Null pilots for interference estimation in a wireless communication network

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• means for determining resources for sending a null pilot by a cell in a cluster of cells configured to cooperate with one another to serve one or more user equipments (UEs);
• and
• means for transmitting the null pilot on the resources by the cell to allow the one or more UEs to estimate out-of-cluster interference comprising interference from cells not in the cluster.

A method of estimating interference in a wireless communication network, comprising:

• receiving null pilots from multiple cells in a cluster of cells configured to cooperate with one another to serve one or more user equipments (UEs);
• and
• estimating out-of-cluster interference observed by a user equipment (UE) of the one or more UEs based on the null pilots from the multiple cells, the out-of-cluster interference comprising interference from cells not in the cluster.

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• means for receiving null pilots from multiple cells in a cluster of cells configured to cooperate with one another to serve one or more user equipments (UEs);
• and
• means for estimating out-of-cluster interference observed by a user equipment (UE) of the one or more UEs based on the null pilots from the multiple cells, the out-of-cluster interference comprising interference from cells not in the cluster.

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

• at least one processor configured to receive null pilots from multiple cells in a cluster of cells configured to cooperate with one another to serve one or more user equipments (UEs), and to estimate out-of-cluster interference observed by a user equipment (UE) of the one or more UEs based on the null pilots from the multiple cells, the out-of-cluster interference comprising interference from cells not in the cluster.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method of supporting interference estimation in a wireless communication network comprising the steps of:
• receiving null pilots from multiple cells in a cluster of cells configured to cooperate with one another to serve one or more user equipments (UEs), and
• estimating out-of-cluster interference observed by a user equipment (UE) in the one or more UEs based on the null pilots from the multiple cells, the out-of-cluster interference comprising interference from cells not in the cluster.

A method of supporting interference estimation in a wireless communication network, comprising:

• determining resources reserved for null pilots for a cell;
• and
• transmitting a null pilot on the reserved resources by a user equipment (UE) to allow the cell to estimate interference from UEs.