US 8,526,963 B2 · Restrictive reuse for a wireless communication system

Abstract

For restrictive reuse, each cell (or each sector) is assigned (1) a set of usable subbands that may be allocated to users in the cell and (2) a set of forbidden subbands that is not used. The usable and forbidden sets for each cell are orthogonal to one other. The usable set for each cell also overlaps the forbidden set for each neighboring cell. A user u in a cell x may be allocated subbands in the usable set for that cell. If user u observes/causes high level of interference from/to a neighboring cell y, then user u may be allocated subbands from a “restricted” set containing subbands included in both the usable set for cell x and the forbidden set for cell y. User u would then observe/cause no interference from/to cell y. The subband restriction may be extended to avoid interference from multiple neighboring cells.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A method of allocating system resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

identifying interference entities for each of at least one terminal, the at least one terminal communicating with a base station within a current cell/sector, each interference entity communicating in other cells/sectors with which mitigation of interference associated therewith is sought,
wherein the current cell/sector is associated with a set of system resources including a set of usable system resources and a set of unusable system resources, where the usable set of system resources for each cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of system resources of the other cells/sectors, and where the unusable set of system resources for each cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of systems resources of the other cells/sectors,
wherein there exist a plurality of restricted sets of system resources within the current cell/sector's set of usable system resources that comprise intersection(s) of the current cell/sector's usable set of system resources and unusable sets of system resources from the other cells/sectors;
and
allocating system resources within the current cell/sector, either from the usable set or from one or more of the restricted sets, to the at least one terminal based on the interference entities-identified in the other cells/sectors for the at least one terminal.

2 more elements

An apparatus operable to allocate system resources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a controller operative to
identify interference entities, for each of at least one terminal, the at least one terminal communicating with a base station within a current cell/sector, each interference entity being an entity communicating in other cells/sectors, with which mitigation of interference associated therewith is sought,
wherein the current cell/sector is associated with a set of system resources including a set of usable system resources and a set of unusable system resources, where the usable set of system resources for each cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of system resources of the other cells/sectors, and where the unusable set of system resources for each cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of systems resources of the other cells/sectors,
wherein there exist a plurality of restricted sets of system resources within the current cell/sector's set of system resources that comprise intersection(s) of the current cell/sector's usable set of system resources and unusable sets of system resources from the other cells/sectors;
and
allocate system resources within the current cell/sector, either from the usable set or from one or more of the restricted sets, to the at least one terminal based on the interference entities identified in the other cells/sectors for the at least one terminal.

3 more elements

A method of processing data in a wireless communication system, comprising:

obtaining an allocation of system resources for a terminal, wherein the terminal is in communication with a base station within a current cell/sector and is allocated system resources from a set of system resources usable for the terminal, where the usable set of system resources available for the current cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of system resources of the other cells/sectors, and where the unusable set of system resources for the current cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of systems resources of the other cells/sectors,
wherein there exist a plurality of restricted sets of system resources within the current cell/sector's set of system resources that comprise intersection(s) of the current cell/sector's usable set of system resources and unusable sets of system resources from the other cells/sectors;
and
wherein the set of system resources usable within the current cell/sector for the terminal is determined from either the usable set or from one or more of the restricted sets based on a set of usable system resources assigned to the current cell/sector and on sets of system resources not used by interference entities, identified for the terminal, and wherein each interference entity is an entity communicating in other cells/sectors for which mitigation of interference with the terminal is sought;
and
generating a control indicative of the system resources allocated to the terminal.

3 more elements

An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a processor configured to obtain an allocation of system resources for a terminal, wherein the terminal is in communication with a base station within a current cell/sector and is allocated system resources from a set of system resources usable for the terminal associated with the current cell/sector, where the usable set of system resources available for the current cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of system resources of the other cells/sectors, and where the unusable set of system resources for the current cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of systems resources of the other cells/sectors,
wherein there exist a plurality of restricted sets of system resources within the current cell/sector's set of system resources that comprise intersection(s) of the current cell/sector's usable set of system resources and unusable sets of system resources from the other cells/sectors,
wherein the set of system resources usable within the current cell/sector for the terminal are based on either the usable set or from one or more of the restricted sets of system resources not used by interference entities, identified for the terminal, and wherein each interference entity is an entity communicating in other cells/sectors for which mitigation of interference with the terminal is sought,
a generator operative to generate a control indicative of the system resources allocated to the terminal;
and
a memory coupled to the processor for storing data.

3 more elements

An apparatus operable to allocate frequency subbands in a wireless communication system utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), comprising:

means for identifying other cells/sectors, for each of at least one terminal, the at least one terminal communicating with a base station within a current cell/sector;
means for determining a set of frequency subbands usable for each of the at least one terminal based on a set of usable frequency subbands assigned to the current cell/sector and sets of frequency subbands unusable by the other cells/sectors, identified for the terminal,
wherein the current cell/sector is assigned a set of usable frequency subbands and a set of unusable frequency subbands, where the usable set of frequency subbands for each cell/sector overlap with the unusable set of frequency subbands of the other cells/sectors, and where the unusable set of frequency subbands for each cell/sector may overlap with the unusable set of frequency subbands of the other cells/sectors,
wherein there exist a plurality of restricted sets of frequency subbands within the current cell/sector's usable set of frequency subbands that comprise intersection(s) of the current cell/sector's usable set of frequency subbands and unusable sets of frequency subbands from the other cells/sectors;
and
means for allocating to each of the at least one terminal frequency subbands selected from either the usable set or from one or more of the restricted sets of frequency subbands within the current cell/sector.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Restrictive reuse for a wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Restrictive reuse for a wireless communication system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48