Interference mitigation in a femtocell access point

摘要

A base station in a cellular network, such as a femtocell access point, has a first coverage area, and is located in a second coverage area associated with a second base station. The base station operates to detect a possibility of interference based on estimated first path losses, between the base station and points in the first coverage area, and a second path loss, between the base station and a user equipment that is attached to the second base station. The second path loss may be estimated in the base station, although there is no connection between the base station and the user equipment attached to the second base station, by estimating the average transmit power of the user equipment that is attached to the second base station; detecting in the base station signals transmitted by the user equipment that is attached to the second base station; and estimating the second path loss from a difference between the estimated average transmit power and the power of the detected signals transmitted by the user equipment that is attached to the second base station.

主权项

1. A method of operating a base station in a cellular network, the base station having a first coverage area, and being located in a second coverage area associated with a second base station, the method comprising:
estimating a distribution of respective first path losses between the base station and points in the first coverage area; estimating in the base station a second path loss between said base station and a user equipment that is attached to the second base station by estimating a distribution of respective second path losses between said base station and one or more nearby user equipments that are attached to the second base station; and determining on the basis of said estimated first and second path losses whether the base station is causing interference with transmissions from the second base station by comparing a value of the first path loss corresponding to a first proportion of points in the first coverage area with a value of the second path loss corresponding to a second proportion of samples obtained from said nearby user equipments that are attached to the second base station.