Systems and methods for coordinating the coverage and capacity of a wireless base station

• US 20060223443A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Reudink, Douglas O.
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.110
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0083 Multi-mode cell search, i.e. where several modes or systems can be used, e.g. backwards compatible, dual mode or flexible systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A communications base station is installed at a selected new location and the base station, prior to going “on line” monitors the wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the new base station'"'"'s coverage area. The new base station also monitors the wireless traffic between mobile devices within its coverage area and these other base stations. Based upon these monitored conditions, as well as other known conditions, the new base station then determines the transmitting parameter configuration it should imply in order to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area. After the new base station is on line, a central control can monitor the entire network to determine if any additional changes are necessary and if so the new transceiver, or any other transceiver, can be instructed to monitor itself with respect to interference and to take corrective action to improve overall network coverage and capacity.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing a communication system base station for wireless communications at a particular location;

said method comprising;

monitoring wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the coverage area of said base station, said base station wireless traffic monitoring performed by said base station at said particular locator;

monitoring wireless traffic between mobile devices within said coverage area and said other base stations, said mobile device monitoring performed by said base station at said particular locator; and

determining from said monitored base station traffic and from said monitored mobile wireless traffic the transmitting parameters to use at said base station at said particular location to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area with respect to said base station.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring of base station traffic and said monitoring of said mobile device traffic is performed prior to said base station going online.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

adjusting said base station to achieve said transceivers parameters prior to bringing said base station online.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said transmitting parameters at selected from the list including;

frequencies, sub-frequencies, channels, carriers, effective antenna tilt, azimuth, radiation patterns, power levels, polarization.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

from time to time adjusting said base station transmitting parameters to achieve a desired optimization suitable for the time of said adjustment based on said monitoring of said base station traffic and said monitoring of said mobile station traffic at a previous point in time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said monitoring of mobile wireless traffic comprises:

determining areas within said coverage area that should be specifically targeted for coverage from said base station.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said determining comprises

selecting areas where said monitored mobile wireless traffic is below a certain threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one of said other base stations monitoring mobile wireless traffic within its respective coverage area and adjusting its transmitting parameters to achieve improved wireless capacity in the combined coverage areas served by said base stations.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said monitoring by said other base stations is initiated from a control point for said combined coverage area.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein said base station from time to time repeats said monitoring, of determining and said adjustment steps.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

adjusting said derived transmission parameters after said new base station has been activated using said derived transmission parameters to take into account anomalies caused by said activation of said new base station.

11. A method for adding a new base station to a wireless communication network, said network proving wireless communications to a coverage area, said network having multiple base stations;

said method comprising;

said new base station, upon activation and before coming on-line with its own transmission, sampling for a period of time existing transmission data to and from base stations within said new base station'"'"'s proposed coverage area; and

deriving, under control of said new base station, a set of transmission parameters calculated to achieve criteria established for said base station, said derived transmission parameters based upon said sampling.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said anomalies are selected from the list comprising:

traffic increases, traffic balances, data losses experienced, increase in call drops, increase in interference levels.

14. A wireless communication system comprising:

at least one established transceiver for bi-directional communication between said transceiver and a plurality of mobile devices within a transmission area of said transceiver;

a newly added transceiver positioned at a location such that the transmission area of said newly added transceiver overlaps, at least partially, said transmission area of said established transceiver;

said newly added transceiver comprising;

means for selecting transmitting parameters to achieve a desired coverage criteria, said selecting based upon transmission parameters as measured from said bi-directional communication between said established transceiver and said plurality of mobile devices within said transmission area of said established transceiver.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 14 further comprising:

means for bringing said newly added transceiver online using said selected transmitting parameters.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 15 further comprising:

means, at said established transceiver, and operable after said newly added transceiver is online for adjusting the transmission parameters of said established transceiver based upon measured bi-directional communication within said overlap area.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for storing said measured bi-directional communications; and

means for changing said selected transmitting parameters to match anticipated transmissions within said transmission area, said anticipated transmissions bases on said stored bi-directional communications.

18. A system for optimizing a communication system base station for wireless communications at a particular location;

said system comprising;

means operable prior to said particular location base station going online for monitoring wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the coverage area of said base station; and

transceiver;

means also operable prior to said particular location base station going online for monitoring wireless traffic between mobile devices within said coverage area and said other base stations, and

means for determining from said monitored base station traffic and from said monitored mobile wireless traffic the transmitting parameters to use at said particular location base station to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area with respect to said base station.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said base station traffic monitoring means and said mobile device traffic monitoring means are performed from said particular locator base station.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprises:

means for adjusting said particular locator base station to achieve said transceivers parameters prior to bringing said particular locator base station online.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said transmitting parameters at selected from the list including;

frequencies, sub-frequencies, channels, carriers, effective antenna tilt, azimuth, radiation patterns, power levels, polarization.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said mobile wireless traffic monitoring of mobile wireless traffic comprises:

means for determining areas within said coverage area that should be specifically targeted for coverage from said base station.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said determining means comprises

means for selecting areas where said monitored mobile wireless traffic is below a certain threshold.

24. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

at least one of said other base stations comprising;

means for monitoring mobile wireless traffic within its respective coverage area; and

means for adjusting its transmitting parameters to achieve improved wireless capacity in the combined coverage areas served by said base stations.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said monitoring means last-mentioned is initiated from a control point for said combined coverage area.