Method and arrangement in mobile telecommunications networks to provide for improved cell planning

• US 5,561,839 A
• Filed: 08/22/1994
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telia AB (Government of Norway)
• Inventors: Rosenlund, Henrik, Osterberg, Anette, Arinell, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US08/157,108
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 435/33.1, 435/54.1, 435/56.1, 435/62, 435/63, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement in mobile telecommunications systems comprising, on the one hand, one or more cells operating with channels/frequencies, which cells belong to one or more base stations, and, on the other, one or more first and second mobile units, for producing one or more first representations of traffic intensity within one or more geographic areas. One or more second mobile units are provided with elements for measuring and evaluating signal strength. The measurements are carried out at a number of geographic positions on transmission from one or more first mobile units to a base station. In those cases where the signal strength exceeds a predetermined value, this value is stored, together with information on frequencies and geographic positions. One or more second representations of the traffic intensity in a respective geographic position are established in dependence on the number of stored values which have been obtained when measuring at the geographic positions. The first representation of the traffic intensity within a respective geographic area is produced in dependence on the second representations compiled in the measuring and storing elements, whereby the first representation provides for improved cell planning by forming a better basis for cell planning.

Claims

1. A method of producing a systemwide representation of channel utilization in a mobile cellular system, comprising the steps of:

determining a threshold value for signal strength measurements in relation to an area size corresponding to a second representation;

transmitting from plural mobile units on respective plural channels;

measuring in a measuring and evaluating element a signal strength for each of the plural channels from plural geographic positions;

storing, to be used in generating second representations, for each of the plural frequencies where the signal strength exceeds the threshold value, a time of measurement, the frequency exceeding the threshold value and the geographic position where the measurement was obtained; and

generating a first representation for a given geographic area using the area size of the second representations to represent the channel utilization at specific regions in the geographic area.

2. A method of producing a system wide representation of channel utilization in a mobile cellular system, comprising the steps of:

varying a threshold value for signal strength measurements in relation to a varying size of an area corresponding to a second representation;

transmitting from plural mobile units on respective plural channels;

measuring in a measuring and evaluating element a signal strength for each of the plural channels from plural geographic positions;

storing, to be used in generating second representations, for each of the plural frequencies where the signal strength exceeds the varying threshold value, a time of measurement, the frequency exceeding the varying threshold value, the varying threshold and the geographic position where the measurement was obtained; and

generating plural first representations for a given geographic area based on the varying threshold values and using the respective varying area sizes of the second representations to represent the channel utilization at specific regions in the geographic area.

3. A method of producing a systemwide representation of channel utilization in a mobile cellular system, comprising the steps of:

determining a threshold value for signal strength measurements in inverse relation to an area size corresponding to a second representation;

transmitting from plural mobile units on respective plural channels;

measuring in a measuring and evaluating element a signal strength for each of the plural channels from plural geographic positions;

storing, to be used in generating second representations, for each of the plural frequencies where the signal strength exceeds the threshold value, a time of measurement, the frequency exceeding the threshold value and the geographic position where the measurement was obtained; and

generating a first representation for a given geographic area using the area size of the second representations to represent the channel utilization at specific regions in the geographic area.