Dynamic learning of neighboring wireless cells

• US 5,907,807 A
• Filed: 12/18/1996
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Roberge, Kenneth J., Hardouin, Larry J., Fidder, Ted M., Chavez, Jr., David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US08/769,195
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422, 455/423, 455/436, 455/437, 455/439, 455/445, 455/450, 455/452, 455/453, 455/455, 455/435
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters

Abstract

Using dynamic learning techniques by a system controller to determine a subset of neighboring cell sites to which an activity transfer should be attempted. An activity transfer can be a handoff or registration. The neighboring cell sites that should be chosen for an activity transfer are specified for each cell site. The specified neighboring cell sites are determined by the dynamic learning process. In a first embodiment, the dynamic learning is accomplished by accumulating statistical data that defines the average call duration of each of the selected neighboring sites after an activity transfer to each. Advantageously, this average duration can include the total call duration for two subsequent activity transfers. In a second embodiment, the dynamic learning is accomplished by accumulating statistical data that defines the maximum transmission power from the base station to which a handset was transferred. In a third embodiment, the duration of the low power transmission level of the base station from which the handset had just been transferred is timed. If the duration is less than a predefined number, it is assumed that a null had occurred, and that fact is stored for that cell. This information is used to detect multipath fading and to prevent premature handoffs when multipath fading occurs. Subsequently, a transfer is delayed for a cell having a large average number of nulls.

Claims

1. A method of learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising the steps of:

performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the step of measuring comprises the step of calculating an average duration of activity time of the wireless handsets in each of the target base stations after each of the activity transfers from the current base station;

recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining comprises the step of selecting the one of target base station having the longest average duration of activity time.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of calculating comprises the step of including into the average duration of activity time an additional amount of time that activity of each of the wireless handsets is maintained by another base station after an activity transfer has occurred from each of the target base stations to the other base station.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of performing comprises the steps of doing activity transfers to randomly selected base stations other than the target base stations and executing the step of measuring for the randomly selected base stations;

and

designating one of the randomly selected base stations as a target base station upon the one of the randomly selected base stations having a higher average duration of activity time than one of existing target base stations and executing the steps of recording and determining for the one of the randomly selected base stations.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.

7. A method of learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising the steps of:

performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the step of measuring comprises the step of calculating the average maximum amount of transmission power received from each of the target base stations after each of the activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of determining comprises the step of selecting the one of target base stations having the highest average maximum amount of transmission power.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.

11. A method of learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising the steps of:

performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the step of measuring comprises the steps of detecting an occurrence of low transmission power for less than a predefined amount of time being received from the current base station after each of the activity transfers from the current base station, and calculating an average number of detected occurrences for each of the target base stations;

recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining comprises the step of inhibiting a subsequent activity transfer to one of the target base stations upon the average number of occurrences being above a predefined maximum for the current base station.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.

15. An apparatus for learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising:

means for performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

means for measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the means for measuring comprises means for calculating an average duration of activity time of the wireless handsets in each of the target base stations after each of the activity transfers from the current base station;

means for recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

means for determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for determining comprises means for selecting the one of target base station having the longest average duration of activity time.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for calculating comprises means for including into the average duration of activity time an additional amount of time that activity of each of the wireless handsets is maintained by another base station after an activity transfer has occurred from each of the target base stations to the other base station.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the means for performing comprises means for doing activity transfers to randomly selected base stations other than the target base stations and executing the means for measuring for the randomly selected base stations;

and

means for designating one of the randomly selected base stations as a target base station upon the one of the randomly selected base stations having a higher average duration of activity time than one of existing target base stations and executing the means for recording and determining for the one of the randomly selected base stations.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.

21. An apparatus for learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising:

means for performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

means for measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the means for measuring comprises means for calculating the average maximum amount of transmission power received from each of the target base stations after each of the activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

means for recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

means for determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the means for determining comprises means for selecting the one of target base stations having the highest average maximum amount of transmission power.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.

25. An apparatus for learning of target base stations to which activity transfers of wireless handsets can be made from a current base station in a wireless switching system, comprising:

means for performing activity transfers from the current base station to each of the target base stations;

means for measuring performance of each of the target base stations in maintaining the activities of the wireless handsets and the means for measuring comprises means for detecting an occurrence of low transmission power for less than a predefined amount of time being received from the current base station after each of the activity transfers from the current base station, and means for calculating an average number of detected occurrences for each of the target base stations;

means for recording the measured performance of each of the target base stations; and

means for determining subsequently one of the target base stations to which to do a activity transfer based on the recorded measured performance of the target base stations.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the means for determining comprises means for inhibiting a subsequent activity transfer to one of the target base stations upon the average number of occurrences being above a predefined maximum for the current base station.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the activity transfers are handoffs.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the activity transfers are registrations.