Method and apparatus for increasing performance of communication paths for communication nodes

• US 10,298,279 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Original Assignee: ISCO International Inc.
• Inventors: Abdelmonem, Amr
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Nathan A
• Application Number:
  US15/614,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1036 with automatic suppression of narrow band noise or interference, e.g. by using tuneable notch filters H04B1/123 takes precedence; filter circuits H03H
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7097 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1045 Adjacent-channel interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1054 by changing bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/1072 by tuning the receiver frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70728 Frequency aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0023 Interference mitigation or co-ordination direct sequence spread spectrum [DSSS] systems H04B1/7097; frequency hopping H04B1/713; allocation criteria for ingress interference avoidance H04L5/0062; frequency allocation criteria for requirements on out-of-channel emissions H04L5/0066; arrangements for removing intersymbol interference or baseband equalisers H04L25/03006; peak power aspects in multicarrier modulation H04L27/2614; power management H04W52/00; traffic scheduling H04W72/54, H04W72/541
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/00 Code division multiplex systems for frequency hopping H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0021 in which the algorithm uses adaptive thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/242 by comparing a transmitted test signal with a locally generated replica
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 : Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 : Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 : Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 : Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/243 : using M+N parallel active paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 : using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 : the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 : Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 : Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 : at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/323 : in the physical layer [OSI layer 1]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 : Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 : Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 : for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/12 : based on transmission quality or channel quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/29 : between an access point and the access point controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 : Access point devices with remote components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system that incorporates aspects of the subject disclosure may perform operations including, for example, obtaining uplink information associated with a plurality of communication devices transmitting wireless signals on a plurality of uplink paths, performing, based on the uplink information, a plurality of measurements of the plurality of uplink paths, identifying a measurement from the plurality of measurements that is below a threshold, and initiating a corrective action to improve a measurement of an affected uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths based on the identifying. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a system comprising a processor, a downlink path;

responsive to the monitoring, obtaining, by the system, uplink information from a system information block (SIB), wherein the uplink information is associated with a plurality of communication devices transmitting wireless signals on a plurality of uplink paths;

performing, by the system, based on the uplink information, a plurality of measurements of the plurality of uplink paths;

determining, by the system, a plurality of thresholds based on prior knowledge of transmission characteristics used by each of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the thresholds are determined dynamically as a running average of power levels used by the plurality of communication devices;

identifying, by the system, a measurement from the plurality of measurements that is below a threshold included in the plurality of thresholds, wherein the measurement is associated with an affected uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths; and

initiating, by the system, a corrective action to improve the measurement of the affected uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises a plurality of Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) measurements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises receiving, by the system, the uplink information from a base station processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises monitoring, by the system, a downlink signal associated with the downlink path to obtain the uplink information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the downlink signal comprises a wireless signal, an analog signal transmitted over a wireline, or an optical signal transmitted over an optical fiber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the SIB comprises a physical resource block (PRB).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink information identifies a number of the plurality of communication devices transmitting wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink information identifies a power level used by the plurality of communication devices for transmitting wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink information identifies resource blocks used by the plurality of communication devices for transmitting wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises suppressing one or more signals on the affected uplink path.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the suppressing the one or more signals on the affected uplink path comprises frequency filtering the one or more signals on the affected uplink path, spatial filtering the one or more signals on the affected uplink path, time domain filtering the one or more signals on the affected uplink path, instructing one or more of the plurality of communication devices to move to one of the plurality of uplink paths different from the affected uplink path or an uplink path not included in the plurality of uplink paths, or any combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrective action comprises adjusting a number of the plurality of communication devices allowed to transmit wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of uplink paths conforms to a 4G or 5G signaling protocol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink information identifies a physical resource block (PRB), wherein the method further comprises determining, from the PRB, a PRB utilization of at least one uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the corrective action improves the PRB utilization on the at least one uplink path.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is based on a signal profile determined from the uplink information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the system comprises a plurality of base stations, and wherein the obtaining of the uplink information is obtained by a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of base stations, wherein one or more functions of the plurality of base stations is virtualized and thereby assigned to resources that are not localized at the plurality of base stations.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink path conforms to a common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the prior knowledge of transmission characteristics used by each of the plurality of communication devices comprises a timing of a use of resource blocks by the plurality of communication devices.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

monitoring a downlink path;

obtaining, responsive to the monitoring, uplink information from a system information block (SIB), wherein the uplink information includes operations parameters used by a plurality of communication devices transmitting wireless signals on a plurality of uplink paths;

performing, based on the uplink information, a plurality of measurements of the plurality of uplink paths;

determining a plurality of thresholds based on prior knowledge of transmission characteristics used by each of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the thresholds are determined dynamically as a running average of power levels used by the plurality of communication devices;

identifying a measurement from the plurality of measurements that is below a threshold included in the plurality of thresholds; and

initiating a corrective action to improve a measurement of an affected uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths based on the identifying.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein a signal of the downlink path conforms to a common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises a plurality of Signal to Interference plus Noise Radio (SINR) measurements.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the obtaining comprises monitoring, by the system, a downlink signal associated with the downlink path.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the downlink signal comprises a wireless signal, an analog signal transmitted over a wireline, or an optical signal transmitted over an optical fiber.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein SIB comprises a physical resource block (PRB).

31. The system of claim 19, wherein the uplink information identifies a power level used by the plurality of communication devices for transmitting wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the corrective action comprises adjusting a number of the plurality of communication devices allowed to transmit wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

monitoring a downlink path;

obtaining, responsive to the monitoring, uplink information from a system information block (SIB);

performing, based on the uplink information, a plurality of measurements of a plurality of uplink paths, wherein the uplink information is associated with downlink instructions supplied to a plurality of communication devices to facilitate transmission of wireless signals on a plurality of uplink paths;

determining a plurality of thresholds based on prior knowledge of transmission characteristics used by each of the plurality of communication devices, wherein the thresholds are determined dynamically as a running average of power levels used by the plurality of communication devices;

identifying a measurement from the plurality of measurements that is below a threshold included in the plurality of thresholds; and

responsive to the identifying, initiating a corrective action to improve a measurement of an affected uplink path of the plurality of uplink paths.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, further comprising obtaining the uplink information from a downlink path conforming to a common public radio interface (CPRI) protocol.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the plurality of measurements comprises a plurality of Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) measurements.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the obtaining comprises monitoring a downlink signal associated with the downlink path.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the downlink signal comprises a wireless signal, an analog signal transmitted over a wireline, or an optical signal transmitted over an optical fiber.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the SIB comprises a physical resource block (PRB).

32. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the uplink information identifies a power level used by the plurality of communication devices for transmitting wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths.

34. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the corrective action comprises adjusting a first number of the plurality of communication devices allowed to transmit wireless signals on the plurality of uplink paths and redirecting a second number of the plurality of communication devices to a second plurality of uplink paths that are different from the plurality of uplink paths.