Measurement and antenna placement tool for establishing a cell site

• US 7,110,768 B1
• Filed: 12/06/1999
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Nossen, Steve J., Klein, Jane, DeSantis, Charles Michael, Bridges, Sydney D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contee, Joy K.
• Application Number:
  US09/455,019
• Time in Patent Office: 2,479 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/446, 455/421, 455/67.1, 455/422, 455/67.3, 455/67.4, 455/67.7, 455/522, 455/517, 455/443, 455/444, 455/449, 455/525, 465423-425, 714/701
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and system for accurately predicting and evaluating cellular system performance before an actual system is installed at a site. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, only two persons (or under certain conditions, as few as one) are required to operate the portable measurement and antenna placement (MAP) tools of the invention, and evaluate system performance (e.g., voice quality) at varied locations of a site without the system being in place. A user can measure out the size of cells using a bar graph display that shows the range of acceptable signal levels for the system, and an audible warning tone that signals the user when the cell edge has been exceeded. In addition, other quality determinative system parameters (e.g., bit error rate (BER), etc.) can be evaluated simultaneously with voice quality and average received signal strength.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a cell site comprising:

a) transmitting a wireless signal from a transmitter at a first location to a receiver, wherein said first location is approximately a center of an intended cell site;

b) receiving said wireless signal at said receiver at another location spaced by a distance from said first location;

c) measuring at least one quality determinative parameter of said wireless signal as received for a predetermined minimum quality level as said distance changes; and

d) recording said distance associated with an identifier of said another location when said at least one quality determinative parameter falls to or below said predetermined minimum level;

wherein said transmitter and receiver are configured to support full duplex voice communication therebetween; and

wherein said receiver comprises selection circuitry configured to permit selection of said at least one quality determinative parameter for measurement from a plurality of quality determinative parameters measurable at said receiver, said plurality of quality determinative parameters comprising at least two of average signal strength, peak signal strength, bit error rate and spectrum analysis.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

e) moving said receiver circumferentially relative to said first location to another location and repeating steps (b) through (d).

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising repeating steps (b) through (e) for a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations until a 360 degree are around said first location is completed.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said act of measuring comprises measuring received signal strength.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein said act of measuring comprises measuring peak received signal strength.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein said act of measuring comprises measuring average received signal strength.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein said act of measuring comprises assessing audible quality of said received wireless signal.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein said act of measuring comprises measuring a bit error rate of said wireless signal.

9. The method as in claim 3 further comprising measuring for preexisting sources of microwave energy at each of said circumferentially spaced location.

10. The method as in claim 6, wherein said predetermined minimum level of average signal strength is approximately −

65 dBm.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising providing an audible indication to a user that said wireless signal is being received at or below said predetermined minimum level of said at least one quality determinative parameter.

12. The method as in claim 1 further comprising providing a visual indication to a user that said wireless signal is being received at or below said predetermined minimum level of said at least one quality determinative parameter.

13. The method as in claim 3 further comprising:

using the recorded distances and location identifiers to determine a cell site boundary; and

fine tuning an optimum antenna location within said cell site boundary.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein said act of fine tuning further comprises:

receiving data of obstructions within said cell site at a processor-based antenna placement tool;

receiving said recorded distance and location information associated with said location identifiers at said processor-based antenna placement tool;

processing said obstruction data and said distance and location information within said processor-based antenna placement tool; and

establishing a finely tuned optimum antenna location for said cell site.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein said processor-based antenna placement tool is a wireless system engineering (WiSE) tool.

16. The method as in claim 1 further comprising, prior to performing step (a), performing the steps of:

transmitting a wireless signal from a location which is close to a desired boundary of said cell site;

receiving said wireless signal at said receiver located along a path which is expected to pass through an approximate center of said cell site;

measuring at least one quality determinative parameter of said wireless signal for a predetermined minimum quality level as said receiver is moved along said path away from said transmitter;

recording a second distance of said receiver from said location close to said cell boundary when said at least one quality determinative parameter falls to or below said predetermined minimum level;

placing said transmitter at said second distance; and

then performing steps (a) through (d).

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein said act of measuring as said receiver is moved along said path comprises measuring received signal strength.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein said act of measuring as said receiver is moved along said path comprises measuring peak received signal strength.

19. The method as in claim 17, wherein said act of measuring as said receiver is moved along said path comprises measuring average received signal strength.

20. The method as in claim 16, wherein said act of measuring as said receiver is moved along said path comprises measuring audible quality of said wireless signal.

21. The method as in claim 16, wherein said act of measuring as said receiver is moved along said path comprises measuring a bit error rate of said wireless signal.

22. The method as claim 19, wherein said predetermined minimum level of average signal strength is approximately −

65 dBm.

23. An apparatus for use in determining boundaries of a cell site, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a wireless signal transmitted from a first location;

at least one measurement device coupled to said receiver for measuring at least one quality determinative parameter of said received wireless signal for a predetermined minimum quality level as said receiver is moved relative to said first location; and

a recorder coupled to said at least one measurement device for recording said relative receiver location when said at least one quality determinative parameter falls to or below said predetermined minimum level;

wherein said receiver is configured to support full duplex voice communication with a transmission device associated with said first location; and

wherein said receiver comprises selection circuitry configured to permit selection of said at least one quality determinative parameter for measurement from a plurality of quality determinative parameters measurable at said receiver, said plurality of quality determinative parameters comprising at least two of average signal strength, peak signal strength, bit error rate and spectrum analysis.

24. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said at least one measurement device comprises a received signal strength indication meter.

25. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said at least one measurement device comprises a bit error rate meter.

26. The apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising a spectrum analyzer for measuring preexisting sources of microwave energy at said cell site.

27. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said at least one measurement device comprises a speaker for allowing a user to hear a received voice message.

28. The apparatus as in claim 24, wherein said predetermined minimum level of received signal strength is approximately −

65 dBm.

29. The apparatus as in claim 23 further comprising a data transfer port coupled to said recorder through which said recorded data may be transferred to a separate processing device for fine tuning an optimum antenna location at said cell site.

30. The apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said transmission device associated with said first location comprises a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal from said first location.

31. The apparatus as claim 30 further comprising a controller coupled to each of said receiver, said at least one measuring device and said recorder, said controller being configurable for controlling whether said apparatus is operable as a transmitter or a receiver.

32. The apparatus as claim 23 further comprising:

a telephone device, said telephone device comprising;

audio input means for inputting an audio signal for transmission; and

audio output means for outputting a received audio signal.

33. The apparatus as in claim 23, wherein said recorder records a plurality of said locations associated with different circumferential points about said first location.

34. A system for establishing a cell site, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a wireless signal from a first location to a second location,

a receiver for receiving said wireless signal at said second location, said second location being spaced by a distance from said first location,

said receiver containing at least one measurement device for measuring at least one quality determinative parameter of said wireless signal for a predetermined minimum level, and a data storage area for recording a distance between said transmitter and receiver when said predetermined minimum level is reached or exceeded;

wherein said transmitter and receiver are configured to support full duplex voice communication therebetween; and

wherein said receiver comprises selection circuitry configured to permit selection of said at least one quality determinative parameter for measurement from a plurality of quality determinative parameters measurable at said receiver, said plurality of quality determinative parameters comprising at least two of average signal strength, peak signal strength, bit error rate and spectrum analysis.

35. The system as in claim 34, wherein said at least one measurement device comprises a received signal strength indication meter.

36. The system as in claim 34, wherein said at least one measurement device comprises a bit error rate meter.

37. The system as claim 34, wherein said receiver further comprises a spectrum analyzer for measuring for preexisting sources of microwave energy at said cell site.

38. The system as in claim 34, wherein said receiver further comprises a speaker for enabling a user to hear a received voice message.

39. The system as in claim 34, wherein said receiver further comprises an audible indicator for notifying a user that said wireless signal is being received at or below said predetermined minimum level of said at least one quality determinative parameter.

40. The system as in claim 34, wherein said receiver further comprises a visual indicator for notifying a user that said wireless signal is being received at or below said predetermined minimum level of said at least one quality determinative parameter.

41. The system as in claim 34, wherein said data storage area records a plurality of said locations associated with different circumferential points about said first location.

42. The system as in claim 38, wherein said received voice message is a “

calibrated”

voice passage.

43. The system as in claim 42, wherein the “

calibrated”

voice passage can be stored for off-line evaluation of channel distortion characteristics.