IDENTIFYING COVERAGE HOLES USING INTER-RAT HANDOVER MEASUREMENTS

• US 20170223554A1
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Mena, Jorge, Chou, Joey
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/046 taking physical layer constraints into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0469 taking special antenna structures, e.g. cross polarized antennas into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0478 Special codebook structures directed to feedback optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0085 Hand-off measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/04 Reselecting a cell layer in multi-layered cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/38 TPC being performed in particular situations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and techniques for identifying coverage holes in a radio access technology (RAT) are described. In some embodiments, a network management (NM) apparatus may receive a first report, including one or more measurements taken by a first user equipment (UE), in response to an event related to a handover of the first UE between a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT different from the first RAT. The NM apparatus may receive a second report including one or more measurements taken by a second UE in response to an event related to a handover of the second UE between the first RAT and a third RAT different from the first RAT. The NM apparatus may identify a hole in a coverage area of the first RAT based at least in part on the first and second reports. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having program code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) function to:

obtain measurement data associated with coverage areas of one or more evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cells that provide connectivity to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, wherein the measurement data includes inter-radio access technology (RAT) measurements;

identify an LTE coverage hole based on the obtained measurement data, wherein the LTE coverage hole is an area with insufficient signal strength to provide reliable connectivity to the LTE network; and

send an instruction to alter a service parameter of at least one E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells to increase connectivity to the LTE network in the LTE coverage hole area.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the LTE coverage hole area is between two or more E-UTRAN cells of the one or more E-UTRAN cells.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the LTE coverage hole area is overlaid by a coverage area of one or more other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more E-UTRAN cells are overlaid by a coverage area of one or more other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the service parameter is one or more of a size of the at least one E-UTRAN cell or capacity of the at least one E-UTRAN cell.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the inter-RAT measurements are based on measurements performed during inter-RAT handovers of one or more user equipment (UEs) from an E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells to other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 6, wherein the inter-RAT measurements include one or more of reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, cell identifiers, location information, and a time stamp indicating a time of an inter-RAT handover.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the measurement data includes one or more measurements logged by one or more UEs.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the inter-RAT measurements include measurements logged by the one or more UEs before, during, or after a corresponding inter-RAT handover.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein one or more non-transitory computer readable media and the one or more processors are implemented in a network management (NM) apparatus.

11. A network management (NM) apparatus to implement a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) function, the apparatus comprising:

processor circuitry to identify a Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage hole based on obtained measurement data, wherein the LTE coverage hole is an area with insufficient signal strength to provide reliable connectivity to an LTE network; and

communications circuitry to;

obtain the measurement data from one or more evolved nodeBs (eNBs), wherein;

the measurement data is associated with coverage areas of one or more evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cells provided by the one or more eNBs,

the one or more E-UTRAN cells provide connectivity to the LTE network, and

the measurement data includes inter-radio access technology (RAT) measurements performed during inter-RAT handovers from at least one E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells to at least one other cell provided by a radio access technology (RAT) different than E-UTRAN, and

send, to at least one eNB of the one or more eNBs, an instruction to alter a service parameter of an E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB to improve connectivity to the LTE network.

12. The NM apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the LTE coverage hole area is between two or more E-UTRAN cells of the one or more E-UTRAN cells,

the LTE coverage hole area is overlaid by a coverage area of one or more other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN, or

the one or more E-UTRAN cells are overlaid by a coverage area of one or more other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN.

13. The NM apparatus of claim 11, wherein the service parameter is one or more of a size of the at least one E-UTRAN cell or capacity of the at least one E-UTRAN cell.

14. The NM apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the inter-RAT measurements are based on measurements performed during inter-RAT handovers of one or more user equipment (UEs) from an E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells to other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN, and

the inter-RAT measurements include one or more of reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, cell identifiers, location information, and a time stamp indicating a time of an inter-RAT handover.

15. The NM apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measurement data includes one or more measurements logged by one or more UEs, and the inter-RAT measurements comprise measurements logged by the one or more UEs before, during, or after a corresponding inter-RAT handover.

16. The NM apparatus of claim 11, wherein to identify the LTE coverage hole, the processor circuitry is to:

determine, based on the measurement data, regions where one or more UEs experience signal strength less than a required signal strength for connectivity to the LTE network; and

determine the LTE coverage hole to be an area within a boundary of the determined regions.

17. An apparatus to be implemented by an evolved nodeB (eNB), the apparatus comprising:

communication circuitry to;

send, to a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) function of a network management (NM) apparatus, measurement data associated with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage area of an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cell provided by the eNB, wherein the measurement data includes inter-radio access technology (RAT) measurements, and

receive, from the CCO function, an instruction to adjust a service parameter of the LTE coverage area based on the measurement data, wherein adjustment of the service parameter is based on an identified LTE coverage hole indicative of a reduction in connectivity to the LTE network; and

processor circuitry to control adjustment of the service parameter to increase connectivity to the LTE network in the LTE coverage hole based on the instruction.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the service parameter is at least one of a size of a coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell or a capacity of the E-UTRAN cell, and wherein, to control adjustment of the service parameter, the processor circuitry is to:

control alignment of one or more antenna elements of the eNB;

or

control power output to the one or more antenna elements.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the inter-RAT measurements are based on measurements performed during inter-RAT handovers of one or more user equipment (UEs) from the eNB to one or more other cells provided by RATs different than E-UTRAN, and

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the inter-RAT measurements include one or more of reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, cell identifiers, location information, or a time stamp indicating a time of an inter-RAT handover.