Channel grouping system and method for a wireless communications system

• US 6,330,429 B1
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: He, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Congvan
• Application Number:
  US09/291,757
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.1, 455/450, 455/452, 455/453, 455/561, 455/464, 455/509, 455/513, 455/515, 455/67.3, 455/550, 455/115, 455/113, 455/134, 455/135, 455/434
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• 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 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning

Abstract

Received channels are grouped into channel groups in which each channel group includes channel members with commensurate signal parameter values to enhance performance of a wireless communications system. A data processing system establishes boundaries of each channel group to achieve an approximately equivalent quality of service (e.g., blocking rate) for each channel group based on the probabilities of occurrence of measured signal parameter values.

Claims

1. A method for defining channel groups in a wireless system, the method comprising:

measuring received signal parameter values at a measurement location for electromagnetic transmissions transmitted by a plurality of remote stations distributed throughout a radio frequency coverage area in a wireless system;

determining probabilities corresponding to measured signal parameter values for the remote stations;

assigning a desired number of channel groups of communication channels for the remote stations; and

establishing boundaries of each channel group to achieve an approximately equivalent quality of service for each channel group based on the probabilities corresponding to signal parameter values.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measuring step includes collecting a sufficient number of measurement samples to establish a database of signal parameter measurements corresponding remote station identifiers, and corresponding time-stamps indicating the time of the electromagnet transmission.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measuring step includes periodically updating the measured signal parameter data by taking new measurements.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the measuring step comprises measuring received signal parameter values at a base station, centrally located within the radio frequency coverage area, as the measurement location.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step is accomplished by first establishing a probability density function based on the measured signal parameter data.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the determining step is accomplished by summing various probabilities associated with corresponding received signal parameter values in a probability density function based on the measured signal strength.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

measuring signal parameters values, in real-time, associated with one or more uplink electromagnetic signals transmitted by the remote stations;

classifying each of the uplink electromagnetic signals into one of said channel groups based upon the measured signal parameters values and the established boundaries such that each mobile station meets a particular range of measured signal parameter values defined by the established boundaries.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

dynamically measuring signal strengths, in real-time, associated with one or more uplink electromagnetic signals transmitted by the remote stations;

dynamically classifying each of the uplink electromagnetic signals into one of said channel groups based upon the measured signal strengths and the established boundaries such that each mobile station meets a particular range of measured signal strengths defined by the established boundaries.

9. A method for defining channel groups in a wireless system, the method comprising:

measuring received signal strength data at a measurement location for electromagnetic transmissions transmitted by a plurality remote stations distributed throughout a radio frequency coverage area in a wireless system;

determining a cumulative probability density function of the measured signal strength data for the remote stations;

assigning a desired number of channel groups of communication channels for the remote stations; and

establishing boundaries of each channel group to achieve an approximately equivalent quality of service for each channel group based on the cumulative probability density function.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the measuring step includes collecting a sufficient number of measurement samples to establish a database of signal strength measurements corresponding remote station identifiers, and corresponding time-stamps indicating the time of the electromagnet transmission.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the measuring step includes periodically updating the measured signal strength data by taking new measurements.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein the measuring step comprises measuring received signal strength at a base station, centrally located within the radio frequency coverage area, as the measuring location.

13. The method according to claim 9 wherein the determining step is accomplished by first establishing a probability density function based on the measured signal strength data.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the determining step is accomplished by summing various probabilities associated with corresponding received signal strength in the probability density function based on the measured signal strength.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein the establishing step comprises establishing the boundaries to achieve an approximately equal number of channels per channel group.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein the establishing step comprises establishing boundaries to achieve an approximately equal blocking rate for access within the channels associated with each channel group.

17. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

measuring signal strengths associated with electromagnetic signals within different frequency spectrums;

classifying each of the electromagnetic signals into one of said channel groups based upon the measured signal strength and the boundaries defined in terms of signal strengths; and

allowing multiple channel groups to share a common circuit board at a common intermediate frequency derived from the electromagnetic signals if the multiple channel groups have commensurate characteristic signal strengths.

18. A receiver system comprising:

a plurality of a signal strength measurers for measuring a signal strengths associated with electromagnetic signals transmitted from mobile stations operating within different frequency ranges;

a group allocator for classifying each of the electromagnetic signals into a channel group based upon the measured signal strength and channel boundaries of the channel group defined in terms of probabilities based on the signal strengths; and

a common circuit module for multiple allocated channel groups having a common intermediate frequency derived from the transmitted electromagnetic signals and having commensurate characteristic signal strengths.

19. The receiver system according to claim 18 wherein the common circuit module comprises a first signal branch and a second signal branch, the transmitted electromagnetic signals on the first branch and the second branch having an approximately equal range of signal strengths.

20. The receiver system according to claim 18 wherein the common circuit module comprises a first signal branch and a second signal branch, the transmitted electromagnetic signals on the first and second signal branches having approximately equal average signal strengths.

21. The receiver system according to claim 18 wherein the group allocator comprises a processing system including a look-up table containing channel group boundaries for channel groups, the channel group boundaries being expressed in terms of limits of signal strengths.