Methods for interactive, real-time adjustments of antenna and other network state elements in a wireless network

• US 20060217122A1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Newfield Wireless, Inc. (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Newfield Wireless, Inc. (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Levit, Itzhak, Bensadoun, Marc
• Application Number:
  US11/384,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20060217122A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

Methods for interactively adjusting antennas and displaying network state elements in a simulated wireless network with real-time calculation and a complete display of the effect of the modification on the network performance. The result is an intuitive and efficient way of maintaining a wireless network that replaces a common multi-step, time consuming and tedious operation of network maintenance, by a single step operation that is performed in real time.

Claims

1. A method for interactive, real-time adjustment of antennas and displaying network state elements in a wireless network, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a graphical user interface (GUI) capable of displaying one or more network state elements in a wireless network comprising one or more antennas, wherein each said antenna is described by a set of antenna parameters, and wherein a network state element is defined as one of a map of said wireless network, a graph relevant to said wireless network, and a scalar quantity relevant to said wireless network, and wherein said GUI is further capable of displaying current user-specified values of antenna parameters describing a selected antenna;

b) receiving the currently displayed set of antenna parameters describing the selected antenna;

c) performing a rapid network simulation analysis using said set of current antenna parameters;

d) using results of said network simulation analysis, calculating the current values of all said network state elements; and

e) displaying said current values on said GUI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless network is a radio frequency (RF) wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein steps b) through e) are repeated one or more times.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said selected antenna is the same antenna throughout the operation of the invention.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said selected antenna is changed at least once during the operation of the invention.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of values of network state elements can be saved by said user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said map maps forward link-received signal strength.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said map maps reverse link-received signal strength.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps forward link-received signal to noise ratio.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps reverse link-received signal to noise ratio.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps forward link traffic channel power.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps reverse link traffic channel power.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps total transmitted power.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said total transmitted power comprises mobile transmission power.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps interference.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps noise.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps forward operational path loss.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps reverse operational path loss.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps handoff state.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps Walsh code across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps served users across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps unserved users across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps forward link noise rise across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps reverse link noise rise across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps pole capacity across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps balancing of transmitted power across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps balancing of received power across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps balancing of code across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps balancing of channel power across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps balancing of total traffic across one of carriers on a sector, sectors on a cell, and sectors in an area.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein total traffic is computed in Erlangs.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps dropped calls.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps forward re-use factors.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps reverse re-use factors.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps a derivative of one of the quantities mapped in one of claims 2 through 34.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps the power per Erlang.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one map maps infrastructure cost.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises capital expenses associated with cell sites.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises operational expenses associated with cell sites.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises backhaul cost.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises switching cost.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises cost of other network components.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein infrastructure cost comprises implementation costs.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said implementation costs comprise capital costs.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said implementation costs comprise expense costs.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one graph is a scatter plot of one of the state elements described in one of claims 2 through 45.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one graph is a histogram of one of the state elements described in one of claims 2 through 45.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one scalar quantity is a service area.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one scalar quantity is a number of dropped calls.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one scalar quantity is a load balancing measure.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one scalar quantity is a measure of integrated cost components for coverage.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one scalar quantity is capacity.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein said antenna parameters comprise one or more of azimuth, mechanical down tilt and twist, height, electrical down-tilt, pilot power, antenna model, and antenna discrimination footprint parameters.

54. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI uses a selectable antenna list to enable said user'"'"'s selection of an antenna.

55. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises text input.

56. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises sliders.

57. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises up buttons and down buttons.

58. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises up-assigned keyboard keys and down-assigned keyboard keys.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises a pointing device button click.

60. The method of claim 1, wherein said GUI comprises an up-assigned pointing device motion and a down-assigned pointing device motion.