Method and arrangement in a telecommunication system

Abstract

In a cell of a cellular wireless telecommunication system, a low interference time period is predefined for transmissions from the cell. For at least one user equipment served by the first cell, it is determined whether the user equipment should be scheduled for the low interference time period. This determination may be based on a determination as to whether the user equipment is located in the interior or exterior parts of the cell. The low interference time period may be determined based on a timing of transmissions from at least one neighbouring cell. In the case of a synchronized system, a low interference time period may be defined for each cell, such that a reuse distance between low interference time periods is maximized. In the case of an unsynchronized system, a user equipment that is close to a particular neighbour cell may be scheduled to avoid the low interference time period defined for that neighbour cell.

1 . A method of controlling a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving, from at least one user equipment, data relating to a signal strength of a signal from a first node and a signal strength of a signal from at least one neighboring node of the first node; and   determining based on the received data whether the at least one user equipment should be scheduled for a low interference time period during which interference in relation to the at least one neighboring node is reduced.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one neighboring node is configured to reduce interference in relation to the first node during the low interference time period. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising comparing the signal strengths. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising transmitting an instruction to the at least one user equipment to perform signal strength measurement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining depends on the signal strength of the signal from the first node relative to the signal strength of the signal from the at least one neighboring node. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining depends on whether the signal strength of the signal from the first node exceeds the signal strength of the signal from the at least one neighboring node by a threshold value. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the threshold value is 3 dB. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising scheduling the at least one user equipment for the low interference time period if the signal strength of the signal from the first node does not exceed the signal strength of the signal from the at least one neighboring node by a threshold value. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data relates to the signal strength of the signal from the first node and the signal strengths of signals from a plurality of neighboring nodes of the first nodes, and wherein said determining comprises determining whether the at least one user equipment should be scheduled for a low interference time period during which interference in relation to a particular neighboring node of the plurality of neighboring nodes is reduced depending on the signal strength of the signal from the first node relative to the signal strength of the signal from the particular neighboring node. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising performing resource allocation for the at least one user equipment based on a result of said determining. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises the signal strength of the signal from the first node and the signal strength of the signal from the at least one neighboring node. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first node is a serving node of the at least one user equipment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises an unsynchronized network. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a synchronized network. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining a timing of transmissions from the at least one neighboring node relative to a timing of transmissions from the first node. 
     
     
         16 . A network node configured to determine whether at least one user equipment should be scheduled for a low interference time period during which interference in relation to least one neighboring node of a first node is reduced based on data received from the at least one user equipment, the data relating to a signal strength of a signal from a first node and a signal strength of a signal from at least one neighboring node of the first node. 
     
     
         17 . A network node configured to:
 allocate resources for at least one user equipment during a low interference time period in relation to at least one neighbor cell of a first cell based at least in part on data received from the at least one user equipment, the data relating to a signal strength for the first cell and a signal strength for the at least one neighbor cell.