Resource allocation for subnetworks

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to equipment, a method and a device for allocating sub-network resources and a computer readable storage medium. A network device of a radio access network determines at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets. A network device obtains interference measurement information about at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet. The network device determines resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information. The network device determines auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet at least based on resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information. And the network equipment sends the auxiliary information to the access point of the at least one second subnet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable storage media for resource allocation in a subnet. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of communication technologies, subnets have been introduced to meet the extreme performance requirements of latency, reliability, and / or throughput in certain short-range scenarios. Subnets are typically installed in specific physical locations, such as vehicles, bodies, and indoors, providing life-critical data services with extreme performance through localized capillary coverage. Deploying subnets in sixth-generation (6G) mobile networks introduces many new challenges, including subnet resource allocation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for resource allocation for subnets.

[0004] In a first aspect, a network device for a wireless access network is provided. The network device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to cause the network device to: determine at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; obtain interference measurement information regarding the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; determine resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information; determine assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information; and transmit the assistance information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

[0005] In a second aspect, an access point (AP) for a subnet associated with a wireless access network is provided. The AP includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to cause the AP to: receive, from a network device of the wireless access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for a second subnet; and determine at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation based at least on the assistance information.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes: determining, at a network device, at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; obtaining interference measurement information regarding the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; determining resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information; determining assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information; and sending the assistance information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving, at an access point of a second subnet from a network device of a radio access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet, the second subnet being associated with the radio access network; and determining at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation based at least on the assistance information.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: means for determining, at a network device for a wireless access network, at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; means for obtaining interference measurement information regarding the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; means for determining resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information; means for determining assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based on at least the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information; and means for sending the assistance information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising: means for receiving, at an access point of a second subnet, from a network device of a wireless access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet, the second subnet being associated with the wireless access network; and means for determining at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation based at least on the assistance information.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions is provided, wherein the program instructions are used to cause an apparatus to at least execute the method according to any one of the third aspect or the fourth aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the invention summary is not intended to identify the key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a network environment in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0014] Figure 2 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 A signaling diagram illustrating an example process according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates an example of a centralized resource allocation period according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a network device according to some other example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 illustrates an example of an interference measurement matrix (IMM) according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 7 illustrates an example of a process for determining a subband of a subnet according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 8 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at an AP of a subnet according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 9 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at an AP of a subnet according to some other example embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 10 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0023] Figure 11 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is illustrated according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described to illustrate and help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure, and do not represent any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various other ways except as described below.

[0026] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0027] In this disclosure, references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and "an example embodiment" indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with one embodiment, those skilled in the art believe that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0028] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" and the like may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0029] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit example embodiments. The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" used herein also include plural forms, unless the context clearly states otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including" specify the presence of the features, elements and / or components when used in this article, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combinations. As used herein, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar wording, wherein the list of two or more elements is connected by "and" or "or", representing at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0030] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0031] (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry), and

[0032] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (as applicable):

[0033] (i) a combination of (one or more) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0034] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processor(s)), software and memory(s) with software that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or server) to perform various functions, and

[0035] (c)(one or more) hardware circuits and / or(one or more) processors, such as(one or more) microprocessors or portions of(one or more) microprocessors, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0036] This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to the particular claim element, the term "circuitry" also covers a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or networking device.

[0037] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Non-terrestrial Network (NTN), etc. In addition, the communication between the terminal equipment and the network equipment in the communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G) communication protocol, sixth generation (6G) communication protocol and / or any other protocol currently known or to be developed in the future. The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. In view of the rapid development of communication, there will certainly be future types of communication technologies and systems that utilize them to implement the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the above-mentioned systems.

[0038] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network, via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from the network. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, a low power node (e.g., a femto, a pico), a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-terrestrial network device, such as a satellite network device, a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite, and a geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellite, an aircraft network device, etc.

[0039] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. As an example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback applications, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop vehicle-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated process chain environments), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "communication device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0040] As used herein, the term "AP" refers to a device that serves and manages a subnet. The AP may be connected to a network device of a wireless access network and provide wireless access services to terminal devices within the coverage area of ​​the AP.

[0041] In this disclosure, if resource allocation for a subnet is determined or performed by a network device, such as a base station (BS), the resource allocation is referred to as centralized resource allocation. On the other hand, if resource allocation for a subnet is performed by the subnet itself, the resource allocation is referred to as distributed resource allocation.

[0042] The architectural characteristics of subnets allow overlay BSs to centrally allocate resources for subnets with extreme requirements. Overlay BSs can maintain a comprehensive view of the interference between subnets. However, as network size grows, centralized resource allocation can incur significant overhead and reduce resource flexibility and reuse. A fully centralized resource allocation scheme would also require extensive signaling to adapt to environmental dynamics and the relative locations of subnets, resulting in significant resource utilization overhead.

[0043] It is desirable to support a holistic solution for resource allocation for subnets in a standard that accommodates both centralized and distributed resource allocation.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for subnet resource allocation is provided. In this solution, a network device for a wireless access network determines at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets. The network device obtains interference measurement information regarding the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet. The network device determines resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information. The network device determines auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information. Furthermore, the network device transmits the auxiliary information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

[0045] In some example embodiments, the resources to be allocated to the first subnet or the second subnet may be a sub-band of a frequency carrier, a frequency hopping pattern, a spreading code, or the like.

[0046] While centralized resource allocation in static settings promises performance improvements in terms of reliability, it can result in high signaling overhead and low flexibility in switching between resources. In dynamic networks, interference between subnets changes rapidly, requiring even greater overhead. This solution enables overlay network devices to maintain a balance between centralized and distributed resource allocation to avoid these issues. In particular, this solution allows dynamic subnets with critical traffic (e.g., within a robot or car) to quickly switch between resources while benefiting from central interference measurement aggregation.

[0047] Furthermore, by considering centralized resource allocation when determining auxiliary information for distributed allocation, the distributed resource allocation in this solution is well integrated with the centralized resource allocation.

[0048] Figure 1 An example of a network environment 100 is illustrated in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. Network environment 100 may include a network device 110 and subnets 120, 130, 140, and 150.

[0049] Subnet 120 may include an access point (AP) 121 and one or more terminal devices communicating with AP 121. Subnet 130 may include AP 131 and one or more terminal devices communicating with AP 131. Subnet 140 may include AP 141 and one or more terminal devices communicating with AP 141. Subnet 150 may include AP 151 and one or more terminal devices communicating with AP 151. Terminal devices in each of subnets 120, 130, 140, and 150 communicate with network device 110 via corresponding access points.

[0050] In some example embodiments, at least one of APs 121, 131, 141, and 151 may be a specific terminal device that provides a connection between network device 110 and terminal devices in a corresponding subnet.

[0051] It should be understood that the number of network devices, subnets, APs, and terminal devices is for illustrative purposes and does not imply any limitation. Network environment 100 may include any suitable number of network devices, subnets, APs, and terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0052] Communications in network environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol(s), including but not limited to third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G) or higher, wireless local area network communication protocols such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or any other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or to be developed in the future.

[0053] Subnets 120 to 150 are envisioned as an important new network architecture paradigm for certain 6G short-distance scenarios with extremely high reliability and low latency requirements. Subnets 120 to 150 can be installed inside a vehicle, inside a body, or indoors. Subnets 120 to 150 can have the following key characteristics and technical features:

[0054] -Support extreme performance requirements in terms of latency, reliability and / or throughput;

[0055] - low transmit power, which means limited coverage (e.g., on the order of a few meters);

[0056] - A star or tree topology with one AP and one or more UEs under the control of the AP;

[0057] - Overall mobility of the AP and associated UEs, but insufficient / limited mobility across different subnets; or

[0058] - Partially cover the Wide Area Network (WAN), but must continue to function even when outside the network coverage area.

[0059] Figure 2 FIG2 shows a flow chart of an example method 200 implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Method 200 is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0060] At block 210 , network device 110 determines at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from among a plurality of subnets.

[0061] At block 220 , the network device 110 obtains interference measurement information regarding at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet.

[0062] At block 230 , network device 110 determines a resource allocation for at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information.

[0063] At block 240 , the network device 110 determines assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based on at least the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information.

[0064] At block 250 , network device 110 sends assistance information to at least one access point of a second subnet.

[0065] Method 200 enables an overlay network device to maintain a balance between resource allocation for at least one first subnet and resource allocation for at least one second subnet, thereby avoiding high signaling overhead and low flexibility in switching between resources. In particular, method 200 allows dynamic subnets with critical services (e.g., within a robot or a car) to quickly switch between resources while benefiting from centralized interference measurement aggregation.

[0066] Furthermore, by considering resource allocation of at least one first subnet when determining auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet, resource allocation for at least one second subnet in method 200 is well integrated with resource allocation for at least one first subnet.

[0067] Furthermore, the method 200 may improve service performance metrics provided by a centralized allocation scheme by reducing the potential for interference from and between subnets performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet.

[0068] Figure 3 A signaling diagram is shown that illustrates a process 300 for resource allocation for a subnet according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For discussion purposes, reference will be made to Figure 1 Describe process 300. Process 300 may involve Figure 1 The network device 110 in the subnet, the AP 121 of the subnet 120 and the AP 131 of the subnet 130.

[0069] like Figure 3 As shown, network device 110 determines 320 at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from subnets 120 to 150 .

[0070] In some example embodiments, network device 110 may determine at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet based on service requirements of subnets 120 to 150. Examples of service requirements may include, but are not limited to, quality of service (QoS), reliability, and mobility of subnets 120 to 150.

[0071] In some example embodiments, a designated or preconfigured lookup table may define a mapping between service requirements and resource allocation categories for subnets. The resource allocation categories include at least one of resource allocation for at least one first subnet or resource allocation for at least one second subnet. The lookup table may be used to determine whether one of subnets 120 to 150 is a first subnet or a second subnet based on the type of service supported by the subnets.

[0072] As an example, the lookup table may associate a subnet with extreme requirements, such as high reliability (which requires more careful resource allocation to avoid the effects of interference), with a first subnet. Furthermore, the lookup table may associate a subnet with less critical services with a second subnet. Less critical services may include, but are not limited to, NB-IoT or enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services.

[0073] As another example, a subnet may be determined to be a second subnet to allow for flexibility and higher frequency of subband switching. For example, a subnet with high mobility (inside a vehicle or robot) experiences interference with a high rate of change and requires greater flexibility in switching between subbands. Therefore, the subnet may be determined to be a second subnet. Thus, the lookup table may associate a subnet with either the first or second subnet based on mobility level (such as average speed).

[0074] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, network device 110 may determine at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet based on resource allocation preference signals from APs of subnets 120 to 150. In other words, network device 110 may determine whether a subnet is the first subnet and / or the second subnet based on an explicit request from an AP of the subnet. For example, network device 110 may receive 310 a resource allocation preference signal from AP 131 of subnet 130. Network device 110 may also receive 315 a resource allocation preference signal from AP 121 of subnet 120.

[0075] In some example embodiments, each resource allocation preference signal may indicate at least one of the following:

[0076] - the bandwidth required by one of sub-networks 120 and 130 (e.g., in terms of one or more sub-bands), or

[0077] - A category of resource allocation, comprising at least one of resource allocation for at least one first subnet or resource allocation for at least one second subnet.

[0078] In some example embodiments, an AP of one of subnets 120 and 130 may request both the first subnet and the second subnet. For example, subnet 120 serving two service classes may choose to run critical services on resources centrally allocated by network device 110, while other services may use resources selected by subnet 120 based on assistance information received from network device 110.

[0079] In some example embodiments, after determining that a subnet is the first subnet and / or the second subnet, network device 110 may notify the AP of the subnet of the resource allocation category of the subnet. For example, if subnet 130 is determined to be the first subnet, network device 110 may notify 330 AP 131 of subnet 130 that the resource allocation category of subnet 130 is for resource allocation of at least one first subnet. If subnet 120 is determined to be the second subnet, network device 110 may notify 335 AP 121 of subnet 120 that the resource allocation category of subnet 120 is for resource allocation of at least one second subnet.

[0080] Continue to refer Figure 3 , the network device 110 obtains 340 interference measurement information about at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet.

[0081] In some example embodiments, network device 110 may obtain interference measurement information from APs or terminal devices in at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet.

[0082] In some example embodiments, the interference measurement information may include inter-subnet interference measurement information.

[0083] In some example embodiments, to obtain interference measurement information, network device 110 may send a configuration message for interference measurement information to a terminal device via dedicated signaling and / or multicast signaling. The terminal device may perform interference measurement and send the interference measurement information to network device 110 via a corresponding AP.

[0084] In some example embodiments, after obtaining interference measurement information about the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet, the network device 110 may determine 350 a resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information. This will be referred to later. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Provide a description.

[0085] In some example embodiments, network device 110 may transmit resource allocation information regarding resource allocation for at least one first subnet to an AP of at least one first subnet. For example, if subnet 130 is determined to be the first subnet, network device 110 may transmit 360 resource allocation information regarding resource allocation for the subnet to AP 131 of subnet 130.

[0086] In some example embodiments, after receiving resource allocation information regarding resource allocation for at least one first subnet, the at least one first subnet may, for example, Figure 5 The beginning of the centralized resource allocation period is shown as switching to the allocated resources.

[0087] Based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information, the network device 110 determines 355 assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet.

[0088] Furthermore, network device 110 transmits auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet to an access point of at least one second subnet. For example, if subnet 120 is determined to be the second subnet, network device 110 may transmit 365 auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet to AP 121 of subnet 120.

[0089] After receiving the assistance information, the AP 121 of the subnet 120 determines 370 at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet based at least on the assistance information.

[0090] Process 300 enables an overlay network device to maintain a balance between resource allocation for at least one first subnet and resource allocation for at least one second subnet to avoid high signaling overhead and low flexibility in switching between resources. In particular, process 300 allows dynamic subnets with critical services (e.g., within a robot or a car) to quickly switch between resources while benefiting from centralized interference measurement aggregation.

[0091] Furthermore, by considering resource allocation for at least one first subnet when determining auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet, resource allocation for at least one second subnet in process 300 is well integrated with resource allocation for at least one first subnet.

[0092] Furthermore, process 300 can improve service performance metrics provided by a centralized allocation scheme by reducing the potential for interference from and between subnets performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet.

[0093] In some example embodiments, because resource allocation for the at least one first subnet is determined or performed by network device 110, resource allocation for the at least one first subnet is also referred to as centralized resource allocation. In this regard, each of the at least one first subnet is also referred to as a centralized control subnet (CCS). Furthermore, because resource allocation for the at least one second subnet is performed by the at least one second subnet itself, resource allocation for the at least one second subnet is also referred to as distributed resource allocation. In this regard, each of the at least one second subnet is also referred to as a distributed control subnet (DCS).

[0094] Hereinafter, some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described by taking CCS and DCS as examples of the first subnet and the second subnet. It should be understood that other types of subnets are also applicable to the present disclosure.

[0095] In some example embodiments, network device 110 may obtain interference measurement information regarding at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet at a preconfigured period. The period may be determined to balance a reasonable cost and performance tradeoff. As a result, resource allocation for the at least one first subnet also follows a similar period. Transmission of auxiliary information used to perform resource allocation for the at least one second subnet also follows the same period.

[0096] Figure 4 An example of a centralized resource allocation period according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 4As shown, at the beginning of each centralized resource allocation period, interference measurement information about the subnet can be shared with network device 110, network device 110 can perform centralized resource allocation for at least one CCS, and network device 110 can send assistance information to at least one DCS for distributed resource allocation.

[0097] However, the actual distributed resource allocation of the DCS may not be limited by the time window of the centralized resource allocation period. In other words, the time pattern for performing resource allocation (i.e., distributed resource allocation) for the at least one second subnet may not be limited by the time window of the centralized resource allocation period. The time pattern for performing distributed resource allocation may be preconfigured by network device 110 or explicitly signaled to the DCS. Hereinafter, the time pattern for performing distributed resource allocation is also referred to as a switching frequency, at which resource switching between candidate resources is performed for the DCS.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the assistance information for performing distributed resource allocation may include a time pattern for performing distributed resource allocation.

[0099] In some example embodiments, the time pattern for performing distributed resource allocation may be one of three types of time patterns for performing distributed resource allocation:

[0100] - No flexibility: Switching of resources for DCS is only allowed at the beginning of each centralized resource allocation period, i.e. Figure 4 As shown, while allowing the CCS to perform switching between candidate resources.

[0101] Limited Flexibility: DCS APs are granted flexibility in switching between DCS resources by allowing them to switch between candidate resources at any time, assuming the switching frequency meets predetermined conditions. For example, a DCS that strongly interferes with a critical CCS (meaning the two are adjacent) can be given a lower switching frequency to minimize the possibility of interfering with the CCS after centralized resource allocation.

[0102] - Full flexibility: resource switching between candidate resources for DCS can be performed at any time.

[0103] Figure 5 1 shows a flow chart of an example method 500 implemented at a network device according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 500 can be considered an example implementation of method 200. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 1 Method 500 is described from the perspective of network device 110.

[0104] At block 510, the network device 110 generates an interference measurement matrix (IMM) based on interference measurement information about at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet. Figure 6 Describes an example of an IMM.

[0105] At block 520 , network device 110 determines a resource allocation for at least one first subnet based on the IMM.

[0106] At block 530 , network device 110 determines an updated IMM based on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet.

[0107] At block 540, the network device 110 determines the priority of each candidate resource of each at least one second subnet based on the updated IMM. Figure 8 Provide a description.

[0108] At block 550 , network device 110 determines a time pattern for performing resource allocation for the at least one second network based on the updated IMM and the quality of service requirements of the at least one second subnet.

[0109] Figure 6 An example of an IMM according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. In this example, it is assumed that Figure 1 Subnets (SNs) 120 and 150 in the SN are identified as DCSs, and Figure 1 SNs 130 and 140 in the CCS are determined as CCSs. Hereinafter, SNs 120 and 150 are also referred to as DCSs 120 and 150, and SNs 130 and 140 are also referred to as CCSs 130 and 140. In addition, this example will be described by taking "subband" as an example of resources to be allocated to a CCS or a DCS.

[0110] like Figure 6 As shown, based on the interference measurements, network device 110 generates IMMs for subband 1 (SB1) and subband 2 (SB2). In this example, it is assumed that the interference measurement for SB1 is similar to the interference measurement for SB2. However, in other examples, IMMs can be generated separately for each subband. The values ​​in the IMMs represent the interference strength, where the rows correspond to the interfered subnets and the columns correspond to the interfering subnets. It should be noted that Figure 6 The IMM in is symmetric, but it can also be asymmetric.

[0111] The gray area of ​​the IMM is first used to allocate subbands to the two CCSs. In this example, SN 130 is allocated SB1 and SN 140 is allocated SB2. In other words, network device 110 determines the subband allocation for the CCSs as follows:

[0112] -SN 130→SB1

[0113] -SN 140→SB2

[0114] exist Figure 6 After assigning subbands to the CCS in the example of FIG, the network device 110 may determine a priority (also referred to as a "subband priority") associated with each subband for each DCS. This will refer to Figure 7 Provide a description.

[0115] Figure 7 An example of a process for determining a subband for a DCS according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For the purpose of discussion, Figure 6 The example in Figure 7 in the process.

[0116] like Figure 7 As shown, at step 710 , network device 110 determines subband allocations for CCSs 130 and 140 .

[0117] In step 720 , the network device 110 updates the IMM of the DCS according to the subband allocation of the CCSs 130 and 140 .

[0118] In step 730, using the updated IMM, network device 110 determines a subband priority associated with each subband for each DCS. The subband priorities may be taken from a preconfigured lookup table. For example, if a DCS causes a high level of interference in a particular subband to a CCS assigned to that subband, the DCS may be assigned a lower subband priority, and vice versa. A minimum subband priority (e.g., 0) does not allow the DCS to use that subband.

[0119] In some example embodiments, assistance information for distributed resource allocation may include subband priorities.

[0120] Additionally, network device 110 may determine a switching frequency for each DCS. The switching frequency may be determined separately for each DCS, or for each DCS and each subband. The switching frequency may limit the frequency of switching between subbands within a DCS. For example, in step 710, after centralized subband allocation, a DCS that strongly interferes with a critical CCS (meaning they are very close) may be assigned a lower switching frequency to minimize the likelihood of interfering with that CCS.

[0121] In some example embodiments, the optimization of determining the subband allocation for CCS, determining the subband priority, and determining the switching frequency can be performed in a joint optimization process, jointly targeting the minimization of random interference between CCS and DCS given the subband priority and switching frequency. That is, the optimization can be based on the following:

[0122] {Weighted sum or maximum value of all CCS and DCS interferences}

[0123] st{available subband; IMM; QoS requirement} (1)

[0124] In expression (1), the problem involves finding the best choice of subband allocation for DCS and CCS that minimizes the weighted sum (or maximum) of interference for all CCS and DCS. "st" is an abbreviation for constrained and refers to the constraints that must hold when performing minimization.

[0125] The weighted sum of interference from all CCSs and DCSs can be expressed as:

[0126]

[0127] Where W i represents the weight of subnet i, and I i Represents the interference measurement for the subnet.

[0128] The maximum interference of all CCS and DCS can be expressed as:

[0129] max(w i I i ) (3)

[0130] In some example embodiments, the optimization of subband priorities for DCS is determined (ie, Figure 7 Step 730 in ( ) can be based on the weighted likelihood of interference from other DCSs using the same subband. Figure 7 When SN 120 in FIG. 1 distinguishes SB2 as a priority of 0.6, by jointly considering SN 150 using SB2 and Figure 7 The probability shown is 0.3 of causing an interference level of 1 towards SN 120 and vice versa.

[0131] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 800 implemented at an AP of a subnet according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1 Method 800 is described from the perspective of AP 121 of subnet 120.

[0132] In block 810 , the AP 121 receives assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet from a network device of the radio access network.

[0133] At block 820 , the AP 121 determines at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation based at least on the assistance information.

[0134] In some example embodiments, method 800 further includes sending a resource allocation preference signal to the network device. The resource allocation preference signal causes the network device to determine the second subnet from the plurality of subnets.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the resource allocation preference signal indicates at least one of: a bandwidth required by the second subnet, or a resource allocation class including at least one of a resource allocation for the first subnet or a resource allocation for the second subnet.

[0136] In some example embodiments, the first subnet includes a CCS and the second subnet includes a DCS.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the assistance information includes at least one of: a priority associated with each candidate resource of the second subnet, or a time pattern for performing resource allocation for the second subnet.

[0138] In some example embodiments, AP 121 may determine a subset of candidate resources based on the priority. AP 121 may then determine at least one resource from the subset of candidate resources based at least on the priority.

[0139] In some example embodiments, AP 121 may determine at least one resource based on priority and traffic arrival patterns. For example, AP 121 may determine a high-priority subband for periodic and critical traffic, and a lower-priority subband for non-critical and intermittent low-rate traffic.

[0140] Alternatively or additionally, in some example embodiments, AP 121 may determine at least one resource based on priority and instantaneous interference measurements from carrier sensing. Figure 9 Provide a description.

[0141] Figure 9 8. A flowchart of an example method 900 implemented at an AP of a subnet according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Method 900 may be considered an example implementation of method 800. For discussion purposes, the following will be discussed with respect to Figure 1 Method 900 is described from the perspective of AP 121 of subnet 120.

[0142] At block 910, AP 121 resets the counter.

[0143] At block 920, AP 121 increments the value of the counter by one.

[0144] At block 930, AP 121 determines whether the value of the counter is equal to or greater than 1 / handover frequency. For example, if the handover frequency is equal to 1 / 5, it means a handover every 5 time slots. Therefore, subnet 120 is allowed to handover only if the value of the counter has reached 5 or more since the last reset. (ie, 5) is to check the condition.

[0145] If the value of the counter is equal to or greater than 1 / switching frequency, the method 900 proceeds to block 940. At block 940, the AP 121 collects instantaneous interference measurements from carrier sensing.

[0146] If the value of the counter is less than 1 / switching frequency, the method 900 proceeds to block 920 .

[0147] At block 950, the AP 121 determines whether the interference indicator from the instantaneous interference measurement has changed since the last instantaneous interference measurement.

[0148] If the interference metric has changed since the last instantaneous interference measurement, the method 900 proceeds to block 960. At block 960, the AP 121 creates a composite subband selection metric using the changed instantaneous interference measurement and the subband priorities.

[0149] If the interference indicator has not changed since the last instantaneous interference measurement, the method 900 proceeds to block 920 .

[0150] At block 970, AP 121 determines whether there is a new best subband to switch to.

[0151] If there is a new best subband to switch to, the method 900 proceeds to block 980. At block 980, the AP 121 sends a subband switching signal to the terminal devices in the subnet 120 and switches to the new subband.

[0152] After switching to the new subband, at block 910, the AP 121 resets the counter.

[0153] On the other hand, at block 970 , if the AP 121 determines that there is no new best subband to switch to, the method 900 proceeds to block 920 .

[0154] In some example embodiments, any device capable of performing method 200 (e.g., network device 110) may include a component for performing the corresponding operations of method 200. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The component may be implemented as network device 110 or included in network device 110. In some example embodiments, the component may include a processor and a memory.

[0155] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for determining, at a network device for a wireless access network, at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; means for obtaining interference measurement information regarding the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; means for determining resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information; means for determining assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet based on at least the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information; and means for sending the assistance information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

[0156] In some example embodiments, the means for determining the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet includes means for determining the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet based on at least one of: service requirements of the plurality of subnets, or resource allocation preference signals from access points of the plurality of subnets.

[0157] In some example embodiments, each of the resource allocation preference signals indicates at least one of a bandwidth required by one of the plurality of subnets, or a resource allocation class including at least one of a resource allocation for the first subnet or a resource allocation for the second subnet.

[0158] In some example embodiments, the auxiliary information used to perform resource allocation for the at least one second subnet includes at least one of: a priority associated with each candidate resource for the at least one second subnet, or a time pattern for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet.

[0159] In some example embodiments, means for determining resource allocation for at least one first subnet includes means for generating an interference measurement matrix (IMM) based on interference measurement information; and means for determining resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the IMM. Means for determining auxiliary information for performing resource allocation for at least one second subnet includes means for determining an updated IMM based on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet; means for determining a priority based on the updated IMM; and means for determining a temporal pattern based on the updated IMM and a quality of service requirement of the at least one second subnet.

[0160] In some example embodiments, at least one first subnet comprises a centrally controlled subnet, and at least one second subnet comprises a distributed controlled subnet.

[0161] In some example embodiments, any device capable of performing method 800 (e.g., AP 121) may include a component for performing the corresponding operations of method 800. The component may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the component may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module. The component may be implemented as AP 121 or included in AP 121. In some example embodiments, the component may include a processor and a memory.

[0162] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes: means for receiving, at an AP of a second subnet, from a network device of a wireless access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet, the second subnet being associated with the wireless access network; and means for determining at least one resource for operation by performing resource allocation based at least on the assistance information.

[0163] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for sending a resource allocation preference signal to the network device, the resource allocation preference signal causing the network device to determine the second subnet from the plurality of subnets.

[0164] In some example embodiments, the resource allocation preference signal indicates at least one of: a bandwidth required by the second subnet, or a resource allocation class including at least one of a resource allocation for the first subnet or a resource allocation for the second subnet.

[0165] In some example embodiments, the first subnet comprises a centrally controlled subnet and the second subnet comprises a distributed controlled subnet.

[0166] In some example embodiments, the assistance information includes at least one of: a priority level associated with each candidate resource of the second subnet, or a time pattern for performing resource allocation for the second subnet.

[0167] In some example embodiments, means for determining at least one resource for operation comprises means for determining a subset of candidate resources based on a priority; and means for determining at least one resource from the subset of candidate resources based at least on the priority.

[0168] In some example embodiments, means for determining at least one resource from the subset of candidate resources based at least on priority comprises means for determining at least one resource based on priority and at least one of: an instantaneous interference measurement from carrier sensing, or a traffic arrival pattern.

[0169] In some example embodiments, means for determining at least one resource for operation comprises means for performing resource allocation based on a temporal pattern.

[0170] Figure 10is a simplified block diagram of a device 1000 suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 1000 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as a network device 110 or a Figure 1 One of the APs 121, 131, 141, and 151 is shown. As shown, the device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010, one or more memories 1020 coupled to the processors 1010, and one or more communication modules 1040 coupled to the processors 1010.

[0171] Communication module 1040 is configured for bidirectional communication. Communication module 1040 includes one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. A communication interface may represent any interface required for communication with other network elements. In some exemplary embodiments, communication module 1040 may include at least one antenna.

[0172] Processor 1010 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Apparatus 1000 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, that are time-slave to a clock that synchronizes a master processor.

[0173] Memory 1020 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1024, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 1022 and other volatile memories that do not persist during power outages.

[0174] Computer program 1030 includes computer-executable instructions that are executable by the associated processor 1010. Program 1030 may be stored in a memory such as ROM 1024. Processor 1010 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading program 1030 into RAM 1022.

[0175] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented with the aid of the program 1030 so that the device 1000 can execute the following steps: Figures 1 to 9 Any process of the present disclosure discussed. The example embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0176] In some example embodiments, program 1030 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be contained in device 1000 (such as in memory 1020) or in other storage devices accessible by device 1000. Device 1000 may load program 1030 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1022 for execution. Computer-readable media may include any type of tangible, non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, and the like. Figure 11 An example of a computer readable medium 1100 is shown which may be in the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical storage disk. The computer readable medium has a program 1030 stored thereon.

[0177] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented using hardware, while other aspects may be implemented using firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representations, it should be understood that, as non-limiting examples, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0178] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer executable instructions, such as instructions included in a program module, which are executed in a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform the above-referenced Figures 1 to 9 Any of the methods described herein. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed on local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0179] The program code for executing the disclosed method can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device so that the program code causes the function / operation specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be realized when executed by the processor or controller. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as an independent software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0180] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0181] Computer readable media can be computer readable signal media or computer readable storage media.Computer readable media can include but are not limited to electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.More specific examples of computer readable storage media will include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer floppy disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0182] It should be understood that although some embodiments can be implemented by / at an IAB node, the solutions including the methods and devices proposed in the present disclosure can also be applied to other communication systems with similar technical problems. In addition, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in sequence, or performing all of the operations shown to obtain the desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments individually or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0183] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features or acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A network device for a wireless access network, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: determining at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; Obtaining interference measurement information about the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; determining, based on the interference measurement information, a resource allocation for the at least one first subnet; determining, based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet; as well as The auxiliary information is sent to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the network device is configured to determine the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet based on at least one of: the service requirements of the multiple subnets, or Resource allocation preference signals from access points of the plurality of subnets.

3. The network device of claim 2 , wherein each of the resource allocation preference signals indicates at least one of the following: the bandwidth required by one of the plurality of subnets, or The category of resource allocation includes at least one of the following: the resource allocation for the first subnet, or the resource allocation for the second subnet.

4. The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary information used to perform the resource allocation for the at least one second subnet comprises at least one of the following: a priority associated with each candidate resource for the at least one second subnet, or A time pattern for performing the resource allocation for the at least one second subnetwork.

5. The network device according to claim 4, wherein: The network device is caused to determine the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet by: generating an interference measurement matrix (IMM) based on the interference measurement information; and determining the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the IMM; and The network device is caused to determine the auxiliary information for performing the resource allocation for the at least one second subnet by: determining an updated IMM based on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet; Determining the priority based on the updated IMM; as well as The time pattern is determined based on the updated IMM and the quality of service requirement of the at least one second subnet. 6 . The network device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first subnet comprises a centrally controlled subnet, and the at least one second subnet comprises a distributed controlled subnet.

7. An access point of a second subnet associated with a wireless access network, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the access point to at least: receiving, from a network device of the radio access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet; as well as By performing the resource allocation based at least on the assistance information, at least one resource for operation is determined.

8. The access point of claim 7, wherein the access point is further caused to: A resource allocation preference signal is sent to the network device, where the resource allocation preference signal enables the network device to determine the second subnet from a plurality of subnets.

9. The access point of claim 8, wherein the resource allocation preference signal indicates at least one of the following: the bandwidth required by the second subnet, or The category of resource allocation includes at least one of the following: resource allocation for the first subnet, or resource allocation for the second subnet.

10. The access point of claim 9, wherein the first subnet comprises a centrally controlled subnet and the second subnet comprises a distributed controlled subnet.

11. The access point according to claim 7, wherein the assistance information comprises at least one of the following: a priority associated with each candidate resource of the second subnet, or A time pattern for performing resource allocation for the second subnet.

12. The access point of claim 11 , wherein the access point is caused to determine the at least one resource for operation by: Based on the priorities, determining a subset of the candidate resources; and The at least one resource is determined from the subset of the candidate resources based at least on the priority.

13. The access point of claim 12 , wherein the access point is caused to determine the at least one resource from the subset of the candidate resources based at least on the priority by: The at least one resource is determined based on the priority and at least one of: Instantaneous interference measurement from carrier sense, or Business arrival mode.

14. The access point of claim 11 , wherein the access point is caused to: Based on the time pattern, the resource allocation is performed.

15. A method comprising: At the network device, determining at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; Obtaining interference measurement information about the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; determining, based on the interference measurement information, a resource allocation for the at least one first subnet; determining, based at least on the resource allocation for the at least one first subnet and the interference measurement information, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the at least one second subnet; as well as The auxiliary information is sent to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

16. A method comprising: receiving, at an access point of a second subnet, from a network device of a radio access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet, the second subnet being associated with the radio access network; as well as By performing the resource allocation based at least on the assistance information, at least one resource for operation is determined.

17. An apparatus comprising: means for determining, at a network device of a radio access network, at least one first subnet and at least one second subnet from a plurality of subnets; means for obtaining interference measurement information about the at least one first subnet and the at least one second subnet; means for determining a resource allocation for the at least one first subnet based on the interference measurement information; means for determining assistance information for performing resource allocation for said at least one second subnet based at least on said resource allocation for said at least one first subnet and said interference measurement information; as well as means for sending the assistance information to an access point of the at least one second subnet.

18. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, at an access point of a second subnet from a network device of a radio access network, assistance information for performing resource allocation for the second subnet, the second subnet being associated with the radio access network; as well as means for determining at least one resource for operation by performing said resource allocation based at least on said assistance information.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions, which, when executed by a device, cause the device to at least perform the method of claim 15 or 16.

Images