UE-ASSISTED NETWORK OPTIMIZATION METHODS

• US 20140073317A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: ZHOU, Yan, TINNAKORNSRISUPHAP, Peerapol, YAVUZ, Mehmet, SUNDARARAJAN, Jay Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/08 Load shedding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12

Abstract

A UE or mobile entity in a wireless communication may assist network optimization by determining a location uncovered by a wireless network, generate a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, and determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network. The covered network may act on the message to add covered in a second network so that the second network covers the UE. In other aspects, a UE or mobile entity may detect cell congestion in a first cell and assist the network in offloading congestion from the congested cell. In other aspects, a UE or mobile entity may detect backhaul congestion on a first cell, and assist in offloading backhaul communication for the first cell via a second cell.

Claims

1. A method of a communication device, the method comprising:

determining a location uncovered by a wireless network;

generating a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied; and

determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes at least one of a network node or a mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network associated with the uncovered location has a unique network identity and includes one or both of a public land mobile network and a WiFi network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a location is uncovered by a network if an associated network signal strength is below a first threshold and/or service quality including data throughput measured at the communication device is below a second threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage hole detected message comprises at least an uncovered network identity and uncovered location information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions for generating the coverage hole detected message include:

traffic demand of the communication device at the uncovered location being above a first threshold; and

duration of the communication device staying at the uncovered location being above a second threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the traffic demand is measured by a number of calls initiated at the uncovered location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the duration that the communication device stays at the uncovered location is estimated via the communication device'"'"'s accelerometer, GPS, and/or connected small cell identities.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the time to transmit the message is determined if one or more following conditions are satisfied:

battery life of the communication device is above a threshold; and

the covered wireless network is detected by the communication device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time to transmit comprises determining based on a time associated with a typically low load at the covered wireless network.

11. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine a location uncovered by a wireless network, generate a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, and determine a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

12. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for determining a location uncovered by a wireless network;

means for generating a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied; and

means for determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to;

determine a location uncovered by a wireless network, generate a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, and determine a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

14. A method of a network node in a covered wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a coverage hole detected message from a communication device; and

at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near an uncovered location in an uncovered network, as indicated in the message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the uncovered network.

15. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a coverage hole detected message from a communication device;

at least one processor, coupled to the receiver, configured for at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near an uncovered location in an uncovered network, as indicated in the message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the uncovered network; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

16. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a coverage hole detected message from a communication device;

means for at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near an uncovered location in an uncovered network, as indicated in the message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the uncovered network.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to;

receive a coverage hole detected message from a communication device; and

at least one of (i) locate at least one network node near an uncovered location in an uncovered network, as indicated in the message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) send a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the uncovered network.

18. A method of a communication device, the method comprising:

determining congestion of a first network node; and

sending a cell congestion detected message to at least one other network node.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communication device includes at least one of a network node or a mobile node.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining congestion comprises determining a system resource usage above a threshold or a congestion state in a broadcast message.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising sending the cell congestion detected message only to network nodes not in congestion.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the cell congestion detected message includes a congested cell identity, a congestion reason, and/or suggested actions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the suggested actions include increasing transmit power and/or adjusting cell selection parameters by suggested amounts for the at least one other network node receiving the cell congestion detected message.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the at least one other network node receiving the cell congestion detected message sends a confirmation message to the communication device after taking the suggested actions.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising sending a coverage shrink command to the congested first network node.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the coverage shrink command contains suggested actions including reducing transmit power and/or adjusting cell selection parameters by suggested amounts for the congested first network node.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising sending the coverage shrink command after receiving confirmation message from at least one other network node.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the sending the message is iterated until the communication device determines no congestion at the first network node.

29. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine congestion of a first network node, and send a cell congestion detected message to at least one other network node; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

30. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for determining congestion of a first network node; and

means for sending a cell congestion detected message to at least one other network node.

31. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to;

determine congestion of a first network node; and

send a cell congestion detected message to at least one other network node.

32. A method of a communication device, the method comprising:

determining congestion of a first network node;

requesting bandwidth from a second network node upon determining congestion of the first network node; and

relaying data from the first network node to the second network node upon receiving an acknowledgement for bandwidth from the second network node.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the communication device includes at least one of a network node or a mobile node.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the determining congestion comprises determining a system resource usage above a threshold or a congestion state in a broadcast message.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising sending a message to the first network node to query whether the first network node desires data relay, wherein the requesting bandwidth is based upon a positive acknowledge for data relay from the first network node.

36. The method of claim 32, further comprising comparing an available over-the-air bandwidth, and/or a backhaul bandwidth between the second network node and a third network node, wherein the requesting the bandwidth from the second network node is based upon the second network node having higher available over-the-air bandwidth, and/or a higher available backhaul bandwidth than the third network node.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising requesting bandwidth from a fourth network node, wherein the requesting the bandwidth from the second network node is based upon receiving a negative acknowledgment from the fourth network node.

38. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine congestion of a first network node, request bandwidth from a second network node upon determining congestion of the first network node, and relay data from the first network node to the second network node upon receiving an acknowledgement for bandwidth from the second network node; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

39. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for determining congestion of a first network node;

means for requesting bandwidth from a second network node upon determining congestion of the first network node; and

means for relaying data from the first network node to the second network node upon receiving an acknowledgement for bandwidth from the second network node.

40. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to;

determine congestion of a first network node, request bandwidth from a second network node upon determining congestion of the first network node, and relay data from the first network node to the second network node upon receiving an acknowledgement for bandwidth from the second network node.