Downlink-uplink configuration determination

Abstract

Uplink and downlink traffic for a plurality of user equipments UEs in a cell is differentially weighted according to traffic type, and that weighted traffic total is used to select one uplink-downlink configuration for a radio frame from among A>1 possible uplink-downlink configurations. The weighting may use a priority factor or traffic class identifier that corresponds to the traffic type. In one embodiment the configuration selection is autonomous, and may be made to maximize throughput in the cell or to minimize a number of subframes that overlap with neighbor cells. In another embodiment there is a cooperation; one access node selects multiple candidate configurations which its neighbor cells score for their own acceptability and return the score tables to the original access node, who makes the final selection using the neighbors' score tables. Specific examples are in the context of the E-UTRAN/LTE system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.