Frame structure and signaling arrangement for interference aware scheduling

1. A method, comprising:

preparing a frame for transmission in a wireless communication system, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames;

incorporating a plurality of interference reports into the frame, wherein each sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames comprises a scheduling block and an interference report directly associated with the scheduling block; and

transmitting the interference reports within respective sub-frames of the frame in the wireless communication system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein preparing the frame comprises preparing a time division duplex frame.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incorporating comprises incorporating a frame structure that varies from frame to frame, but is periodic with a longer time interval than the frame.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incorporating comprises incorporating a flexible frame structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

mapping the interference report to the frame to provide an explicit mapping between the resources used for data transmission and the interference reports.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

synchronizing the interference report with at least one other interference report.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

orthogonalizing the report with at least one report in another cell.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interference report comprises information about a next frame's allocation.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory including computer program code; and

at least one processor,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to

preparing a frame for transmission in a wireless communication system, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames;

incorporating a plurality of interference reports into the frame, wherein each sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames comprises a scheduling block and an interference report directly associated with the scheduling block; and

transmitting the interference reports within respective sub-frames of the frame in the wireless communication system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to prepare the frame as a time division duplex frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to use a frame structure that varies from frame to frame, but is periodic with a longer time interval than the frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to use a flexible frame structure.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to map the interference report to the frame to provide an explicit mapping between the resources used for data transmission and the interference reports.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to synchronize the interference report with at least one other interference report.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to orthogonalize the report with at least one report in another cell.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are also configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to incorporate information about a next frame's allocation into the interference report.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, the process comprising:

preparing a frame for transmission in a wireless communication system, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of sub-frames;

incorporating a plurality of interference reports into the frame, wherein each sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames comprises a scheduling block and an interference report directly associated with the scheduling block; and

transmitting the interference reports within respective sub-frames of the frame in the wireless communication system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein preparing the frame comprises preparing a time division duplex frame.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

mapping the interference report to the frame to provide an explicit mapping between the resources used for data transmission and the interference reports.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:

orthogonalizing the report with at least one report in another cell.

21. The method of claim 5 , wherein the explicit mapping comprises a reporting resource immediately following a data resource and occupying the same bandwidth as the data resource.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interference report is directly associated with a particular scheduling block.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the interference report comprises transmitting a report regarding an interference situation during a downlink phase during a next uplink phase, or transmitting a report regarding an interference situation during an uplink phase during a next downlink phase.