System and Method for Grouping and Selecting Transmission Points

摘要

A method for operating a centralized controller in a communications network with a plurality of transmission points includes generating a plurality of overlays for the communications network in accordance with first mutual intercell interference levels for transmission point pairs in the communications network, wherein each overlay of the plurality of overlays comprises virtual transmission points, and selecting a first overlay of the plurality of overlays in accordance with a merit measure derived from first user equipments (UEs) operating in the communications network tentatively scheduled to each overlay of the plurality of overlays. The method also includes scheduling a first subset of the first UEs operating in the communications network during a first resource unit in accordance with the selected first overlay.