Wireless communications network planning

• US 6,253,065 B1
• Filed: 06/24/1998
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Palmer, Derek Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gantt, Alan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/091,750
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/446, 455/445, 455/63, 455/67.3, 455/67.6
• US Class Current: 455/67.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

The amount of communications traffic that would be handled by an additional transceiver placed within a communications network having a number of existing base transceiver stations is established. An interfering signal is transmitted from a proposed transceiver location and, relying on recording equipment connected to the base station, the reports of mobile phones concerning the quality of the downlink communication channel from the base station to them is logged.

Claims

1. A method of estimating the amount of communications traffic that would be routed via an additional transceiver installed at a candidate transceiver location within the coverage area of a communications network having one or more network transceivers for providing wireless communication between the network and mobile communication units, the mobile units being operable to send reception data concerning downlink reception to the network, said method comprising the steps of:

operating a transmitter to transmit an interference signal from said candidate location to interfere with reception by mobile units within range of the transmission; and

analysing at least reception data concerning downlink reception during periods associated with transmission of said interference signal to find a measure indicative of the amount of communications traffic affected by said interfering transmission; and

thereby estimating the amount of communications traffic that would be routed via said additional transceiver installed at said proposed location.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said interfering signal transmission step comprises transmitting said interfering signal for one or more spaced time periods, each being less than ten seconds in duration.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said interfering signal bursts have a duration of less than 2.5 seconds.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

said network comprises a plurality of network transceivers, each being allotted one or more frequency bands, and communicating with mobile units currently routed via them by transmitting and receiving signals within said frequency bands; and

said transmission step comprises transmitting a signal to interfere selectively with one or more frequency bands allotted to respective chosen transceivers and thereby estimate the amount of communications traffic which would be routed via the transceiver installed at said proposed location instead of being routed via one or more chosen transceivers.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said transmission step comprises:

transmitting a first interfering signal having a first power;

transmitting a second interfering signal having a second power; and

said analysing step further comprises the step of calculating respective measures indicative of the amount of communications traffic affected by the first and second interfering signals and thereby estimating the respective amount of communications traffic that would be routed via said additional transceiver transmitting at the first and second power installed at said proposed location.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said first and second interference signals are interposed between one another.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

said transmitting step comprises transmitting an interference signal from first and second candidate locations, the interference signals from the first location being interposed with the interference signals from the second location; and

the method further comprises the step of switching the output of said transmitter apparatus between said first and second location.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein said analysis step further comprises analysing reception data concerning one or more time periods adjacent to the said periods associated with the transmission of the interfering signal.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said mobile units are further operable to send data indicative of their distance from the transceivers which are currently handling them to the network;

said method further comprising the step of analysing said distance data to discount, in finding said measure, communication traffic for which said distance data is inconsistent with the area of interfering signal transmission.

17. A program storage device readable by a processing apparatus, said device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for carrying out the reception data analysis step of the method of claim 1, said method steps comprising:

obtaining data representing the time and duration of said interfering signal transmissions;

obtaining downlink reception quality data measured during interfering signal transmissions;

counting the number of occasions on which quality falls below a predetermined threshold, and thereby obtaining a measure of the amount of traffic affected by said interfering signal.

18. A program storage device according to claim 17 wherein said method steps further comprise:

obtaining data representing a distance between the network transceiver and the mobile unit operating over said communications link; and

discounting those downlink reception quality data measurements where said distance is greater than the threshold determined on the basis of the range of said interfering signal transmissions.

10. A transmitter apparatus comprising:

means arranged in operation to generate an interference signal;

means arranged in operation to transmit an electromagnetic signal based on said interference signal to interfere with communication between one or more mobile communication units and a communications network,

said communications network comprising;

one or more network transceivers for providing wireless communication between the network and mobile communication units, the mobile units being operable to send data concerning downlink reception to said network.

11. A transmitter according to claim 10 which is arranged to transmit one or more interfering electromagnetic signals, each having a duration of less than 10 seconds.

12. A transmitter according to claim 11 which is arranged to transmit one or more interfering electromagnetic signals, each having a duration of less than 2.5 seconds.

13. A transmitter according to claim 10 for use in relation to a communications network comprising one or more network transceivers, each being allotted one or more frequency bands, and communicating with mobile units currently routed via them by transmitting and receiving signals within said frequency bands, said transmitter further comprising:

frequency selection means operable to select the frequencies of the interfering electromagnetic signals to interfere selectively with the frequency bands allotted to a chosen network transceiver.

14. A transmitter according to claim 10 further comprising a power level selection means operable to cause the interfering signal output by said transmitter to have a selected power.

15. A candidate additional transceiver location evaluation kit comprising:

a transmitter according to claim 10; and

an apparatus arranged to monitor and store said reception data concerning downlink reception.

16. A transmitter arranged to transmit a signal to interfere with communication between one or more mobile communication units and a communications network, said communications network comprising:

one or more network transceivers for providing wireless communication between the network and mobile communication units, the mobile units being operable to send data concerning downlink reception to said network.