Method and apparatus for cooperation strategy selection in a wireless communication system

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate cooperation strategy selection for a network multiple-in-multiple-out (N-MIMO) communication system. As described herein, one or more nodes in a communication system capable of N-MIMO communication can calculate marginal utilities, projected per-user rates, and/or other parameters corresponding to respective associated users. Based on these calculations, respective network nodes can perform user scheduling and selection, cell scheduling and selection, selection of a cooperation strategy (e.g., coordinated silencing, joint transmission, coordinated beamforming, etc.), and/or other operations to provide cooperative communication for respective users. As further described herein, projected rate calculation for a given user can be adjusted based on processing or channel implementation loss associated with the user, interference nulling capability of the user, or other factors. As additionally described herein, these and/or other parameters can be fed back by respective users to a serving network node and/or mandated via system performance requirements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 identifying an amount of processing loss incurred in communication with at least one associated base station; and   reporting the amount of processing loss as feedback to the at least one associated base station.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying the amount of processing loss according to a channel implementation utilized for communication with the at least one associated base station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying the amount of processing loss according to a soft decoding technique utilized for communication with the at least one associated base station. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising obtaining information relating to a mandated processing loss limit, wherein the identifying comprises identifying the amount of processing loss based at least in part on the mandated processing loss limit 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the mandated processing loss limit is given within a minimum performance specification (MPS). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the obtaining information relating to a mandated processing loss limit comprises:
 identifying an associated user equipment (UE) category; and   obtaining information relating to a mandated processing loss limit corresponding to the associated UE category.   
     
     
         7 . A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:
 a memory that stores data relating to at least one serving network node; and   a processor configured to determine a processing loss associated with communication to the at least one serving network node and to report the processing loss as feedback to the at least one serving network node.   
     
     
         8 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the processing loss based on at least one of a channel implementation or a soft decoding technique utilized for communication with the at least one serving network node. 
     
     
         9 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the memory further stores data relating to a maximum processing loss; and   the processor is further configured to determine the processing loss based at least in part on the maximum processing loss.   
     
     
         10 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the maximum processing loss within a minimum performance specification (MPS). 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for identifying feedback information relating to device implementation loss associated with the apparatus; and   means for submitting the feedback information to one or more serving base stations.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the means for identifying comprises means for identifying a device implementation loss associated with the apparatus based on at least one of a channel implementation or a soft decoding technique utilized for communication between the apparatus and the one or more serving base stations. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising means for identifying a maximum device implementation loss, wherein the means for identifying feedback information comprises means for identifying a device implementation loss associated with the apparatus based at least in part on the maximum device implementation loss. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the maximum device implementation loss is given within a minimum performance specification (MPS). 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a computer-readable medium, comprising:
 code for causing a computer to identify at least one serving network node; 
 code for causing a computer to determine a processing loss associated with communication to the at least one serving network node; and 
 code for causing a computer to report the processing loss as feedback to the at least one serving network node. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the code for causing a computer to determine a processing loss comprises code for causing a computer to determine processing loss based on at least one of a channel implementation or a soft decoding technique utilized for communication with the at least one serving network node. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing a computer to identify a maximum processing loss; and   the code for causing a computer to determine a processing loss comprises code for causing a computer to determine processing loss based at least in part on the maximum processing loss.   
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 identifying information relating to an extent of interference nulling capability of an associated receiver; and   reporting identified information relating to the extent of interference nulling capability of the associated receiver to at least one serving network node.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the identifying comprises identifying an extent of interference nulling capability of the receiver based at least in part on a number of antennas associated with the receiver. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising obtaining information relating to a minimum interference nulling requirement, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an extent of interference nulling capability of the receiver based at least in part on the minimum interference nulling requirement. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the minimum interference nulling requirement is provided within a set of network-wide mandated performance parameters. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the obtaining information relating to a minimum interference nulling requirement comprises:
 identifying an associated user category; and   obtaining information relating to a minimum interference nulling requirement corresponding to the associated user category.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the obtaining information relating to a minimum interference nulling requirement comprises:
 identifying a number of supportable simultaneous multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) streams; and   obtaining information relating to a minimum number of dominant interferers for which nulling is mandated as a function of the number of supportable simultaneous MIMO streams.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the obtaining comprises:
 identifying a set of interference nulling requirements corresponding to respective device capability levels, the device capability levels defined in terms of one or more of number of receive antennas or multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) communication capability;   identifying an associated device capability level; and   selecting an interference nulling requirement from the set of interference nulling requirements corresponding to the identified associated device capability level.   
     
     
         25 . A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:
 a memory that stores data relating to at least one serving network node; and   a processor configured to generate an indicator of interference nulling capability of a receiver associated with the wireless communications apparatus and to report the indicator as feedback to the at least one serving network node.   
     
     
         26 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify a level of interference nulling capability corresponding to the indicator based at least in part on a number of antennas associated with the receiver. 
     
     
         27 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the memory further stores data relating to a minimum level of interference nulling capability for the wireless communications apparatus; and   the processor is further configured to identify a level of interference nulling capability corresponding to the indicator based at least in part on the minimum level of interference nulling capability.   
     
     
         28 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the minimum level of interference nulling capability at least in part by identifying a number of supportable simultaneous multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) streams and selecting a minimum number of dominant interferers to be nulled as a function of the number of supportable simultaneous MIMO streams. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus, comprising:
 means for identifying feedback information relating to receiver nulling capability of the apparatus; and   means for submitting the feedback information to one or more serving base stations.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the means for identifying comprises means for identifying receiver nulling capability of the apparatus based at least in part on a number of receive antennas associated with the apparatus. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising means for obtaining information relating to a minimum required receiver nulling capability level, wherein the means for identifying comprises means for identifying receiver nulling capability of the apparatus based at least in part on the minimum required receiver nulling capability level. 
     
     
         32 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a computer-readable medium, comprising:
 code for causing a computer to identify at least one serving network node; 
 code for causing a computer to generate an indicator of interference nulling capability of a receiver associated with the apparatus; and 
 code for causing a computer to report the indicator as feedback to the at least one serving network node. 
   
     
     
         33 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the code for causing a computer to generate comprises code for causing a computer to identify a level of interference nulling capability corresponding to the indicator based at least in part on a number of antennas associated with the receiver. 
     
     
         34 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the code for causing a computer to generate comprises:
 code for causing a computer to identify a minimum level of interference nulling capability for the apparatus; and   code for causing a computer to identify a level of interference nulling capability corresponding to the indicator based at least in part on the minimum level of interference nulling capability.