Method of automatic frequency assignment in a mobile communication system

• US 6,032,045 A
• Filed: 08/20/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mimura, Yukie
• Primary Examiner(s): TROST IV, WILLIAM GEORGE
• Application Number:
  US08/915,274
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 455/62-63, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/450, 455/452, 455/454, 455/446-447, 455/513-514, 455/501
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An automatic frequency assignment method, which is capable of assigning optimum frequencies to radio ports even when the radio ports are adjacent with a shield therebetween, is provides. A plurality of radio ports around a radio port to be assigned with a frequency to sequentially transmit signals at an assignment candidate frequency. A radio port already using the same frequency as the candidate frequency measures the received signal power of these signals, and compares them with a threshold. If the result of comparison reveals that there is no radio port receiving received signal power exceeding the threshold, the assignment candidate frequency is assigned. If there is a radio port receiving the received signal power exceeding the threshold, the candidate frequency is excluded from assignment candidate frequencies. This locates a radio port covered by a shielding object, so that the same frequency is prevented from being assigned to adjacent radio ports.

Claims

1. An automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system including a plurality of radio ports each of which constitutes a radio zone for communicating with a plurality of personal stations, and a radio port control unit connected to each of said plurality of radio ports and controlling said plurality of radio ports, said method assigning a radio frequency to be used by each of the plurality of radio ports comprising steps of:

receiving signals at a first radio port to which a frequency to be used thereat will be assigned, said signals being transmitted from each of the other radio ports, and reporting the received signal power associated with corresponding frequency of each received signal to said radio port control unit;

determining, at said radio port control unit, an assignment candidate frequency having the lowest received signal power based on the received signal power reported by said first radio port;

transmitting, to said first radio port, a signal of said assignment candidate frequency from a plurality of selected radio ports located near said first radio port;

verifying if any said radio port is being interfered with by said assignment candidate frequency by comparing said assignment candidate frequency with a threshold level;

assigning said assignment candidate frequency to said first radio port if none of the selected radio ports do not report that said comparing exceeds said threshold; and

not assigning said assignment candidate frequency to said first radio port if at least one said selected radio port reports that said comparing exceeds said threshold;

and if said assignment candidate frequency is not assigned, determining at least one other assignment candidate frequency having the second lowest received signal power, and verifying an interference in any of said selected radio ports affected by the newly determined assignment candidate frequency.

2. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said method being repeated for all radio ports in the mobile communication system.

3. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said method being repeated for a predetermined number of times before fixing a frequency assignment for all radio ports in the mobile communication system.

4. An automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system including a plurality of radio ports each of which constitutes a radio zone for communicating with a plurality of personal stations, and a radio port control unit connected to each of said plurality of radio ports and controlling said plurality of radio ports, said method assigning a radio frequency to be used by each of the plurality of radio ports comprising steps of:

determining a first radio port for assigning a frequency to be used;

receiving signals, at said first radio port, transmitted from each of the other radio ports, and reporting a received signal power with corresponding frequency of each received signal to said radio port control unit;

determining, at said radio port control unit, a plurality of second radio ports in the descending order of received signal power and determining an assignment candidate frequency having the lowest received signal power based on the received signal power reported by said first radio port;

transmitting a signal of said assignment candidate frequency from each of said second radio ports;

receiving said signals of said assignment candidate frequency, at third radio ports in which same frequency as said assignment candidate frequency being currently used, transmitted by said plurality of second radio ports, adding the received signal power of each received signal, comparing the results with a predetermined first threshold, and reporting the result of said comparison to said radio port control unit if the result of addition exceeds said first threshold; and

assigning said assignment candidate frequency to said first radio port if none of said third radio ports report to said radio port control unit that the results of said addition exceeds said first threshold.

5. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 4, said method further comprising steps of:

abandoning said assignment candidate frequency if at least one of said third radio ports report to said radio port control unit that the results of said addition exceeds said first threshold;

determining a next assignment candidate frequency with the next lowest received signal power based on the received signal power reported by said first radio port;

transmitting a signal of said next assignment candidate frequency to each of said second radio ports;

receiving said signals of said next assignment candidate frequency, at said third radio ports, transmitted by said plurality of second radio ports, adding the received signal power of each received signal, comparing the result of addition with said first threshold, and reporting the result of comparison to said radio port control unit if the result of said addition exceeds said first threshold; and

assigning said next assignment candidate frequency to said first radio port if none of said third radio ports report to said radio port control unit that the result of said addition exceeds said first threshold.

6. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 4, said method further comprising steps of:

measuring the interference signal power of an up link signal at each of said radio ports during communication service being provided;

reporting the measurement to said radio port control unit if the interference signal power exceeds a predetermined second threshold;

changing said first threshold in response to said measurement to a lower value.

7. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said method being repeated for all radio ports in the mobile communication system.

8. An automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system including a plurality of radio ports each of which constitutes a radio zone for communicating with a plurality of personal stations, and a radio port control unit connected to each of said plurality of radio ports and controlling said plurality of radio ports, said method assigning a radio frequency to be used by each of the plurality of radio ports comprising steps of:

measuring interference signal power of an up link signal at each of said radio ports during communication service being provided to at least one of said plurality of personal stations;

reporting the measurement to said radio port control unit if the interference signal power exceeds a predetermined threshold;

excluding the frequency associated with said measurement from being assigned as an assignment candidate frequency to a radio port for the next frequency assignment performed by said radio port control unit.

9. The automatic frequency assignment method for a mobile communication system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said method being repeated for all radio ports in the mobile communication system.