COORDINATING ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES FOR USE BY SMALL CELLS

• US 20150050940A1
• Filed: 08/16/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Cai, Zhijun, Song, Yi, Bontu, Chandra Sekhar, Freeman, David Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 9,131,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A controller receives information relating to at least one of multiple small cells. Responsive to the received information, the controller coordinates allocation of resources for use by the small cells in communicating data with respective user equipments (UEs), where the coordinating of the allocation of resources reduces interference among the small cells.

Claims

1. A method of interference mitigation, comprising:

receiving, by a controller in a network including small cells, information relating to at least one of the small cells; and

responsive to the received information, coordinating, by the controller, allocation of resources for use by the small cells in communicating data with respective user equipments (UEs), wherein the coordinating of the allocation of resources reduces interference among the small cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the allocation of resources comprises dynamically adjusting assignments of almost blank subframes (ABS) to the small cells.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, by the controller, an ABS assignment of a first of the small cells to a second of the small cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving assistance information from the small cells.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving measurement information from at least one of the UEs.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending, by the controller to the at least one UE, a request for the measurement information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the request for the measurement information comprises sending a list of small cells for which the at least one UE is to report the measurement information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein sending the request for the measurement information comprises sending the request in a dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling to the at least one UE.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources include reserved resources and dynamic resources, and wherein coordinating the allocation of resources comprises dynamically allocating the dynamic resources based on loading of the small cells.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving a request from the at least one small cell for additional resources

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

assigning, by the controller in a semi-static manner, the reserved resources to the small cells.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the reserved resources and dynamic resources include time domain resources, frequency domain resources, or a combination of time domain and frequency domain resources.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein allocation of a dynamic resource to a small cell is for a specified time duration.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources include sets of resources, and wherein the coordinating comprises at least one of:

allocating orthogonal sets of resources to small cells that overlap by greater than a specified threshold; and

allocating semi-orthogonal sets of resources to small cells that overlap by less than the specified threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the coordinating further comprises:

allocating different sets of resources with different numbers of resources to different respective small cells based on traffic loading of the small cells

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the small cells is assigned an initial resource to use, the method further comprising:

determining, by a small cell wireless access network node of a given one of the small cells, that a loading of the given small cell has increased; and

using, by the small cell wireless access network node, a next resource after the initial resource, in response to the determining.

17. A first wireless access network node for a first small cell, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

send assistance information to a controller; and

receive, from the controller, an allocation of resources for use by the first wireless access network node for communications of data with user equipments (UEs) served by the first wireless access network node, wherein the allocation is part of allocations of resources assigned by the controller to a plurality of small cells including the first small cell, wherein allocations are for reducing interference among the small cells and are based on the assistance information.

18. The first wireless access network node of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to further:

borrow a resource format least one neighboring small cell wireless access network node.

19. The first wireless access network node of claim 17, wherein the resources include almost blank subframes or dynamic resources.

20. A controller comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive information relating to at least one of a plurality of small cells; and

responsive to the received information, coordinate allocation of resources for use by the small cells in communicating data with respective user equipments (UEs), wherein the coordinating of the allocation of resources reduces interference among the small cells.