Communication system and method

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system and method adapted to manage interference between users of base stations.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method for managing interference between a plurality of subcarriers; the method comprising the steps of
 receiving measurement reports associated with a plurality of users of the subcarriers; the measurement reports providing an indication of interference or otherwise regarding respective subcarriers;   establishing a rank for each base station associated with the subcarriers according to a first criterion;   allocating the ranked base stations one or more subcarriers from a set of subcarriers for use in serving respective users; the subcarriers being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , where the first criterion comprises the number of users within services areas of the base stations. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising allocating one or more further subcarriers to one or more users meeting an interference criterion. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the step of allocating one or more further subcarriers to one or more users meeting the interference criterion comprises allocating a remainder of the subcarriers of the set of subcarriers amongst the one or more users meeting the interference criterion. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  in which the interference criterion is that a respective user is not experiencing interference. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of establishing a forbidden set of subcarriers for one or more respective users; the forbidden set of subcarriers comprising subcarriers allocated to users other than the one or more respective users. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of establishing a set of priority subcarriers for one or more respective users. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of detecting a change in a prevailing interference situation associated with the plurality of subcarriers; and undertaking the steps of establishing and allocating in response to said detecting. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the step of transmitting data reflecting the allocating the ranked base stations one or more subcarriers from a set of subcarriers for use in serving respective users; the subcarriers being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports, to one or more the base stations. 
     
     
         29 . A system for network management; the system comprising one or more processors adapted to implement a method as claimed in  claim 20 . 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for managing interference between a plurality of carriers; the method comprising the steps of
 receiving measurement reports associated the plurality carriers; the measurement reports providing an indication of interference or otherwise regarding respective carriers of the plurality of carriers;   establishing a rank for each base station associated with the plurality of carriers according to a first criterion;   allocating to the ranked base stations one or more than one carrier from a set of carriers for use in serving respective user equipment; the one or more than one carrier being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , where the first criterion comprises the number of user equipment within a service area of a respective base station. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising allocating one or more than one further carrier to one or more than one user equipment or base station having a carrier meeting an interference criterion. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the step of allocating one or more than one further carrier to one or more than one user equipment or base station having a carrier meeting the interference criterion comprises allocating a remainder of the carriers of the set of carriers amongst the one or more than one user equipment or base station meeting the interference criterion. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  in which the interference criterion is that a respective user equipment or base station has a carrier that is not experiencing interference. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising the step of establishing a forbidden set of carriers for one or more than one respective user equipment or base station; the forbidden set of carriers comprising carriers allocated to one or more than one other user equipment or base station. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising the step of establishing a set of priority carriers for one or more than one respective user equipment or base station. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising the step of detecting a change in a prevailing interference situation associated with the plurality of carriers; and undertaking the steps of establishing and allocating in response to said detecting. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising the step of transmitting, to one or more base stations, data reflecting the allocating to the ranked base stations of one or more than one carriers from a set of carriers for use in serving respective user equipment; the one or more than one carrier being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports. 
     
     
         40 . A system for managing interference between a plurality of carriers; the system comprising
 a receiver for receiving measurement reports associated the plurality carriers; the measurement reports providing an indication of interference or otherwise regarding respective carriers of the plurality of carriers;   a processor for
 establishing a rank for each base station associated with the plurality of carriers according to a first criterion; and 
 allocating to the ranked base stations one or more than one carrier from a set of carriers for use in serving respective user equipment; the one or more than one carrier being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports. 
   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , where the first criterion comprises the number of user equipment within a service area of a respective base station. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 40  further comprising the processor being adapted for allocating one or more than one further carrier to one or more than one user equipment or base station having a carrier meeting an interference criterion. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the processor being adapted for allocating one or more than one further carrier to one or more than one user equipment or base station having a carrier meeting the interference criterion comprises the processor being adapted for allocating a remainder of the carriers of the set of carriers amongst the one or more than one user equipment or base station meeting the interference criterion. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 42  in which the interference criterion is that a respective user equipment or base station has a carrier that is not experiencing interference. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 40 , further comprising the processor being adapted for establishing a forbidden set of carriers for one or more than one respective user equipment or base station; the forbidden set of carriers comprising carriers allocated to one or more than one other user equipment or base station. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 40 , further comprising the processor being adapted for establishing a set of priority carriers for one or more than one respective user equipment or base station. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , further comprising the processor being adapted for detecting a change in a prevailing interference situation associated with the plurality of carriers, and undertaking said establishing and allocating in response to said detecting. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 40 , further comprising a transmitter for transmitting, to one or more base stations, data reflecting the allocating to the ranked base stations of one or more than one carriers from a set of carriers for use in serving respective user equipment; the one or more than one carrier being allocated on the basis of the interference indications contained in the measurement reports. 
     
     
         49 . A non-transitory-machine-readable medium storing machine-executable instructions arranged, when executed, to implement a method as claimed in  claim 20 . 
     
     
         50 - 52 . (canceled)