Method of collecting information in mobile communication system

• US 8,718,022 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Aoyama, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US12/978,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 370/335, 370/342, 370/341, 370/336, 370/252, 370/329, 370/330, 370/280, 370/338, 370/328, 455/453, 455/513, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/404.2, 455/507, 455/410, 455/67.11, 455/404, 455/423, 455/456, 345/660, 345/619, 379/32, 379/59, 379/60, 379/21
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0697 using spatial multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment

Abstract

There are disclosed a method of and a system for collecting information related to operation of a radio communication system inexpensively and easily. A mobile radio terminal monitors a communication status of user communication, and detects as a trigger when the communication status has satisfied a predetermined condition. When a trigger is detected, the mobile radio terminal acquires a reception status of a radio signal and the position of the mobile radio terminal. The mobile radio terminal sends measured information including the reception status and the position to an information collecting server. The information collecting server receives the measured information from the mobile radio terminal and records therein the measured information which has been received.

Claims

1. A method of collecting information used for adjustments with an information collecting server in a radio communication system, said method comprising, in said information collecting server:

sending a trigger command simultaneously to mobile radio terminals currently located in a service area of the information collecting server, so that any of said mobile radio terminals capable of doing so and in response to said trigger command will be instructed to;

acquire a reception status of a radio signal for that mobile radio terminal;

acquire a coordinate position of said mobile radio terminal; and

send measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position to said information collecting server;

recording said measured information received from said mobile radio terminals sending said measured information; and

sending value information indicative of a value given for said measured information, which is provided to said mobile radio terminals when said measured information is received, such that the value indicated by said value information can be displayed in a mobile radio terminal when said value information is received.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information collecting server sends said trigger command simultaneously to the mobile radio terminals based on a load status on a radio circuit.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said radio communication system comprises a CDMA radio communication system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said acquiring a reception status comprises acquiring at least one of a received signal quality and a received signal intensity of a common channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said acquiring said coordinate position information comprises acquiring coordinate information of said mobile radio terminal by using GPS (Global Positioning System).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing said measured information as input data to a radio network design simulator;

evaluating a performance in said service area, using said radio network design simulator; and

making at least one adjustment in said service area based on said evaluating.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein said mobile radio terminals additionally send time information to said information collecting server, said time information providing a basis to estimate time-dependent changes for said service area.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein said trigger command sent simultaneously to mobile radio terminals currently located in said service area of the information collecting server is received by all said mobile radio terminals in an entirety of said service area and all said mobile radio terminals in said entirety of said service area that are capable of responding to said trigger command provide appropriate responses, thereby information for said entirety of service area is reported in response to said trigger command.

7. A method of collecting information used for adjustments with an information collecting server in a radio communication system connected to one or more mobile radio terminals for performing user communications, said method comprising, in said information collecting server:

sending a trigger command simultaneously to all of the one or more mobile radio terminals to instruct any said mobile radio terminal capable of so doing to;

monitor a communication status of a communication connection using a common pilot channel, wherein said communication status corresponds to whether or not the mobile radio terminal has an existing communication connection using a common pilot channel, which satisfies predetermined criteria;

detect as a trigger when a change of said communication status has satisfied a predetermined condition; and

when one of said trigger commands is received and said trigger is detected for said change of communication status;

acquire a reception status of a radio signal;

acquire a coordinate position of said mobile radio terminal; and

send measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position to said information collecting server; and

sending value information indicative of a value given for said measured information, which is provided to said mobile radio terminals when said measured information is received such that the value indicated by said value information can be displayed in a mobile radio terminal when said value information is received.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined condition comprises an occurrence of a forced disconnection of the user communication.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined condition comprises an occurrence of a handover failure.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a lowering of a throughput of said user communication below a predetermined threshold value.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a call which is made.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein said information collecting server sends said trigger command simultaneously to the mobile radio terminals based on a load status on a radio circuit.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein said acquiring said coordinate position information further includes acquiring coordinate information of said mobile radio terminal by using GPS (Global Positioning System).

14. A system for collecting information used for adjustments in a radio communication system for performing user communication, said system comprising:

one or more mobile radio terminals for, when a trigger command is received, acquiring a reception status of a radio signal and a coordinate position of the mobile radio terminal and sending measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position; and

an information collecting server that sends said trigger command simultaneously to all of the one or more mobile radio terminals, and recording the measured information which has been received from said one or more mobile radio terminals,

wherein, when said measured information is received, said information collecting server sends value information indicative of a value given for said measured information, which is provided to said mobile radio terminals, and

wherein, when said value information is received in a mobile radio terminal, said mobile radio terminal displays the value indicated by said value information.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said information collecting server sends said trigger command simultaneously to the one or more mobile radio terminals based on a load status on a radio circuit.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein said radio communication system comprises a CDMA radio communication system.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein said acquiring a reception status comprises acquiring at least one of a received signal quality and a received signal intensity of a common channel.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein said acquiring said coordinate position information comprises acquiring coordinate information of said mobile radio terminal by using GPS (Global Positioning System).

19. A system for collecting information used for adjustments in a radio communication system for performing a user communication, said system comprising:

an information collecting server that sends a trigger command simultaneously to all of one or more mobile radio terminals currently located in a service area, and recording the measured information which is received from said mobile radio terminals,

wherein, for each mobile radio terminal capable of recognizing said trigger command and of monitoring a communication status of a communication connection using a common pilot channel, said communication status corresponding to whether or not the mobile radio terminal has an existing communication connection using the common pilot channel which satisfies predetermined criteria and, if a trigger is detected when a change of said communication status has satisfied a predetermined condition of one of said predetermined criteria, or a trigger command is received, said mobile terminal will acquire a reception status of a radio signal and a coordinate position of the mobile radio terminal and will send measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position to said information collecting server,

wherein, when said measured information is received, said information collecting server sends value information indicative of a value given for said measured information which is provided to said mobile radio terminal, and

wherein, when said value information is received, said mobile radio terminal displays the value indicated by said value information.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined condition comprises an occurrence of a forced disconnection of the user communication.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined condition comprises an occurrence of a handover failure.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a lowering of a throughput of said user communication below a predetermined threshold value.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a call which is made.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said information collecting server sends said trigger command simultaneously to the at least one mobile radio terminal based on a load status on a radio circuit.

25. The system according to claim 19, wherein said radio communication system comprises a CDMA radio communication system.

26. The system according to claim 19, wherein said acquiring a reception status further includes acquiring at least one of a received signal quality and a received signal intensity of a common channel.

27. The system according to claim 19, wherein said acquiring said coordinate position information further includes acquiring coordinate information of said mobile radio terminal by using GPS (Global Positioning System).

28. The system of claim 19, wherein a map of said predetermined condition or a trigger command is generated for said service area using said recorded measured information sent in by said mobile radio terminals.

29. A mobile radio terminal for sending information used for adjustments in a radio communication system for performing a user communication to an information collecting server, said mobile radio terminal comprising:

a trigger information reception unit that receives a trigger command from said information collecting server;

a reception status acquisition unit that acquires a reception status of a radio signal;

a positional information acquisition unit that acquires a coordinate position of the mobile radio terminal; and

a control unit, triggerable when said trigger command is received by said trigger information reception unit, that instructs said reception status acquisition unit to acquire said reception status and instructing said positional information acquisition unit to acquire said coordinate position, and, when said reception status and said coordinate position are acquired, sending measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position to said information collecting server,

wherein, when said measured information is received, said information collecting server sends value information indicative of a value given for said measured information which is provided, to said mobile radio terminal, and

wherein, when said value information is received, said mobile radio terminal displays the value indicated by said value information.

30. The mobile radio terminal according to claim 29, wherein said radio communication system comprises a CDMA radio communication system.

31. The mobile radio terminal according to claim 29, wherein said acquiring a reception status comprises acquiring at least one of a received signal quality and a received signal intensity of a common channel.

32. The mobile radio terminal according to claim 29, wherein said acquiring said coordinate position information comprises acquiring coordinate information of said mobile radio terminal by using GPS (Global Positioning System).

33. A method of collecting information used for adjustments with an information collecting server in a radio communication system, said method comprising, in said information collecting server:

sending a trigger command simultaneously to mobile radio terminals currently located in a service area of the information collecting server, so that any of said mobile radio terminals capable of doing so and in response to said trigger command will be instructed to;

acquire a reception status of a radio signal for that mobile radio terminal;

acquire a coordinate position of said mobile radio terminal; and

send measured information including said reception status and said coordinate position to said information collecting server;

recording said measured information received from said mobile radio terminals sending said measured information; and

generating a map of said service area using said recorded measured information sent in by said mobile radio terminals,

wherein a plurality of maps of said service area is generated, based on said recorded measured information, said plurality of maps providing a basis to recognize causes of changes in reception statuses of said service area,

wherein said plurality of maps of said service area comprises;

a first map representing an association between positions and reception statuses in said service area; and

one or more map of said service area for at least one of;

information showing where in said service area user communication are forcibly disconnected, for estimating an area where a radio-wave arrival status is poor;

information acquired when a handover failure occurs, for estimating positions of a coverage interruption between radio base stations in said service area;

information acquired when a throughput is lower than a predetermined threshold value, for estimating positions in said service area where a communication quality is poor; and

information acquired when a call is made, for estimating positions in said service area where many users are present.