SELF-OPTIMIZING NETWORKS FOR FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS

• US 20110136478A1
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Reverb Networks
• Inventors: Trigui, Hafedh
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0408 using two or more beams, i.e. beam diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0491 using two or more sectors, i.e. sector diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention relates to a method of modifying communication parameters of a wireless network, the wireless network having at least two antennas, and each of the antennas providing coverage to at least one sector. The method including obtaining measurement data for at least two sectors of the wireless network, determining, from the obtained measurement data, if a signal strength indicator of one or more sectors of the at least two sectors is at or below a target value, determining, if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value, and modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network.

Claims

1. A method of modifying communication parameters of a wireless network, the wireless network having at least two antennas, and each of the antennas providing coverage to at least one sector, the method comprising:

obtaining measurement data for at least two sectors of the wireless network;

determining, from the obtained measurement data, if a signal strength indicator of one or more sectors of the at least two sectors is at or below a target value;

determining, if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value; and

modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network includes modifying antenna tilt, antenna gain, antenna beamwidth, or antenna azimuth direction of one or more of the at least two antennas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network includes modifying a transmit power of one or more basestations of the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data includes uplink carrier to interference plus noise ratio and/or uplink received signal strength indicator for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors of the wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement data includes downlink carrier to interference plus noise ratio and/or uplink received signal strength indicator for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors of the wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target value includes a basestation received signal strength indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sectors each have one or more vertexes that may be modified, and said determining, if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value includes:

determining which of the one or more vertexes of the one or more sectors to modify;

evaluating a cost function for optimizing the wireless network;

determining the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said evaluating the cost function for optimizing the wireless network includes:

receiving carrier to interference plus noise ratio for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors;

determining the one of the at least two sectors throughput based on the received carrier to interference plus noise ratio for the subscriber in the one of the at least two sectors;

receiving a scheduler type and a number of subscribers for the one of the at least two sectors; and

determining an average sector throughput and a minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network modify antenna tilt, antenna gain, antenna beamwidth, or antenna azimuth direction of one or more of the at least two antennas such that the determined average sector throughput and the minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors converges with a average sector throughput and minimum user throughput for an adjacent sector to the at least one of the at least two sectors;

or

wherein the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network modify a transmit power of one or more basestations of the wireless network such that the determined average sector throughput and the minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors converges with a average sector throughput and minimum user throughput for an adjacent sector to the at least one of the at least two sectors.

10. A computer readable storage medium having a program stored thereon that when executed causes a computer to perform a method of modifying communication parameters of a wireless network, the wireless network having at least two antennas, and each of the antennas providing coverage to at least one sector, the method comprising:

obtaining measurement data from at least two sectors of the wireless network;

determining, from the obtained measurement data, if a signal strength indicator of one or more sectors of the at least two sectors is at or below a target value;

determining, if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value; and

modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network includes modifying antenna tilt, antenna gain, antenna beamwidth, or antenna azimuth direction of one or more of the at least two antennas.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said modifying the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network includes modifying a transmit power of one or more basestations of the wireless network.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the measurement data includes uplink carrier to interference plus noise ratio and/or uplink received signal strength indicator for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors of the wireless network.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the measurement data includes downlink carrier to interference plus noise ratio and/or uplink received signal strength indicator for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors of the wireless network.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the target value includes a basestation received signal strength indicator.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more sectors each have one or more vertexes that may be modified, and said determining, if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value includes:

determining which of the one or more vertexes of the one or more sectors to modify;

evaluating a cost function for optimizing the wireless network;

determining the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein said evaluating the cost function for optimizing the wireless network includes:

receiving carrier to interference plus noise ratio for a subscriber in one of the at least two sectors;

determining the one of the at least two sectors throughput based on the received carrier to interference plus noise ratio for the subscriber in the one of the at least two sectors;

receiving a scheduler type and a number of subscribers for the one of the at least two sectors; and

determining an average sector throughput and a minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network modify antenna tilt, antenna gain, antenna beamwidth, or antenna azimuth direction of one or more of the at least two antennas such that the determined average sector throughput and the minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors converges with a average sector throughput and minimum user throughput for an adjacent sector to the at least one of the at least two sectors;

or

wherein the communication parameters to be applied to the wireless network based on the cost function evaluated to optimize the wireless network modify a transmit power of one or more basestations of the wireless network such that the determined average sector throughput and the minimum user throughput for the at least one of the at least two sectors converges with a average sector throughput and minimum user throughput for an adjacent sector to the at least one of the at least two sectors.

19. A system of providing wireless access, said system comprising:

a server interface for modifying communication parameters of the wireless network, the wireless network having at least two antennas, and each of the antennas providing coverage to at least one sector, wherein said server interface is operable to

obtain measurement data for at least two sectors of the wireless network,

determine from the obtained measurement data, if a signal strength indicator of one or more sectors of the at least two sectors is at or below a target value,

determine if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value, and

modify the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network;

an element management system;

two or more basestations controlled by said element management system; and

two or more antenna controllers controlled by said two or more basestations, respectively, and for controlling said at least two antennas,

wherein said at least two antennas provide service to a plurality of customer premise equipment.

20. A server interface for modifying communication parameters of the wireless network, the wireless network having at least two antennas, and each of the antennas providing coverage to at least one sector, wherein said server interface is operable to

obtain measurement data for at least two sectors of the wireless network,

determine from the obtained measurement data, if a signal strength indicator of one or more sectors of the at least two sectors is at or below a target value,

determine if the one or more sectors is at or below the target value, a communication parameter to be applied to the wireless network such that the signal strength indicator of the one or more sectors is above the target value, and

modify the communication parameters of the wireless network such that the determined communication parameter is applied to the wireless network.