Method and Device for Link-Characteristic Based Selection of Supporting Access Nodes,

A method for cooperatively receiving an uplink signal from a first terminal served by a first access node, the method comprising:

• determining at least one of:
• a first characteristic of a first link from the first terminal to a second access node that serves a second terminal;
• and
• a second characteristic of a second link from the second terminal to the first access node;
• determining a third characteristic of a third link between the first terminal and the first access node;
• and
• selecting the second access node to support cooperative reception of the uplink signal, based on a comparison of the third characteristic with at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

A first access node configured to serve a first terminal and to cooperatively receive an uplink signal from that first terminal, and the first access node comprising a processor configured to:

• determine at least one of:
• a first characteristic of a first link from the first terminal to a second access node that serves a second terminal;
• and
• a second characteristic of a second link from the second terminal to the first access node;
• determine a third characteristic of a third link between the first terminal and the first access node;
• and
• select the second access node to support cooperative reception of the uplink signal, based on a comparison of the third characteristic with at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.

A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium and comprising code that, when executable by a processor of a first access node, cause the first access node to serve a first terminal and to cooperatively receive an uplink signal from that first terminal, the code causing the first access node to:

• determine at least one of:
• a first characteristic of a first link from the first terminal to a second access node that serves a second terminal;
• and
• a second characteristic of a second link from the second terminal to the first access node;
• determine a third characteristic of a third link between the first terminal and the first access node;
• and
• select the second access node to support cooperative reception of the uplink signal, based on a comparison of the third characteristic with at least one of the first characteristic and the second characteristic.