Multicell beamforming system and methods for OFDMA small-cell networks

A computer implemented method for providing beamforming and spatial reuse in a small-cell wireless network comprising:

• providing a central controller (CC) to perform resource and interface management for small cells jointly with a high speed backhaul which interconnects the small cells with the CC thereby providing for information exchange between the small cells;
• receiving signals from the small-cell wireless network with wireless transceivers;
• estimating a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of clients in the small cells to determine any interference dependencies between small cells in the wireless network in the presence of beamforming, wherein said SINR is determined from signal-to-noise (SNR) measurement according to the following relationship
• SINR
• ij
• =
• SNR
• ij
• ∑
• k
• ≠
• i
• ⁢
• INR
• kj
• +
• 1
• such that only a linear number of measurements is made, where SINR at client j from a base station i is related to its SNR and net interference-to-noise ratio (INR) from other base stations by
• INR
• kj
• =
• ∑
• k
• ≠
• i
• ⁢
• INR
• kj
• +
• 1
• and INR+1≈INR;
• and
• associating one or more of the clients with the particular beamforming;
• selecting particular beam patterns for each small cell such that spatial reuse is increased;
• and
• providing beamforming and spatial reuse for transmission using the transceivers in a small-cell wireless network.