Method and apparatus for dynamic inter-cell interference avoidance in cellular communication networks

• US 9,642,155 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellos Software Limited
• Original Assignee: Cellos Software Limited
• Inventors: Wijetunge, Sumudu Prasad, Sandrasegaran, Kumbesan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mew, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/729,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20150351106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to resource allocation optimization for dynamic inter-cell interference avoidance in cellular communication networks, such as Cloud Radio Access Networks (C-RANs).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

classifying users in each of adjacent cells in a cellular communication network into cell edge users and cell centre users;

determining allocation priorities for each of the adjacent cells;

allocating resources to the users in each of the adjacent cells based on the allocation priorities,

wherein the resources allocated to cell edge users in one of the adjacent cells are restricted from use by cell edge users of other adjacent cells having lower allocation priorities to thereby inhibit inter-cell interference among the adjacent cells, and

wherein the resources allocated to the cell edge users in one of the adjacent cells are capable of being used by cell centre users of one or more of the adjacent cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed iteratively, and wherein the determining allocation priorities for each of the adjacent cells is changed at each iteration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the use by the other adjacent cells is use by cell edge users in the other adjacent cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining allocation priorities is based on one of a random selection among the adjacent cells, a round-robin selection among the adjacent cells, and a fairness algorithm to determine a fair allocation among the adjacent cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the classifying users is based on signal-to-interference-noise-ratio (SINR) of the cells, wherein at least one user within a cell having a SINR value greater than SINR values of other cells by a predefined threshold is classified as a cell centre (CC) user, whereas at least one user within a cell having a SINR value less than SINR values of other cells by a predefined threshold is classified as a cell edge (CE) user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating resources is based on a packet scheduling algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a base station server coupled to base station clients at each of the adjacent cells.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the users comprises a user equipment, and wherein the adjacent cells form a cell cluster.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the cellular communication network comprises a cloud radio access network.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the resources are allocated based upon one or more parameters selected from a group comprising a resource block, a priority of a user on the radio resource at a time ‘

t’

, instantaneous data rate of user on the radio at the time ‘

t’

, an average throughput of the user at the time ‘

t’

, a time constant, total data rate being used to transmit packets to the user at time ‘

t+1’

, an event indicative of the packets of the user being selected for transmission on the resource block at time ‘

t+1’

, a maximum number of resource blocks available for cell centre (CC) users and a maximum number of resource blocks available for cell edge (CE) users.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the resources are allocated based upon one or more parameters selected from a group comprising an Head of Line (HOL) packet delay of a user at time ‘

t’

, a delay threshold of a user before the first HOL packet of the user is transmitted in downlink, maximum probability for the HOL packet delay of user to exceed the delay threshold of a user, a number of cell centre users (CCs) on which packet can be transmitted to the user in downlink, an instantaneous achievable data rate of the user on a component carrier at a resource block and a total average data rate of the user in all CCs.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

classify users in each of adjacent cells in a cellular communication network into cell-edge users and cell-centre users;

determine allocation priorities for each of the adjacent cells;

allocate resources to the users in each of the adjacent cells based on the allocation priorities,

wherein the resources allocated to cell-edge users in one of the adjacent cells are restricted from use by cell edge users of other adjacent cells having lower allocation priorities to thereby inhibit inter-cell interference among the adjacent cell, and

wherein the resources allocated to the cell edge users in one of the adjacent cells are capable of being used by cell centre users of one or more of the adjacent cells.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cellular communication network comprises a cloud radio access network comprising a base station server coupled to base station clients at each of the adjacent cells.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is the base station server.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the use by other adjacent cells is use by cell edge users in other adjacent cells.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a classifier module configured to classify users in each of adjacent cells in a cellular communication network into cell edge users and cell centre users;

a priority module configured to determine allocation priorities for each of the adjacent cells; and

an allocation module configured to allocate resources to the users in each of the adjacent cells based on the allocation priorities,

wherein the resources allocated to cell edge users in one of the adjacent cells are restricted from use by cell edge users of other adjacent cells having lower allocation priorities to thereby inhibit inter-cell interference among the adjacent cells, and

wherein the resources allocated to the cell edge users in one of the adjacent cells are capable of being used by cell centre users of one or more of the adjacent cells.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is the base station server.