Method for mapping poor coverage areas

• US 6,799,016 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newell, Michael A., Davis, Scott B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farkhondar, Farima
• Application Number:
  US09/960,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.6, 455/63.1, 455/63.3, 455/67.13, 455/432.1, 455/432.2, 455/513, 455/447, 455/67.11, 455/436, 455/425, 370/332
• US Class Current: 455/67.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A method of creating a database of poor coverage areas (120) in a wireless communication system includes (100) determining if a signal quality metric (204) of a communication link (130) in a poor coverage area (120) is below a signal quality threshold (202) then incrementing a poor coverage area counter (210), if not, incrementing a good coverage area counter (212). Storing one or more previous coverage areas (138-140) traversed by wireless device (102) prior to entering the poor coverage area (120) and calculating a trajectory (136) to the poor coverage area (120) based on one or more previous coverage areas (138-140) and poor coverage area (120). Subsequently, anticipating entry of the wireless device (102) into the poor coverage area (120) utilizing the trajectory (136) to the poor coverage area (120) and alerting a user of wireless device (102).

Claims

1. In a wireless device, a method of creating a database of poor coverage areas in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining a coverage area corresponding to a location of the wireless device;

determining if a signal quality metric of a communication link in the coverage area drops below a signal quality threshold;

wherein if the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold designating the coverage area a poor coverage area and incrementing a poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area and storing the coverage area as the poor coverage area in the database if the coverage area has not already been stored as the poor coverage area;

determining if the poor coverage area is previously stored in the database, wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold incrementing the poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area, and wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is above the signal quality threshold incrementing a good coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area;

storing one or more previous coverage areas traversed by the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area;

calculating and storing a trajectory to the poor coverage area based on the one or more previous coverage areas and the poor coverage area; and

anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing the trajectory to the poor coverage area.

2. The method of claim 1, farther comprising anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing a second trajectory, wherein the second trajectory is based on a vector of the wireless device and the poor coverage area.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting a user of the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein anticipating comprises switching the wireless device to an alternate wireless communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a quality indicator for the poor coverage area, wherein the quality indicator is based on a number of good coverage area counter increments and a number of poor coverage area counter increments for the poor coverage area.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining if the quality indicator meets a quality indicator threshold, wherein if the quality indicator meets the quality indicator threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the poor coverage area from the database if the wireless device does not enter the poor coverage area for a time greater than a time threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining an entry threshold, wherein the entry threshold is based on a number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage area in a unit of time, wherein if an actual number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage area in the unit of time is less than the entry threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a communication link between the wireless device and the wireless communication system has terminated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal strength in the poor coverage area drops below a signal strength threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal error rate in the poor coverage area drops below a signal error rate threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises storing a set of system coordinate data based on the location of the wireless device if the bad coverage area counter is incremented, wherein the coverage area is then stored as the poor coverage area if the coverage area is not already in the database as the poor coverage area.

13. A method of creating a database of poor coverage areas in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining a coverage area corresponding to a location of a wireless device;

determining if a signal quality metric of a communication link in the coverage area drops below a signal quality threshold;

wherein if the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold designating the coverage area a poor coverage area and incrementing a poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area and storing the coverage area as the poor coverage area in the database if the coverage area has not already been stored as the poor coverage area;

determining if the poor coverage area is previously stored in the database, wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold incrementing the poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area, and wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is above the signal quality threshold incrementing a good coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area;

storing one or more previous coverage areas traversed by the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area;

calculating and storing a trajectory to the poor coverage area based on the one or more previous coverage areas and the poor coverage area; and

anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing the trajectory to the poor coverage area.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing a second trajectory, wherein the second trajectory is based on a vector of the wireless device and the poor coverage area.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising alerting a user of the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein anticipating comprises switching the wireless device to an alternate wireless communication system.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating a quality indicator for the poor coverage area, wherein the quality indicator is based on a number of good coverage area counter increments and a number of poor coverage area counter increments for the poor coverage area.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining if the quality indicator meets a quality indicator threshold, wherein if the quality indicator meets the quality indicator threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the poor coverage area from the database if the wireless device does not enter the poor coverage area for a time greater than a time threshold.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising defining an entry threshold, wherein the entry threshold is based on a number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage area in a unit of time, wherein if an actual number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage urea in the unit of time is less than the entry threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a communication link between the wireless device and the wireless communication system has terminated.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal strength in the poor coverage area drops below a signal strength threshold.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal error rate in the poor coverage area drops below a signal error rate threshold.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises storing a set of system coordinate data based on the location of the wireless device if the bad coverage area counter is incremented, wherein the coverage area is then stored as the poor coverage area if the coverage area is not already in the database as the poor coverage area.

25. In a wireless device, a computer-readable medium containing computer instructions for instructing a processor to perform a method of creating a database of poor coverage areas in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining a coverage area corresponding to a location of the wireless device;

determining if a signal quality metric of a communication link in the coverage area drops below a signal quality threshold;

wherein if the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold designating the coverage area a poor coverage area and incrementing a poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area and storing the coverage area as the poor coverage area in the database if the coverage area has not already been stored as the poor coverage area;

determining if the poor coverage area is previously stored in the database, wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is below the signal quality threshold incrementing the poor coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area, and wherein if the poor coverage area is previously stored and the signal quality metric is above the signal quality threshold incrementing a good coverage area counter corresponding to the poor coverage area;

storing one or more previous coverage areas traversed by the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area;

calculating and storing a trajectory to the poor coverage area based on the one or more previous coverage areas and the poor coverage area; and

anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing the trajectory to the poor coverage area.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising anticipating entry of the wireless device into the poor coverage area utilizing a second trajectory, wherein the second trajectory is based on a vector of the wireless device and the poor coverage area.

27. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, further comprising alerting a user of the wireless device prior to entering the poor coverage area.

28. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, wherein anticipating comprises switching the wireless device to an alternate wireless communication system.

29. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, further comprising calculating a quality indicator for the poor coverage area, wherein the quality indicator is based on a number of good coverage area counter increments and a number of poor coverage area counter increments for the poor coverage area.

30. The computer-readable medium in claim 29, further comprising determining if the quality indicator meets a quality indicator threshold, wherein if the quality indicator meets the quality indicator threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

31. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, further comprising removing the poor coverage area from the database if the wireless device does not enter the poor coverage area for a time greater than a time threshold.

32. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, further comprising defining an entry threshold, wherein the entry threshold is based on a number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage area in a unit of time, wherein if an actual number of entries of the wireless device into the poor coverage area in the unit of time is less than the entry threshold the poor coverage area is removed from the database.

33. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a communication link between the wireless device and the wireless communication system has terminated.

34. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal strength in the poor coverage area drops below a signal strength threshold.

35. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises determining if a signal error rate in the poor coverage area drops below a signal error rate threshold.

36. The computer-readable medium in claim 25, wherein determining if the signal quality metric drops below the signal quality threshold comprises storing a set of system coordinate data based on the location of the wireless device if the bad coverage area counter is incremented, wherein the coverage area is then stored as the poor coverage area if the coverage area is not already in the database as the poor coverage area.