Neighbor cell interference estimation
A system for estimating interference on a cellular network includes a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon. The computer executable instructions perform the following method when executed by the processor: causing the processor to receive from a user equipment, first information indicating a strength of a signal received at the user equipment from an interfering base station; causing the processor to receive second information indicating an airlink utilization of the interfering base station; and causing the processor to process the first information and the second information according to an estimation function to produce an interference estimate.
1. A system for estimating interference on a cellular network, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, perform the following method:
causing the processor to receive from a user equipment, first information indicating a strength of a signal received at the user equipment from an interfering base station;
causing the processor to receive second information indicating an airlink utilization of the interfering base station; and
causing the processor to process the first information and the second information according to an estimation function to produce an interference estimate,
wherein the airlink utilization is a percentage of resources that the interfering base station uses over a predetermined time period of one second or less.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is located in a serving base station of the user equipment.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is located in the user equipment; and
the method further comprises causing the processor to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is located in a network resource controller; and
the method further comprises causing the processor to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second information is received from a network resource controller.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second information is received from the interfering base station.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is caused to process the first information and the second information to produce the interference estimate, further based upon a mapping function.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes an RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power) value.
9. A method for estimating interference, the method comprising:
receiving from a user equipment, first information indicating a strength of a signal received at the user equipment from an interfering base station;
receiving second information indicating an airlink utilization of the interfering base station; and
processing the first information and the second information according to an estimation function to produce an interference estimate,
wherein the airlink utilization is a percentage of resources that the interfering base station uses over a predetermined time period of one second or less.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the interference estimate is produced in a serving base station of the user equipment.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the interference estimate is produced in the user equipment; and
the method further comprises causing the user equipment to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the interference estimate is produced in a network resource controller; and
the method further comprises causing the network resource controller to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second information is received from a network resource controller.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second information is received from the interfering base station.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein processing the first information and the second information to produce the interference estimate is further based upon a mapping function.
16. A non-transitory computer readable medium with computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, perform the following method:
receiving from a user equipment, first information indicating a strength of a signal received at the user equipment from an interfering base station;
receiving second information indicating an airlink utilization of the interfering base station; and
processing the first information and the second information according to an estimation function to produce an interference estimate,
wherein the airlink utilization is a percentage of resources that the interfering base station uses over a predetermined time period of one second or less.
17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the interference estimate is produced in a serving base station of the user equipment.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the interference estimate is produced in the user equipment; and
the method further comprises causing the user equipment to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein:
the interference estimate is produced in a network resource controller; and
the method further comprises causing the network resource controller to communicate the interference estimate to a serving base station of the user equipment.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second information is received from a network resource controller.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second information is received from the interfering base station.