Method and apparatus for scheduling in multiple-input multiple-output communication system

An serving evolved node B (eNB) for performing a scheduling operation in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system, the serving eNB comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a channel covariance matrix for the serving eNB and a channel covariance matrix for a first neighbor eNB with a highest interference among a plurality of neighbor eNBs from a user equipment (UE);
• an eNB interface configured to communicate with the first neighbor eNB;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• upon receipt of the channel covariance matrix for the serving eNB and the channel covariance matrix for the first neighbor eNB, generate received signal power information for each subband-beam pair,
• generate first interference signal power information for each subband-beam pair for the first neighbor eNB,
• control the eNB interface to exchange the first interference signal power information for a second interference signal power information generated by the first neighbor eNB for each subband-beam pair,
• generate first beam coordination information indicating a use status of each beam in each subband for the UE using the received signal power information and the second interference signal power information,
• control the eNB interface to exchange the first beam coordination information for second beam coordination information generated by the first neighbor eNB,
• determine available beams in each subband for the UE based on the first beam coordination information and the second beam coordination information, and
• determine at least one of the available beams as at least one beam to be used for the UE,
• wherein an inner product value between the at least one beam to be used for the UE and at least one unused beam in each subband is smaller than a predetermined value.

A serving evolved node B (eNB) in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system, the serving eNB comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive signals from a user equipment (UE);
• an eNB interface configured to communicate with a plurality of neighbor eNBs;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the receiver and the eNB interface, the controller configured to:
• generate received signal power information for each subband-beam pair,
• determine a first neighbor eNB with a highest interference among the plurality of neighbor eNBs based on a signal received from the UE,
• generate a first interference signal power information for the first neighbor eNB for each subband-beam pair,
• exchange the first interference signal power information with the first neighbor eNB to receive a second interference signal power information generated by the first neighbor eNB for each subband-beam pair,
• generate first beam coordination information indicating a beam use status for each beam in each subband for the UE using the received signal power information and the second interference signal power information, exchange the first beam coordination information with the first neighbor eNB to receive second beam coordination information generated by the first neighbor eNB,
• determine available beams in each subband for the UE based on the first beam coordination information and the second beam coordination information, and
• determine at least one of the available beams as at least one beam to be used for the UE,
• wherein an inner product value between the at least one beam to be used for the UE and at least one unused beam in each subband is smaller than a predetermined value.