Method to measure and characterize interference throughout a cellular system

• US 6,496,697 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allen Telecom LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scoreboard Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jensen, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N
• Application Number:
  US09/879,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20020022479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455/447, 455/423, 455/450, 455/524-525, 455/33.1, 455/33.4, 455/39.1, 455/62-63, 455/67.1, 455/134-135, 455/67.7, 455/67.3, 455/226.3, 455/226.4, 455/226.2
• US Class Current: 455/447
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A computer implemented process compares signals communicated between a known position and a plurality of base stations in a cellular telephone system to determine the level of interference with a signal on a channel expected to serve the known position, and determines a value indicating a probability of interference with a signal on a channel expected to serve the known position.

Claims

1. A process for optimizing the performance of a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

for each of a number of sector signals;

measuring a received signal strength of said sector signal at a plurality of measurement points within the bounds of a test region;

for each of said plurality of measurement points, averaging the values of said received signal strength, for said sector signal, measured at a number of the closest measurement points, to the measurement point under consideration, with the value of said received signal strength, for said sector signal, measured at the measurement point under consideration;

for each of said plurality of measurement points within the bounds of a test region;

determining a likely server sector based upon the relative values of said number of averaged received signal strengths for said measurement point;

determining a number of likely interferer sectors based upon the relative values of said number of averaged received signal strengths for said measurement point; and

for each individual one of said number of likely interferer sectors, calculating a product obtained by multiplying an estimate of said individual sector'"'"'s likelihood of transmission by a weighting value indicating the relative value of said individual sector'"'"'s average signal strength to said likely server sector'"'"'s average signal strength;

determining a weighted probability that at least one of said number of likely interferer sectors will be active at some time, by mathematically combining said calculated products; and

ascribing said weighted probability as a magnitude of measurement point interference.

2. A process for optimizing the performance of a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

for each of a number of measurement points within the bounds of a test region;

determining a likely server sector based upon the relative values of a number of signal strength measurements made at said measurement point;

determining a number of likely interferer sectors based upon the relative values of said number of signal strength measurements made at said measurement point; and

for each individual one of said likely interferer sectors, calculating a product obtained by multiplying an estimate of said individual sector'"'"'s likelihood of transmission by a weighting value indicating the relative value of said individual sector'"'"'s signal strength measurement to said likely server sector'"'"'s signal strength measurement;

determining a weighted probability that at least one of said number of likely interferer sectors will be active at some time, by mathematically combining said calculated products; and

ascribing said weighted probability as a magnitude of measurement point interference.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

for each individual one of a number of server sectors within the bounds of said test region, determining an individual sector interference value by;

calculating a sector interference sum by summing said measurement point interference values for all of said number of measurement points having a common likely server sector; and

dividing said sector interference sum by the number of said measurement point interference values summed.

4. The process of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

determining a system interference value by;

calculating a system interference sum by summing said individual sector interference values for all of said number of server sectors within the bounds of said test region; and

dividing said system interference sum by the number of said individual sector interference values summed.