MOBILITY-BASED FRACTIONAL FREQUENCY REUSE

• US 20150080003A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: SADEK, Ahmed Kamel, PRAKASH, Rajat
• Granted Patent: US 9,717,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

Fractional frequency reuse (FFR) is defined based on a mobility condition of an access terminal. For example, upon determining that an access terminal is moving (or at a cell edge, or experiencing poor link conditions, etc., due to mobility), FFR may be defined for the serving access point of the access terminal and/or for neighbor access points to maintain acceptable link quality for the access terminal. In particular, FFR may be defined in a manner that frees-up or otherwise reserves resources for the access terminal. For example, the serving access point may allocate additional sub-bands for the access terminal and/or increase the power levels used on the sub-bands allocated for the access terminal. In addition, neighbor access points may back-off these sub-bands.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a processing system configured to determine at least one mobility condition of an access terminal, and further configured to define fractional frequency reuse for at least one access point based on the determined at least one mobility condition; and

a communication device configured to send an indication of the defined fractional frequency reuse.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is moving.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the access terminal is moving in a manner that meets or exceeds a movement threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises identifying fractional frequency reuse that will result in reduced interference at the access terminal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is near a cell edge.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if a distance of the access terminal to the cell edge is at or within a distance threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if signal strength of a signal from the at least one access point, as measured by the access terminal, is at or within a signal strength threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining quality of a link associated with the access terminal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the quality of the link is less than or equal to a quality threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the processing system is further configured to determine at least one other mobility condition of another access terminal, and further configured to define other fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point based on the determined at least one other mobility condition; and

the communication device is further configured to send another indication of the defined other fractional frequency reuse.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a velocity of the access terminal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a direction of movement of the access terminal.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a frequency of handover of the access terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points; and

the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is ping-ponging between at least two of the plurality of access points.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the access terminal embodies the apparatus; and

the sending of the indication comprises the access terminal transmitting a fractional frequency reuse parameter to the at least one access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a serving access point for the access terminal and at least one other access point;

the serving access point embodies the apparatus; and

the sending of the indication comprises the serving access point transmitting a fractional frequency reuse parameter to at least one other access point.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a serving access point for the access terminal and at least one other access point; and

the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises negotiating between the serving access point and the at least one other access point to select fractional frequency reuse parameters for the serving access point and the at least one other access point.

18. A method of communication, comprising:

determining at least one mobility condition of an access terminal;

defining fractional frequency reuse for at least one access point based on the determined at least one mobility condition; and

sending an indication of the defined fractional frequency reuse.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is moving.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the access terminal is moving in a manner that meets or exceeds a movement threshold.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises identifying fractional frequency reuse that will result in reduced interference at the access terminal.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is near a cell edge.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if a distance of the access terminal to the cell edge is at or within a distance threshold.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if signal strength of a signal from the at least one access point, as measured by the access terminal, is at or within a signal strength threshold.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining quality of a link associated with the access terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the quality of the link is less than or equal to a quality threshold.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining at least one other mobility condition of another access terminal;

defining other fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point based on the determined at least one other mobility condition; and

sending another indication of the defined other fractional frequency reuse.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a velocity of the access terminal.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a direction of movement of the access terminal.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining a frequency of handover of the access terminal.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a plurality of access points; and

the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is ping-ponging between at least two of the plurality of access points.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the method is performed by the access terminal; and

the sending of the indication comprises the access terminal transmitting a fractional frequency reuse parameter to the at least one access point.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a serving access point for the access terminal and at least one other access point;

the method is performed by the serving access point; and

the sending of the indication comprises the serving access point transmitting a fractional frequency reuse parameter to at least one other access point.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one access point comprises a serving access point for the access terminal and at least one other access point; and

the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises negotiating between the serving access point and the at least one other access point to select fractional frequency reuse parameters for the serving access point and the at least one other access point.

35. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for determining at least one mobility condition of an access terminal;

means for defining fractional frequency reuse for at least one access point based on the determined at least one mobility condition; and

means for sending an indication of the defined fractional frequency reuse.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is moving.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the access terminal is moving in a manner that meets or exceeds a movement threshold.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises identifying fractional frequency reuse that will result in reduced interference at the access terminal.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is near a cell edge.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if a distance of the access terminal to the cell edge is at or within a distance threshold.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining quality of a link associated with the access terminal.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the quality of the link is less than or equal to a quality threshold.

43. A computer-program product, comprising:

computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

determine at least one mobility condition of an access terminal;

define fractional frequency reuse for at least one access point based on the determined at least one mobility condition; and

send an indication of the defined fractional frequency reuse.

44. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is moving.

45. The computer-program product of claim 44, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the access terminal is moving in a manner that meets or exceeds a movement threshold.

46. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises identifying fractional frequency reuse that will result in reduced interference at the access terminal.

47. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining whether the access terminal is near a cell edge.

48. The computer-program product of claim 47, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if a distance of the access terminal to the cell edge is at or within a distance threshold.

49. The computer-program product of claim 43, wherein the determination of the at least one mobility condition comprises determining quality of a link associated with the access terminal.

50. The computer-program product of claim 49, wherein the definition of the fractional frequency reuse comprises invoking or modifying fractional frequency reuse for the at least one access point if the quality of the link is less than or equal to a quality threshold.