Methods and apparatus for design, adjustment or operation of wireless networks using multi-stage optimization

• US 6,925,066 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Drabeck, Lawrence M., Hampel, Karl Georg, Polakos, Paul Anthony, Zhang, Yihao Lisa, Chekuri, Chandra S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US09/628,366
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333, 370/335, 370/336, 370/337, 370/343, 370/344, 370/345, 370/310, 370/315, 370/339, 370/342, 370/241, 370/252, 370/319, 370/321, 370/326, 370/334, 370/478, 370/480, 370/203, 370/204, 370/254, 703/2, 455/466, 455/35.1, 455/446, 455/447
• US Class Current: 370/319
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

Techniques for use in designing, adjusting or operating a wireless network so as to provide a desired level of performance for the network. An optimization process is applied to a set of information characterizing the network. The optimization process is implemented as a multi-stage process which includes at least a frequency assignment stage and a post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, wherein the frequency assignment stage and the post-frequency-assignment stage are subject to iteration. For example, after an initial assignment of the frequencies in the frequency assignment stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage may be performed, and based on the result of the optimization, at least one of the frequency assignment stage and the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage may be repeated. An output of the optimization process is utilized to determine one or more operating parameters of the wireless network, such as a base station transmit power or antenna orientation. The optimization process in an illustrative embodiment may be implemented as a three-stage process which includes a pre-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the frequency assignment stage and the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, with one or more subsets of these stages being implemented in an iterative manner.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for providing a desired level of performance for a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

applying an optimization process to a set of information characterizing the network, the optimization process comprising a multi-stage process including at least a frequency assignment stage and a post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being applied after assignment of frequencies to one or more communication channels of the wireless network in the frequency assignment stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being configured to utilize derivative-based optimization of a specified objective function in order to determine a particular network configuration for specified values of network capacity and network coverage, and wherein at least a subset of the stages of the multi-stage process are iterated; and

utilizing an output of the optimization process to determine at least one operating parameter of the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the optimization process further comprises a three-stage optimization process having a pre-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the frequency assignment stage and the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a subset of the three stages of the three-stage optimization process are repeated in an iterative manner.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency assignment stage comprises a frequency planning stage.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network implements a frequency reuse factor greater than one.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network comprises at least one of a TDMA wireless network, an FDMA wireless network, a CDMA wireless network, an OFDM wireless network, and a TDD wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating parameter of the wireless network comprises at least one of a base station transmit power and an antenna orientation.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the optimization process generates a graphical display in the form of a tradeoff curve of capacity versus coverage.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the optimization process generates a graphical display in the form of a tradeoff curve of percent carrier-to-interference ratio above threshold versus coverage.

10. An apparatus for use in providing a desired level of performance for a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a processor-based system operative to apply an optimization process to a set of information characterizing the network, the optimization process comprising a multi-stage process including at least a frequency assignment stage and a post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being applied after assignment of frequencies to one or more communication channels of the wireless network in the frequency assignment stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being configured to utilize derivative-based Optimization of a specified objective function in order to determine a particular network configuration for specified values of network capacity and network coverage, and wherein at least a subset of the stages of the multi-stage process are iterated;

wherein an output of the optimization process is utilized to determine at least one operating parameter of the wireless network.

11. An apparatus for use in providing a desired level of performance for a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

means for applying an optimization process to a set of information characterizing the network, the optimization process comprising a multi-stage process including at least a frequency assignment stage and a post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being applied after assignment of frequencies to one or more communication channels of the wireless network in the frequency assignment stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being configured to utilize derivative-based optimization of a specified objective function in order to determine a particular network configuration for specified values of network capacity and network coverage, and wherein at least a subset of the stages of the multi-stage process are iterated; and

means for utilizing an output of the optimization process to determine at least one operating parameter of the wireless network.

12. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable medium for storing one or more software programs for use in providing a desired level of performance for a wireless network, wherein the one or more programs when executed by a processor-based system perform the step of:

applying an optimization process to a set of information characterizing the network, the optimization process comprising a multi-stage process including at least a frequency assignment stage and a post-frequency-assignment optimization stage, the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being applied after assignment of frequencies to one or more communication channels of the wireless network in the frequency assignment stage the post-frequency-assignment optimization stage being configured to utilize derivative-based optimization of a specified objective function in order to determine a particular network configuration for specified values of network capacity and network coverage, and wherein at least a subset of the stages of the multi-stage process are iterated;

wherein an output of the optimization process is utilized to determine at least one operating parameter of the wireless network.