Apparatus and methods for interference management in a quasi-licensed wireless system

1 . Wireless access point apparatus for use within a wireless network, comprising:

radio frequency interface apparatus;

digital processor apparatus in data communication with the radio frequency interface apparatus; and

computer readable apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising storage medium, the storage medium comprising at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed on the digital processor apparatus, cause the wireless access point apparatus to:

generate and transmit a message to a network entity to notify its participation in a computerized optimization process;

establish a connection with one or more neighboring wireless access point apparatus;

generate and transmit at least one first message to one or more user devices utilizing the wireless access point apparatus to obtain and report data relating to other wireless access point apparatus; and

generate and transmit at least one second message to the network entity, the at least one second message comprising at least a portion of the reported data relating to the other wireless access point apparatus.

2 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the computerized optimization process comprises an inter-wireless access point apparatus load balancing process; and

the at least portion of the reported data relating to the other wireless access point apparatus enables the network entity to create one or more virtual groupings or clusters of wireless access point apparatus within the wireless network, the one or more virtual groupings or clusters enabling performance of said inter-wireless access point apparatus load balancing process.

3 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the wireless access point apparatus comprises a CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) compliant Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD), and the inter-wireless access point apparatus load balancing process comprises inter-CBSD load balancing between two frequency bands each between 3.550 GHz and 3.700 Ghz, the two frequency bands assigned to respective ones of two CBSDs participating in the inter-wireless access point apparatus load balancing process.

4 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the network entity comprises either (i) a SAS (spectrum allocation system) in data communication with the wireless network, or (ii) a SAS proxy entity within the wireless network.

5 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:

the network entity comprises the SAS proxy entity within the wireless network; and

the SAS proxy entity, the wireless access point apparatus, and the other wireless access point apparatus are each operated by a common managed network operator.

6 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reported data relating to other wireless access point apparatus comprises at least one of PCI (physical cell identifier) or transmit power associated with an individual one of a plurality of sectors of at least one of the other ones of wireless access points.

7 . The wireless access point apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the wireless network comprises a wireless network utilizing 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) 4G (fourth Generation) Long Term Evolution or 5G (Fifth Generation) New Radio compliant infrastructure utilizing Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum within a frequency range of 3.550 GHz to 3.700 GHz; and

the network entity comprises a CBRS SAS (spectrum allocation system).

8 . Computer readable apparatus having a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a digital processing apparatus of a computerized base station apparatus, cause the computerized base station apparatus to:

notify a computerized network entity of participation of the computerized base station apparatus in a computerized optimization process;

establish data communication between the computerized base station apparatus and one or more neighboring base station apparatus to obtain, from one or more first user devices in data communication with the one or more neighboring base station apparatus, first data relating to one or more other first base station apparatus also in data communication with the one or more first user devices, respectively;

obtain second data from one or more second user devices utilizing the computerized base station apparatus, the second data relating to one or more other second base station apparatus in data communication with the one or more second user devices, respectively; and

transmit at least a portion of the first and second data to the computerized network entity.

9 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:

the computerized optimization process comprises an inter-base station apparatus load balancing process; and

the at least portion of the first and second data enables the computerized network entity to create one or more virtual groupings or clusters of base station apparatus within a wireless network, the one or more virtual groupings or clusters enabling performance of the inter-base station apparatus load balancing process.

10 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising, based on the inter-base station apparatus load balancing process and the computerized base station apparatus being disposed on an edge of the one or more virtual groupings or clusters, receiving data representative of an instruction from the computerized network entity to reduce transmit power in order to reduce coverage area.

11 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising, based on the inter-base station apparatus load balancing process and the computerized base station apparatus being disposed on an inside of the one or more virtual groupings or clusters, receiving data representative of an instruction from the computerized network entity to increase transmit power in order to increase coverage area.

12 . The computer readable apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computerized base station apparatus comprises a CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) compliant Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device (CBSD).

13 . A method of operating a base station apparatus within a wireless network, the method comprising:

generating and transmitting a message to a network entity to notify its participation in a computerized optimization process;

establishing a connection with one or more neighboring base station apparatus;

generating and transmitting at least one first message to one or more user devices utilizing the one or more neighboring base station apparatus to obtain and report data relating to one or more neighboring base station apparatus; and

generating and transmitting at least one second message to the network entity, the at least one second message comprising at least a portion of the reported data relating to the one or more neighboring base station apparatus.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the establishing of the connection with the one or more neighboring base station apparatus comprises establishing at least one direct peer-to-peer communication channel between the base station apparatus and one or more geographically proximate base station apparatus; and the method further comprises:

obtaining data from the one or more geographically proximate base station apparatus via the at least one direct peer-to-peer communication channel; and

causing provision of at least a portion of the obtained data to the network entity for use as part of a computerized optimization process.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the computerized optimization process comprises an inter-base station apparatus load balancing process; and

the at least portion of the obtained data enables the computerized base station management process to create one or more virtual groupings or clusters of base station apparatuses within the wireless network, the one or more virtual groupings or clusters enabling performance of the inter-base station apparatus load balancing process.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting data relating to a location of the base station apparatus to the network entity;

wherein the creation of the one or more virtual groupings or clusters of the base station apparatuses within the wireless network is further based on the location of the base station apparatus.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the establishing of the connection with the one or more neighboring base station apparatus comprises:

causing one or more user devices in data communication with the base station apparatus to detect identifying data associated with each of the one or more geographically proximate base station apparatus;

receiving at least a portion of the detected identifying data associated with each of the one or more geographically proximate base station apparatus;

transmitting at least a portion of the received at least portion of the detected identifying data to the network entity; and

receiving, from the network entity, data indicative of network addresses of one or more base stations associated with the transmitted at least portion of the received at least portion of the detected identifying data.

18 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising notifying the network entity that the base station apparatus intends to participate in a load balancing process controlled by the wireless network.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving, from the network entity, data indicating that the base station apparatus must participate in a load balancing process controlled by the wireless network.

20 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving data representative of an instruction from the network entity to reduce transmit power in order to mitigate interference, the receiving of the data representative of the instruction from the network entity to reduce the transmit power comprises receiving data representative of a first instruction from a computerized base station management process to reduce power in a first increment, and subsequently receiving data representative of a second instruction to reduce power in a second increment based on an evaluation of interference by the computerized base station management process.