Method, computer program, controller and network node
A method of detecting interference caused by inter-modulation in a network node site comprising a set of network nodes for wireless communication capable of communication with a set of stations for wireless communication. The stations are wireless transceiver devices and communication from the network node to any of the stations is considered to be downlink communication and communication from any of the stations is considered to be uplink communication. The method comprises determining a received input signal interference level on at least a part of communication resources for uplink communication, determining a transmitted signal level on at least a part of communication resources for downlink communication, wherein the at least part of communication resources for downlink communication corresponds in time with the at least part of communication for uplink communication, correlating statistics from the determined received input signal interference level and the determined transmitted signal level, and determining whether significant interference caused by inter-modulation is present based on the correlation. A computer program, a controller and a network node are also disclosed.
1. A method of detecting interference caused by inter-modulation in a network node site comprising a set of network nodes for wireless communication capable of communication with a set of stations for wireless communication, wherein the stations comprise wireless transceiver devices, wherein communication from the network node to any of the stations comprises downlink communication, and wherein communication from any of the stations comprises uplink communication, the method comprising:
determining a received input signal interference level on at least a part of communication resources for uplink communication;
determining a transmitted signal level on at least a part of the communication resources for downlink communication, wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the downlink communication corresponds in time with the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication;
correlating statistics from the determined received input signal interference level and the determined transmitted signal level to determine a correlation; and
determining whether significant interference caused by inter-modulation is present based on a comparison of a correlation metric value of the correlation with a threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data by not scheduling any of the set of stations to transmit any uplink communication to any of the network nodes during the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data by selecting the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication to be at times when the set of stations only transmits reference signals.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted signal is provided at a selected level for each instant.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected level is at substantially full transmit power level for the network node transmitting the signal for at least some instant.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected level is at substantially minimum transmit power level for the network node transmitting the signal for at least some instant.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein significant interference caused by inter-modulation is considered present based on the correlation when the correlation exceeds a threshold.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing the determined received input signal interference level and transmitted signal level to a statistics mechanism; and
receiving the statistics to be correlated from the statistics mechanism.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking a predetermined action when significant interference caused by inter-modulation is determined to be present.
12. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling a processor circuit of a communication apparatus, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on the processor circuit of the communication apparatus, causes the communication apparatus to:
determine a received input signal interference level on at least a part of communication resources for uplink communication;
determine a transmitted signal level on at least a part of the communication resources for downlink communication, wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the downlink communication corresponds in time with the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication;
correlate statistics from the determined received input signal interference level and the determined transmitted signal level to determine a correlation; and
determine whether significant interference caused by inter-modulation is present based on a comparison of a correlation metric value of the correlation with a threshold.
13. A controller circuit configured to operate with a network node site comprising a set of network nodes for wireless communication capable of communication with a set of stations for wireless communication, wherein the stations comprise wireless transceiver devices, wherein communication from the network node to any of the stations comprises downlink communication, and wherein communication from any of the stations comprises uplink communication, the controller circuit comprising:
an interference level detector circuit configured to determine a received input signal interference level on at least a part of communication resources for uplink communication;
a transmit signal level monitor circuit configured to determine a transmit signal level on at least a part of communication resources for downlink communication, wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the downlink communication corresponds in time with the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication;
a correlators circuit configured to correlate statistics from the determined received input signal interference level and the determined transmitted signal level to determine a correlation; and
an analyser circuit configured to determine whether significant interference caused by inter-modulation is present based on a comparison of a correlation metric value of the correlation with a threshold.
14. The controller of claim 13 , further comprising a scheduler circuit configured to select the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication.
15. The controller of claim 13 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data.
16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data by disabling scheduling of any of the set of stations to transmit any uplink communication to any of the network nodes during the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication.
17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication does not include any user data by selecting the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication to be at times when the set of stations only transmits reference signals.
18. The controller of claim 13 , further configured to provide control such that the transmitted signal is provided at a selected level for each instant.
19. The controller of claim 18 , wherein the selected level is at substantially full transmit power level for the network node transmitting the signal for at least some instant.
20. The controller of claim 18 , wherein the selected level is at substantially minimum transmit power level for the network node transmitting the signal for at least some instant.
21. The controller of claim 13 , wherein the analyser circuit is configured to consider significant interference caused by inter-modulation to be present based on the correlation when correlation exceeds a threshold.
22. The controller of claim 13 , further comprising an interface circuit configured to:
provide the determined received input signal interference level and the transmitted signal level to a statistics mechanism; and
receive the statistics to be correlated from the statistics mechanism.
23. The controller of claim 13 , further configured to enable a predetermined action when significant interference caused by inter-modulation is determined to be present.
24. A network node for wireless communication capable of communication with a set of stations for wireless communication, wherein the stations comprise wireless transceiver devices, wherein communication from the network node to any of the stations comprises downlink communication, and wherein communication from any of the stations comprises uplink communication, wherein the network node comprises a controller circuit comprising:
an interference level detector circuit configured to determine a received input signal interference level on at least a part of communication resources for uplink communication;
a transmit signal level monitor circuit configured to determine a transmit signal level on at least a part of communication resources for downlink communication, wherein the at least a part of the communication resources for the downlink communication corresponds in time with the at least a part of the communication resources for the uplink communication;
a correlators circuit configured to correlate statistics from the determined received input signal interference level and the determined transmitted signal level to determine a correlation; and
an analyser circuit configured to determine whether significant interference caused by inter-modulation is present based on a comparison of a correlation metric value of the correlation with a threshold.