Three-dimensional femtocell mapping

• US 10,028,246 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chiang, David, Polehn, Donna L., Rados, Steven R., Haynes, Thomas W., Hughes, Kent W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lafontant, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/584,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 455436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/322 by location data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

Femtocells are often used to extend the coverage of wireless telecommunication networks, but do not typically incorporate mechanisms that allow their location to be easily ascertained. As described herein, a system may determine the locations of femtocells, based on the locations of user devices that attach to, detach from, handover between, and/or detect the femtocells. A map (such as a three-dimensional map) may be generated based on the determined locations of femtocells. The locations of femtocells may be used, for example, in emergency broadcast situations, in order to ensure that messages are distributed as completely as possible in a given region.

Claims

1. A femtocell mapping device, comprising:

a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions;

interface hardware configured to communicate with one or more other devices, the one or more other devices including at least one of;

a user device,

a plurality of femtocells, or

a femtocell gateway that is communicatively coupled to the plurality of femtocells; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the femtocell mapping device to;

receive an indication, from the user device, the plurality of femtocells, or the femtocell gateway, via the interface hardware, the indication including information indicating that the user device has concurrently detected a presence of a first femtocell and a second femtocell, of the plurality of femtocells;

receive, within a predetermined window of time;

height information regarding the user device, the height information indicating at least one of;

an altitude of the user device, or

a floor of a building on which the user device is located,

first signal strength information regarding a first signal strength between the user device and the first femtocell, that was obtained by the user device while the user device was concurrently in the presence of the first and second femtocells, and

second signal strength information regarding a second signal strength between the user device and the second femtocell, that was obtained by the user device while the user device was concurrently in the presence of the first and second femtocells;

determine a difference between the first signal strength and the second signal strength that were received during the predetermined window of time;

determine a spatial relationship between the first and second femtocells based on the difference between the first and second signal strengths, that were obtained by the user device while the user device was concurrently in the presence of the first and second femtocells;

approximate a first distance between the user device and the first femtocell based on the first signal strength;

approximate a second distance between the user device and the second femtocell based on the second signal strength;

determine a height of the first femtocell, based on;

the approximated first distance between the user device and the first femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device; and

determine a height of the second femtocell, based on;

the approximated second distance between the user device and the second femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device.

2. The femtocell mapping device of claim 1, wherein the indication is received from the user device based on at least one of:

the user device attaching to the first femtocell,

the user device detaching from the first femtocell,

the user device being handed to the first femtocell from the second femtocell,

the user device being handed from the first femtocell to the second femtocell, or

the user device concurrently detecting that the first femtocell and the second femtocell are present.

3. The femtocell mapping device of claim 1, wherein the first signal strength information or the second signal strength information includes at least one of:

a signal to noise ratio (“

SNR”

),

a signal to interference plus noise ratio (“

SINR”

), or

a channel quality index (“

CQI”

).

4. The femtocell mapping device of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the femtocell mapping device to:

determine an area in which the first femtocell is located, wherein a size of the area is determined based on the first signal strength between the first femtocell and the user device.

5. The femtocell mapping device of claim 4, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the femtocell mapping device to generate a visual indication, on a map, that corresponds to the determined area associated with the first femtocell, wherein the map represents the location of the first femtocell in three dimensions, including the determined height of the first femtocell.

6. The femtocell mapping device of claim 1, wherein the processor-executable instructions further cause the femtocell mapping device to:

receive an indication that the user device has been handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell; and

determine that a coverage area of the first femtocell overlaps a coverage area of the second femtocell, based on the indication that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell.

7. The femtocell mapping device of claim 1, wherein the first and second femtocells provide wireless coverage on behalf of a wireless telecommunications network, the wireless coverage being provided on a smaller scale than is provided by a base station of the wireless telecommunications network.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and via interface hardware associated with the computing device, an indication that a user device has concurrently detected a presence of a first femtocell and a second femtocell;

receiving, during a predetermined window of time;

height information indicating a height of the user device,

first signal strength information regarding a first signal strength between the user device and the first femtocell, that was obtained by the user device while the user device has detected that the first and second femtocells are concurrently present, and

second signal strength information regarding a second signal strength between the user device and the second femtocell, that was obtained by the user device while the user device has detected that the first and second femtocells are concurrently present;

approximating a first distance between the user device and the first femtocell based on the first signal strength;

approximating a second distance between the user device and the second femtocell based on the second signal strength;

determining a height of the first femtocell, based on;

the approximated first distance between the user device and the first femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device; and

determining a height of the second femtocell, based on;

the approximated distance between the user device and the second femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the indication is received from the user device based on at least one of:

the user device attaching to the first femtocell,

the user device detaching from the first femtocell,

the user device being handed to the first femtocell from the second femtocell,

the user device being handed from the first femtocell to the second femtocell, or

the user device detecting that the first femtocell and the second femtocell are concurrently present.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining an area in which the first femtocell is located, wherein a size of the area is determined based on the first signal strength information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a visual indication, on a three-dimensional map, that corresponds to the determined area and height associated with the first femtocell.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user has been handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell; and

determining that a coverage area of the first femtocell overlaps a coverage area of the second femtocell, based on the indication that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a location of the user device; and

determining a location of the first femtocell based on;

the location associated with the user device, and

the first signal strength information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the location of the user device includes at least one of:

requesting the location from a mobility management entity (“

MME”

), or

requesting the location from the user device.

15. A user device, comprising:

a memory device storing a set of processor-executable instructions;

interface hardware configured to communicate with one or more other devices; and

a processor configured to execute the processor-executable instructions, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions causes the user device to;

concurrently detect, via the interface hardware, a presence of a first femtocell and a second femtocell;

while the user device has detected the concurrent presence of the first and second femtocells, determine;

a height of the user device,

a first signal strength between the user device and the first femtocell, and

a second signal strength between the user device and the second femtocell; and

output, via the interface hardware and to a femtocell mapping device, information regarding the determined height, first signal strength, and second signal strength, wherein the femtocell mapping device uses the information regarding the determined height, first signal strength, and second signal strength to;

approximate a first distance between the user device and the first femtocell based on the first signal strength;

approximate a second distance between the user device and the second femtocell based on the second signal strength;

determine a height of the first femtocell based on;

the approximated first distance between the user device and the first femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device;

determine a height of the second femtocell, based on;

the approximated second distance between the user device and the second femtocell, and

the height information regarding the user device.

16. The user device of claim 15, wherein outputting the information, regarding the determined first and second signal strengths, to the femtocell mapping device, includes:

pushing the information, regarding the determined first and second signal strengths, independently of whether a request was received from the femtocell mapping device.

17. The user device of claim 15, wherein the first signal strength or the second signal strength is based on at least one of:

a signal to noise ratio (“

SNR”

),

a signal to interference plus noise ratio (“

SINR”

), or

a channel quality index (“

CQI”

).

18. The user device of claim 15, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the user device to:

attach to the first femtocell;

after attaching to the first femtocell, participate in a handover process in which the user device is handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell; and

output an indication to the femtocell mapping device, indicating that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell,

wherein the femtocell mapping device determines that a coverage area of the first femtocell overlaps a coverage area of the second femtocell based on the indication that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the second femtocell.

19. The user device of claim 15, wherein executing the processor-executable instructions further causes the user device to:

attach to the first femtocell;

after attaching to the first femtocell, participate in a handover process in which the user device is handed over from the first femtocell to a base station of a wireless telecommunications network; and

output an indication to the femtocell mapping device, indicating that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the base station,

wherein the femtocell mapping device determines that a coverage area of the first femtocell does not overlap a coverage area of a third femtocell based on the indication that the user device was handed over from the first femtocell to the base station.

20. The user device of claim 15, wherein the information regarding the first signal strength further facilitates the femtocell mapping device determining a size of a coverage area associated with the first femtocell.