Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for interference mitigation in heterogeneous wireless networks. In one method, a small cell network node provides (301) diversity reception for uplink communications of user equipment (UE) served by a macro cell network node. The small cell network node and the macro cell network node coordinate (302) the scheduling of uplink resource blocks so that the UE and user equipment served by the small cell network node are not scheduled during the same uplink resource blocks.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes determining, at a network element, a first filter component based on reference sequences for user equipments in a first set. The method further includes determining a second filter component. The second component is based on a plurality of received signals and has estimated contributions to the plurality of received signals by the user equipments in the first set removed. The plurality of received signals are associated with a plurality of antennas. The method further includes filtering a selected received signal based on the first and second filter components to obtain an estimated signal for a selected user equipment.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method for reducing an effect of an interference signal on data being transmitted over a communication channel includes determining, by the processor, a code word based on a base information vector and an auxiliary vector, the base information vector including base information bits representing the data to be transmitted over the communication channel, the auxiliary vector corresponding to an interference vector representing the interference signal. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a transmit vector for transmission based on the determined code word and the interference vector.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method for reducing an effect of an interference signal on data being transmitted over a communication channel includes determining, by a processor, a code word based on at least an information vector and an interference vector, the information vector representing the data, the interference vector representing the interference signal. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a code vector based on the determined code word. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a transmit vector based on the code vector and the interference vector.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a method for reducing an effect of an interference signal on data being transmitted over a communication channel is disclosed. The method includes determining, by a processor, a code vector representing data based on an information vector and an interference vector, the information vector representing the data, the interference vector representing the interference signal. The method further includes generating, by the processor, a transmit vector for transmitting the data based on the code vector and the interference vector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of coordinating the downlink transmissions from a plurality of base stations to at least one mobile unit. The method is implemented in a control plane entity and includes receiving, at the control plane entity and from each of the plurality of base stations, channel state information for a plurality of wireless communication channels between the plurality of base stations and one or more mobile units. The method also includes determining, at the control plane entity and based on the channel state information, transmission formats for downlink transmissions from the plurality of base stations to the mobile unit(s). The method further includes providing the transmission formats to the plurality of base stations.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of coordinating the downlink transmissions from a plurality of base stations to at least one mobile unit. The method is implemented in a control plane entity and includes receiving, at the control plane entity and from each of the plurality of base stations, channel state information for a plurality of wireless communication channels between the plurality of base stations and one or more mobile units. The method also includes determining, at the control plane entity and based on the channel state information, transmission formats for downlink transmissions from the plurality of base stations to the mobile unit(s). The method further includes providing the transmission formats to the plurality of base stations.

Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for improved inter-carrier load balancing. In one method, network equipment determines (101) an achievable rate for a plurality of wireless devices on each carrier of a plurality of carriers. Inter-carrier load balancing is performed (102) by the network equipment by assigning a carrier of the plurality of carriers to each wireless device using the determined achievable rate of that wireless device on each carrier.

Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for improved cooperation-based signal processing. In a first method, network equipment determines (801) a set of dominant interferers for a wireless transmission and requests (802) user-plane data corresponding to each dominant interferer in the set of dominant interferers. The network equipment then processes (803) a received signal corresponding to the wireless transmission to extract the information transmitted. This processing uses at least some user-plane data corresponding to at least one dominant interferer in the set of dominant interferers.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reusing resources of a wireless network. Radio communications resources of the wireless network are divided into partitions. A system described herein allows access to resources in the first partition by a first set of users for primary communications on the first partition, and allows access to resources in the first partition by a second set of users for secondary communications on the first partition. The control system also allows access to resources in the second partition by the second set of users for primary communications on the second partition, and allows access to resources in the second partition by the first set of users for secondary communications on the second partition.

Abstract: Various methods and network nodes (e.g., base stations or base transceiver nodes) are provided to address the need for enhanced uplink performance. In a first method, a virtual soft handoff network node receives (501), from a serving network node, information related to uplink communications of user equipment (UE) served by the serving network node, wherein a soft handoff is not established between the virtual soft handoff network node and the UE. The virtual soft handoff network node receives (502) uplink communications between the UE and the serving network node and processes (503) the uplink communications to determine decoded uplink data from the UE. In a second method, a serving network node sends (401) to a virtual soft handoff network node, information related to uplink communications of user equipment (UE), the UE being served by the serving network node but not in soft handoff with the virtual soft handoff network node.

Abstract: Various methods and devices are provided to address the need for improved mobile communications in heterogeneous networks. In one method, an anchor-cell transceiver node communicates with a mobile device via a primary link. The anchor-cell transceiver node conveys information for the mobile device to the mobile device by routing at least a portion of the information to the mobile device via a secondary-cell transceiver node.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reusing resources of a wireless network. Radio communications resources of the wireless network are divided into partitions. A system described herein allows access to resources in the first partition by a first set of users for primary communications on the first partition, and allows access to resources in the first partition by a second set of users for secondary communications on the first partition. The control system also allows access to resources in the second partition by the second set of users for primary communications on the second partition, and allows access to resources in the second partition by the first set of users for secondary communications on the second partition.

Abstract: A base station transmitter for a broadcast/multicast single frequency network may include a base station component configured to randomize a phase of the signal for the base station transmitter to transmit, wherein the base station transmitter is configured to transmit a signal having a frequency common to a frequency of a signal sent by another base station component in the network. A method for improving performance of single frequency networks may include transmitting single frequency signals from base stations with pseudo-random phases including in the signals, data that permits a receiver compatible with the network to synchronously replicate the pseudo-random phases used in the transmission of the single frequency signals.

Abstract: Among the various methods proposed to address interference problems in wireless networks, two promising ones are: Network Multi-Input-Multi-Output (often referred to as Network MIMO) decoding (which employs joint MIMO receiver processing of signals received at multiple antennas); and Multi-Cell Successive Interference Cancellation (MC-SIC). These methods have complementary strengths and limitations when implemented in a practical setting. The approach described herein attempts to combine the strengths of these two methods while working within the constraints imposed by practical implementations to provide a viable hybrid solution.

Abstract: Embodiments are described herein to provide improvements to known network interference cancellation techniques. One general approach involves a receiver attempting to decode (801) a received signal which includes signaling from a wireless device transmission and at least one interfering transmission. If the receiver is unsuccessful in attempting to decode the received signal, decoded signaling that corresponds to the interfering transmission is requested (802). The receiver then uses the decoded signaling to decode (803) the received signal.

Abstract: A base station transmitter for a broadcast/multicast single frequency network may include a base station component configured to randomize a phase of the signal for the base station transmitter to transmit, wherein the base station transmitter is configured to transmit a signal having a frequency common to a frequency of a signal sent by another base station component in the network. A method for improving performance of single frequency networks may include transmitting single frequency signals from base stations with pseudo-random phases including in the signals, data that permits a receiver compatible with the network to synchronously replicate the pseudo-random phases used in the transmission of the single frequency signals.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of coordinating the uplink transmissions from at least one mobile unit to a plurality of base stations. The method is implemented in a control and data plane entity and includes scheduling, at the control plane function, uplink signals for transmission from the mobile unit(s) to the plurality of base stations. The method also includes receiving, at the data plane function from the plurality of base stations, signals including scheduled uplink signals transmitted from the mobile unit(s) to the plurality of base stations. The method further includes estimating, at the data plane function, information bits transmitted in the scheduled uplink signals using the received signals and channel state information indicative of a plurality of wireless communication links between the mobile unit(s) and the plurality of base stations.

Abstract: Example embodiments are directed to methods of reducing inter-cell interference in wireless networks using successive interference cancellation (SIC). Example embodiments use inter-cell cooperation between cells and/or sectors to successfully decode their associated users' data signals and pass on the decoded data signals to other cells/sectors in order to reduce inter-cell interference and allow for improved decoding of users' data signals. Example embodiments include passing the decoded data signals via the backhaul. Example embodiments also include static and dynamic ordering of user data signals in conjunction with the application of SIC.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of coordinating the downlink transmissions from a plurality of base stations to at least one mobile unit. The method is implemented in a control plane entity and includes receiving, at the control plane entity and from each of the plurality of base stations, channel state information for a plurality of wireless communication channels between the plurality of base stations and one or more mobile units. The method also includes determining, at the control plane entity and based on the channel state information, transmission formats for downlink transmissions from the plurality of base stations to the mobile unit(s). The method further includes providing the transmission formats to the plurality of base stations.