Joint Control Channel Scheduling for Inter-Cell Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE and LTE-Advanced, face challenges in efficiently managing resource allocation for control channels in macro-cell architectures, leading to interference and limited capacity in multi-user scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine channel conditions across contiguous cells to identify sets for joint scheduling, allowing for coordinated resource assignment of control channels, thereby minimizing interference and increasing capacity by optimizing SINR and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional independent scheduling is used for control channels in each cell, then device complexity is reduced and operation is simpler, but interference between adjacent cells increases and system capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the scheduling functions of multiple adjacent cells into a unified joint scheduling mechanism. The network device performs coordinated resource allocation across cell 1 and cell 2, combining their control channel scheduling into a single optimization process that considers interference between cells, thereby increasing system capacity while managing complexity through centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a joint scheduling mechanism as an intermediary layer between independent cell schedulers. This mediator coordinates resource allocation by considering channel conditions and interference patterns across multiple cells, optimizing control channel resource assignment while maintaining manageable complexity through structured coordination protocols.
2Reliability
If control channel resources are allocated independently per cell, then resource allocation is simpler and faster, but interference between cells degrades SINR and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines resource allocation decisions for control channels across adjacent cells into a unified process. By jointly evaluating channel conditions and coordinating resource assignments in cell 1 and cell 2, the system improves SINR reliability while managing complexity through centralized optimization that considers inter-cell interference patterns.
3Reliability
If joint scheduling is implemented across multiple cells, then interference is reduced and SINR improves, but the complexity of determining channel conditions and coordinating resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a joint scheduling mechanism as an intermediary that systematically coordinates resource allocation across multiple cells. This mediator reduces complexity by implementing structured procedures for determining channel conditions and making coordinated decisions, while still achieving improved control channel quality through interference-aware resource assignment.
Data Source
AI summary
Channel conditions within each of N contiguous cells is determined. Based on at least the determined N channel conditions, there is determined a set of the N cells which are to utilize joint scheduling, and resources for a control channel are jointly assigning to individual cells of the set of cells. In various embodiments, the channel conditions are SINR and load on the control channel; and the set of cells is decided based on potential for mutual interference and/or potential that the control channel will not be filled. The resource may be jointly assigned based on user priority, so that serially for each highest priority user resources are assigned, the assigned resources are then blocked from compiled lists of radio resources, the highest priority user is removed and a next highest priority user is then the highest priority user to continue in the serial iteration.