Method and apparatus for providing a wireless transmit/receive unit user with signal quality guidance

• US 20070010259A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, John Erich
• Application Number:
  US11/210,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010259A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

The current location and bearing of a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) are determined. Next, signal quality measurements of a pre-determined geographic region are taken. This geographic region includes the current location of the WTRU. From these quality measurements, a signal quality profile is generated. The signal quality profile and a directional guidance indicator are then displayed to the user of the WTRU. The display indicates areas of preferred signal quality relative to the current location of the WTRU.

Claims

1. A method for improving signal quality in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) operating in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining a current location of a WTRU;

determining a current bearing of the WTRU;

obtaining signal quality measurements of a pre-determined geographic region, said region including the current location of the WTRU;

generating a signal quality profile of the geographic region based on the signal quality measurements; and

displaying, in the WTRU, the signal quality profile and a directional guidance indicator that indicates the current location of the WTRU relative to areas of preferred signal quality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a global positioning system (GPS) receiver is utilized to determine the current location of the WTRU.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein time difference of arrival (TDOA) analysis is utilized to determine the current location of the WTRU.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein angle of arrival (AOA) analysis is utilized to determine the current location of the WTRU.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current location of the WTRU is determined by a network device and reported to the WTRU.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a GPS receiver is utilized to determine the current bearing of the WTRU.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a smart antenna is utilized to determine the current bearing of the WTRU.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a compass device is utilized to determine the current bearing of the WTRU.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the current bearing of the WTRU is determined by a network device and reported to the WTRU.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality measurements are measures of at least one quality parameter selected from the group consisting of received signal strength indicator (RSSI), bit error rate (BER), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), frame error rate (FER), and data transmission rate.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying distance information for indicating a distance between the current location of the WTRU and areas of preferred signal quality.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality profile is generated in an isobar format, wherein differing colors and lines are used to delineate areas in the pre-determined geographic region having varied signal quality.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality profile incorporates a map of the pre-determined geographic region, wherein areas of differing signal quality are identified on the map.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising periodically updating the signal quality profile as the signal quality profile changes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a network device generates the signal quality profile and reports said profile to the WTRU.

16. A WTRU for use in a wireless communication system comprising:

a location device configured to determine a current location of the WTRU;

a bearing device configured to determine a current bearing of the WTRU;

a metric collection unit configured to obtain signal quality measurements of a pre-determined geographic region, said region including the current location of the WTRU;

a profiling device configured to generate a guidance indicator based on the current location of the WTRU, and a signal quality profile of the geographic region based on the quality measurements; and

a displayer configured to display the signal quality profile and guidance indicator.

17. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the location device is a GPS receiver.

18. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the location device is further configured to utilize TDOA analysis for determining the current location of the WTRU.

19. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the location device is further configured to utilize AOA analysis for determining the current location of the WTRU.

20. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the location device is configured to receive and process location information from an external network device.

21. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the bearing device is a GPS receiver.

22. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the bearing device is a compass.

23. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the bearing device is a smart antenna.

24. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the bearing device is configured to receive and process bearing information from an external network device.

25. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the metric collection unit is configured to interpolate a signal quality value for unmeasured location points within the geographic region, wherein said measured and interpolated quality values are used to generate a signal quality surface map of the geographic region.

26. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the signal quality measurements are measures of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of received signal strength indicator (RSSI), bit error rate (BER), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), frame error rate (FER), and data transmission rate.

27. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the profiling device is further configured to generate distance information for indicating a distance between the current location of the WTRU and areas of preferred signal quality.

28. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the displayer is configured to display the signal quality profile in an isobar format, wherein differing colors and lines are used to delineate areas in the pre-determined geographic region having varied signal quality.

29. The WTRU of claim 16, wherein the displayer is configured to incorporate a map of the pre-determined geographic region into the signal quality profile display to create a signal quality profile map, wherein areas of differing signal quality are identified in the signal quality profile map.

30. The WTRU of claim 29, wherein the incorporated map is a local street map of the pre-determined geographic region.

31. The WTRU of claim 29, wherein the displayer periodically updates the signal quality profile map in response to periodical updates in the signal quality profile generated by the profiling device.

32. The WTRU of claim 29, wherein a network device generates the signal quality profile map and reports said profile map to the WTRU for display by the displayer.