Method and system for integrated management of base transceiver station (BTS) with wireless backhaul

• US 8,170,544 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Satapathy, Durga Prasad, Hoffman, Bruce E, Hussain, Mohammad Wasif, Johnson, Harold W, Ha, Youngil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US11/669,032
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/455, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/424, 455/422.11, 455/403, 455/557, 455/556, 455/631, 455/532, 455/560, 455/67.13, 455/501, 455/67.14, 455/453
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/045 between access point and backbone network device

Abstract

A base transceiver station (BTS) includes a radio access network (RAN) interface for communicating with mobile stations and a backhaul interface for communicating with a backhaul network. A RAN element management system generates RAN status information based on event notifications from the RAN interface. A backhaul element management system generates backhaul status information based on event notifications from the backhaul interface. A correlation engine generates correlated status information for the BTS based on the RAN status information and the backhaul status information. The correlated status information indicates performance of the RAN interface in combination with the backhaul interface. The correlated status information is monitored at a network management system (NMS). The NMS may be used to take corrective actions to address problems identified in the correlated status information.

Claims

1. A system for managing elements of a wireless telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a base transceiver station (BTS), said BTS including

(i) a radio access network (RAN) element for wireless communication with mobile stations, wherein said RAN element is configured to generate RAN event notifications, and

(ii) a backhaul element for conveying backhaul communications for said RAN element, wherein said backhaul element is configured to generate backhaul event notifications;

a RAN element management system for remotely managing said RAN element, wherein said RAN element management system generates RAN status information based on said RAN event notifications;

a backhaul element management system for remotely managing said backhaul element, wherein said backhaul element management system generates backhaul status information based on said backhaul event notifications; and

a correlation engine, separate from said RAN element management system and said backhaul element management system, for generating correlated status information based on said RAN status information and said backhaul status information, whereby said correlated status information indicates performance of said RAN element in combination with said backhaul element.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said backhaul element is a wireless backhaul module in said BTS.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a network management system (NMS) that receives said correlated status information from said correlation engine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said NMS includes an operator interface that allows an operator to access said correlated status information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said operator interface allows said operator to take corrective action based on said correlated status information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said corrective action comprises allocating or de-allocating bandwidth for said backhaul communications.

7. A system for a wireless telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a base transceiver station (BTS), said BTS including a radio access network (RAN) interface for communicating with mobile stations and a backhaul interface for communicating with a backhaul network, said backhaul network comprising a packet-switched network;

a RAN element management system for remotely managing said RAN interface, wherein said RAN element management system is configured to generated RAN status information based on RAN event notifications generated by RAN interface;

a backhaul element management system for remotely managing said backhaul interface, wherein said backhaul element management system is configured to generate backhaul status information based on backhaul event notifications generated by said backhaul interface;

a correlation engine for generating said correlated status information based on said RAN status information and said backhaul status information, said correlated status information indicating performance of said RAN interface in combination with said backhaul interface; and

a network management system (NMS) configured to monitor correlated status information and to initiate corrective action based on said correlated status information, said corrective action comprising allocating or de-allocating bandwidth for backhaul traffic in said packet-switched network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said backhaul network includes a wireless communication link between said BTS and a hub station.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said packet-switched network is between said hub station and an aggregation center of a wireless service provider network.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said NMS is communicatively coupled to said BTS via at least one of said element management systems.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said corrective action comprises controlling assignment of RAN resources.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said corrective action comprises re-routing backhaul traffic in said packet-switched network.

13. A method for monitoring a base transceiver station (BTS) of a wireless telecommunications network, said BTS including a radio access network (RAN) interface for communicating with mobile stations and a backhaul interface for communicating with a backhaul network, said method comprising:

receiving RAN event notifications from said RAN interface;

receiving backhaul event notifications from said backhaul interface;

generating RAN status information based on said RAN event notifications;

generating backhaul status information based on said backhaul event notifications;

a correlation engine generating correlated status information of said BTS based on said RAN status information and said backhaul status information, whereby said correlated status information indicates performance of said RAN interface in combination with said backhaul interface;

said correlation engine providing said correlated status information to a network management system; and

monitoring said correlated status information at said network management system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling traffic through said RAN interface based on said correlated status information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling traffic through said RAN interface comprises:

increasing traffic through said RAN interface.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein controlling traffic through said RAN interface comprises:

decreasing traffic through said RAN interface.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling traffic through said backhaul interface based on said correlated status information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling traffic through said backhaul interface comprises:

increasing traffic through said backhaul interface.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling traffic through said backhaul interface comprises:

decreasing traffic through said backhaul interface.