Wireless communication can be used as a means of accessing a communication network. Wireless communication has certain advantages over wired communications. For example, implementing a wireless interface can eliminate a need for a wired infrastructure thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining network infrastructure. In addition, a wireless network can support added mobility by allowing a wireless device to access the network from various locations or addresses. A wireless interface can comprise at least one transceiver in active communication with another transceiver that is connected to the network.
Various types of network configurations can be used to communicate data over the wireless network. For example, a heterogeneous network can be configured to include various types of access nodes such as a macro access node, a micro access node, a pico access node, a femto access node, etc. In a heterogeneous network, a wireless device can be served by an access node having the lowest signal path loss rather than by an access node having the strongest signal strength as in traditional network configurations.
In a heterogeneous network, interference can occur at the cell edge of the short range, low power access nodes due to the macro access node. This interference can result in undesirable reduction in coverage and throughput to the wireless devices in communication with the short range access node. A scheduling scheme comprising an almost blank subframe (ABS) can be used to create an opportunity for the wireless devices within the cell edge region of a short range access node to receive downlink information without interference from the macro access node. However, the capacity of a macro access node can be reduced due to the increase in ABSs in a scheduling scheme.
Overview
A system and method of scheduling communication in a wireless communication network are provided. A first access node can determine a scheduling scheme based on a first indication of data addressed to wireless devices in communication with the first access node and a second indication of data addressed to wireless devices in communication with a second access node. The scheduling scheme can comprise a first subframe and a second subframe where the second subframe comprises a first resource block and a second resource block. The scheduling scheme can be communicated from the first access node to the second access node. Data addressed to the wireless devices in communication with the first access node can be transmitted during the first subframe and the first resource block of the second subframe. The first access node can refrain from transmitting data addressed to the wireless devices in communication with the first access node during the second resource block of the second subframe. The second access node can be instructed to assign data addressed to wireless devices in communication with the second access node that meet a signal condition threshold to be transmitted during the second resource block of the second subframe of the scheduling scheme and to assign data addressed to wireless devices in communication with the second access node that do not meet the signal condition threshold to be transmitted during the first subframe and the first resource block of the second subframe of the scheduling scheme.