Interference suppression in a wireless communication network

A method for interference suppression in a wireless communication network, the method being performed by a network node, the method comprising:

• obtaining a notification from a neighbor network node to participate in uplink sounding of a user equipment served by the neighbor network node;
• populating a database with spatial channel characteristics, wherein the spatial channel characteristics are determined from measurements on an uplink reference signal received by the network node from the user equipment as part of the uplink sounding, and wherein the spatial channel characteristics represent radio conditions for a location at which the user equipment is located when transmitting the uplink reference signal;
• obtaining, from the neighbor network node, an indication for interference suppression at the location;
• retrieving, from the database, the spatial channel characteristics for the location and as populated in the database by the network node;
• and
• applying a precoder determined based on the spatial channel characteristics when performing a downlink transmission for interference suppression towards the location.

A network node for interference suppression in a wireless communication network, the network node comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the network node to:

• determine that uplink sounding is to be performed for a first user equipment served by the network node and located at a location;
• provide a notification to a neighbor network node and the first user equipment to participate in the uplink sounding of the first user equipment;
• determine to perform a downlink transmission towards a second user equipment served by the network node and located at the location;
• and
• provide an indication for interference suppression at the location to the neighbor network node before performing the downlink transmission, wherein the indication is based on spatial channel characteristics determined from the uplink sounding of the first user equipment, and wherein the spatial channel characteristics represent radio conditions for the location, wherein the network node participates in the uplink sounding of the first user equipment, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to cause the network node to populate a database with the spatial channel characteristics.

A network node for interference suppression in a wireless communication network, the network node comprising processing circuitry, the processing circuitry being configured to cause the network node to:

• obtain a notification from a neighbor network node to participate in uplink sounding of a user equipment served by the neighbor network node;
• populate a database with spatial channel characteristics, wherein the spatial channel characteristics are determined from measurements on an uplink reference signal received by the network node from the user equipment as part of the uplink sounding, and wherein the spatial channel characteristics represent radio conditions for a location at which the user equipment is located when transmitting the uplink reference signal;
• obtain, from the neighbor network node, an indication for interference suppression at the location;
• retrieve, from the database, the spatial channel characteristics for the location and as populated in the database by the network node;
• and
• apply a precoder determined based on the spatial channel characteristics when performing a downlink transmission for interference suppression towards the location.