INTERFERENCE MITIGATION FOR CONTROL CHANNELS IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20130265968A1
• Filed: 06/03/2013
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Palanki, Ravi, Bhushan, Naga, Agrawal, Avneesh, Khandekar, Aamod
• Granted Patent: US 9,648,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques for mitigating interference on control channels in a wireless communication network are described. In an aspect, high interference on radio resources used for a control channel may be mitigated by sending a request to reduce interference to one or more interfering stations. Each interfering station may reduce its transmit power on the radio resources, which may then allow the control channel to observe less interference. In one design, a user equipment (UE) may detect high interference on radio resources used for a control channel by a desired base station. The UE may send a request to reduce interference on the radio resources to an interfering base station, which may reduce its transmit power on the radio resources. The UE may receive the control channel on the radio resources from the desired base station and may observe less interference from the interfering base station.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at an interfering user equipment (UE), a request to reduce interference on uplink radio resources used by a base station; and

reducing transmit power of the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources to reduce interference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request to reduce interference on uplink radio resources used for an uplink control channel by the base station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is received from another UE attempting to communicate with the base station via the uplink control channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reducing transmit power comprises

determining pathloss from the other UE to the interfering UE based on a transmit power level and a received power level of the request, and

determining transmit power of the interfering UE for the uplink radio resources based on the pathloss and a target interference level for the uplink radio resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing transmit power comprises reducing transmit power of the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources to a lower level or zero.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing transmit power comprises steering a transmission from the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources away from the base station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing transmit power comprises reducing the transmit power of the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources for a predetermined duration, a duration indicated by the request, or a duration determined based on at least one parameter for the request.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the uplink radio resources used by the base station based on a hopping pattern and an identity of the base station.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interfering UE is not served by the base station, and the other UE is served by the base station.

15. A computer program product that when executed perform the steps of method claims 1-9.

10. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, at an interfering user equipment (UE), a request to reduce interference on uplink radio resources used by a base station; and

means for reducing transmit power of the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources to reduce interference.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the request is a request to reduce interference on uplink radio resources used for an uplink control channel by the base station.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the request is received from another UE attempting to communicate with the base station via the uplink control channel.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the means for reducing transmit power comprises

means for determining pathloss from the other UE to the interfering UE based on a transmit power level and a received power level of the request, and

means for determining transmit power of the interfering UE for the uplink radio resources based on the pathloss and a target interference level for the uplink radio resources.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for reducing transmit power comprises one or more of:

a means for reducing transmit power of the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources to a lower level or zero;

or a means for steering a transmission from the interfering UE on the uplink radio resources away from the base station.