Systems and methods for operating wireless networks

• US 8,121,604 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schwinghammer, Patrick Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US11/366,620
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 455/444, 455/449, 455/433, 455/446, 455/435.1, 455/435.2, 455/435.3, 455/436, 455/437, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/441, 455/442, 455/443, 370/331, 370/332, 370/333
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic

Abstract

Systems and methods for wireless networks with inner and outer cells are provided. A base station determines an amount of traffic on an inner and outer cell. When the traffic exceed a predetermined threshold value, traffic is adjusted on the inner or outer cell. Traffic can be adjusted by handing off some of the traffic from the inner cell to the outer cell, from the outer cell to the inner cell, between sectors of the inner or outer cells and/or by handing off traffic to a proximately located base station.

Claims

1. A method for operating a base station, the method comprising the acts of:

determining, by a processor, an amount of traffic on an inner cell of the base station;

determining, by the processor, an amount of traffic on an outer cell of the base station;

determining, by the processor, that the amount of traffic on the inner or outer cell exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

adjusting traffic of the inner and outer cells using handoff to reduce the amount of traffic on the inner or outer cell below the predetermined threshold value, wherein the inner and outer cells use different frequencies, the inner cell includes a plurality of sectorized cells and the outer cell includes a plurality of sectorized cells, each sectorized cell of the inner cell includes an outer boundary defining an inner boundary of a corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell, each sectorized cell of the inner cell and the corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell includes side boundaries defined by a line originating at a base station located at a center of the inner and outer cells and terminating at an outer boundary of the corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell, wherein each sector of the sectorized cells of the inner cell has an has an approximately pie slice shape and the traffic adjustment using handoff involves a handoff of a first mobile station between sectors of the inner cell, and a handoff of a second mobile station between the inner and outer cells wherein the inner and outer cells are part of a network in which a frequency reuse pattern for inner cells is different than a frequency reuse pattern for outer cells.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting comprises the act of:

handing off traffic from the inner cell to the outer cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting comprises the act of:

handing off traffic from the outer cell to the inner cell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting comprises the act of:

handing off traffic from the inner cell to an outer cell of another base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting comprises the act of:

handing off traffic from the inner cell to an inner cell of another base station.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein traffic on the inner and outer cells of the base station include dispatch voice, interconnect voice, short message service (SMS) and packet data traffic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined threshold value corresponds to an amount of traffic less than an amount of traffic that would result in blocking on the inner or outer cell.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of adjusting traffic comprises the acts of:

identifying mobile stations capable of handing off between the inner and outer cells; and

instructing at least some of the identified mobile stations to handoff between the inner and outer cells.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the act of:

collecting signal quality measurement reports from a plurality of mobile stations supported by the base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal quality measurement reports include received signal strength indications and carrier-to-interference ratio estimations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the signal quality measurement reports include signal quality measurements for the inner and outer cells.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal quality measurement reports also include signal quality measurements of base stations proximately located to the base station.

13. A base station comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor comprising

logic for determining an amount of traffic on an inner cell and an outer cell of the base station;

logic for determining that the amount of traffic on the inner or outer cell exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

logic for adjusting traffic of the inner or outer cells using handoff to reduce the amount of traffic on the inner or outer cell below the predetermined threshold value, wherein the inner and outer cells use different frequencies, and adjusting traffic of the inner and outer cells using handoff to reduce the amount of traffic on the inner or outer cell below the predetermined threshold value, wherein the inner and outer cells use different frequencies, the inner cell includes a plurality of sectorized cells and the outer cell includes a plurality of sectorized cells, each sectorized cell of the inner cell includes an outer boundary defining an inner boundary of a corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell, each sectorized cell of the inner cell and the corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell includes side boundaries defined by a line originating at a base station located at a center of the inner and outer cells and terminating at an outer boundary of the corresponding sectorized cell of the outer cell, wherein each sector of the sectorized cells of the inner cell has an has an approximately pie slice shape and the traffic adjustment using handoff involves a handoff of a first mobile station between sectors of the inner cell, and a handoff of a second mobile station between the inner and outer cells wherein the inner and outer cells are part of a network in which a frequency reuse pattern for inner cells is different than a frequency reuse pattern for outer cells.

14. The base station of claim 13, wherein the logic for adjusting traffic controls handoff of traffic from the inner cell to the outer cell.

15. The base station of claim 13, wherein the logic for adjusting traffic controls handoff of traffic from the outer cell to the inner cell.

16. The base station of claim 13, wherein the logic for adjusting traffic controls handoff from one of the inner and outer cells of the base station to a cell of another base station.

17. The base station of claim 13, wherein traffic on the inner and outer cells of the base station include dispatch voice, interconnect voice, short message service (SMS) and packet data traffic.

18. The base station of claim 13, wherein the predetermined threshold value corresponds to an amount of traffic less than an amount of traffic that would result in blocking on the inner or outer cell.

19. The base station of claim 13, wherein the logic for adjusting traffic comprises:

logic for identifying mobile stations capable of handing off between the inner and outer cells; and

logic for instructing at least some of the identified mobile stations to handoff between the inner and outer cells.

20. The base station of claim 19, further comprising:

logic for collecting signal quality measurement reports from a plurality of mobile stations supported by the base station.

21. The base station of claim 20, wherein the signal quality measurement reports include received signal strength indications and carrier-to-interference ratio estimations.

22. The base station of claim 20, wherein the signal quality measurement reports include signal quality measurements for the inner and outer cells.

23. The base station of claim 22, wherein the signal quality measurement reports also include signal quality measurements of base stations proximately located to the base station.