Patent ID: 9660338
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: H01Q,H04B

Claim:
1. A method for multi-antenna signal processing at an antenna element arrangement belonging to a transceiver of a radio communication network, said antenna element arrangement comprising antenna elements in horizontal and in vertical direction, wherein multiple-antenna signal processing is configured to direct the orientation of beams in azimuth and elevation directions, wherein complex antenna weights are applied to said antenna elements, said method comprising calculating first and second complex antenna weights for each antenna element of the antenna element arrangement independently, each antenna element being controlled by a corresponding baseband signal processing chain of said transceiver, wherein the transceiver comprises at least two processing chains; wherein the method is to be used in conjunction with inter-cell interference coordination algorithms in a cellular communication network comprising at least two adjacent base stations and a plurality of terminals, said method comprising: building at least two groups of terminals served by each base station, said groups of terminals built depending on an elevation angle with which said terminals are seen from said base station for serving the terminals, one of said group corresponding to an elevation below a first threshold, another of said group corresponding to an elevation above a second threshold; and scheduling a group of terminals served by a first base station and having the elevation below the first threshold using the same resources as a group of terminals served by a second base station and having the elevation above the second threshold.