Systems and methods for coordinating the coverage and capacity of a wireless base station

• US 8,364,119 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Reudink, Douglas O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/430,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20120184240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/446, 455/449, 455/67.1, 455/453, 455/442, 455/436, 455/437, 455/440, 379/113, 379/133
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0083 Multi-mode cell search, i.e. where several modes or systems can be used, e.g. backwards compatible, dual mode or flexible systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A communications base station is installed at a selected new location and the base station, prior to going “online” monitors the wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the new base station'"'"'s coverage area. The new base station also monitors the wireless traffic between mobile devices within its coverage area and these other base stations. Based upon these monitored conditions, as well as other known conditions, the new base station then determines the transmitting parameter configuration it should imply in order to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area. After the new base station is online, a central control can monitor the entire network to determine if any additional changes are necessary and if so the new transceiver, or any other transceiver, can be instructed to monitor itself with respect to interference and to take corrective action to improve overall network coverage and capacity.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, said method comprising:

measuring, at a new base station, information indicative of channels used for communication between a plurality of mobile stations and a plurality of established base stations within a coverage area of said new base station;

setting, at said new base station, a transmit parameter based on said measuring said information indicative of channels; and

receiving, at said new base station and in response to said measuring said information indicative of channels and said setting said transmit parameter, an instruction to update said transmit parameter for data transmission from said new base station and at least one of said mobile stations, wherein said updated transmit parameter includes an adjusted transmit power and an adjusted antenna tilt.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from said new base station, information related to measurements of communication between said established base stations and said mobile stations within said coverage area of said new base station; and

transmitting to at least one of said established base stations, in response to said measuring said information indicative of channels, an instruction to update transmit parameters for data transmission from said at least one of established base stations and at least one other of said mobile stations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said information indicative of channels is sufficient to determine, by said new base station, which of said mobile stations are communicating with which of said established base stations on particular channels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said updated transmit parameter is adjusted after said new base station has been activated, said updated transmit parameter taking into account anomalies caused by said activation of said new base station.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said anomalies are selected from said group consisting of traffic increases, traffic balances, data losses experienced, increase in call drops, and increase in interference levels.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring traffic of said new base station; and

monitoring traffic of said mobile station.

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

at least one established transceiver for communication between said transceiver and a plurality of mobile devices within a transmission area of said established transceiver;

a newly added transceiver positioned at a location such that said transmission area of said newly added transceiver overlaps, at least partially, said transmission area of said established transceiver resulting in an overlap area, said newly added transceiver adapted to select transmitting parameters to achieve a desired coverage criteria, said selection based upon transmission parameters as measured from said communication between said established transceiver and said mobile devices within said transmission area of said established transceiver.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, further comprising:

a central controller adapted to bring said newly added transceiver online using said selected transmitting parameters.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 8, wherein said established transceiver is adapted to adjust said transmission parameters of said established transceiver based upon measured communication within said overlap area.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage device adapted to store said measured communications; and

said central controller adapted to change said selected transmitting parameters to match anticipated transmissions within said transmission area, said anticipated transmissions based on said stored communications.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein said newly added transceiver is adapted to monitor traffic of said newly added transceiver and to monitor traffic of said plurality of mobile devices.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein said at least one established transceiver is adapted to measure power of data transmitted from said mobile devices to said at least one established transceiver.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein said newly added transceiver is adapted to receive ranging signals from said mobile devices.

14. A wireless communication method, said method comprising:

transmitting data from a new base station to an established base station on a first channel, said data transmitted on said first channel being within a coverage area of said new base station;

transmitting said data from said new base station on a second channel, said second channel selected from said new base station based, at least in part, on;

sampling, performed by said new base station for a period of time, data transmitted on said first channel between a mobile station and said established base station, and by at least one other mobile station and at least one other established base station within said coverage area of said new base station; and

receiving ranging signals from said mobile station at said new base station and, in response to said receiving, transmitting said data received at said new base station according to an transmit parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmit parameter includes an adjusted transmit power.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmit parameter includes an adjusted antenna tilt.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said sampling includes measuring said power at which said data is transmitted from said mobile station to said established base station.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmit parameter is adjusted after said new base station has been activated, said transmit parameter taking into account anomalies caused by said activation of said new base station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said anomalies are selected from said group consisting of traffic increases, traffic balances, data losses experienced, increase in call drops, and increase in interference levels.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring traffic of said new base station; and

monitoring traffic of said mobile station.