Enabling Resource Partitioning for Wireless Communication Systems

Abstract

Enabling resource partitioning in a wireless communication is provided. A terminal can measure channel quality and other information in a wireless communication environment and prepare a VCQI report. The report can be transmitted to a serving base station and/or non-serving base stations. The report information can be utilized by the base stations to allocate resources and/or to facilitate handoff within the wireless communication environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a terminal that is configured to transmit power profile information in a wireless communication environment, comprising:
 measuring channel quality information on a plurality of sectors and reported at a lower frequency relative to an instantaneous channel quality reporting interval of the terminal;   creating a VCQI report that includes an average of the measured channel quality information for each of the plurality of sectors; and   transmitting the VCQI report from the terminal to a serving base station for transmission to at least one non-serving base station of the terminal via backhaul signaling.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the VCQI report includes a plurality of signals, each of the signals corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile, the method further comprising:
 determining a location of at least one null pilot in the tile; and determining interference information based upon the at least one null pilot.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining an interlace on which each of the signals is received; and   determining whether to ascertain the location based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         4 . A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:
 a processor that executes instructions for measuring channel quality information on a plurality of sectors and reported at a lower frequency relative to an instantaneous channel quality reporting interval of the wireless communications apparatus, creating a VCQI report that includes an average of the channel quality information for each of the plurality of sectors and communicating the report to a serving base station of the wireless communications apparatus for transmission to at least one non-serving base station of the wireless communications apparatus via backhaul signaling; and   a memory that stores information generated by the processor.   
     
     
         5 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 4 , the processor further executes instructions for receiving a plurality of signals, each of the signals corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile, and ascertaining a location of at least one null pilot in the tile; and
 evaluating interference information based upon the at least one null pilot.   
     
     
         6 . The wireless communications apparatus of  claim 5 , the processor further executes instructions for evaluating an interlace on which each of the signals is received and determining whether to ascertain the location based upon the interlace. 
     
     
         7 . A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:
 means for measuring channel quality information on a plurality of sectors and reported at a lower frequency relative to an instantaneous channel quality reporting interval of the wireless communications apparatus;   means for creating a VCQI report that includes an average of the measured channel quality information for each of the plurality of sectors; and   means for conveying the VCQI report to a serving base station of the wireless communications apparatus for transmission to at least one non-serving base station of the wireless communication apparatus via backhaul signaling.   
     
     
         8 . The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the VCQI report includes a plurality of signals, each of the signals corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile, the method further comprising:
 means for evaluating a location of at least one null pilot in the tile; and   means for ascertaining interference information based upon the at least one null pilot.   
     
     
         9 . The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 means for determining an interlace on which each of the signals is received; and   means for deciding whether to ascertain the location based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a terminal, cause the terminal to perform operations, the instructions comprising:
 measuring channel quality information on a plurality of sectors and reported at a lower frequency relative to an instantaneous channel quality reporting interval of the terminal;   creating a VCQI report that includes an average of the measured channel quality information for each of the plurality of sectors; and   conveying the VCQI report from the terminal to a serving base station of the terminal for transmission to a non-serving base station of the terminal via backhaul signaling.   
     
     
         11 . A wireless communications apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to:   receive a plurality of signals each signal corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile in a downlink channel of a serving base station, wherein any portion of the at least one tile is available for potential assignment for downlink transmissions by the serving base station on the downlink channel;   evaluate a location of at least one null pilot in the at least one tile, wherein the at least one null pilot corresponds to a portion of the at least one tile where the serving base station is expected to refrain from any downlink transmissions;   measuring interference information on the at least one null pilot;   generating a VCQI report based on the measured interference information; and   transmit the VCQI report to a non-serving base station of the apparatus to indicate an estimated level of interference from one or more sources other than the serving base station on the at least one tile.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the processor further configured to:
 determine an interlace on which each of the signals is received; and   decide whether to evaluate the location based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the measured interference information is indicative of inter-cell interference. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the VCQI report to the non-serving base station of the apparatus via backhaul signaling. 
     
     
         15 . A method of operating a wireless communications apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of signals each signal corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile in a downlink channel of a serving base station, wherein any portion of the at least one tile is available for potential assignment for downlink transmissions by the serving base station on the downlink channel;   evaluating a location of at least one null pilot in the at least one tile, wherein the at least one null pilot corresponds to a portion of the at least one tile where the serving base station is expected to refrain from any downlink transmissions;   measuring interference information on the at least one null pilot;   generating a VCQI report based on the measured interference information; and   transmitting the VCQI report to a non-serving base station of the apparatus to indicate an estimated level of interference from one or more sources other than the serving base station on the at least one tile.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the evaluating includes:
 determining an interlace on which each signal is received; and   deciding whether to evaluate the location of the at least one null pilot in the tile corresponding to the signal based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the VCQI report is transmitted to the non-serving base station of the apparatus via backhaul signaling. 
     
     
         18 . A wireless communications apparatus configured for operation within a wireless communication system, comprising:
 means for receiving a plurality of signals each signal corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile in a downlink channel of a serving base station, wherein any portion of the at least one tile is available for potential assignment for downlink transmissions by the serving base station on the downlink channel;   means for evaluating a location of at least one null pilot in the at least one tile, wherein the at least one null pilot corresponds to a portion of the at least one tile where the serving base station is expected to refrain from any downlink transmissions;   means for measuring interference information on the at least one null pilot;   means for generating a VCQI report based on the measured interference information; and   means for transmitting the VCQI report to a non-serving base station of the apparatus to indicate an estimated level of interference from one or more sources other than the serving base station on the at least one tile.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the means for evaluating is configured to:
 determine an interlace on which each signal is received; and   decide whether to evaluate the location of the at least one null pilot in the tile corresponding to the signal based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the means for transmitting is configured to transmit the VCQI report to the non-serving base station of the apparatus via backhaul signaling. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein machine-executable instructions, which, when executed by a wireless communications apparatus configured for operation within a wireless communication system, cause the wireless communications apparatus to perform the steps of:
 receiving a plurality of signals each signal corresponding to at least a portion of at least one tile in a downlink channel of a serving base station, wherein any portion of the at least one tile is available for potential assignment for downlink transmissions by the serving base station on the downlink channel;   evaluating a location of at least one null pilot in the at least one tile, wherein the at least one null pilot corresponds to a portion of the at least one tile where the serving base station is expected to refrain from any downlink transmissions;   measuring interference information on the at least one null pilot;   generating a VCQI report based on the measured interference information; and   transmitting the VCQI report to a non-serving base station of the apparatus to indicate an estimated level of interference from one or more sources other than the serving base station on the at least one tile.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the evaluating includes:
 determining an interlace on which each signal is received; and   deciding whether to evaluate the location of the at least one null pilot in the tile corresponding to the signal based upon the interlace.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 21 , wherein the VCQI report is transmitted to the non-serving base station of the apparatus via backhaul signaling.