Provided are methods and corresponding apparatuses for resource allocation. A method comprises calculating a respective marginal benefit difference for each of a plurality of user equipments according to an initial almost blank subframe pattern; sorting the plurality of UEs in an order based upon the initial almost blank pattern; and partitioning the user equipments into unique partitions; determining one partition that maximizes a utility function; repeatedly performing previous steps until a maximal utility function is identified; and arranging the user equipment according to the partition corresponding to the maximal utility function. With the claimed inventions, interference from a macro base station could be ameliorated and the spectrum efficiency would be enhanced due to improved resource allocation.