Adaptive guards for mixed numerology systems and associated method of use

An apparatus, comprising one or more integrated circuit devices configured to:

• receive a data symbol vector comprising data mapped to a subcarrier associated with one of a plurality of users operating in adjacent bands of an OFDM-based communication system;
• identify a power offset (PO) between a plurality of users operating in adjacent bands of an OFDM-based communication system;
• identify a required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) for each of the plurality of users;
• identify a numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• optimize a guard band for each of the plurality of users based upon the identified power offset, the identified required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) and the numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• optimize a guard duration for each of the plurality of users based upon the identified power offset, the identified required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) and the numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• and
• generate an OFDM signal using the optimized guard bands and the optimized guard duration for each of the plurality of users to reduce interference caused by users operating in the adjacent bands of the OFDM-based communication system.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method of generating an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol for transmission in a communication channel using adaptive guard bands and adaptive guard durations, the method comprising:

• identifying a power offset (PO) between a plurality of users operating in adjacent bands of an OFDM-based communication system;
• identifying a required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) for each of the plurality of users;
• identifying a numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• optimizing a guard band for each of the plurality of users based upon the identified power offset, the identified required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) and the numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• optimizing a guard duration for each of the plurality of users based upon the identified power offset, the identified required signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) and the numerology associated with each of the plurality of users;
• and
• generating an OFDM signal using the optimized guard bands and the optimized guard duration for each of the plurality of users to reduce interference caused by users operating in the adjacent bands of the OFDM-based communication system.