Flexible Duplex Resource Allocation for Inter-Cell Interference Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems operating in flexible duplex mode, inter-cell interference poses a challenge due to simultaneous transmission and reception, leading to reduced communication performance and increased interference levels.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for allocating resources to control inter-cell interference by receiving information on downlink resources from adjacent base stations and allocating corresponding resources to user equipment, utilizing a partial frequency band or edge bands for uplink and downlink to minimize interference, and adjusting based on interference thresholds and signal reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If full duplex communication is implemented to allow simultaneous transmission and reception, then system capacity is doubled, but inter-cell interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different uplink-downlink patterns for different cells based on their specific interference conditions. Each cell can have customized resource allocation (e.g., some cells use more downlink subframes while others use more uplink subframes) to locally optimize performance without affecting the entire network uniformly, thus managing interference at a cell-specific level while maintaining overall system capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by introducing flexible uplink-downlink configuration that can be dynamically adjusted based on traffic conditions and interference levels. The system can switch between different TDD configurations (e.g., Configuration 0-6 in LTE) and adjust the number of downlink and uplink subframes in real-time, allowing the network to adapt to changing conditions and balance capacity gains against interference management.
2Productivity
If flexible duplex mode is used per cell to improve resource utilization, then communication performance is enhanced, but inter-cell interference control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a standardized framework for flexible duplex operation that works across multiple cells and configurations. The same basic mechanism (configurable uplink-downlink patterns, interference measurement procedures, and resource allocation methods) can be universally applied to different cells with different traffic patterns and interference conditions, simplifying implementation while maintaining flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by establishing closed-loop interference management where cells continuously measure interference levels (e.g., using CSI-IM resources), report to the network controller, and receive adjusted configurations in response. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically adapt flexible duplex configurations based on actual interference conditions, managing complexity through automated control rather than manual configuration.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If downlink resources are allocated corresponding to adjacent cell downlink resources, then inter-cell interference is controlled, but resource flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the frequency spectrum into different resource blocks and bands that can be independently configured for uplink and downlink. Instead of treating the entire bandwidth as a single flexible resource, the system segments it into UL-only bands, DL-only bands, and flexible bands, allowing selective application of interference coordination in specific segments while maintaining flexibility in others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by applying rigid downlink resource alignment only where necessary for interference control (e.g., in bands with strong inter-cell interference), while leaving other resource segments flexible for adaptive allocation. This partial application of constraints allows the system to achieve interference management benefits without sacrificing overall resource flexibility, applying rigidity only where needed rather than uniformly across all resources.
Data Source
AI summary
A resource allocation method for controlling, by a base station, inter-cell interference in a wireless communication system operating in a flexible duplex mode on a cell-by-cell basis may comprise the steps of: receiving, from an adjacent base station, information on a resource for downlink only, allocated to an adjacent cell to which the adjacent base station belongs, in a predetermined subframe; and allocating, to terminals in a cell to which the base station belongs, a resource for the cell, which corresponds to the resource for downlink only, allocated to the adjacent cell, as a resource for downlink only, on the basis of the information on the resource.