System and method for management of neighbor-channel interference with power control and directed channel assignment

• US 6,128,498 A
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benveniste, Mathilde
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US09/119,844
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.1, 455/501, 455/38.3, 455/34.1, 455/63, 455/296, 455/62, 455/69, 455/295, 455/446-452, 455/443, 379/348
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 based on quality criteria

Abstract

In a channel assignment system novel methodologies are utilized for managing channel interference in a cellular wireless communications system as a function of a service-quality factor for a communications channel within such a system. Those methodologies and their essential functions include: (1) Mixed Power Control for overcoming interference problems associated with conventional power control methods; (2) Directed Assignment for reducing channel conflicts between neighboring cells in non-congestion conditions; and (3) Mixed Power Control with Directed Assignment for reducing channel interference between neighboring cells.

Claims

1. A method of managing interference in a wireless communications network having service areas partitioned into a plurality of cells, wherein a second plurality of communications channels are available for allocation among said cells, said method comprising the step of:

applying power control for transmissions to and from mobile units served by a central transmission site subject to the following constraints;

for transmissions from a central transmission site to a mobile unit ("down-link") said power control is applied only as to mobile units located beyond a radial distance from said central transmission site; and

for transmissions from a mobile unit to a central transmission site ("up-link") said power control is applied only as to mobile units located within a radial distance from said central transmission site;

wherein each said radial distance is determined so as to achieve an acceptable level of interference.

2. A storage means fabricated to contain a model for managing interference in a wireless communications network, said model carrying out essentially the steps of the method for managing such interference of claim 1.