Method and system for modeling a radio communications network

• US 6,408,185 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Freeman, David, Boyer, Pete A., Vicharelli, Pablo
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Cong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuan T.
• Application Number:
  US09/534,903
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/422, 455/446, 455/449, 455/507, 455/67.6
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

In a radio communications network (20) having a plurality of cells (34) employing a plurality of cell site configurations (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32), a computing system (116) and a computer-based method (178) create a hierarchical data structure (136) modeling the radio communications network (20). The hierarchical data structure (136) is created using object oriented programming methodology to create objects, representing the various physical components of a cell site. In addition, objects are created to represent the auxiliary information, such as available channels, channel assignment constraints, carrier-to-interference ratios, and neighbors lists under which a particular radio communications network configuration is devised.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing executable code for instructing a computer to create a data structure modeling a radio communications network, said radio communications network having a plurality of cell sites, said executable code instructing said computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a network configuration for said radio communications network;

identifying, in response to said network configuration, cell site constituents of one of said cell sites in said radio communications network;

creating distinct objects to represent each of said cell site constituents; and

linking each of said distinct objects according to a cell site configuration of said one cell site.

2. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes a first one of said cell site constituents as a base station;

said creating operation forms a site object to represent said base station; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between said site object and a radio plan object identifying said radio communications network.

3. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes a first one of said cell site constituents as a base station and a second one of said cell site constituents as a sector;

said creating operation forms a site object to represent said base station and a sector object to represent said sector; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between said sector object and said site object.

4. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 3 wherein:

said identifying operation further distinguishes a third one of said cell site constituents as a second sector;

said creating operation forms a second sector object to represent said second sector; and

said linking operation further provides a second pointer between said second sector object and said site object.

5. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes a first one of said cell site constituents as a sector and a second one of said cell site constituents as a transmit/receive group, said transmit/receive group forming a logical construct of transmit/receive elements at said cell site;

said creating operation forms a sector object to represent said sector and a group object to represent said transmit/receive group; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between said group object and said sector object.

6. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 5 wherein:

said identifying operation further distinguishes a third one of said cell site constituents as a second transmit/receive group forming a second logical construct of said transmit/receive elements at said cell site; and

said creating operation forms a second group object to represent said second transmit/receive group; and

said linking operation further provides a second pointer between said second group object and said sector object.

7. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said transmit/receive elements utilizes a common technology type selected from a group consisting of advanced mobile phone service (AMPS) control, AMPS traffic, code division multiple access (CDMA), dual mode, and time division multiple access (TDMA) technology types.

8. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes ones of said cell site constituents as transmit/receive elements and organizes said transmit/receive elements into transmit/receive groups, each of said transmit/receive groups forming a logical construct of said transmit/receive elements at said cell site each of which utilize a common technology type;

said creating operation forms element objects, one each of said element objects representing one each of said transmit/receive elements and forms group objects, one each of said group objects representing one each of said transmit/receive groups; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between each of said element objects utilizing said common technology type and one of said group objects representing said common technology type.

9. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes ones of said cell site constituents as transmit/receive elements and others of said cell site constituents as channels;

said creating operation forms an element object for each of said transmit/receive elements and a channel object for each of said channels; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between associated ones of said element objects and said channel objects.

10. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes a first one of said cell site constituents as a transmit/receive group, said transmit/receive group forming a logical construct of transmit/receive elements at said cell site, and distinguishes a second one of said cell site constituents as an antenna;

said creating operation forms a group object to represent said transmit/receive group and an antenna object to represent said antenna; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between said antenna object and said group object.

11. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation further distinguishes a third one of said cell site constituents as a second antenna;

said creating operation forms a second antenna object to represent said second antenna; and

said linking operation further provides a second pointer between said second antenna object and said group object.

12. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said executable code instructs said computer to perform further operations comprising;

defining communication technology types employed in said radio communications network; and

forming technology objects, one each of said technology objects representing one each of said communication technology types;

said identifying operation distinguishes one of said cell site constituents as a transmit/receive group, said transmit/receive group forming a logical construct of transmit/receive elements at said cell site each of which utilize one of said communication technology types;

said creating operation forms a group object to represent said transmit/receive group; and

said linking operation provides a pointer between said group object and one of said technology objects representing said one of said communication technology types.

13. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said defining operation receives constraint matrices for associated ones of said communication technology types;

said forming operation generates constraint matrix objects to represent said received constraint matrices; and

said linking operation further provides second pointers between said constraint matrix objects and associated ones of said technology objects.

14. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said defining operation receives carrier-to-interference (C/I) matrices for associated ones of said technology categories;

said forming operation generates C/I matrix objects to represent said received C/I matrices; and

said linking operation further provides second pointers between said C/I matrix objects and associated ones of said technology objects.

15. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 12 wherein:

said defining operation receives neighbor matrices for associated ones of said technology categories;

said forming operation generates neighbor matrix objects to represent said received neighbor matrices; and

said linking operation further provides second pointers between said neighbor matrix objects and associated ones of said technology objects.

16. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said executable code instructs said computer to perform further operations comprising;

receiving a channel table for said radio communications network, said channel table encompassing communication channels available for assignment in said radio communications network; and

forming a channel table object to represent at least a portion of said channel table; and

said linking operation provides a first pointer between said channel table object and a radio plan object identifying said radio communications network.

17. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

said forming operation forms a distinct channel object for each of said available communication channels; and

said linking operation provides second pointers between each of said distinct channel objects and said channel table object.

18. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said identifying operation distinguishes ones of said cell site constituents as sectors;

said creating operation forms a sector object for each of said sectors; and

said linking operation provides second pointers between said channel table object and each of said sector objects.

19. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein said executable code further instructs said computer to perform said identifying, creating, and linking operations for each of said cell sites to create said data structure.

20. A computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1 wherein said executable code includes channel assignment instructions for assigning communication channels in response to said data structure such that radio communications in said radio communications network are conducted at said cell sites in accordance with said assigned communication channels.

21. A computer-based method for creating a hierarchical data structure modeling a radio communications network having a plurality of cell sites, said method comprising:

receiving a network configuration for said radio communications network;

identifying, in response to said network configuration, cell site constituents of one of said cell sites;

creating distinct objects to represent each of said cell site constituents;

defining communication technology types employed in said radio communications network;

forming technology objects, one each of said technology objects representing one each of said communication technology types;

obtaining a channel table for said radio communications network, said channel table encompassing communication channels available for assignment in said radio communications network;

generating at least one channel table object to represent said channel table;

linking said distinct objects according to a cell site configuration of said one cell site; and

associating said technology objects and said channel table object with said distinct objects.

22. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 wherein:

said identifying operation includes distinguishing a first one of said cell site constituents as a base station and a second one of said cell site constituents as a sector;

said creating operation includes forming a site object to represent said base station and a sector object to represent said sector, said site object and said sector object forming ones of said distinct objects; and

said linking operation includes providing a pointer between said sector object and said site object.

23. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 22 wherein said associating operation includes providing a second pointer between said channel table object and said sector object.

24. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 22 wherein:

said identifying operation further includes;

distinguishing ones of said cell site constituents as transmit/receive elements; and

organizing said transmit/receive elements into transmit/receive groups, each of said transmit/receive groups forming a logical construct of said transmit/receive elements at said cell site each of which utilize a common one of said communication technology types;

said creating operation includes forming element objects, one each of said element objects representing one each of said transmit/receive elements, and forming group objects, one each of said group objects representing one each of said transmit/receive groups; and

said linking operation includes providing second pointers between each of said element objects utilizing said common one of said technology types and one of said group objects representing said common one of said technology types.

25. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 24 wherein said associating operation includes providing a third pointer between said one of said group objects and one of said technology objects representing said common one of said technology types.

26. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 22 wherein:

said identifying operation further includes;

distinguishing a third one of said cell site constituents as a transmit/receive group, said transmitter receiver group forming a logical construct of transmit/receive elements at said cell site each of which utilize a common one of said technology types; and

distinguishing a fourth one of said cell site constituents as an antenna;

said creating operation includes forming a group object to represent said transmit/receive group and an antenna object to represent said antenna; and

said linking operation includes providing a pointer between said antenna object and said transmit/receive group.

27. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising:

receiving constraint matrices associated with respective ones of said communication technology types employed in said radio communications network;

generating constraint matrix objects to represent said received constraint matrices; and

said associating operation includes providing a pointer between each of said technology objects and an associated one of said constraint matrix objects.

28. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising:

receiving carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratio matrices associated with respective ones of said communication technology types employed in said radio communications network;

generating C/I matrix objects to represent said received C/I ratio matrices; and

said associating operation includes providing pointers between each of said technology objects and an associated one of said C/I matrix objects.

29. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 wherein:

said identifying operation includes distinguishing ones of said cell site constituents as sectors;

said creating operation includes forming a sector object for each of said sectors; and

said associating operation includes providing pointers between said channel table object and each of said sector objects.

30. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 further comprising:

repeating said identifying, creating, linking, and associating steps for each of said cell sites in said radio communications network to create said hierarchical data structure; and

assigning said communication channels in response to said hierarchical data structure such that radio communications in said radio communications network are conducted at said cell sites in accordance with said assigned communication channels.

31. A computer-based method as claimed in claim 21 wherein a computer-readable storage medium has stored therein instructions capable of causing a computer to perform said computer-based method.

32. A computing system for configuring a hierarchical data structure modeling a radio communications network comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium; and

executable code recorded on said computer-readable storage medium for instructing said processor to create said hierarchical data structure, said executable code including;

a cell site constituent identification module for identifying cell site constituents of a cell site in said radio communications network;

a distinct object module having cell site classes, each of said cell site classes containing instructions for creating a distinct object representing one of said cell site constituents;

a communication technology type definition module for defining communication technology types employed in said radio communication network;

a technology object module having technology type classes, each of said technology type classes containing instructions for creating technology objects representing said communication technology types;

a channel table acquisition module for obtaining communication channels available for assignment in said radio communications network;

a channel table object module having a channel table class containing instructions for generating a channel table object to represent said available communication channels and a channel class containing instructions for generating logical channel objects for each of a plurality of logical communication channels;

an object linking module having instructions for linking said distinct objects in accordance with a cell site configuration of said cell site; and

an object association module for associating said technology objects, said channel table object, and said logical channel objects with said distinct objects.

33. A computer system as claimed in claim 32 wherein said cell site classes includes:

a base station class for creating a site object;

a sector class for creating a sector object;

a transmit/receive group class for creating a group object;

a transmit/receive element class for creating an element object; and

an antenna class for creating an antenna object.

34. A computer system as claimed in claim 33 wherein said object linking module includes:

a first instruction set for linking said site object to a radio plan object identifying said radio communication network;

a second instruction set for linking said sector object to said site object;

a third instruction set for linking said group object to said sector object;

a fourth instruction set for linking said element object to said group object; and

a fifth instruction set for linking said antenna object to said group object.

35. A computer system as claimed in claim 34 wherein said object association module includes a sixth instruction set for associating said group object with said technology object.

36. A computer system as claimed in claim 34 wherein said object association module includes a sixth instruction set for linking one of said logical channel objects to said element object to represent a logical communication channel assigned to said transmit/receive element represented by said element object.

37. A computer system as claimed in claim 32 wherein said object association module includes an instruction set for linking said logical channel objects, each of which represent those of said logical communication channels currently available for assignment, to said channel table object.

38. A computer system as claimed in claim 32 wherein said technology object module further includes:

a constraint class for creating a constraint matrix object for each of said technology objects;

a C/I matrix class for creating a C/I matrix object for said each of said technology objects; and

an instruction set for linking one of said constraint matrix objects and one of said C/I matrix objects to an associated one of said technology objects.