Support for asynchronous adaptation to uplink and downlink traffic demands for wireless communication

A device for adapting to asymmetric uplink and Down Link traffic loads in a wireless network comprising:

• a coupling measurement module, operating at one of a first eNodeB and a network level entity, configured to a make coupling measurement on a Down Link (DL) transmission from an adjacent eNodeB to the first eNodeB, wherein the coupling measurement module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• an analysis module, in communication with the coupling measurement module, configured to compare the coupling measurement to a coupling threshold to determine that the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are coupled where the coupling measurement is one of at the coupling threshold and above the coupling threshold, and to determine that the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are isolated where the coupling measurement is below the coupling threshold, wherein the analysis module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• a configuration module, in communication with the analysis module, configured to identify a common Up Link (UL)-DL configuration where the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are coupled and a first UL-DL configuration for the first eNodeB independently of a second UL-DL configuration for the adjacent eNodeB where the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are isolated, wherein the configuration module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• and
• an update module, in communication with the configuration module, wherein the update module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor and the update module is configured to do one of:
• update the common UL-DL configuration to adapt in substantially real time to changing traffic direction needs at both the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB where the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are coupled in the common cluster;
• and
• update the first UL-DL configuration independently of the second UL-DL configuration to adapt substantially in real time to changing traffic direction needs at the first eNodeB where the first eNodeB and the adjacent eNodeB are isolated.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement instructions for a method for mitigating interference during adaption to asymmetric DL transmission among multiple eNodeBs, the method comprising:

• determining a coupling level between a first eNodeB and each of at least one additional eNodeB;
• clustering the first eNodeB with any eNodeB from the at least one additional eNodeB with a corresponding coupling level greater than a coupling threshold to create a common cluster, wherein the common cluster comprises the first eNodeB and the at least one additional eNodeB;
• setting a common Time Division Duplex (TDD) configuration for the common cluster to avoid interference between uplink (UL) traffic and DL (downlink) traffic;
• and at least one of:
• communicating directional traffic information from the first eNodeB to the at least one additional eNodeB in the common cluster over a backhaul link;
• and
• receiving at the first eNodeB directional traffic information over the backhaul link from the at least one additional eNodeB in the common cluster.

A device for avoiding interference while adapting to asynchronous directional traffic at various eNodeBs in a wireless network, the device comprising:

• an interference module configured to estimate an interference level from a Down Link (DL) eNodeB as received at the first eNodeB, wherein the interference module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• an isolation module, in communication with the interference module and operating at the first eNodeB, configured to indicate where the interference level is sufficiently low to allow the first eNodeB to be isolated by accommodating UL transmission while the DL eNodeB transmits a DL transmission and where the interference level is sufficiently high to require the first eNodeB and the DL eNodeB to be aggregated in a common cluster to synchronize transmission directions, wherein the isolation module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• and
• a traffic response module, in communication with the isolation module and operating at the first eNodeB, configured to create a Time Division Duplex (TDD) configuration to respond to directional traffic for eNodeBs associated with the first eNodeB in the common cluster where the first eNodeB belongs to the common cluster and independently respond to directional traffic for the first eNodeB where the first eNodeB is isolated, wherein the traffic response module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor;
• and
• an optimization module, in communication with the isolation module and operating at the first eNodeB, wherein the optimization module is implemented as a hardware circuit or is stored in a memory device for execution by a computer processor and the optimization module is configured to optimize a coupling threshold used to determine whether the first eNodeB belongs to the common cluster by:
• monitoring the inter-cell interference level from opposite transmission directions of adjacent cells;
• and
• analyzing traffic adaptation capabilities and traffic demands within a set of isolated cells and a set of common cell clusters.