Dynamic Almost Blank Subframe Scheme for Enhanced Intercell Interference Coordination in LTE-A Heterogeneous Networks

In LTE-A heterogeneous network, traffic load may be distributed unequally because the transmission power of macro eNodeB (eNB) is higher than pico eNB. To address the coverage problems resulting from nodes with different transmission powers, cell range expansion (CRE) technique has been proposed as a cell selection technique. However, in this case, the intercell interference (ICI) problem can occur on both data and control channels when users connect to pico eNB. To mitigate ICI problem, a new dynamic almost blank subframe (ABS) scheme is proposed in this paper. In this scheme, a fuzzy logic system is deployed to monitor the system performance and then obtain the required number of ABSs. Simulation results show that the cell throughput and user throughput can be improved using the proposed dynamic ABS scheme.