Patent ID: 8918108

Claim:
A method for facilitating heterogeneous expansion of a wireless backhaul network including a plurality of cells providing wireless backhaul communication implementing a first wireless frequency reuse pattern providing a first alternating utilization of a plurality of wireless communication frequencies by the cells of the backhaul network, the method comprising: identifying, by a device associated with the wireless backhaul network, a cell cluster including a plurality of backhaul network cells (cluster cells) for heterogeneous expansion within the wireless backhaul network, wherein each cluster cell provides an orthogonal frequency face to a cell of the wireless backhaul network external to the cell cluster (external cell); dividing, by the device, each cluster cell into a plurality of sectors greater than a number of sectors provided in each cluster cell prior to the dividing; and assigning, by the device, frequencies of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies to sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing according to a second wireless frequency reuse pattern, wherein the second wireless frequency reuse pattern provides a second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies within each cluster cell, wherein, after the dividing, the sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing having a cell edge adjacent to an external cell provide an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or are provided a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the external cell by the frequency assignments, wherein cells of the wireless backhaul network external to the cell cluster continue to provide wireless backhaul communication implementing the first wireless frequency reuse pattern that provides the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies, and wherein the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies and the second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies are different.