NETWORK ENGINEERING IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20100317362A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, William C.Y., Lee, Jau Young
• Granted Patent: US 7,929,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power

Abstract

Various types of information from a wireless communications network, including E911 location information, Hand Off (HO) information, and Power information, as well as other Measurements and System Parameters, are collected and analyzed by a Data Collection and Filtering system, and the results of this analysis are provided to a Network Control system to dynamically control the operation of the wireless communications network. The various optimizations that can be performed by the Network Control system include: (1) dynamically allocating radio frequency (RF) signal power, (2) setting dynamic dedicated handoff (HO) thresholds for individual mobile transceivers; and (3) intelligently forming or steering radio frequency (RF) signal beams.

Claims

1. A system for operating a cellular telephone network, comprising:

(a) a data collection and filter system for collecting and analyzing information from at least one mobile switching center in the cellular telephone network, wherein the information comprises location information on a plurality of mobile transceivers communicating with the cellular telephone network; and

(b) a network control system, coupled to the data collection and filter system, for optimizing the cellular telephone network'"'"'s operation using the collected and analyzed information, wherein radio frequency (RF) signal beams generated by one or more base station transceivers in the cellular telephone network are steered in the direction of one or more of the plurality of mobile transceivers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network control system optimizes the cellular telephone network'"'"'s operation by dynamically allocating RF signal power generated by the base station transceivers based on the collected and analyzed information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the network control system dynamically allocates the RF signal power by dynamically assigning the RF signal power generated by the base station transceivers to cells, sectors within cells, and mobile transceivers in the cellular telephone network based on the collected and analyzed information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network control system optimizes the cellular telephone network'"'"'s operation by setting handoff (HO) thresholds for the mobile transceivers based on the collected and analyzed information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the network control system optimizes the cellular telephone network'"'"'s operation by performing handoffs for the mobile transceivers based on their handoff thresholds.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network control system performs the handoffs for the mobile transceivers in order to minimize interference levels.

7. A method for operating a cellular telephone network, comprising:

(a) collecting and analyzing information from at least one mobile switching center in the cellular telephone network into a data collection and filter system, wherein the information comprises location information on a plurality of mobile transceivers communicating with the cellular telephone network; and

(b) optimizing the cellular telephone network'"'"'s operation in a network control system coupled to the data collection and filter system using the collected and analyzed information, wherein radio frequency (RF) signal beams generated by one or more base station transceivers in the cellular telephone network are steered in the direction of one or more of the plurality of mobile transceivers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the optimizing step further comprises dynamically allocating radio frequency (RF) signal power generated by the base station transceivers based on the collected and analyzed information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the dynamically allocating step further comprises dynamically assigning the RF signal power generated by the base station transceivers to cells, sectors within cells, and mobile transceivers in the cellular telephone network based on the collected and analyzed information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the optimizing step further comprises setting handoff (HO) thresholds for the mobile transceivers based on the collected and analyzed information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the optimizing step further comprises performing handoffs for the mobile transceivers based on their handoff thresholds.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the performing step comprises performing the handoffs for the mobile transceivers in order to minimize interference levels.