Methods and apparatus for enabling further enhancements to flexible subframes in LTE heterogeneous networks
View Patent ↗A method is provided for communication in a wireless telecommunication network. The method comprises providing, by a network element, one of an uplink grant or a downlink grant to at least one UE that the network element has determined, based on information received from a plurality of UEs, is closer to the network element than is another UE, wherein the uplink grant is scheduled such that the UE transmits to the network element only during at least one flexible subframe, and wherein the downlink grant is scheduled such that the network element transmits to the UE only during at least one flexible subframe. The method further comprises transmitting, by the network element, to at least one UE that the network element has determined, based on information received from a plurality of UEs, is closer to the network element than is another UE, only during at least one flexible subframe.
1. A method for communication in a wireless telecommunication network, the method comprising:
providing, by a network element, one of an uplink grant or a downlink grant to at least one user equipment (UE) that the network element has determined, based on information received from a plurality of UEs, is closer to the network element than is another UE, wherein the uplink grant is scheduled such that the UE transmits to the network element only during at least one flexible subframe that is capable of dynamically switching between an uplink subframe and a downlink subframe, and wherein the downlink grant is scheduled such that the network element transmits to the UE only during at least one flexible subframe;
transmitting, by the network element, to at least one UE that the network element has determined, based on information received from a plurality of UEs, is closer to the network element than is another UE, only during at least one flexible subframe; and
receiving, by the network element, from at least one UE that the network element has determined, based on information received from a plurality of UEs, is closer to the network element than is another UE, only during at least one flexible subframe,
wherein the network element determines flexible subframes and static subframes in a radio frame, and wherein the transmission in the flexible subframes is at lower power than transmission in static subframes in the radio frame.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element sends information about the flexible subframes and static subframes to the UE.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of whether a flexible subframe is an uplink subframe or a downlink subframe changes faster than a backhaul signaling delay.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element refrains from transmitting at least one control signal in at least one flexible subframe.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element transmits at least one control signal at reduced power in at least one flexible subframe, and wherein the network element signals information related to the power reduction to the UE.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element sends information about the configuration of at least one control signal transmitted in at least one flexible subframe to at least one neighboring cell.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element configures a UE to transmit a plurality of channel quality indicator (CQI) reports, the plurality of CQI reports comprising at least one of:
one CQI report for each downlink subframe in a radio frame;
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report for each flexible downlink subframe in the radio frame; or
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report that includes an average CQI for all flexible downlink subframes in the radio frame.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network element configures a UE to transmit a plurality of CQI reports, and wherein the network element determines the CQI reports that the UE is to transmit based on knowledge the network element possesses regarding a configuration of uplink and downlink subframes in at least one neighboring cell.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a measurement resource restriction pattern specified in the MeasSubframePattern information element in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 36.331 is modified for the reporting of a CQI by an addition of a subframe pattern.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a capability for transmission of a plurality of CQI reports is provided by a definition of additional measurement subframe subsets in the CQI-ReportConfig information element in 3GPP TS 36.331.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein, on the downlink, the network element assigns a first portion of resource blocks (RBs) with relative narrowband transmit power (RNTP)=1 for high-power transmission to the other UE and assigns a second portion of RBs with RNTP=0 for low-power transmission to the UE, and wherein on the uplink, the network element assigns a third portion of RBs with high interference indicator (HII)=1 for transmissions from the other UE and assigns a fourth portion of RBs with HII=0 for transmissions from the UE, and wherein a network element in another cell schedules its cell-edge UE UL transmissions on a fifth portion of RBs that is a subset of an intersection of the second portion of RBs and the fourth portion of RBs.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexible subframe is configured such that the UE that is closer to the network element than is another UE, transmits uplink data and receives downlink data in the flexible subframe.
13. A network element comprising:
a processor configured such that the network element configures a user equipment (UE) to transmit a plurality of channel quality indicator (CQI) reports, the plurality of CQI reports comprising at least one of:
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report for each flexible downlink subframe in the radio frame, wherein the flexible subframe is configured to dynamically switch between an uplink subframe and a downlink subframe, or
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report that includes an average CQI for all flexible downlink subframes in the radio frame,
wherein the network element determines flexible subframes and static subframes in a radio frame and wherein the transmission in the flexible subframes is at lower power than transmission in static subframes in the radio frame.
14. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element determines the CQI reports that the UE is to transmit based on knowledge the network element possesses regarding a configuration of uplink and downlink subframes in at least one neighboring cell.
15. The network element of claim 13 , wherein a measurement resource restriction pattern specified in the MeasSubframePattern information element in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 36.331 is modified for the reporting of a CQI by an addition of a subframe pattern.
16. The network element of claim 13 , wherein a capability for transmission of a plurality of CQI reports is provided by a definition of additional measurement subframe subsets in the CQI-ReportConfig information element in 3GPP TS 36.331.
17. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element determines flexible subframes and static subframes in a radio frame.
18. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element sends information about the flexible subframes and static subframes to the UE.
19. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the configuration of whether a flexible subframe is an uplink subframe or a downlink subframe changes faster than a backhaul signaling delay.
20. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element refrains from transmitting at least one control signal in at least one flexible subframe.
21. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element transmits at least one control signal at reduced power in at least one flexible subframe, and wherein the network element signals information related to the power reduction to the UE.
22. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the network element sends information about the configuration of at least one control signal transmitted in at least one flexible subframe to at least one neighboring cell.
23. The network element of claim 13 , wherein the flexible subframe is configured such that the UE transmits uplink data and receives downlink data in the flexible subframe.
24. A method for communication in a wireless telecommunication network, the method comprising:
transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), at least one of a plurality of types of channel quality indicator (CQI) report, the plurality of types of CQI report comprising:
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report for each flexible downlink subframe in the radio frame, wherein the flexible subframe is configured to dynamically switch between an uplink subframe and a downlink subframe, or
one CQI report for all static downlink subframes in a radio frame and one CQI report that includes an average CQI for all flexible downlink subframes in the radio frame,
wherein the transmission in the flexible subframes is at lower power than transmission in static subframes in the radio frame.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the flexible subframe is configured such that the UE transmits uplink data and receives downlink data in the flexible subframe.