Provided is a method and apparatus for determining a downlink beamforming vector in a hierarchical cell communication system. Small base stations may determine transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations so that interference from the small base stations may be reduced in a macro terminal. A macro terminal and small terminals may determine receive beamforming vectors based on the transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations. A macro base station may determine a transmit beamforming vector based on effective channels to terminals using the receive beamforming vectors of the terminals.
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1. A communication method of a macro base station, the communication method comprising: obtaining information associated with a first small effective channel formed between a first small terminal corresponding to a first small base station and a macro base station; obtaining information associated with a second small effective channel formed between a second small terminal corresponding to a second small base station and the macro base station; and determining a transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first small effective channel and information associated with the second small effective channel, wherein a receive beamforming vector of each of the at least one macro terminal is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station; wherein determining the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first small effective channel and information associated with the second small effective channel, such that interference from the macro base station is nulled in each of the first small terminal and the second small terminal.
A macro base station communication method determines how the macro base station transmits signals. It obtains information about effective communication channels between the macro base station and small terminals associated with different small base stations. Based on these channels, the macro base station calculates a transmit beamforming vector. This calculation ensures that the macro base station's transmissions cause minimal interference to the small terminals. Macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations. The transmit beamforming vectors of the macro base station are determined to minimize interference to the first and second small terminals.
2. The communication method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving information associated with a first macro effective channel formed between a first macro terminal and the macro base station, and information associated with a second macro effective channel formed between a second macro terminal and the macro base station, wherein the first macro effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the first macro terminal and the second macro effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the second macro terminal, and the determining comprises determining the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first macro effective channel and information associated with the second macro effective channel, such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for the second macro terminal is nulled in the first macro terminal and such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for the first macro terminal is nulled in the second macro terminal.
The communication method of the macro base station, which determines a transmit beamforming vector by obtaining information associated with small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, also considers macro terminals. It receives information about effective channels between the macro base station and different macro terminals. It calculates the transmit beamforming vector such that the macro base station's signal intended for one macro terminal causes minimal interference to other macro terminals. The transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station is determined such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for a second macro terminal is nulled in the first macro terminal and such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for the first macro terminal is nulled in the second macro terminal.
3. The communication method of claim 1 , further comprising: obtaining information associated with an effective channel that is formed between a neighboring macro terminal corresponding to a neighboring macro base station and the macro base station, wherein the effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the neighboring macro terminal, and the determining comprises determining the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the effective channel formed between the macro base station and the neighboring macro terminal, such that interference from the macro base station to the neighboring macro terminal is nulled in the neighboring macro terminal.
The communication method of the macro base station, which determines a transmit beamforming vector by obtaining information associated with small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, further minimizes interference with neighboring macro base stations. It obtains information about an effective channel between the macro base station and a macro terminal served by a neighboring macro base station. It calculates the transmit beamforming vector to minimize interference to that neighboring macro terminal. The transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station is based on information associated with the effective channel formed between the macro base station and the neighboring macro terminal, such that interference from the macro base station to the neighboring macro terminal is nulled in the neighboring macro terminal.
4. The communication method of claim 1 , wherein the receive beamforming vector of each of the at least one macro terminal is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station, such that interference from the first small base station and the second small base station is nulled in each of the at least one macro terminal.
In the communication method of the macro base station, where transmit beamforming is used to reduce interference to small terminals, and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, the receive beamforming vectors of the macro terminals are determined based on the transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations to specifically null interference from the small base stations in the macro terminals. The receive beamforming vector of each of the macro terminals is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station, such that interference from the first small base station and the second small base station is nulled in each of the macro terminals.
5. The communication method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving information associated with channels formed between each of the first small base station and the second small base station and each of the at least one macro terminal; and transferring, to the first small base station and the second small base station, information associated with the channels formed between each of the first small base station and the second small base station and each of the at least one macro terminal.
The communication method of the macro base station, which determines a transmit beamforming vector by obtaining information associated with small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, further involves sharing channel information. The macro base station receives channel information about the links between the small base stations and the macro terminals. It then transmits this channel information to the small base stations, allowing them to optimize their own transmissions. The macro base station receives information associated with channels formed between each of the small base stations and each of the macro terminals; and transfers, to the small base stations, information associated with the channels formed between each of the small base stations and each of the macro terminals.
6. A macro base station, comprising: a receiver to obtain information associated with a first small effective channel formed between a first small terminal corresponding to a first small base station and a macro base station, and to obtain information associated with a second small effective channel formed between a second small terminal corresponding to a second small base station and the macro base station; and a transmit beamforming vector determining unit to determine a transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first small effective channel and information associated with the second small effective channel, wherein a receive beamforming vector of each of the at least one macro terminal is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station; wherein the transmit beamforming vector determining unit is configured to determine the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first small effective channel and information associated with the second small effective channel, such that interference from the macro base station is nulled in each of the first small terminal and the second small terminal.
A macro base station device includes a receiver and a transmit beamforming vector determining unit. The receiver obtains information about effective communication channels between the macro base station and small terminals associated with different small base stations. The transmit beamforming vector determining unit calculates a transmit beamforming vector based on these channel properties. This calculation ensures that the macro base station's transmissions cause minimal interference to the small terminals. Macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations. The transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station is determined to minimize interference to the first and second small terminals.
7. The macro base station of claim 6 , wherein: if the at least one macro terminal comprises a first macro terminal and a second macro terminal, the receiver is configured to receive information associated with a first macro effective channel formed between the first macro terminal and the macro base station, and information associated with a second macro effective channel formed between the second macro terminal and the macro base station, the first macro effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the first macro terminal and the second macro effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the second macro terminal, and the transmit beamforming vector determining unit is configured to determine the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the first macro effective channel and information associated with the second macro effective channel, such that interference from the macro base station occurring due to a signal for the second macro terminal is nulled in the first macro terminal and such that interference from the macro base station occurring due to a signal for the first macro terminal is nulled in the 10 second macro terminal.
The macro base station, including a receiver that obtains small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals, a transmit beamforming vector determining unit that determines the transmit beamforming vector, and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, also considers macro terminals. The receiver obtains information about effective channels between the macro base station and different macro terminals. The transmit beamforming vector determining unit calculates the transmit beamforming vector such that the macro base station's signal intended for one macro terminal causes minimal interference to other macro terminals. The transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station is determined such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for a second macro terminal is nulled in the first macro terminal and such that interference from the macro base station caused by a signal for the first macro terminal is nulled in the second macro terminal.
8. The macro base station of claim 6 , wherein: the receiver is configured to obtain information associated with an effective channel formed between a neighboring macro terminal corresponding to a neighboring macro base station and the macro base station, and the effective channel is associated with a receive beamforming vector of the neighboring macro terminal, and the transmit beamforming vector determining unit is configured to determine the transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station based on information associated with the effective channel formed between the macro base station and the neighboring macro terminal, such that interference from the macro base station to the neighboring macro terminal is nulled in the neighboring macro terminal.
The macro base station, including a receiver that obtains small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals, a transmit beamforming vector determining unit that determines the transmit beamforming vector, and where macro terminals determine their receive beamforming vectors based on transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations, further minimizes interference with neighboring macro base stations. The receiver obtains information about an effective channel between the macro base station and a macro terminal served by a neighboring macro base station. The transmit beamforming vector determining unit calculates the transmit beamforming vector to minimize interference to that neighboring macro terminal. The transmit beamforming vector of the macro base station is based on information associated with the effective channel formed between the macro base station and the neighboring macro terminal, such that interference from the macro base station to the neighboring macro terminal is nulled in the neighboring macro terminal.
9. The macro base station of claim 7 , wherein the receive beamforming vector of each of the at least one macro terminal is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station, such that interference from the first small base station and the second small base station is nulled in each of the at least one macro terminal.
In the macro base station, including a receiver that obtains small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals, a transmit beamforming vector determining unit that determines the transmit beamforming vector, and which uses separate effective channel information about macro terminals to reduce interference to other macro terminals, the receive beamforming vectors of the macro terminals are determined based on the transmit beamforming vectors of the small base stations to specifically null interference from the small base stations in the macro terminals. The receive beamforming vector of each of the macro terminals is determined based on the transmit beamforming vector of the first small base station and the transmit beamforming vector of the second small base station, such that interference from the first small base station and the second small base station is nulled in each of the macro terminals.
10. The macro base station of claim 6 , wherein: the receiver is configured to receive information associated with channels formed between each of the first small base station and the second small base station and each of the at least one macro terminal, and the macro base station further comprises: a transfer unit to transfer, to the first small base station and the second small base station, information associated with the channels formed between each of the first small base station and the second small base station and each of the at least one macro terminal.
The macro base station, including a receiver that obtains small effective channels between the macro base station and small terminals to minimize interference to the small terminals, and a transmit beamforming vector determining unit that determines the transmit beamforming vector, further includes a transfer unit for sharing channel information. The receiver obtains channel information about the links between the small base stations and the macro terminals. The transfer unit then transmits this channel information to the small base stations, allowing them to optimize their own transmissions. The receiver receives information associated with channels formed between each of the small base stations and each of the macro terminals, and the transfer unit transfers, to the small base stations, information associated with the channels formed between each of the small base stations and each of the macro terminals.
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September 19, 2011
September 10, 2013
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