Method and arrangement for determination of the radio coverage in a multicell mobile radio system

• US 20090253436A1
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Enterprise Communications GmbH and Co KG (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Nientiedt, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02521 using a radio-map
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method for determination of a radio coverage and a method for positional determination of a mobile terminal in a multi-cellular mobile radio system in which the actual received field strength for several or all base stations is measured at a number of measuring points in differing locations. The measured values for the actual received field strengths are entered in a databank as actual local values. Interpolated values are calculated from the actual received field strengths for virtual measuring points lying between the measuring points and the base stations and entered in the databank. Substitute values for the received field strengths are calculated for geographical positions at which neither measured nor interpolated values for the received field strengths are available, the substitute values being calculated from the relevant transmitter power, the distance from the relevant base station to said geographical point and a propagation model and entered in the databank.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for determination of the radio coverage in a multicell mobile radio system having a plurality of base stations, comprising:

measuring the actual reception field strength of a plurality of the base stations at each of the base station locations; and

entering the measured values of the actual reception field strengths as actual values on a position-related basis in a database,

wherein the measurements of the actual reception field strengths are carried out by the base with one of the base stations in each case being used alternately as the measurement device for measurement of the reception field strength of at least one of the other base stations.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein values that have in each case been interpolated via an interpolation method, for the reception field strengths of a plurality or all of the base stations are calculated from the actual reception field strengths for virtual measurement points which are located between the measurement points and the base stations and are entered in the database.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the substitute values for the reception field strength are calculated for further geographical points at which neither measured nor interpolated values are available for the reception field strengths, with the substitute values being calculated based on:

the respective transmission power, the range to the respective base station from this geographic point, and a propagation model, and with the substitute values calculated in this way being entered in the database.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein actual values are used for selection and/or for correction of the propagation model, used for calculation of the field strength values, and/or the propagation model parameters.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein actual values are used for selection and/or for correction of the interpolation method used.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the virtual measurement points are arranged on straight connecting lines between actual measurement points.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein special topographical features are entered in and taken into account for the propagation model and/or the interpolation method.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein a field strength matrix is formed from the actual, interpolated and calculated values for the reception field strengths stored in the database.

19. A method for finding the position of a mobile terminal in a multicell mobile radio system, comprising:

determining the radio coverage of the multicell mobile radio system by;

measuring the actual reception field strength of a plurality of the base stations at each of the base station locations, and

entering the measured values of the actual reception field strengths as actual values on a position-related basis in a database, wherein the measurements of the actual reception field strengths are carried out by the base with one of the base stations in each case being used alternately as the measurement device for measurement of the reception field strength of at least one of the other base stations;

detecting by the mobile terminal the reception field strength of a plurality of the receivable base stations; and

comparing the reception field strengths that have been detected by the mobile terminal with the determined radio coverage, with that measurement point being output as the location of the mobile radio whose determined reception field strength values best match the reception field strength values detected by the mobile terminal.

20. An arrangement for determination of the radio coverage in a multicell mobile radio system having a plurality of base stations and a plurality of actual measurement points, comprising:

a plurality of base stations where each base station is designed to measure an actual reception field strength, with one of the base stations being configured alternately as a measurement device for measurement of the reception field strength of at least one of the other base stations, and wherein the base stations are designed to transmit the measured reception field strengths;

a memory device for storing a plurality of reception field strength values; and

an evaluation device comprising a detection device that detects actual values for the reception field strength of the base stations at the actual measurement points,

wherein the detection device stores the detected values in the memory device,

wherein the evaluation device is designed for interpolation of virtual measured values formed from the actual measured values, for virtual measurement points located between the measurement points,

wherein the evaluation device is designed to calculate substitute values for the reception field strength at further points based on;

the transmission power of the base stations,

the respective range from the virtual measurement points to the base stations, and

a propagation model, and

wherein the detection device is designed to enter the actual measured values, with virtual measured values and the substitute values, as well as the location details about the respective measurement point associated with them, in the memory device.