REPEATER-ASSISTED MANAGEMENT OF MACRO NETWORK COVERAGE

• US 20110235568A1
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Esteves, Eduardo S., Makhijani, Mahesh A., Gore, Dhananjay Ashok
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15528 Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15535 Control of relay amplifier gain amplifier gain control in general H03G3/00; gain control reducing self - or loop interference H04B7/15578
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/1555 Selecting relay station antenna mode, e.g. selecting omnidirectional -, directional beams, selecting polarizations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15578 by gain adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations

Abstract

A method of managing macro network coverage among a plurality of repeaters deployed to extend coverage of one or more base stations may include receiving feedback information from at least two repeaters indicative of macro network coverage at locations corresponding to each repeater, determining a coverage status of the macro network based on the feedback information, and sending a control signal to at least one repeater instructing the repeater to adjust one or more operating parameters based on the determined coverage status.

Claims

1. A method of managing macro network coverage among a plurality of repeaters deployed to extend coverage of one or more base stations, the method comprising:

receiving feedback information from at least two repeaters indicative of macro network coverage at locations corresponding to each repeater;

determining a coverage status of the macro network based on the feedback information; and

sending a control signal to at least one repeater instructing the repeater to adjust one or more operating parameters based on the determined coverage status.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the feedback information from the at least two repeaters by a network controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information comprises signal measurements collected at the repeater.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal measurements comprise a received signal strength associated with a base station, a path loss to the base station, a received signal strength associated with another repeater, and/or a downlink signal-to-interference-plus- noise ratio.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the feedback information further comprises a geographic position, a transmission power gain, and/or an output power level of the repeater.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the coverage status comprises constructing a coverage model for the macro network based on the feedback information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating parameters comprise a set of carrier frequencies to amplify, a maximum output power level, and/or a maximum transmission power gain.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein uplink and downlink maximum power levels or transmission gains are specified separately.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal instructs the repeater to increase an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates poor coverage among the repeaters, or to decrease an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates substantial interference among the repeaters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is sent to at least two repeaters.

11. An apparatus for managing macro network coverage among a plurality of repeaters deployed to extend coverage of one or more base stations, the apparatus comprising:

logic configured to receive feedback information from at least two repeaters indicative of macro network coverage at locations corresponding to each repeater;

logic configured to determine a coverage status of the macro network based on the feedback information; and

logic configured to send a control signal to at least one repeater instructing the repeater to adjust one or more operating parameters based on the determined coverage status.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is a network controller and further comprises logic configured to request the feedback information from the at least two repeaters.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback information comprises signal measurements collected at the repeater.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the signal measurements comprise a received signal strength associated with a base station, a path loss to the base station, a received signal strength associated with another repeater, and/or a downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the feedback information further comprises a geographic position, a transmission power gain, and/or an output power level of the repeater.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic configured to determine the coverage status comprises logic configured to construct a coverage model for the macro network based on the feedback information.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operating parameters comprise a set of carrier frequencies to amplify, a maximum output power level, and/or a maximum transmission power gain.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein uplink and downlink maximum power levels or transmission gains are specified separately.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control signal instructs the repeater to increase an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates poor coverage among the repeaters, or to decrease an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates substantial interference among the repeaters.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control signal is sent to at least two repeaters.

21. An apparatus for managing macro network coverage among a plurality of repeaters deployed to extend coverage of one or more base stations, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving feedback information from at least two repeaters indicative of macro network coverage at locations corresponding to each repeater;

means for determining a coverage status of the macro network based on the feedback information; and

means for sending a control signal to at least one repeater instructing the repeater to adjust one or more operating parameters based on the determined coverage status.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is a network controller and further comprises means for requesting the feedback information from the at least two repeaters.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the feedback information comprises signal measurements collected at the repeater.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the signal measurements comprise a received signal strength associated with a base station, a path loss to the base station, a received signal strength associated with another repeater, and/or a downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the feedback information further comprises a geographic position, a transmission power gain, and/or an output power level of the repeater.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for determining the coverage status comprises means for constructing a coverage model for the macro network based on the feedback information.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operating parameters comprise a set of carrier frequencies to amplify, a maximum output power level, and/or a maximum transmission power gain.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein uplink and downlink maximum power levels or transmission gains are specified separately.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control signal instructs the repeater to increase an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates poor coverage among the repeaters, or to decrease an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates substantial interference among the repeaters.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the control signal is sent to at least two repeaters.

31. A computer-readable medium comprising code, which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations for managing macro network coverage among a plurality of repeaters deployed to extend coverage of one or more base stations, the computer-readable medium comprising:

code for receiving feedback information from at least two repeaters indicative of macro network coverage at locations corresponding to each repeater;

code for determining a coverage status of the macro network based on the feedback information; and

code for sending a control signal to at least one repeater instructing the repeater to adjust one or more operating parameters based on the determined coverage status.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising code for requesting the feedback information from the at least two repeaters by a network controller.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the feedback information comprises signal measurements collected at the repeater.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the signal measurements comprise a received signal strength associated with a base station, a path loss to the base station, a received signal strength associated with another repeater, and/or a downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the feedback information further comprises a geographic position, a transmission power gain, and/or an output power level of the repeater.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the code for determining the coverage status comprises code for constructing a coverage model for the macro network based on the feedback information.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the operating parameters comprise a set of carrier frequencies to amplify, a maximum output power level, and/or a maximum transmission power gain.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein uplink and downlink maximum power levels or transmission gains are specified separately.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the control signal instructs the repeater to increase an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates poor coverage among the repeaters, or to decrease an output power level or a transmission power gain when the coverage status indicates substantial interference among the repeaters.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the control signal is sent to at least two repeaters.