and

a first plurality of mobile stations within the first TPZ is operable to receive the first TPZ resource claim and a second plurality of mobile stations within the second TPZ is operable to receive the first and second TPZ resource claims.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim further comprises an identity of the first transmit power zone (TPZ);

the second TPZ resource claim further comprises an identity of the second TPZ;

a first set of power reference signals (PRS) is transmitted at a first transmit power level (TPL) corresponding to the first TPZ;

a second set of PRS is transmitted at a second TPL corresponding to the second TPZ;

a first plurality of mobile stations within the first TPZ is operable to receive the first set of PRS and the first and second TPZ resource claims, and a second plurality of mobile stations within the second TPZ is operable to receive the second set of PRS and the first and second TPZ resource claims;

an individual mobile station of the first plurality of mobile stations is operable to identify the first PRS and the associated first TPZ and further operable to match the identity of the first TPZ to the first TPZ resource claim; and

an individual mobile station of the second plurality of mobile stations is operable to identify the second PRS and the associated second TPZ and further operable to match the identity of the second TPZ to the second TPZ resource claim.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the first TPZ resource claim further comprises a first set of pathloss data associated with the first TPZ;

the second TPZ resource claim further comprises a second set of pathloss data associated with the second TPZ;

a set of power reference signals (PRS) is transmitted at a transmit power level (TPL) to a first and second plurality of mobile stations respectively located within the first and second TPZs, the TPL of the PRS known to the first and second pluralities of mobile stations;

an individual mobile station of the first plurality of mobile stations is operable to measure a Signal to Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) of the received set of PRS, calculate a pathloss of the PRS, and match the calculated pathloss to the first set of pathloss data in the first TPZ resource claim; and

an individual mobile station of the second plurality of mobile stations is operable to measure the SINR of the received PRS, calculate the pathloss of the PRS, and match the calculated pathloss to the second set of pathloss data in the second TPZ resource claim.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first resource claim, or the second resource claim, or both individually, each comprises one or more Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, wherein power is applied to at least one reference tone in each radio resource block that is being claimed, the at least one reference tone comprising one sub-carrier of one OFDM symbol and the power is applied to the reference tone at the transmit power level for the corresponding transmit power zone; and

the reference tone is transmitted using the same parameters that are used for data transmission during a corresponding transmission opportunity.