Cell hand-off border identification using MS positioning and signal strength values

• US 6,631,263 B1
• Filed: 11/06/1998
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Corkery, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US09/186,623
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/443, 455/442, 455/441, 455/421, 455/446, 455/67.7, 370/331, 370/329, 379/60, 379/59
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for generating a map of cell hand-off borders in a radiocommunications network uses a hand-off learning and recording technique that automatically identifies and stores the locations of mobile stations in the network when hand-off requests are initiated. Over a sufficient period of time, a compilation of stored location data associated with the mobile station hand-off requests will represent a complete “picture” of the ingoing and outgoing hand-off borders for every cell in the network.

Claims

1. A method of generating a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radiocommunications network, said method including a map initialization phase comprising the steps of:

a) initiating positioning requests from the network based on hand-off requests associated with mobile stations;

b) providing locations of each of the mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

c) constructing data representations indicating the locations of each of the mobile stations; and

d) selectively repeating steps a) through c) to construct a map of handoff borders associated with base stations located throughout at least a portion of the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a map maintenance phase comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station; and

b) selectively verifying uplink, downlink or both uplink and downlink signal qualities of said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

c) based on said verification result, performing the steps of;

i) initiating positioning requests from said network based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) providing location data of said subsequent mobile stations based on said positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of said subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeating steps i) through iv) to construct a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said fist mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a map maintenance phase comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station; and

b) selectively verifying a location of said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

c) based on said verification result, performing the steps of;

i) initiating positioning requests from said network based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) providing location data of said subsequent mobile stations bases on said positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of said subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeating steps i) through iv) to construct a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station.

4. A method of maintaining a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radioconmmunications network, comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

b) selectively verifying downlink and/or uplink signal quality of said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

c) based on said verification result, performing the steps of;

i) initiating positioning requests from said network based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) providing location data of said subsequent mobile stations based on said positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of said subsequent mobile stations;

iv) selectively repeating steps i) through iv) to construct a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station.

5. A method of maintaining a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radiocommunications network, comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

b) selectively verifying a location of said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

c) based on said verification result, performing the steps of;

i) initiating positioning requests from said network based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) providing location data of said subsequent mobile stations based on said positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of said subsequent mobile stations;

iv) selectively repeating steps i) through iv) to construct a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station.

6. A system for generating a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radiocommunications network, aid system comprising a means for performing a map initialization phase comprising:

means for initiating positioning requests from said network based on hand-off requests associated with mobile stations;

means for providing locations of each of said mobile stations based on said positioning requests;

means for constructing data representations indicating the locations of each said mobile stations; and

means for constructing a map of hand-off borders associated with base stations located throughout at least a portion of said network using said constructed data representations.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for performing map maintenance comprising:

means for initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

means for selectively verifying downlink and/or uplink signal quality associated with said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

means for constructing a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station, based on said verification result.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising means for performing map maintenance comprising:

means for initialing a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

means for selectively verifying a location associated with said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

means for constructing a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station, based on said verification result.

9. A system for maintaining a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radiocommunications network comprising:

means for initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

means for selectively verifying downlink and/or uplink signal quality associated with said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

means for constructing a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station, based on said verification result.

10. A system for maintaining a map of cell hand-off borders associated with base stations in a radiocommunications network comprising:

means for initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station;

means for selectively verifying a location associated with said first mobile station to produce a verification result; and

means for constructing a map of hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of said first mobile station, based on said verification result.

11. A method of generating a map of cell handoff borders associated with base stations in a radio communications network comprising:

a) initiating positioning requests based on hand-off requests from mobile stations;

b) receiving information regarding locations of each of the mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

c) constructing data representations indicating the locations of each of the mobile stations; and

d) selectively repeating steps a) through c) to construct a map of hand-off borders associated with base stations located throughout at least a portion of the network.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

e) initiating a hand-off bequest associated with a first mobile station; and

f) selectively verifying uplink, downlink or both uplink and downlink signal qualities of the first mobile station to produce a verification result.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising based on the verification result:

i) initiating positioning requests based on handoff requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) receiving location data of the subsequent mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of the subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeating i) through iii) to update the map with handoff borders of a cell pair associated with the location of the first mobile station.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

e) initiating a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station; and

f) selectively verifying location of the first mobile station to produce a verification result.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising based on the verification result;

i) initiating positioning requests based on handoff requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) receiving location data of the subsequent mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

iii) constructing data representations indicating the locations of the subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeating i) through iii) to update the map with hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of the first mobile station.

16. A mobile switching center having at least one processor therein, said at least one processor being configured to:

a) initiate positioning requests based on hand-off requests from mobile stations;

b) receive information regarding locations of each of the mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

c) construct data representations indicating the locations of each of the mobile stations; and

d) selectively repeat steps a) through c) to construct a map of handoff borders associated with base stations located throughout at least a portion of the network.

17. The mobile switching center of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

e) initiate a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station; and

f) selectively verify uplink, downlink or both uplink and downlink signal qualities of the first mobile station to produce a verification result.

18. The mobile switching center of claim 17, wherein based on the verification result said at least one processor is further configured to:

i) initiate positioning requests based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) receive location data of the subsequent mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

iii) construct data representations indicating the locations of the subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeat i) through iii) to update the map with hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of the first mobile station.

19. The mobile switching center of claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to:

e) initiate a hand-off request associated with a first mobile station; and

f) selectively verify location of the first mobile station to produce a verification result.

20. The mobile switching center of claim 19, wherein based on the verification result said at least one processor is further configured to:

i) initiate positioning requests based on hand-off requests associated with subsequent mobile stations;

ii) receive location data of the subsequent mobile stations based on the positioning requests;

iii) construct data representations indicating the locations of the subsequent mobile stations; and

iv) selectively repeat i) through iii) to update the map with hand-off borders of a cell pair associated with the location of the first mobile station.