Techniques for mitigating interference associated with downlink transmissions from a base station

• US 8,862,176 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sirotkin, Alexander, Davydov, Alexei
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, NHAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/531,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20130115999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/450, 455/517, 455/522, 455/524, 455/525, 455/550.1, 455/552.1, 455/561, 455/63.1, 370/328
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for causing one or more subframes to be transmitted from a base station for a wireless network based on beamforming or transmission power characteristics. In some examples, an interference report may be received at a base station via a backhaul communication link. The interference report may indicate measured interference from the base station as measured at one or more wireless devices. The base station may transmit subsequent subframes in a manner to mitigate the previously reported interference. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a first base station for a wireless network, an interference report from a second base station for the wireless network via a backhaul communication link, the interference report including information based on measured interference at one or more wireless devices coupled to the second base station, the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station;

determining at least one of a beamforming characteristic or a transmission power setting characteristic for one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based, at least in part, on the interference information included in the received interference report; and

causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the beamforming characteristic or the transmission power setting characteristic.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the determined beamforming characteristic including a per physical resource block (PRB) precoding matrix indicator (PMI) settings for the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station comprises coordinating one or more beamforming actions between the first base station and the second base station in order to reduce or mitigate the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the determined transmission power setting characteristics including a physical resource block (PRB) power setting for the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising forwarding the determined beamforming characteristic or the determined transmission power setting characteristic to the second base station via the backhaul communication link to coordinate transmission of the one or more subframes from the first base station with the second base station to mitigate downlink transmission interference associated with the first base station.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, the second base station arranged to relay the determined beamforming characteristic or the determined transmission power setting characteristic to the one or more wireless devices and the one or more wireless devices arranged to determine a channel quality indicator based on the determined beamforming characteristic or the determined transmission power setting characteristic and indicate the determined channel quality indicator to the second base station.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

periodically receiving subsequent interference reports from the second base station via the backhaul communication link;

determining at least one of an updated beamforming characteristic or an updated transmission power setting characteristic; and

causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the updated beamforming characteristic or the updated transmission power setting characteristic.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the first and the second base stations separately serving first and second macrocells, respectively, and the one or more wireless devices being coupled to the second base station through a third base station serving one of a picocell or microcell for the one or more wireless devices.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the first base station serving a macrocell and the second base station serving one of a picocell or microcell, the one or more wireless devices physically located within the service area of both the first and the second base stations.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising the first and the second base stations being operated in compliance with one or more 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A).

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising the first and the second base stations being operate as Evolved Node Bs (eNBs).

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, comprising the backhaul communication link coupling the eNBs included in the coordinating set of eNBs being an X2 communication channel.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, comprising determining the transmission power setting characteristics includes using the interference information in an inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) scheme between the first base station and the second base station.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, comprising determining the at least one beamforming characteristic or transmission power setting characteristic includes using the interference information in an enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) scheme between the first base station and the second base station.

15. An apparatus for a first base station of a wireless network comprising:

a processor circuit;

a report component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to receive an interference report from a second base station of the wireless network via a backhaul communication link, the interference report including information based on measured interference at one or more wireless devices coupled to the second base station, the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station;

a characteristic component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to determine at least one of a beamforming characteristic or a transmission power setting characteristic for one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based, at least in part, on the interference information included in the received interference report; and

a transmit component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to cause the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the beamforming characteristic or the transmission power setting characteristic.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the determined beamforming characteristic including a per physical resource block (PRB) precoding matrix indicator (PMI) settings for the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the transmit component to cause the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station comprises the transmit component also arranged to coordinate one or more beamforming actions between the first base station and the second base station in order to reduce or mitigate the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the determined transmission power setting characteristics including a physical resource block (PRB) power setting for the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a forwarding component coupled to the processor circuit to forward the determined beamforming characteristic or the determined transmission power setting characteristic to the second base station via the backhaul communication link in order for the transmit component to coordinate transmission of the one or more subframes from the first base station with the second base station to mitigate downlink transmission interference associated with the first base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising:

the report component to also be arranged to periodically receive subsequent interference reports from the second base station via the backhaul communication link;

the characteristic component to also be arranged to determine at least one of an updated beamforming characteristic or an updated transmission power setting characteristic; and

the transmit component to also be arranged to cause the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the updated beamforming characteristic or the updated transmission power setting characteristic.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the first and the second base stations separately serving first and second macrocells, respectively, and the one or more wireless devices are coupled to the second base station through a third base station serving one of a picocell or microcell for the one or more wireless devices.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the first and the second base stations arranged to operate as an Evolved Node B (eNB) in compliance with one or more 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A).

23. The apparatus of claim 22, comprising an X2 interface coupled to the processor circuit to enable the report component to receive the interference report.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, comprising the characteristic component also arranged to determine the transmission power setting characteristics based on using the interference information in an inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) scheme between the first base station and the second base station.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, comprising the characteristic component also arranged to determine the at least one beamforming characteristic or transmission power setting characteristic based on an enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) scheme between the first base station and the second base station.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a digital display coupled to the processor circuit to present a user interface view.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, at a first base station for a wireless network, an interference report from a second base station for the wireless network via a backhaul communication link, the interference report including information based on measured interference at one or more wireless devices coupled to the second base station, the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station;

means for determining at least one of a beamforming characteristic or a transmission power setting characteristic for one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based, at least in part, on the interference information included in the received interference report; and

means for causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the beamforming characteristic or the transmission power setting characteristic.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising the determined beamforming characteristic including a per physical resource block (PRB) precoding matrix indicator (PMI) settings for the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, the means for causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station includes means for coordinating one or more beamforming actions between the first base station and the second base station in order to reduce or mitigate the interference associated with downlink transmissions from the first base station.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising means for forwarding the determined beamforming characteristic or the determined transmission power setting characteristic to the second base station via the backhaul communication link to coordinate transmission of the one or more subframes from the first base station with the second base station to mitigate downlink transmission interference associated with the first base station.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising:

means for periodically receiving subsequent interference reports from the second base station via the backhaul communication link;

means for determining at least one of an updated beamforming characteristic or an updated transmission power setting characteristic; and

means for causing the one or more subframes to be transmitted from the first base station based on at least one of the updated beamforming characteristic or the updated transmission power setting characteristic.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, comprising the first base station serving a macrocell and the second base station serving one of a picocell or microcell, the one or more wireless devices physically located within the service area of both the first and second base stations.