System and Method for Self-Optimization of Interference Coordination in Communication Systems

Abstract

In accordance with aspects of the present invention, a method, apparatus and system are provided for self-optimization of interference coordination in communication systems. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a measurement and reporting subsystem configured to perform measurements regarding a status of the apparatus and to provide a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof. The apparatus is configured to notify a strongest interferer about the status via the reliability report. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a measurement report handler configured to process a reliability report received from a user equipment and an interference coordination subsystem configured to adjust interference coordination parameters based on the reliability report received from the user equipment.

1 . An apparatus comprising a measurement and reporting subsystem configured to perform measurements regarding a status of said apparatus and to provide a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof, said apparatus configured to notify a strongest interferer about said status via said reliability report. 
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said base station is a source base station in a cell serving said apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said base station is a target base station in a target cell following a handover event thereto. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said reliability report is sent as part of a radio resource control message to said base station. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said strongest interferer is configured to adjust an interference coordination parameter based on said reliability report, said strongest interferer being configured to reduce transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates poor results and increase transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates good results. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said strongest interferer is a target base station. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1  wherein said reliability report includes information selected from the group consisting of:
 intra-frequency handover measurements to detect said strongest interferer for said apparatus,   a channel quality indicator report of a downlink of said base station, a radio link failure,   a number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests of a handover command, and   an average number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests when said apparatus is in a edge of an area served by said base station.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for performing measurements regarding a status of said apparatus;   means for providing a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof; and   means for notifying a strongest interferer about said status via said reliability report.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 8  wherein said base station is a source base station in a cell serving said apparatus or a target base station in a target cell following a handover event thereto. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 8  wherein said strongest interferer is configured to adjust an interference coordination parameter based on said reliability report, said strongest interferer being configured to reduce transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates poor results and increase transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates good results. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising program code stored in a computer readable medium configured to perform measurements regarding a status of a user equipment, provide a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof, and notify a strongest interferer about said status via said reliability report. 
     
     
         12 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 11  wherein said base station is a source base station in a cell serving said apparatus or a target base station in a target cell following a handover event thereto. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 11  wherein said strongest interferer is configured to adjust an interference coordination parameter based on said reliability report, said strongest interferer being configured to reduce transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates poor results and increase transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates good results. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 performing measurements regarding a status of a user equipment;   providing a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof; and   notifying a strongest interferer about said status via said reliability report.   
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said base station is a source base station in a cell serving said user equipment. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said base station is a target base station in a target cell following a handover event thereto. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said reliability report is sent as part of a radio resource control message to said base station. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said strongest interferer is configured to adjust an interference coordination parameter based on said reliability report, said strongest interferer being configured to reduce transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates poor results and increase transmission power at a cell center sub-band thereof when said reliability report indicates good results. 
     
     
         19 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said strongest interferer is a target base station. 
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein said reliability report includes information selected from the group consisting of:
 intra-frequency handover measurements to detect said strongest interferer for said user equipment,   a channel quality indicator report of a downlink of said base station,   a radio link failure,   a number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests of a handover command, and   an average number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests when said user equipment is in a edge of an area served by said base station.   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a measurement report handler configured to process a reliability report received from a user equipment; and   an interference coordination subsystem configured to adjust interference coordination parameters based on said reliability report received from said user equipment.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  further comprising a packet scheduler configured to allocate uplink and downlink resources for said apparatus in response to said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  wherein said interference coordination subsystem is configured to selectively allocate relative transmitter power levels in each of a plurality of sub-bands of an area served by said apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  wherein said interference coordination subsystem is configured to adjust interference coordination parameters in response to a reliability report from a user equipment operating in a served area of another apparatus. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  further comprising a handover subsystem configured to perform a handover decision sequence for said user equipment as a function of said reliability report. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  wherein said reliability report includes information selected from the group consisting of:
 intra-frequency handover measurements to detect a strongest interferer for said user equipment,   a channel quality indicator report of a downlink of said apparatus,   a radio link failure,   a number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests of a handover command, and   an average number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests when said user equipment is in an edge of an area served by said apparatus.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 21  wherein said interference coordination parameters are selected from the group consisting of:
 an antenna pattern,   a transmission power,   a transmission frequency,   a transmission time, and   a level of traffic in a center sub-band of an area served by said apparatus.   
     
     
         28 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for processing a reliability report received from a user equipment; and   means for adjusting interference coordination parameters based on said reliability report received from said user equipment.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 28  further comprising means for allocating uplink and downlink resources for said apparatus in response to said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 28  further comprising means for performing a handover decision sequence for said user equipment as a function of said reliability report. 
     
     
         31 . A computer program product comprising program code stored in a computer readable medium configured to process a reliability report received from a user equipment and adjust interference coordination parameters based on said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         32 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 31  further comprising program code stored in a computer readable medium configured to allocate uplink and downlink resources for said apparatus in response to said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         33 . The computer program product as recited in  claim 31  further comprising program code stored in a computer readable medium configured to perform a handover decision sequence for said user equipment as a function of said reliability report. 
     
     
         34 . A method, comprising:
 processing a reliability report received from a user equipment; and   adjusting interference coordination parameters for a base station serving said user equipment based on said reliability report received from said user equipment.   
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 34  further comprising allocating uplink and downlink resources for said base station in response to said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         36 . The method as recited in  claim 34  wherein said adjusting comprises selectively allocating relative transmitter power levels in each of a plurality of sub-bands of an area served by said base station. 
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  claim 34  wherein said adjusting comprises adjusting interference coordination parameters in response to a reliability report from a user equipment operating in a served area of another base station. 
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 34  further comprising performing a handover decision sequence for said user equipment as a function of said reliability report. 
     
     
         39 . The method as recited in  claim 34  wherein said reliability report includes information selected from the group consisting of:
 intra-frequency handover measurements to detect a strongest interferer for said user equipment,   a channel quality indicator report of a downlink of said base station,   a radio link failure,   a number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests of a handover command, and   an average number of automatic retransmit requests/hybrid automatic retransmit requests when said user equipment is in an edge of an area served by said base station.   
     
     
         40 . The method as recited in  claim 34  wherein said interference coordination parameters are selected from the group consisting of:
 an antenna pattern,   a transmission power,   a transmission frequency,   a transmission time, and   a level of traffic in a center sub-band of an area served by said base station.   
     
     
         41 . A communication system, comprising a user equipment, including:
 a measurement and reporting subsystem configured to perform measurements regarding a status of said user equipment and to provide a reliability report to a base station as a function thereof, and   a base station, including:
 a measurement report handler configured to process said reliability report received from said user equipment; and 
 an interference coordination subsystem configured to adjust interference coordination parameters based on said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
   
     
     
         42 . The communication system as recited in  claim 41  wherein said base station is a source base station in a cell serving said user equipment or a target base station in a target cell following a handover event thereto. 
     
     
         43 . The communication system as recited in  claim 41  wherein said base station further includes a packet scheduler configured to allocate uplink and downlink resources for said base station in response to said reliability report received from said user equipment. 
     
     
         44 . The communication system as recited in  claim 41  wherein said interference coordination subsystem is configured to selectively allocate relative transmitter power levels in each of a plurality of sub-bands of an area served by base station. 
     
     
         45 . The communication system as recited in  claim 41  wherein said base station further includes a handover subsystem configured to perform a handover decision sequence for said user equipment as a function of said reliability report.