METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING COVERAGE AREA OF A SMALL CELL

• US 20150111589A1
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: YAVUZ, Mehmet, MESHKATI, Farhad, PRAKASH, Rajat, CHEN, Tao, CHANDE, Vinay
• Application Number:
  US14/244,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20150111589A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/08 Load shedding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load

Abstract

The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for optimizing coverage area of a small cell. For example, the disclosure presents a method for estimating an available backhaul capacity of a small cell and determining a target OTA data rate for the small cell based at least on the estimated available backhaul capacity, and changing a coverage area of the small cell based at least on the determined target OTA data rate by. As such, optimizing coverage area of a small cell may be achieved.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing a coverage area of a small cell, comprising:

estimating an available backhaul capacity of a small cell;

determining a target over the air (OTA) data rate for the small cell based at least on the estimated available backhaul capacity; and

changing the coverage area of the small cell based at least on the determined target OTA data rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying one or more parameters of the small cell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the target OTA data rate is achieved by reducing available resource elements (RE) at the small cell.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the changing of the coverage area of the small cell further comprises increasing transmit power per resource element (RE) at the small cell.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

increasing transmit power of one or more common channels of the small cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more common channels are selected from a list comprising a common reference signal (CRS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying an operating bandwidth or a traffic-to-pilot ratio of the small cell.

8. An apparatus for optimizing a coverage area of a small cell, comprising:

means for estimating an available backhaul capacity of a small cell;

means for determining a target over the air (OTA) data rate for the small cell based at least on the estimated available backhaul capacity; and

means for changing the coverage area of the small cell based at least on the determined target OTA data rate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying one or more parameters of the small cell.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the target OTA data rate is achieved by reducing available resource elements (RE) at the small cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the changing of the coverage area of the small cell further comprises increasing transmit power per resource element (RE) at the small cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

means for increasing transmit power of one or more common channels of the small cell.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more common channels are selected from a list comprising a common reference signal (CRS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying an operating bandwidth or a traffic-to-pilot ratio of the small cell.

15. A computer program product for optimizing a coverage area of a small cell, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code executable by a computer for:

estimating an available backhaul capacity of a small cell;

determining a target over the air (OTA) data rate for the small cell based at least on the estimated available backhaul capacity; and

changing the coverage area of the small cell based at least on the determined target OTA data rate.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying one or more parameters of the small cell.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the target OTA data rate is achieved by reducing available resource elements (RE) at the small cell.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the changing of the coverage area of the small cell further comprises increasing transmit power per resource element (RE) at the small cell.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

code for increasing transmit power of one or more common channels of the small cell.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more common channels are selected from a list comprising a common reference signal (CRS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the coverage area of the small cell is changed by modifying an operating bandwidth or a traffic-to-pilot ratio of the small cell.

22. An apparatus for optimizing a coverage area of a small cell, comprising:

a backhaul capacity estimating component to estimate an available backhaul capacity of a small cell;

a target over the air (OTA) data rate determining component to determine a target OTA data rate for the small cell based at least on the estimated available backhaul capacity; and

a parameter optimization component to change the coverage area of the small cell based at least on the determined target OTA data rate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the parameter optimization component is further configured to change the coverage area of the small cell by modifying one or more parameters of the small cell.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the target OTA data rate determining component target is further configured to achieve the OTA data rate by reducing available resource elements (RE) at the small cell.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the parameter optimization component is further configured to change the coverage area of the small cell by increasing transmit power per resource element (RE) at the small cell.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the parameter optimization component is further configured to increase transmit power of one or more common channels of the small cell.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the one or more common channels are selected from a list comprising a common reference signal (CRS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the coverage of the small cell is changed by modifying an operating bandwidth or a traffic-to-pilot ratio of the small cell.