Interference control in a wireless communication system

• US 8,942,639 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mese, Murat, Sutivong, Arak, Julian, David Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US11/158,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,507 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522, 455/69, 455/63.1, 455/436, 455/453, 455/450, 455/446, 455/452.1, 455/422.1, 455/452.2, 455/509, 455/68, 455/67.13, 455/67.11, 455/515, 455/126, 370/254, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/67.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/10 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/00 Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received correcting synchronisation H04L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• 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 52/247 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter sent by another terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/362 Aspects of the step size
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

For interference control, a sector m estimates interference observed from terminals in neighbor sectors and obtains an interference estimate. Sector m may generate an over-the-air (OTA) other-sector interference (OSI) report and/or an inter-sector (IS) OSI report based on the interference estimate. Sector m may broadcast the OTA OSI report to the terminals in the neighbor sectors. These terminals may adjust their transmit powers based on the OTA OSI report. Sector m may send the IS OSI report to the neighbor sectors, receive IS OSI reports from the neighbor sectors, and regulate data transmissions for terminals in sector m based on the received IS OSI reports. Sector m may control admission of terminals to sector m, de-assign admitted terminals, schedule terminals in sector m in a manner to reduce interference to the neighbor sectors, and/or assign the terminals in sector m with traffic channels that cause less interference to the neighbor sectors.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor operative to estimate interference observed by a sector due to transmissions from terminals in neighbor sectors and to provide an interference estimate; and

a controller operative to generate an interference report based on the interference estimate and to generate a second interference report based on the interference estimate, wherein the interference report indicates one of multiple possible levels of interference observed by the sector, and wherein the second interference report comprises more detailed information for the interference observed by the sector than the interference report.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interference report conveys the interference observed by the sector relative to at least two thresholds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interference report indicates whether the interference observed by the sector is below a first threshold, is between the first threshold and a second threshold, or exceeds the second threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter unit operative to broadcast the interference report to the terminals in the neighbor sectors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to send the second interference report to at least one of the neighbor sectors.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to generate the second interference report if the interference estimate is above a predetermined threshold or if at least one of the neighbor sectors requests the second interference report.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

means for estimating interference observed by a sector due to transmissions from terminals in neighbor sectors and for providing an interference estimate; and

means for generating an interference report based on the interference estimate and for generating a second interference report based on the interference estimate, wherein the interference report indicates one of multiple possible levels of interference observed by the sector, and wherein the second interference report comprises more detailed information for the interference observed by the sector than the interference report.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interference report conveys the interference observed by the sector relative to at least two thresholds.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interference report indicates whether the interference observed by the sector is below a first threshold, is between the first threshold and a second threshold, or exceeds the second threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for broadcasting the interference report to the terminals in the neighbor sectors.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for sending the second interference report to at least one of the neighbor sectors.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second interference report is generated if the interference estimate is above a predetermined threshold or if at least one of the neighbor sectors requests the second interference report.

13. A method, comprising:

estimating interference observed by a sector due to transmissions from terminals in neighbor sectors and providing an interference estimate; and

generating an interference report based on the interference estimate and generating a second interference report based on the interference estimate, wherein the interference report indicates one of multiple possible levels of interference observed by the sector, and wherein the second interference report comprises more detailed information for the interference observed by the sector than the interference report.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the interference report conveys the interference observed by the sector relative to at least two thresholds.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the interference report indicates whether the interference observed by the sector is below a first threshold, is between the first threshold and a second threshold, or exceeds the second threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising broadcasting the interference report to the terminals in the neighbor sectors.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the second interference report to at least one of the neighbor sectors.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second interference report is generated if the interference estimate is above a predetermined threshold or if at least one of the neighbor sectors requests the second interference report.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable to:

estimate interference observed by a sector due to transmissions from terminals in neighbor sectors and provide an interference estimate; and

generate an interference report based on the interference estimate and generate a second interference report based on the interference estimate, wherein the interference report indicates one of multiple possible levels of interference observed by the sector, and wherein the second interference report comprises more detailed information for the interference observed by the sector than the interference report.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the interference report conveys the interference observed by the sector relative to at least two thresholds.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the interference report indicates whether the interference observed by the sector is below a first threshold, is between the first threshold and a second threshold, or exceeds the second threshold.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are also executable to broadcast the interference report to the terminals in the neighbor sectors.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are also executable to send the second interference report to at least one of the neighbor sectors.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second interference report is generated if the interference estimate is above a predetermined threshold or if at least one of the neighbor sectors requests the second interference report.