Technique for inter-cell interference coordination in a heterogeneous communication network

A method of assigning transceiver devices to transmission resources for inter-cell interference coordination in a heterogeneous communication network with a first cell layer having a first cell associated with a first transmission resource and a second cell layer having a second cell associated with a second transmission resource disjunctive from the first transmission resource, wherein the first transmission resource is populated with transceiver devices served in the first cell and having the potential of causing interference to transceiver devices served in the second cell, and the second transmission resource is populated with transceiver devices served in the second cell and having the potential of being sensitive to interference from transceiver devices served in the first cell, the method comprising:

• determining, for a given transceiver device, a performance difference resulting from assigning the transceiver device to the first transmission resource relative to assigning the transceiver device to the second transmission resource;
• and
• assigning the transceiver device to either the first transmission resource or the second transmission resource depending on the performance difference.

A system for assigning transceiver devices to transmission resources for inter-cell interference coordination in a heterogeneous communication network with a first cell layer having a first cell associated with a first transmission resource and a second cell layer having a second cell associated with a second transmission resource disjunctive from the first transmission resource, the system comprising:

• a first processor adapted to select a first set of transceiver devices served in the first cell based on the potential of causing interference to transceiver devices served in the second cell and to assign the first set of transceiver devices to the first transmission resource;
• and
• a second processor adapted to select a second set of transceiver devices served in the second cell based on the potential of being sensitive to interference from transceiver devices served in the first cell and to assign the second set of transceiver devices to the second transmission resource.

A device for assigning transceiver devices to transmission resources for inter-cell interference coordination in a heterogeneous communication network with a first cell layer having a first cell associated with a first transmission resource and a second cell layer having a second cell associated with a second transmission resource disjunctive from the first transmission resource, wherein the first transmission resource is populated with transceiver devices served in the first cell and having the potential of causing interference to transceiver devices served in the second cell, and the second transmission resource is populated with transceiver devices served in the second cell and having the potential of being sensitive to interference from transceiver devices served in the first cell, the device comprising a processor having:

• a determinator adapted to determine, for a given transceiver device, a performance difference resulting from assigning the transceiver device to the second transmission resource relative to assigning the transceiver device to the first transmission resource;
• and
• an assignor adapted to assign the transceiver device to either the first transmission resource or the second transmission resource depending on the performance difference.