WO2025201627A1

WO2025201627A1 - Method for traffic control in a wireless communication network

Info

Publication number: WO2025201627A1
Application number: PCT/EP2024/057993
Authority: WO
Inventors: Magnus Nilsson; Mikael Coldrey
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Current assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson AB
Priority date: 2024-03-25
Filing date: 2024-03-25
Publication date: 2025-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-25

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method (100) for traffic control in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links, each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other. The method (100) comprises: determining (S102), for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively; dividing (S104) the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks by assigning (S106) each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links; and performing (S108) traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks. The present disclosure further relates to a control device, and wireless communication network.

Description

METHOD FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communications, and in particular to traffic control in a wireless communication network.

BACKGROUND

Traffic control in wireless communication networks is of paramount importance in ensuring efficient data transmission and optimal network performance. As the demand for wireless connectivity continues to grow exponentially, especially with the proliferation of Internet of Things (loT) devices and the advent of 5G technology, managing network traffic becomes increasingly complex. The available spectrum over which the communication can be performed is limited, so other solutions for meeting the increasing traffic demand is therefore needed.

Looking for instance at cellular networks, they typically rely on a hierarchical structure comprising base stations that serve as access points for a number of terminal devices. These base stations communicate with the terminal devices within their coverage area and facilitate data transfer to and from a core network. The network connecting the base stations to the core network infrastructure, also known as backhaul network, play a crucial role in enabling efficient and reliable transmission of data, and for ensuring seamless connectivity, optimal performance, and quality of service for users.

Wireless communication networks (such as backhaul networks) face unique challenges compared to wired solutions, including limited bandwidth, susceptibility to interference, and dynamic environmental conditions. These challenges necessitate specialized traffic control mechanisms to manage the flow of data and optimize network resources effectively.

These challenges have become even more noticeable with the introduction of 5G technology, which relies on an even denser network of base stations (compared to earlier generations), thereby increasing the risk of interference. To address this, and to increase spectrum efficiency, various techniques are available today, such as Ml MO (multipleinput and multiple-output), higher frequency reuse, multi-carrier, multi-band, etc.

Despite these advancements, there remain challenges in effectively managing traffic in wireless communication networks, particularly in urban environments, and in dense networks which makes the problem even more complex. Novel approaches are needed to address these challenges and advance the state of the art in wireless communication network traffic control.

SUMMARY

The herein disclosed technology seeks to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more deficiencies and disadvantages in the prior art singly or in any combination. In particular, it sets out to propose a solution which increases the efficiency in a wireless communication network with high frequency reuse. The disclosed technology provides for ways of better utilizing the available frequency spectrum, to handle the increased densification and meet the increased capacity demand on a limited spectrum.

The technology described herein are applicable e.g. to so-called wireless backhaul networks, but may also be applicable in other wireless communication networks as well, in which traffic scheduling or interference between nodes are existing problems.

Various aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure or the technology disclosed herein are defined below and in the accompanying independent and dependent claims.

According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for traffic control in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links. Each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other. The method comprises determining, for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively. The method further comprises dividing the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks. The wireless communication network is divided by assigning each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links. The method further comprises performing traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a computer program, comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect. With this second aspect of the disclosed technology, similar advantages and preferred features are present as in the other aspects. In order to avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the above.

According to a third aspect, there is provided a (non-transitory) computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a processing device, the one or more programs comprising instructions for performing the method according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect. With this third aspect of the disclosed technology, similar advantages and preferred features are present as in the other aspects. In order to avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the above.

The term "non-transitory,” as used herein, is intended to describe a computer-readable storage medium (or "memory”) excluding propagating electromagnetic signals, but are not intended to otherwise limit the type of physical computer- readable storage device that is encompassed by the phrase computer-readable medium or memory. For instance, the terms "non-transitory computer readable medium” or "tangible memory” are intended to encompass types of storage devices that do not necessarily store information permanently, including for example, random access memory (RAM). Program instructions and data stored on a tangible computer-accessible storage medium in non-transitory form may further be transmitted by transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may be conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link. Thus, the term "non- transitory”, as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a control device for traffic control in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links, each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other. The device comprises control circuitry configured to determine, for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively. The control circuitry is further configured to divide the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks by assigning each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links. The control circuitry is further configured to perform traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other subnetworks. With this fourth aspect of the disclosed technology, similar advantages and preferred features are present as in the other aspects. In order to avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the above.

According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links. Each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other. The wireless communication network further comprises a control device according to any one of the embodiments of the fourth aspect. With this fifth aspect of the disclosed technology, similar advantages and preferred features are present as in the other aspects. In order to avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the above.

The disclosed aspects and preferred embodiments may be suitably combined with each other in any manner apparent to anyone of ordinary skill in the art, such that one or more features or embodiments disclosed in relation to one aspect may also be considered to be disclosed in relation to another aspect or embodiment of another aspect.

Further embodiments of the disclosure are defined in the dependent claims. It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components. It does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

A possible associated advantage of some embodiments is that an information exchange and signaling need (overhead) within the wireless communication network can be reduced.

A further possible advantage of some embodiments is that the complexity of centralized control of the whole network can be reduced. A further possible advantage of some embodiments is that the available frequency spectrum (i.e. the bandwidth) within each sub-network can be increased, as compared to a whole-network approach. In particular, the full available spectrum may be made available to each sub-network, thereby increasing capacity in the network. Also, power savings can be achieved when a centralized controller allocates optimized power levels compared to individual power control at each link.

These and other features and advantages of the herein disclosed technology will in the following be further clarified with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing will be apparent from the following more particular description of the example embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the example embodiments. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic flowchart representation of a method for traffic control in a wireless communication network, in accordance with some embodiments.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a control device in accordance with some embodiments.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates, by way of example, a wireless communication network, in accordance with some embodiments.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates, by way of example, communication nodes and communication links of a wireless communication network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain aspects of the present disclosure are shown. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments and aspects set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein and illustrated in the drawings; rather, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the steps, services and functions explained herein may be implemented using individual hardware circuitry, using software functioning in conjunction with a programmed microprocessor or general-purpose computer, using one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and/or using one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs). It will also be appreciated that when the present disclosure is described in terms of a method, it may also be embodied in one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more memories store one or more programs that perform the steps, services and functions disclosed herein when executed by the one or more processors.

It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claim, the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may refer to more than one unit in some contexts, and the like. Furthermore, the words "comprising", "including", "containing" do not exclude other elements or steps. It should be emphasized that the term "comprises/comprising” when used in this specification is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, or components. It does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components, or groups thereof. The term "and/or” is to be interpreted as meaning "both” as well and each as an alternative.

It will also be understood that, although the term first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or features, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first wireless network could be termed a second wireless network, and, similarly, a second wireless network could be termed a first wireless network, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The first wireless network and the second wireless network are both wireless networks, but they are not the same wireless network.

Traditional planning strategies of wireless communication networks typically involve a common network controller that performs the traffic control, and that allocates resources to links in the network. It is desirable to plan the network in such way that there is little to no interference between links. This has been done by using antennas with low side lobe levels, and/or by assigning neighboring links different frequency channels. However, the larger the network, the narrower the frequency channels have to be to reduce the risk of interference, since the available spectrum is limited. Narrower frequency channels in turn have the effect of decreased bandwidth and transmission capacity. This therefore makes it a challenge to meet the increasing capacity demands.

The inventors have realized that considering all links in the complete network will therefore often be too complex of a problem, since there are typically many links (1OO's or 1000's in urban environments). This means that lots of information needs to be collected and shared between all links and the controller in order to perform prioritization and resource allocation, which results in large overhead signaling needs. In view of this realization, the inventors propose a way of partitioning the wireless communication network into sub-networks, based on the interference level between links. Traffic control can then be performed on sub-network-level, which means a reduced complexity in traffic scheduling. By leveraging this partitioning, the herein disclosed technology offers a comprehensive solution for improving traffic flow, improving capacity, reducing data overhead, improving network performance, and improving reliability in connectivity in wireless communication networks. One existing technique for managing spectrum utilization is so-called frequency reuse. Frequency reuse builds upon the ability to use the same frequency channels repeatedly across the network. If each cell of the network uses radio frequencies only within a certain frequency channel, the same frequencies can be reused in other cells sufficiently spaced apart, with a limited possibility of interference. In the present context, a cell refers to a sub-part of the wireless communication network, comprising a number of communication nodes located in a certain geographic area.

More specifically, the available frequency spectrum is divided into multiple channels, each of which can carry a certain amount of information. Frequency reuse allows the same frequency channels to be reused across different cells of the network, enabling efficient use of the limited frequency resources. Put differently the idea is to divide the geographical area covered by the network into smaller cells. The same frequency channels can then be assigned to cells that are sufficiently far apart from each other to avoid interference. Cells which instead are close to each other can be assigned different frequency channels so as not to interfere with each other.

One deployment scenario towards the extreme is a frequency Reuse 1 network (sometimes referred to as "universal frequency reuse”). This denotes a network where each link is allocated the same frequency channel, and the total available bandwidth is, thus, used by all links. Another deployment scenario is a Reuse 2 network where the total bandwidth is split into two parts with each part forming a separate frequency channel. In Reuse 2, neighboring links are allocated different frequency channels.

On one hand, the risk of interference between neighboring links is much higher in a Reuse 1 network when compared to a Reuse 2 network. But, on the other hand, the channel bandwidth allocated to each link is doubled. It is therefore a trade-off between interference and bandwidth. And the complexity of solving this problem grows with the size of the network. A common network controller that considers all links in a complete network will be very complex since there are typically many links (1 OO's or 1000's in urban environments). Assuming a network of 1000 links and 10 different modulations for each link, then there are io¹⁰⁰⁰ combinations that need to be assessed in order to find an optimal solution.

To realize the full potential of running network-centric algorithms and control, it is desired to exchange information between all the links that require tight coordination. The information exchange grows quickly with the number of links in the network. It is therefore of practical interest to reduce the number of links that need such tight coordination. The herein disclosed technology at least partly builds upon a technique of partitioning the complete network into multiple sub-networks where each sub-network comprises links that creates a certain amount of interference with each other. Each sub-network therefore consists only of a few links. By partitioning the full network into sub-networks, centralized processing and control can be done within each sub-network, independently of the other sub-networks. Thus, instead of optimizing the traffic control between all links of the network, the traffic control can be performed on a sub-network- level, thereby reducing the computational complexity, as well as signaling overhead otherwise needed to synchronize between the different nodes of the network. Moreover, smaller networks also require less overhead for recurring interference calculations. It has been found that many links of the network can be operated in stand-alone mode, since they are isolated from all other links. Moreover, most sub-networks (with more than one link) can contain only a few links, simplifying the traffic control. However, as communication networks in the future can be expected to become even denser, the sub-networks may grow in size. As the networks become denser, the effects of the disclosed technology will become even more advantageous.

The partitioning can consider direct interference between links, i.e. link A interfering with link B are assigned to the same sub-network. The partitioning can further consider indirect interference between links (also referred to as a chain of interfering links), i.e. link A causing (direct) interference with link B, link B in turn causing (direct) interference with link C, while links A and C are non-interfering. Link A and link C can then be said to be in indirect interference with each other. In this case, link A, B and C can all be assigned to the same sub-network. Hereinafter, various techniques for partitioning, and performing traffic control of, wireless communication networks will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic flowchart representation of a method 100 in accordance with some embodiments. More specifically, a method 100 for traffic control in a wireless communication network. The wireless communication network comprising a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links therebetween. The wireless communication network may be a wireless backhaul communication network. In such case, the communication nodes may be base stations of the wireless communication network. However, as stated above, the principles of the disclosed technology are applicable also to other types of wireless communication networks. As a further example, the wireless communication network may be a mesh network, such as a Wi-Fi mesh network, networks of User Equipment (UE) devices, or the like.

The method 100 is preferably a computer-implemented method, performed e.g. by a processing system of a central network controller, a processing system of a central network controller in combination with processing systems of a set of local control devices of the sub-networks, or by processing systems of a set of local control devices of the subnetworks. The processing system(s) may for example comprise one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more memories store one or more programs that perform the steps, services and functions of the method 100 disclosed herein when executed by the one or more processors. As indicated above, it is to be appreciated that the steps of the method may be distributed over two or more processing systems, such as between one or more communication nodes of the network.

Below, the different steps of the method 100 are described in more detail. Even though illustrated in a specific order, the steps of the method 100 may be performed in any suitable order as well as multiple times. Thus, although Fig. 1 may show a specific order of method steps, the order of the steps may differ from what is depicted. In addition, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and hardware systems chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the herein disclosed technology. Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various steps. Further variants of the method 100 will become apparent from the present disclosure. The herein described embodiments are only given as examples and should not be limiting to the present invention. Other solutions, uses, objectives, and functions within the scope of the invention as claimed below described patent claims should be apparent for the person skilled in the art.

It should be appreciated that the method 100 of Fig. 1 comprises some steps which are illustrated as boxes in solid lines and some steps which are illustrated in dashed lines. The steps which are shown in solid lines are steps which are comprised in the broadest example embodiment of the method 100. The steps which are comprised in dashed lines are examples of a number of optional steps which may form part of a number of alternative embodiments. It should be appreciated that the optional steps need not be performed in order. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that not all of the steps need to be performed. The example steps may be performed in any order and in any combination.

The wireless communication network (orjust "network” for short) herein refers to any wireless communication network in which traffic scheduling or the interference between links or nodes of the network are of relevance. However, the techniques can be particularly useful in applications such as so-called wireless backhaul networks (e.g., microwave backhaul networks or millimeter wave (mmWave) backhaul networks). Accordingly, the wireless backhaul network may operate within a frequency range below 6 GHz, 7-40 GHz, 41-100 GHz, or within a frequency range of 30-300 GHz. In a telecommunication (or cellular) network, the backhaul portion of the network comprises the intermediate links between the core network, or backbone network, and the cells at the edge of the network, at which terminal devices operate. In cellular networks, the backhaul network can connect a cell site (i.e. a base station of a cell) to the core network. In other words, in the context of telecommunications the term "wireless backhaul network” may be understood as the technology and infrastructure that enables the transportation of data and voice traffic between access points, such as cell towers or Wi-Fi hotspots, and the core network.

The wording "communication node” (or "node” for short) of the wireless communication network may thus herein refer to base stations of the network. However, in general, the nodes may refer to any suitable communication device, such as terminal or mobile devices, bridges, switches, or other infrastructure devices, configured to communicate over the network. In some embodiments, the communication nodes of the wireless communication network are stationary nodes. In other words, the communication nodes may correspond to fixed infrastructure of the wireless communication network. In such cases, the communication nodes may have a fixed position within the physical world. In some embodiments, the communication nodes are mobile nodes. In such case, the steps of the method 100 may be repeated as the communication nodes move around in the physical world to reflect the changing interference levels between communication links. The method may e.g. be repeated continuously, at defined intervals, or on demand.

A pair of communication nodes in wireless communication with each other form what in the following is referred to as "communication link” (or "link” for short). Depending on a specific implementation, a pair of communication nodes in communication with each other may either give rise to one link, or two links. In the latter case, distinction is made of which communication node is in receiving mode (i.e. Rx mode) and which node is in transmitting node (i.e. Tx mode). In other words, for a first node A and a second node B, a first link can be associated with node A and B when A is the transmitter, and B is the receiver. A second link can be associated with node A and B when B is the transmitter, and A is the receiver. This means that a node may be assigned to different sub-networks, depending on whether it is in transmission mode or receiving mode. In the other case, no distinction is made between Rx and Tx mode. In other words, node A and node B may be seen as transceivers, and be associated with one communication link, regardless of which is in Rx mode and which is in Tx mode.

The method 100 comprises determining S102, for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively. Thus, for each communication link formed in the wireless communication network, the interference level with each respective communication link of a number of communication links can be determined. Each determined interference level is therefore indicative of how two communication links interfere with each other. Put differently, for each communication link, a plurality of interference levels can be determined. Each determined interference level of the plurality of interference levels is then indicative of the interference between said communication link and a further communication link of the remaining communication links of the network.

The interference level may herein be understood as a degree of unwanted electromagnetic signals or noise that affects a communication link between two nodes in the network. Interference can degrade the quality of communication by causing signal degradation, reducing data throughput, increasing error rates, and impacting the overall reliability of the network. In particular, the interference can arise from various sources, such as transmissions from or between neighboring nodes (i.e. other communication links). The interference can further arise from external electromagnetic sources, or even internal sources within the network.

The interference level may be determined S102 based on a link gain and a transmit power associated with each communication link. The link gain herein refers to the increase in signal power or strength between the two nodes forming the communication link. It can thus represent the improvement in signal quality or amplitude as the signal travels from the transmitter to the receiver. The link gain may e.g. be determined based on the position of the nodes, direction of an antenna of the respective node, other antenna properties (e.g. radiation pattern) of their respective antenna, etc. The transmit power herein refers to the transmit power of the transmitting node of the node-pair forming the link.

The method 100 further comprises dividing S104 the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks. The wireless communication network is divided S104 into the plurality of sub-networks by assigning S106 each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links. Put differently, the communication links are each assigned to a certain sub-network based on their interference level with the other communication links. By the wording "dividing”, as in "dividing the wireless communication network”, it is herein meant partitioning or splitting the network into the plurality of separate sub-networks, by assigning each link to one sub-network. The dividing of the network (or the division), may be interpreted as a division made in a software implementation, and not necessarily as a physical division of the network. In general terms, the wireless communication network may be divided S104 such that communication links that are in interference with each other may be assigned to the same sub-network. The communication links assigned to the same sub-network may either be in direct interference (i.e. two links interfering with each other), or in indirect interference (e.g. a first link interfering with a second link, while the second link is interfering with a third link (or vice versa), all three links being assigned to the same sub-network). At the same time, communication links assigned to one sub-network may have low (or no) interference with communication links assigned to another sub-network. Thereby, links which need to consider other neighboring links when transmitting signals can be grouped into one subnetwork, whereas links that can be separated from the other links (for the purpose of traffic control) can be grouped into separate sub-networks.

Assigning S106 each communication link to a sub-network may be further based on a comparison of the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links with a defined threshold value. Put differently, the communication links may each be assigned to a sub-network based on the comparison of their associated interference level(s) with the defined threshold value. The defined threshold value may thus be defined such that an interference level between two communication links exceeding the threshold value are determined as being in interference with each other. By tuning the defined threshold value, different divisions into the plurality of sub-networks can be achieved, thereby providing means for balancing between the number of sub-networks, and interference therebetween.

The defined threshold value may be a value relative (e.g. below or above) a noise floor of the wireless communication network. The value may e.g. be in the range of 3dB to 6 dB below the noise floor, depending on a specific realization. The noise floor of the network herein refers to the level of background noise or interference present in the network. More specifically, the noise floor may comprise any interference caused by external (to the network) sources. It can thereby represent the baseline level of unwanted signals that exist in the environment. The noise floor can be measured in terms of power or amplitude. In wireless communication systems, the noise floor is primarily influenced by external factors such as atmospheric noise, thermal noise, and electromagnetic interference from other (external to the network) sources. These factors contribute to the overall noise level that a receiver detects when no other signals are present.

In some embodiments, two communication links having an interference level exceeding the defined threshold value may be assigned S106 to the same sub-network. Put differently, two links which are in interference with each other (as determined from the comparison between interference level and the defined threshold value) can be assigned to the same sub-network. This relation is also referred to herein as "direct interference”.

Each sub-network may comprise one or more communication links that has an interference with at least one other communication link in said sub-network above the defined threshold value. Put differently, the links having a certain interference with each other may be grouped together into one sub-network. Thereby, a sub-network may comprise communication links which are both in direct interference, as well as in "indirect interference”. By indirect interference, it is herein meant two communication links which are not directly in interference with each other, but through one or more intermediate communication links. For example, a chain of at least three interfering links may be formed, in which end links of the chain are in indirect interference with each other. This will be further explained by way of example in connection with Fig. 4 below.

The wireless communication network may be divided S104 such that each of the communication links assigned to a certain sub-network has an interference level below the defined threshold value towards the communication links assigned to the other sub-networks. Put differently, the communication links may be assigned to different subnetworks such that the communication links of one sub-network are not in interference with the communication links of another sub-network. More specifically, a communication link of a first sub-network and a communication link of a second sub-network may have an interference level below the defined threshold value.

In some embodiments, the step of determining S102, for each communication link, the interference level between said link and each of the other links comprises: forming an interference matrix describing the interference level between each pair of communication links, and forming an adjacency matrix based on the interference matrix and in view of the defined threshold value, wherein the adjacency matrix describes which pair of communication links are in interference with each other. The interference matrix and the adjacency matrix will be further described below. Moreover, the step of assigning S106 each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks may be further based on graph theory applied to the adjacency matrix. In other words, the wireless communication network may be divided S104 based on graph theory applied to the adjacency matrix. Put differently, the wireless communication network may be divided into the plurality of sub-networks by finding groups of communication links in interference with each other based on the adjacency matrix.

The method 100 further comprises performing S108 traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks. Put differently, the traffic control can be performed S108 on a sub-network level. This can be put in relation to performing traffic control at a whole network level, as traditionally done. Performing traffic control on subnetwork level simplifies the complexity of the task at hand, for instance since signal transmission through the communication links only has to consider the communication links within the same sub-network. Put differently, signal transmission through a communication link of one sub-network can be done without consideration of communication links belonging (i.e. being assigned) to other sub-networks.

The wording "traffic control” shall within the present context be interpreted broadly as involving any techniques associated with transmitting or receiving signals between nodes in a wireless communication network. Traffic control may for instance involve time or frequency scheduling, prioritization, resource allocation, power allocation, etc. Moreover, the step of performing S108 traffic control may be different depending on a specific realization, and based on which entity performs what steps.

In some embodiments, the steps of the method 100 are performed by a central control unit (or central network controller). The central control unit may e.g. be a purpose made unit control unit of the wireless communication network, or a selected communication node of the network. Is it however to be noted that the method 100 may be performed in a distributed manner between the communication nodes of the wireless communication network.

In some embodiments, performing S108 the traffic control may comprise transmitting instructions to each node individually, or to a local control node of each sub-network, on how/what/when to transmit signals. Alternatively, or in combination, the step of performing S108 the traffic control may comprise transmitting data indicative of the division of the network to an individual node, or to local control node of a sub-network. The data indicative of the division may e.g. comprise information about the links belonging to a certain sub-network, or all of the sub-networks. The individual node, or local control node may then perform the actual steps of the traffic control (e.g. deciding how/what/when to transmit signals) for a sub-network which the node is associated to.

In some embodiments, a local control node is assigned for each sub-network. The local control node of a sub-network may be a node of said network having been assigned the role as local control node. Alternatively, the local control node may be provided centrally as part of the central control unit.

The wireless communication network may be operable within a defined frequency range. The frequency range (may also be referred to as frequency channel, frequency spectrum, or bandwidth) refers to a specific range of frequencies within the electromagnetic spectrum that is allocated for the transmission of signals within the network. It can be seen as a portion of the available frequency band that is used to carry communication signals, such as voice, data, or video. The traffic control within each sub-network may be performed S108 over the defined frequency range. Thus, each sub-network can utilize the whole frequency range assigned to the wireless communication network, instead of having to use different parts of the frequency range.

The method 100 may further comprise repeating the steps S102 to S108 of the method 100, in response to an event trigger being fulfilled. The event trigger may be continuously monitored, e.g. at a defined time interval, or detected dynamically upon occurrence. The event trigger may for instance be that a communication node has been added or removed from the wireless communication network. In another example, the event trigger may be that a certain time has passed since last re-configuration (i.e. since the last time the network was divided into sub-networks). In a further example, the event trigger may be that a certain property of a communication node has changed, such as an antenna direction or misalignment, power settings, etc. Thus, the event trigger provides for re-configuring the division of the wireless communication network when needed. In some embodiments, only the steps S104 to S108 may be repeated. In other words, the interference levels between the communication links need not to be re-calculated each time the wireless communication network is re-partitioned into sub-networks. In some embodiments, the step S102 may be repeated, but only for a sub-set of communication links. For example, the interference levels may only have to be redetermined for communication links associated with nodes that have changed or been altered in any way.

The principles of the disclosed technology may further be used as part of doing frequency channel and/or deployment planning. In some scenarios, it may be advantageous to re-allocate certain links (or rather nodes) of the wireless communication network to a different frequency range. For example, if the interference between two communication links is too high. In such case, a frequency reuse 2 network (or higher) may be used. Thus, the wireless communication network referred to above, may be part of a larger network, and formed as part of frequency reuse applied to the larger network. More specifically, in some embodiments, the wireless communication network is a first wireless communication network. The first wireless communication network being operable within a first defined frequency range. The method 100 may then further comprise, in response to an interference level of a communication link exceeding a further defined threshold value, re-allocating S110 a communication node associated with said communication link from the first wireless communication network to a second wireless communication network. The second wireless communication network being operable within a second defined frequency range. The second wireless communication may thus be another part of the larger network.

In other words, in case an interference level of a communication node is too high (i.e. exceeding the further defined threshold value), an associated node may be reallocated to a different communication network (operable on a different frequency channel). The above may be a case of a Reuse 2 network, in which the first and second defined frequency range are two different parts of the total available frequency range for the larger network. It is however to be noted that the first and second defined frequency range may be smaller parts of a higher-level frequency reuse network implementation. By re-allocating certain communication nodes that are contributing to high interference may be advantageous in that it can reduce the complexity of dividing the first wireless communication network into subnetworks. It may further enable a division with more, and smaller, sub-networks, which in turn means less complex traffic control in each of the sub-networks. Even though deployed as part of a frequency reuse implementation where the total available frequency range is divided, the principles of the disclosed technology may still offer the above described advantages in that the larger network can be divided into fewer parts, which in turn means larger portions of the total available frequency range being available to each part, as compared to otherwise.

The further defined threshold value may be a value higher than the defined threshold value as mentioned above. It is to be further noted that other ways of deciding on re-allocating of communication nodes to a wireless communication network operable at a different frequency range may be used as well. For example, by monitoring the number of communication links assigned to each sub-network, the number of communication links being in interference with each other, etc.

In response to having re-allocated a communication node to the second wireless communication network, the method 100 may further comprise repeating the steps S102 to S108 of the method 100 for the first wireless communication network. I.e. for the communication nodes (and links formed therebetween) remaining in the first wireless communication network.

In the following, a more detailed example of how the disclosed technology can be implemented will be given. In the description below, a communication link is defined between a transmitter (tx) and a receiver (rx) that are physically separated by a distance d, and operate on the same frequency channel (i.e. the same frequency range). In the following example, the wireless communication network comprises N_links links. First, a calculation of the link gain will be presented, on which the interference between links can be determined. The link gain is partly based on a free space pathloss (FSLP), which can be determined according to: where d is the distance in meters, f is the frequency in Hz, and c is the speed of light. The link gain in dB, between two links can then be defined as: link gain = antGain_tx(6_tx) + antGa in_rx (9_rx) — FSPL_dB where 9_tx is the angle from a boresight of the transmitting (tx) antenna pointing towards the receiver (rx), and 9_rx is the angle from a boresight of the receiving (rx) antenna pointing towards the transmitter. The link gain may comprise additional loss terms than those described above, for compensating for additional losses. For example, the link gain may further comprise a loss term for compensating for losses caused by buildings (or other physical structures) present between links etc. The link gain is calculated between all N_tinks links in the network and can be represented by a matrix H_linkgainidB of size N_links x N_links, according to below. where H_{d dB} is the link gain for link 0 ^{nks 1} is the interference from link N_links is the interference from link 0 towards link N_{tinks nks} > i

Next, a transmit power for the links in the network can be given by the matrix, where the size of the matrix is N_tinks x Nu_nks, and Pt_idBm is the power for link 0, and P^_dB^ ¹ is the power for link Nu_nks — 1.

Given the link gain matrix H_{linkgain dB}, and the transmit power matrix of the links P_tidBm, the interference between all links can be determined (or formed) as: and by setting the diagonal elements in I to zero, since there is no self-interference. The interference matrix I thus describes the interference level between each pair of communication links. Next, an adjacency (or connection) matrix A can be formed as

A — (J I threshold)’ where the interference threshold, I_threshoid> (referred to previously as defined threshold value) is a design variable, which can be set relative to the thermal noise level (i.e. the noise floor). The adjacency matrix describes the connections between the links in the complete network and it has ones in each position where the interference is larger than the specified threshold, and zeros elsewhere. In other words, the adjacency matrix describes which pair of communication links are in interference with each other (in view of the defined threshold value). As an example, a "one” in row 2, col 4 of the adjacency matrix may thus be seen as link number 2 being in interference with link number 4. Similarly, a zero in row 1 , col 5 of the adjacency matric may be seen as link number 1 not being in interference with link number 5. The above described steps may thus be part of step S102 as described above.

Next step is to find all the sub-networks by identifying which links connect to each other directly but also indirectly (i.e. via other links). For this purpose, standard tools from graph theory can be applied on the adjacency matrix A to compute all the sub-networks. In general terms, this can be done by identifying groups of links which connect through ones in the adjacency matrix. This may thus correspond to step S104 as described above.

For example, the sub-networks are identified such that clusters of nodes are identified, wherein all nodes of one cluster are directly or indirectly connected via links that have an interference larger than the specified threshold according to the adjacency matrix. By example, this can be done by applying a graph function to the adjacency matrix, for example as can be done by using Matlab tools. Additional limitation can be optionally applied. For example, a maximum size of a cluster, and therefore subnet, can be limited in the number of links, nodes and/or geometrical size.

The adjacency matrix and graph theory can also be used for frequency channel planning purposes to identify links that experience too much interference and therefore need other frequency channel allocations. An example of this has been explained above, where a node initially being part of a first wireless communication network, can be reallocated to a second wireless communication network.

Moreover, as explained above, the assignment of links to the sub-networks may be repeated in response to an event trigger being fulfilled. This can e.g. be achieved by updating the adjacency matrix A, e.g. if there is a new link deployed or a new antenna, etc. that affect the interferences and consequently will affect the sub-networks.

Moreover, the transmit power P_t,dBm< may change over time and then there is a need to form new sub-networks based on the new transmit power. This can all be done dynamically.

The resulting sub-networks given by adjacency matrix are based on how much interference each receiver is experiencing from other individual transmitters. However, the total interference from multiple small interfering transmitters (each one below the threshold) may in some scenarios sum up to a level which is larger than the interference threshold. It is possible to take this into account by setting a slightly higher transmit power of the affected link prior to splitting the network into sub-networks. Alternatively, one can also use a more conservative interference threshold. It should be noted that this situation may also happen in legacy networks where frequency channels are assigned by individual interference calculations which do not consider the total effective interference a link may experience.

Executable instructions for performing the above described functions are, optionally, included in a computer- accessible medium such as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors.

Generally speaking, a computer-accessible medium may include any tangible or non-transitory storage media or memory media such as electronic, magnetic, or optical media— e.g., disk or CD/DVD-ROM coupled to computer system via bus. The terms "tangible” and "non-transitory,” as used herein, are intended to describe a computer- readable storage medium (or "memory”) excluding propagating electromagnetic signals, but are not intended to otherwise limit the type of physical computer-readable storage device that is encompassed by the phrase computer- readable medium or memory. For instance, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium” or "tangible memory” are intended to encompass types of storage devices that do not necessarily store information permanently, including for example, random access memory (RAM). Program instructions and data stored on a tangible computer- accessible storage medium in non-transitory form may further be transmitted by transmission media or signals such as electrical, electromagnetic, or digital signals, which may be conveyed via a communication medium such as a network and/or a wireless link.

As used herein, the term "in response to” may be construed to mean "when or "upon” or "if” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "in response to an interference level of a communication link exceeding a further defined threshold value” may be construed to mean "when it is determined that an interference level of a communication link exceeds the further defined threshold value” or "in an instance of the interference level exceeding the further defined threshold value”, etc., depending on the context. The term "if' should be construed as "when” or "upon” or "in response to” or "in an instance of” or "in case of”.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a control device for performing traffic control in a wireless communication network in accordance with some embodiments. The traffic control being performed in a wireless communication network as described in the foregoing, comprising a plurality of communication nodes, forming a number of communication links. In particular, the control device 200 (or just device) is configured to perform the techniques described in the foregoing with reference to Fig. 1. The wording control device herein refers to any suitable computing device or general-purpose computer for performing said techniques.

The control device 200 comprises control circuitry 202. The control circuitry 202 may physically comprise one single circuitry device. Alternatively, the control circuitry 202 may be distributed over several circuitry devices. Functions and operations of the control circuitry 202 may thus be distributed over the different circuitry devices. As shown in the example of Fig. 2, the control device 200 may further comprise a transceiver 206 and a memory 208. The control circuitry 202 is communicatively connected to the transceiver 206 and the memory 208. The control circuitry 202 may comprise a data bus. The control circuitry 202 may communicate with the transceiver 206 and/or the memory 208 via the data bus.

The control circuitry 202 may be configured to carry out overall control of functions and operations of the control device 200. The control circuitry 202 may be any suitable type of computation unit. The control circuitry 202 may comprise a processor 204, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or any other form of circuit. The processor 204 may be configured to execute program code stored in the memory 208, in order to carry out functions and operations of the control device 200. The control circuitry 202 is configured to perform the steps of the method 100 as described above in connection with Fig. 1 . The steps may be implemented in one or more functions stored in the memory 208.

The transceiver 206 may be configured to enable the control device 200 to communicate with other devices. The transceiver 206 may thus both transmit and receive data. Even though illustrated as a single unit, the transceiver 206 may be distributed over several transceiver units of the control device 200. The transceiver 206 may be configured to communicate over one or more communication protocol known in the art. Examples include, but are not limited to, long range radio communication technologies (e.g. cellular radio technologies such as GSM, GPRS, EDGE, LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G, 5G NR, 6G, and so on), as well as short to mid-range technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Wireless Local Area (LAN), e.g. IEEE 802.11 etc.

The memory 208 may be configured to store received or transmitted data and/or executable program instructions. The memory 208 may also be configured to store any form of beamforming information, reference signals, and/or feedback data or information. The memory 208 may be any suitable type of computer readable memory and may be of volatile and/or non-volatile type. The memory 208 may for instance be one or more of a buffer, a flash memory, a hard drive, a removable media, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a random access memory (RAM), or another suitable device. The memory 208 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In a typical arrangement, the memory 208 may include a non-volatile memory for long term data storage and a volatile memory that functions as system memory for the control device 200. The memory 208 may exchange data with the circuitry 202 over the data bus. Accompanying control lines and an address bus between the memory 208 and the circuitry 202 also may be present.

Functions and operations of the control device 200 may be implemented in the form of executable logic routines (e.g., lines of code, software programs, etc.) that are stored on a non-transitory computer readable recording medium (e.g., the memory 208) of the control device 200 and are executed by the circuitry 202 (e.g. using the processor 204). Put differently, when it is stated that the circuitry 202 is configured to execute a specific function or operation, the processor 204 of the circuitry 202 may be configured to execute program code portions stored on the memory 208, wherein the stored program code portions correspond to the specific function or operation. Furthermore, the functions and operations of the circuitry 202 may be a stand-alone software application or form a part of a software application that carries out additional tasks related to the circuitry 202. The described functions and operations may be considered a method which the corresponding device is configured to carry out, such as the method 100 discussed above in connection with Fig. 1. Also, while the described functions and operations may be implemented in software, such functionality may as well be carried out via dedicated hardware or firmware, or some combination of one or more of hardware, firmware, and software. In the following, the function and operations of the control device 200 is described.

The control circuitry 202 is configured to (I) determine, for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively. This may be performed e.g. by execution of a determining function 210.

The control circuitry 202 is further configured to (ii) divide the wireless communication network into a plurality of subnetworks by assigning each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links. This may be performed e.g. by execution of a dividing function 212.

The control circuitry 202 is further configured to (ill) perform traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks. This may be performed e.g. by execution of a traffic control function 214.

In some embodiments, assigning each communication link to a sub-network is further based on a comparison of the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links with a defined threshold value.

In some embodiments, two communication links having an interference level exceeding the defined threshold value are assigned to the same sub-network.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication network is divided such that each of the communication links assigned to a certain sub-network has an interference level below the defined threshold value towards the communication links assigned to the other sub-networks.

In some embodiments, each sub-network comprises one or more communication links that has an interference with at least one other communication link in said sub-network above the defined threshold value.

In some embodiments, the defined threshold value is a value relative a noise floor of the wireless communication network. For example, the value may be a value below the noise floor. In another example, the value may be a value above the noise floor.

In some embodiments, the interference level is determined based on a link gain and a transmit power associated with each communication link. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network is operable within a defined frequency range, and the traffic control within each sub-network is performed over the defined frequency range.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication network is a wireless backhaul communication network.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication network is a first wireless communication network, and operable within a first defined frequency range. The control device 200 is then further configured to, in response to an interference level of a communication link exceeding a further defined threshold value, (iv) re-allocate a communication node associated with said communication link from the first wireless communication network to a second wireless communication network. The second wireless communication network being operable within a second defined frequency range. This may be performed e.g. by execution of a re-allocating function 216. The control circuitry is then further configured to repeat the steps (i) to (iii), for the first wireless communication network.

In some embodiments, the control circuit repeats the steps (i) to (iii), in response to an event trigger being fulfilled.

In some embodiments, the interference level between each communication link and each of the other links is determined by: forming an interference matrix describing the interference level between each pair of communication links, and forming an adjacency matrix based on the interference matrix and in view of the defined threshold value, wherein the adjacency matrix describes which pair of communication links are in interference with each other. Moreover, each communication link may be assigned to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks further based on graph theory applied to the adjacency matrix.

It should be appreciated that any features, aspects and advantages of the method 100 as described above in connection with Fig. 1 , are applicable also to the control device 200 described herein. To avoid undue repetition, reference is made to the above.

Figure 3 schematically illustrates, by way of example, a wireless communication network 300, in accordance with some embodiments. The network 300 is an example of a network as described above in connection with Fig. 1 and 2, and is thus enabled for performing the techniques of the method 100 as described above.

The wireless communication network 300 comprises a plurality of communication nodes, herein illustrated as a first through fourth communication node 304a-d. It is however to be noted that the network 300 may comprise any number of nodes. Each communication node may comprise an antenna 306 for receiving and transmitting signals. The communication nodes may further comprise a processing system 308 for performing the overall control and operation of the node.

The nodes 304a-d are communicatively connected to each other to form a number of communication links (herein illustrated by arrows with dashed lines). Each communication link is therefore associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other. The nodes may communicate over any suitable wireless communication protocol. In the illustrated example, the nodes 304a-d are illustrated as base stations of a cellular (or mobile) communication network. More specifically, the wireless communication network 300 may constitute a so-called wireless backhaul network. It is however to be appreciated that other types of nodes and communication networks are applicable as well. For example, the communication nodes may be any unit or entity capable of receiving and/or transmitting wireless signals, including e.g. terminal devices, mobile devices or other types of user equipment, network routers etc.

The wireless communication network 300 further comprises a control device 200, such as the device described above in connection with Fig. 2. As illustrated herein, the control device 200 may be implemented in a central unit 302. The central unit 302 (may also be referred to as traffic control center, central network controller, etc.) may be understood as a unit configured to manage the overall control and operation of the network 300. The central unit 302 may be communicatively connected to the plurality of communication nodes 304a-d. In a wireless backhaul network, the central unit 302 may further comprise a connection to a core network.

It is to be appreciated that the control device 200 may be implemented differently within the network 300. For example, in a selected node of the plurality of communication nodes 304a-d. Said node may thus be referred to as a central control node of the network 300.

In another example, the functions of the control device 200 may be distributed across the network 300. It may e.g. be distributed over the central unit 302 and at least one communication node of the plurality of communication nodes 304a-d. In another example, it may be distributed over two or more communication nodes of the plurality of communication nodes 304a-d.

The traffic control of the network 300 may be implemented in a centralized or decentralized way. In a centralized control implementation, the central unit 302, or a central control node, may be configured to perform the traffic control of each sub-network. In a decentralized implementation, the traffic control may be performed by a selected node of each sub-network (also referred to as local control node). In such implementation, the central unit 302 may still serve the purpose of sending instructions or any other relevant information to the local control nodes of the respective sub-networks.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates, by way of example, communication nodes and communication links of a wireless communication network 400. More specifically, Fig. 4 serves the purpose of providing an illustrative example of the division of the network 400 into a number of sub-networks, for improved understanding. The following example should thus not be seen as limiting of the herein disclosed technology.

The network 400 in the present example comprises twelve communication nodes for representing the plurality of communication nodes of the network 400. The nodes are herein represented by circles, and numbered 1 to 12. Moreover, a number of communication links between node-pairs are shown, and represented by lines connecting two nodes. The communication links are denoted A to K, for ease of reference. It is to be appreciated that neither the number of nodes, nor the number of links therebetween shall be seen as limiting. Any number of nodes may be present in the network 400. The wireless communication network 400 as presently described, or as described above in connection with Fig. 1 to 3, may comprise more than two nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 10 nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 50 nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 100 nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 200 nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 500 nodes. In some embodiments, the wireless communication network comprises at least 1000 nodes. The larger the network is, in particular the denser it is, the higher the applicability for the disclosed technology cab be, as many nodes in a small area will create more interference to each other. The disclosed technology is therefore advantageously applied in dense deployments with much interference.

Additionally, any number of links may be present. In one example, the network comprises one link for each possible combination of node-pairs in the network. Even further, two links may be formed between every such node-pair, corresponding to the two possible scenarios of which node is the transmitter, and which is the receiver.

For the sake of this example, two communication links crossing each other will be interpreted as being in interference with each other. However, in reality, there are many factors that can affect the interference. For this purpose, the interference level between links are determined, as explained in the foregoing.

Moreover, only one link between a pair of nodes is considered. However, consideration as to which node is the transmitter and which node is the receiver can be made, as explained above. Thereby, node 1 and node 2 can for example give rise to two links.

In the illustrated example, link A is in interference with link D. This is to be understood as direct interference. In turn, link D is in direct interference with link B. Therefore, link A can be said to be in indirect interference with link B, through link D. Moreover, link D is in direct interference with link F, which in turn is in direct interference with link I. The remaining links are not in interference with the previous links.

Therefore, according to the disclosed technology, the links A, B, D, F, and I are assigned to a first sub-network.

Looking further at Fig. 4, the links J and K are in interference with each other. Therefore, Link K and J are assigned to a second sub-network.

The remaining links C, E, G, and H are not in interference with any of the other links. These links can therefore be assigned to their own respective sub-network, i.e. a third through sixth sub-network.

In summary, the network 400 disclosed herein may be divided into a first through sixth sub-network, each of which can be controlled independently of the others. In this way, each of the sub-networks can utilize the whole bandwidth, as there are no (or at least no substantial) interference between them. Without this splitting into subnetworks, and if e.g. frequency reuse would be applied directly to the network instead, the available bandwidth would have to be split into a number of smaller parts, with each part assigned to different groups of the network, meaning less available capacity. Note that although terminology from one particular wireless system, such as, for example, 3GPP LTE may be used in this disclosure, this should not be seen as limiting the scope of the disclosure to only the aforementioned system. Other wireless systems, including without limitation Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 5G/New Radio (NR), 6G and/or any future wireless system may also benefit from exploiting the ideas covered within this disclosure.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary aspects of the disclosure. However, many variations and modifications can be made to these aspects without substantially departing from the principles of the present disclosure. Thus, the disclosure should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive, and not as being limited to the particular aspects discussed above. Accordingly, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

It should be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims, that the disclosed technology may be at least in part implemented by means of both hardware and software, and that the same item of hardware may represent several "means” or "units”.

Claims

1 . A method (100) for traffic control in a wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links, each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other, the method (100) comprising: determining (S102), for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively; dividing (S104) the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks by assigning (S106) each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links; and performing (S108) traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks.

2. The method (100) according to claim 1, wherein assigning (S106) each communication link to a subnetwork is further based on a comparison of the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links with a defined threshold value.

3. The method (100) according to claim 2, wherein two communication links having an interference level exceeding the defined threshold value, are assigned (S106) to the same sub-network.

4. The method (100) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the wireless communication network is divided (S104) such that each of the communication links assigned to a certain sub-network has an interference level below the defined threshold value towards the communication links assigned to the other sub-networks.

5. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 2 to 4, wherein each sub-network comprises one or more communication links that has an interference with at least one other communication link in said subnetwork above the defined threshold value.

6. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 2 to 5, wherein determining (S102), for each communication link, the interference level between said link and each of the other links comprises: forming an interference matrix describing the interference level between each pair of communication links, and forming an adjacency matrix based on the interference matrix and in view of the defined threshold value, wherein the adjacency matrix describes which pair of communication links are in interference with each other; and wherein assigning (S106) each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks is preferably further based on graph theory applied to the adjacency matrix.

7. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 2 to 6, wherein the defined threshold value is a value relative a noise floor of the wireless communication network.

8. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the interference level is determined (S102) based on a link gain and a transmit power associated with each communication link.

9. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the wireless communication network is operable within a defined frequency range, and wherein the traffic control within each sub-network is performed (S108) over the defined frequency range.

10. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, wherein the wireless communication network is a wireless backhaul communication network.

11. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein the wireless communication network is a first wireless communication network, and operable within a first defined frequency range, wherein the method (100) further comprises: in response to an interference level of a communication link exceeding a further defined threshold value: re-allocating (S110) a communication node associated with said communication link from the first wireless communication network to a second wireless communication network, wherein the second wireless communication network is operable within a second defined frequency range, and repeating the steps (S102-S108) of the method (100) for the first wireless communication network.

12. The method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 11, further comprising repeating the steps (S102-S108) of the method (100) in response to an event trigger being fulfilled.

13. A computer program product, comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method (100) according to any one of the claims 1 to 12.

14. A control device (200) for traffic control in a wireless communication network, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a plurality of communication nodes forming a number of communication links, each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other, the device (200) comprising control circuitry (202) configured to:

(I) determine, for each communication link, an interference level between said communication link and each of the other communication links respectively; (ii) divide the wireless communication network into a plurality of sub-networks by assigning each communication link to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks based on the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links; and

(ill) perform traffic control within each sub-network independently of the other sub-networks.

15. The control device (200) according to claim 14, wherein assigning each communication link to a subnetwork is further based on a comparison of the determined interference level of each communication link to each of the other communication links with a defined threshold value.

16. The control device (200) according to claim 15, wherein two communication links having an interference level exceeding the defined threshold value, are assigned to the same sub-network.

17. The control device (200) according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the wireless communication network is divided such that each of the communication links assigned to a certain sub-network has an interference level below the defined threshold value towards the communication links assigned to the other sub-networks.

18. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 15 to 17, wherein each sub-network comprises one or more communication links that has an interference with at least one other communication link in said sub-network above the defined threshold value.

19. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 15 to 18, wherein the interference level between each communication link and each of the other links is determined by: forming an interference matrix describing the interference level between each pair of communication links, and forming an adjacency matrix based on the interference matrix and in view of the defined threshold value, wherein the adjacency matrix describes which pair of communication links are in interference with each other; and wherein each communication link is assigned to a sub-network of the plurality of sub-networks preferably further based on graph theory applied to the adjacency matrix.

20. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 15 to 19, wherein the defined threshold value is a value relative a noise floor of the wireless communication network.

21 . The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 20, wherein the interference level is determined based on a link gain and a transmit power associated with each communication link.

22. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 21, wherein the wireless communication network is operable within a defined frequency range, and wherein the traffic control within each sub-network is performed over the defined frequency range.

23. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 22, wherein the wireless communication network is a backhaul communication network.

24. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 23, wherein the wireless communication network is a first wireless communication network, and operable within a first defined frequency range, wherein the control device (200) is further configured to: in response to an interference level of a communication link exceeding a further defined threshold value: (iv) re-allocate a communication node associated with said communication link from the first wireless communication network to a second wireless communication network, wherein the second wireless communication network is operable within a second defined frequency range, and repeating the steps (i) to (iii) by the control device (200), for the first wireless communication network.

25. The control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 24, wherein the control circuit repeats the steps (i) to (iii), in response to an event trigger being fulfilled.

26. A wireless communication network (300) comprising: a plurality of communication nodes (304a-d) forming a number of communication links, each communication link being associated with a pair of communication nodes being in wireless communication with each other; and a control device (200) according to any one of the claims 14 to 25.