Method and apparatus for controlling inter-cellular interference in HetNet system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577777-B2
Application number	US-201214412159-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2012
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a method and an apparatus for controlling inter-cellular interference in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) system, in which a macro cell and femto cells coexist. The apparatus for controlling inter-cellular interference overbears a control channel of the macro cell. The control apparatus determines an interference candidate resource, which is subject to inter-cell interference control, on the basis of the control channel. The control apparatus transmits an interference control message including information on the interference candidate resource.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling inter-cell interference in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) system including a macro cell and a femto cell, the method comprising:
overhearing, by a cluster coordinator node (CCN), a control channel of the macro cell;
determining, by the CCN, an interference candidate resource for controlling the inter-cell interference based on the control channel; and
transmitting, by the CCN, an interference control message that includes information of the interference candidate resource,
wherein the control channel is either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmitted from a macro cell to a user equipment (UE) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmitted from the UE to the macro cell,
wherein if the CCN overhears the PUCCH of the macro cell, the interference candidate resource is determined based on a downlink channel state of the UE, and
wherein if the CCN overhears the PDCCH of the macro cell, the interference candidate resource is determined based on a power of an uplink signal of the UE and a predetermined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an interference candidate UE among a plurality of UEs which are located in the femto cell,
wherein the interference candidate resource is allocated to the interference candidate UE.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein transmission power transmitted from the interference candidate UE is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

4. An apparatus for controlling inter-cell interference in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) system including a macro cell and a femto cell, the apparatus comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) unit configured to transmit and receive a radio signal; and
a processor operatively coupled with the RF unit and configured to:
overhear, by a cluster coordinator node (CCN), a control channel of the macro cell;
determine an interference candidate resource for controlling the inter-cell interference based on the control channel; and
transmit an interference control message that includes information of the interference candidate resource,
wherein the control channel is either a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmitted from the macro cell to a user equipment (UE) or a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmitted from the UE to the macro cell,
wherein if the CCN overhears the PUCCH of the macro cell, the interference candidate resource is determined based on a downlink channel state of the UE, and
wherein if the CCN overhears the PDCCH of the macro cell, the interference candidate resource is determined based on a power of an uplink signal of the UE and a predetermined threshold value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine an interference candidate UE among a plurality of UEs which are located in the femto cell,
wherein the interference candidate resource is allocated to the interference candidate UE.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein transmission power transmitted from the interference candidate UE is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc
• Univ Sungkyunkwan Res & Bus

Inventors

• Kim Hakseong
• Yang Mochan
• Lim Erang
• Wu Shanai
• Shin Ohsoon
• Shin Yoan

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W72/541

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• H04J11/0056 Primary

  Inter-base station aspects · CPC title

• H04W72/042

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W72/082

  Electricity · mapped topic