Switch-based C/I measurement

• US 7,194,260 B1
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jabbary, Ali, Rocha, Stephen Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/800,297
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/67.4, 455/67.6, 455/226.1, 455/435.2, 455/452.2, 455/446, 455/437, 455/447, 455/67.14, 370/251, 370/252, 370/253
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for generating a switch-based C/I matrix for a wireless network is provided. A cell-under-test (CUT) may broadcast system unique carrier and interference signals to mobile stations serviced by the CUT and mobile stations serviced by measurement sectors of other cells in the wireless network. The mobile stations make downlink signal strength measurements, and transmit the signal strength measurements to the corresponding sectors and CUT that service the mobile stations. The measurement sectors may be further configured to measure signal strength of the interference signals transmitted from the CUT on the uplink. The signal strengths are then processed to generate the switch-based C/I matrix.

Claims

1. A method for making switch-based C/I measurements for a wireless network including a plurality of cell sites, comprising steps of:

(a) designating a first cell site of the plurality of cell sites as a cell-under-test (CUT) site, and sectors of other cell sites as measurement sectors;

(b) configuring a set of system-unique analog frequencies and a set of system-unique dedicated control channel (DCCH) frequencies corresponding to the CUT site;

(c) broadcasting from the CUT site carrier signals at the set of system-unique analog frequencies and interference signals at the set of system-unique DCCH frequencies;

(d) measuring downlink signal strengths of the carrier signals at mobile stations located within an area serviced by the CUT site;

(e) measuring signal strengths of the interference signals within areas serviced by the measurement sectors;

(f) recording the signal strengths of the carrier and interference signals measured is steps (d) and (c); and

(g) designating another cell site of the plurality of cell sites as the CUT site and repeating steps (b) through (f).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein;

the CUT site comprises a plurality of CUT sectors;

the set of system-unique analog frequencies comprises a plurality of different analog frequencies, each one of the plurality of different analog frequencies uniquely corresponding to one of the plurality of CUT sectors;

the set of DCCH frequencies comprises a plurality of different DCCH frequencies, each one of the plurality of different DCCH frequencies uniquely corresponding to one of the plurality or CUT sectors; and

the step of measuring downlink signal strengths of the carrier signals comprises measuring a signal strength of a selected one of the plurality of different analog signals corresponding to the CUT sector serviced by the measuring mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step or repeating steps (b)–

(g) until each one of the plurality of cell sites has been designated as the CUT site.

4. The method of claim, 1 wherein the step of measuring signal strength further comprises measuring downlink signal strength of the interference signals via a plurality of mobile stations serviced by the plurality of measurement sectors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring signal strength further comprises measuring uplink signal strength or the interference signals via a plurality of base stations associated with the plurality of measurement sectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring system-unique DCCH frequencies further comprises the steps of:

removing DCCH frequencies from service in the wireless network;

returning the removed DCCH frequencies to the system-unique DCCH frequencies;

restoring the system-unique DCCH frequencies to service in the wireless network; and

executing an operational script that prohibits mobile stations in the wireless network from using the system-unique DCCH frequencies for voice communication.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing the operational script further comprises modifying a channel set list, a mobile-assisted handoff list, and an interfering neighbor list.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a plurality of carrier signal strength to interference signal strength ratios to build a switch-based C/I matrix.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating a plurality of carrier signal strength to interference signal strength ratios further comprises generating average carrier signal strength to average interference signal strength ratios based upon a statistical analysis of the carrier signals and interference signals.

10. An electronic-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a machine to perform a method for making switch-based C/I measurements for a wireless network including a plurality of cell sites, the method comprising steps of:

(a) designating a first cell site of the plurality of cell sites as a cell-under-test (CUT) site, and sectors of other cell sites as measurement sectors;

(b) configuring a set of system-unique analog frequencies and a set of system-unique dedicated control channel (DCCH) frequencies corresponding to the CUT site;

(c) broadcasting from the CUT site carrier signals at the set of system-unique analog frequencies and interference signals at the set of system-unique DCCH frequencies;

(d) measuring downlink signal strengths of the carrier signals at mobile stations located within an area serviced by the CUT site;

(e) measuring signal strengths of the interference signals within areas serviced by the measurement sectors;

(f) recording the signal strengths of the carrier and interference signals measured is steps (d) and (e); and

(g) designating another cell site of the plurality of cell sites as the CUT site and repeating steps (h) through (f).

11. The electronic-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further includes a step of repeating steps (b)–

(g) until each one of the plurality of cell sites has been designated as the CUT site.

12. The electronic-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of measuring signal strength further comprises measuring downlink signal strength of the interference signals via a plurality of mobile stations serviced by the plurality of measurement sectors.

13. The electronic-readable medium of claim 10, wherein measuring signal strength further comprises the step of measuring uplink signal strength of the interference signals via a plurality of base stations associated with the plurality of measurement sectors.

14. The electronic-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the step of configuring system-unique DCCH frequencies further comprises steps of:

removing DCCH frequencies from service in the wireless network;

retuning the removed DCCH frequencies to the system-unique DCCH frequencies;

restoring the system-unique DCCH frequencies to service in the wireless network and;

executing an operational script that prohibits mobile stations in the wireless network from using the system-unique DCCH frequencies for voice communication.

15. The electronic-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising the step of generating a plurality of carrier signal strength to interference signal strength ratios to build a switch-based C/I matrix.

16. a Cell Under Test (CUT) site configured to broadcast carrier signals at system-unique analog frequencies and interference signal at system-unique Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) frequencies;

a plurality of mobile stations configured to receive, measure, and transmit signal strengths of carries signals and interference signals;

a plurality of measurement sectors configured to receive the transmitted signal strengths; and

a processor configured to receive the signal strengths from plurality of measurement sectors, the CUT site and additional CUT sites, and to generate switch based C/I matrix, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a statistical analysis on the signal strengths to generate switch based C/I matrix.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a measurement sector of the plurality of measurement sectors is configured to receive the transmitted interference signal strengths from a first set of mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations located within an area serviced by the measurement sector.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each measurement sector of the plurality of measurement sectors is configured to receive and measure the interference signals broadcast by the CUT site.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the CUT site is configured to receive the transmitted carrier signal strengths from a second set of mobile stations of the plurality of mobile stations located within an area serviced by the CUT site.

20. A system for making switch-based C/I measurements for a wireless network including a plurality of cell sites, comprising:

means for designating a first cell site of the plurality of cell sites as a cell-under-test (CUT) site, and sectors of other cell sites as measurement sectors;

means for configuring a set of system-unique analog frequencies and a set of system-unique dedicated control channel (DCCH) frequencies corresponding to the CUT site;

means for broadcasting from the CUT site carrier signals at the set of system-unique analog frequencies and interference signals at the set of system-unique DCCH frequencies;

means for measuring downlink signal strengths of the carrier signals within an area serviced by the CUT site;

means for measuring signal strengths of the interference signals within areas serviced by the measurement sectors; and

means for recording the signal strengths of the carrier and interference signals measured.