System and method for interference alignment in cognitive small cell networks

1. A method for signal alignment in a cognitive multi-cell secondary system, the method comprising:

determining, by a first secondary base station (SBS), a nullspace in a spectrum induced by cyclic prefixes communicated over a primary data channel extending from a primary transmitter to a primary receiver, wherein the first SBS is configured to receive data transmissions from a first one of a plurality of secondary users (SUs), wherein the primary transmitter and the primary receiver are licensed users of the spectrum, and wherein the plurality of SUs are configured to access resources of the spectrum that are not being used by licensed users of the spectrum;

determining, by the first SBS, a primary interference channel of the first SU and a secondary interference channel of the first SU, the primary interference channel of the first SU extending from the first SU to the primary receiver, and the secondary interference channel of the first SU extending from the first SU to a second SBS, wherein the second SBS is configured to receive data transmissions from a second one of the plurality of SUs, and wherein the second SBS, the first SBS, and the primary receiver are separate and distinct network devices; and

deriving a precoder for the first SU in accordance with the primary interference channel, the secondary interference channel, and the nullspace induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel; and

communicating the precoder to the first SU.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precoder is configured to provide both frequency domain precoding and spatial domain precoding on secondary transmission signals communicated from the first SU to the first SBS.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the spatial domain precoding is configured to mitigate interference from the secondary transmission signal at spatial locations associated with both the primary receiver and the second SBS.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the frequency domain precoding aligns interference from the secondary transmission signal with the nullspace induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary transmitter communicates data to the primary receiver using at least one antenna in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary transmitter and primary receiver operate in a primary cell, and wherein the first SBS and the second SBS operate in secondary cells positioned within the primary cell.

7. A first secondary base station (SBS) comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

determine a nullspace in a spectrum induced by cyclic prefixes communicated over a primary data channel extending from a primary transmitter to a primary receiver, wherein the first SBS is configured to receive data transmissions from a first one of a plurality of secondary users (SUs), wherein the primary transmitter and the primary receiver are licensed users of the spectrum, and wherein the plurality of SUs are configured to access resources of the spectrum that are not being used by licensed users of the spectrum;

determine a primary interference channel of the first SU and a secondary interference channel of the first SU, the primary interference channel of the first SU extending from the first SU to the primary receiver, and the secondary interference channel of the first SU extending from the first SU to a second SBS, wherein the second SBS is configured to receive data transmissions from a second one of the plurality of SUs, and wherein the second SBS, the first SBS, and the primary receiver are separate and distinct network devices; and

derive a precoder for the first SU in accordance the primary interference channel, the secondary interference channel, and the nullspace induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel; and

communicate the precoder to the first SU.

8. The first SBS of claim 7 , wherein the precoder is configured to provide both frequency domain precoding and spatial domain precoding on secondary transmission signals communicated from the first SU to the first SBS.

9. The first SBS of claim 8 , wherein the frequency domain precoding aligns interference from the secondary transmission signal with the nullspace induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel.

10. The first SBS of claim 9 , wherein the spatial domain precoding is configured to mitigate interference from the secondary transmission signal at spatial locations associated with both the primary receiver and the second SBS.

11. A method for signal alignment in a cognitive multi-cell secondary system, the method comprising:

determining a nullspace in a spectrum induced by cyclic prefixes communicated over a primary data channel extending from a primary transmitter to a primary receiver;

determining at least a first set of primary interference channels and a second set of primary interference channels for a plurality of secondary users (SUs), the plurality of SUs including at least a first set of SUs configured to communicate with a first secondary base station (SBS) and a second set of SUs configured to communicate with a second SBS, wherein the primary transmitter and the primary receiver are licensed users of the spectrum, and wherein the plurality of SUs are configured to access resources of the spectrum that are not being used by licensed users of the spectrum, wherein the first set of primary interference channels extend from SUs in the first set of SUs to the primary receiver, wherein the second set of primary interference channels extend from SUs in the second set of SUs to the primary receiver, and wherein the second SBS, the first SBS, and the primary receiver are separate and distinct network devices;

determining at least a first set of secondary interference channels and a second set of secondary interference channels for the plurality of SUs, wherein the first set of secondary interference channels extend from SUs in the first set of SUs to the second SBS, and wherein the second set of secondary interference channels extend from SUs in the second set of SUs to the first SBS;

deriving precoders for the plurality of SUs in accordance with the first set of primary interference channels, the second set of primary interference channels, the first set of secondary interference channels, the second set of secondary interference channels, and the nullspaces induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel; and

communicating the precoders to the plurality of SUs.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the precoders include at least a first set of precoders for the first set of SUs and a second set of precoders for the second set of SUs, and

wherein the first set of precoders and the second set of precoders are adapted to at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in both the first set of SUs and the second set of SUs with a spatial location of the primary receiver, thereby reducing interference in the primary data channel.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first set of precoders at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in the first set of SUs with a spatial location of the second SBS, and

wherein the second set of precoders at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in the second set of SUs with a spatial location of the first SBS.

14. The method of claim 11 , the precoders are configured to provide both frequency domain precoding and spatial domain precoding on secondary transmission signals communicated from the SUs in the first set of SUs to the first SBS.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the frequency domain precoding aligns interference from the secondary transmission signals with the nullspaces induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the spatial domain precoding is configured to mitigate interference from the secondary transmission signals at spatial locations associated with both the primary receiver and the second SBS.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the primary transmitter communicates data to the primary receiver using at least one antenna in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to:

determine a nullspace in a spectrum induced by cyclic prefixes communicated over a primary data channel extending from a primary transmitter to a primary receiver;

determine at least a first set of primary interference channels and a second set of primary interference channels for a plurality of secondary users (SUs), the plurality of SUs including at least a first set of SUs configured to communicate with a first secondary base station (SBS) and a second set of SUs configured to communicate with a second SBS, wherein the primary transmitter and the primary receiver are licensed users of the spectrum, and wherein the plurality of SUs are configured to access resources of the spectrum that are not being used by licensed users of the spectrum, wherein the first set of primary interference channels extend from SUs in the first set of SUs to the primary receiver, and wherein the second set of primary interference channels extend from SUs in the second set of SUs to the primary receiver, and wherein the second SBS, the first SBS, and the primary receiver are separate and distinct network devices;

determine at least a first set of secondary interference channels and a second set of secondary interference channels for the plurality of SUs, wherein the first set of secondary interference channels extend from SUs in the first set of SUs to the second SBS, and wherein the second set of secondary interference channels extend from SUs in the second set of SUs to the first SBS;

derive precoders for the plurality of SUs in accordance with the first set of primary interference channels, the second set of primary interference channels, the first set of secondary interference channels, the second set of secondary interference channels, and the nullspaces induced by the cyclic prefixes communicated over the primary data channel; and

communicate the precoders to the plurality of SUs.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the precoders include at least a first set of precoders for the first set of SUs and a second set of precoders for the second set of SUs, and

wherein the first set of precoders and the second set of precoders are adapted to at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in both the first set of SUs and the second set of SUs with a spatial location of the primary receiver, thereby reducing interference in the primary data channel.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein a first set of precoders at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in the first set of SUs with a spatial location of the second SBS, and

wherein a second set of precoders at least partially align null spaces of interference signals resulting from secondary transmissions of SUs in the second set of SUs with a spatial location of the first SBS.