Methods and apparatus for subframe interlacing in heterogeneous networks

• US 9,281,932 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Wei, Yongbin, Barany, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pancholi, Rina
• Application Number:
  US14/169,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20140146798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0079 Acquisition of downlink reference signals, e.g. detection of cell-ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2211/005 Long term evolution [LTE]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing wireless communications using subframe partitioning are disclosed. Two or more base stations may be allocated subframes in a radio frame. All or part of the subframe allocation may be provided to the associated user equipment (UEs), which may use it to determine signal metrics during assigned subframes for an associated base station.

Claims

1. A method for wireless signal transmission, the method comprising:

negotiating, at least in part in conjunction with a second base station, a subframe resource allocation;

determining, based on the negotiation, a subframe partition configuration;

storing, in a first base station, the subframe partition configuration, wherein the subframe partition configuration includes an interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource that is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource; and

transmitting, from the first base station, a first signal according to the first DL resource allocation,

wherein the first DL resource corresponds to one or more subframes assigned to be time-division orthogonal to subframes of a second DL resource allocated to a second base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the second base station, a second signal according to an interlace allocation of the second DL resource, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first DL resource is a semi-static resource and the second DL resource is a dynamic resource.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first DL resource and the second DL resource are time-division multiplexed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the subframe partition configuration further includes an allocation of at least one unassigned resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request to a core network for interlace subframe partitioning; and

receiving the subframe partition configuration.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the subframe partition configuration is determined at the core network at least in part based on information associated with the second base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, responsive to the first signal, from a user equipment (UE) associated with the first base station, a signal metric corresponding to the first DL resource.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising allocating the UE a communications resource based at least in part on the signal metric.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal metric is a radio link monitoring (RLM) metric.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the RLM metric is determined during a semi-static subframe.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the semi-static subframe is signaled to the UE prior to the transmitting.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium including code for causing one or more computers to:

negotiate, at least in part in conjunction with a second base station, a subframe resource allocation;

determine, based on the negotiation, a subframe partition configuration;

store, in a first base station, the subframe partition configuration, wherein the subframe partition configuration includes an interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource that is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource; and

send, from the first base station, a first signal according to the first DL resource allocation,

wherein the first DL resource corresponds to one or more subframes assigned to be time-division orthogonal to subframes of a second DL resource allocated to a second base station.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the one or more computers to send, from the second base station, a second signal according to an interlace allocation of the second DL resource, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first DL resource is a semi-static resource and the second DL resource is a dynamic resource.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the one or more computers to send a request to a core network for interlace subframe partitioning and receive the subframe partition configuration.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises code for causing the one or more computers to

receive, responsive to the first signal, from a user equipment (UE) associated with the first base station, a signal metric corresponding to the first DL resource.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the one or more computers to allocate the UE a communications resource based at least in part on the signal metric.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the signal metric is a radio link monitoring (RLM) metric.

22. A communications device, comprising:

a processor module configured to negotiate, at least in part in conjunction with a second base station, a subframe resource allocation and determine, based on the negotiation, a subframe partition configuration;

a memory configured to store, in a first base station, the subframe partition configuration, wherein the subframe partition configuration includes an interlace allocation of a first downlink (DL) resource that is configured as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource; and

a transmitter module configured to transmit, from the first base station, a first signal according to the first DL resource allocation,

wherein the first DL resource corresponds to one or more subframes assigned to be time-division orthogonal to subframes of a second DL resource allocated to a second base station.

23. The communications device of claim 22, wherein the second base station is configured to send a second signal according to an interlace allocation of the second DL resource, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

24. The communications device of claim 23, wherein the first DL resource is a semi-static resource and the second DL resource is a dynamic resource.

25. The communications device of claim 22, wherein the second DL resource is allocated by the subframe partition configuration as one of a semi-static resource or dynamic resource.

26. The communications device of claim 22, further including a processor module configured to generate and send a request to a core network for interlace subframe partitioning, and a receiver module configured to receive the subframe partition configuration.

27. The communications device of claim 22, further including

a receiver module configured to receive, from a user equipment (UE) associated with the first base station, a signal metric corresponding to the first DL resource.

28. The communications device of claim 27, further including a processor module configured to allocate the UE a communications resource based at least in part on the signal metric.

29. The communications device of claim 27, wherein the signal metric is a radio link monitoring (RLM) metric.