Adjusting wireless coverage area resource assignment based on device altitude

• US 8,818,403 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Gauba, Maneesh, Vargantwar, Sachin R., Shah, Maulik K., Rai, Deveshkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): PHU, SANH D
• Application Number:
  US13/372,852
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/418, 455/435.2, 455/11.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/343 taking into account loading or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) radiating to define a split wireless coverage area, wherein the split wireless coverage area comprises a first sub-area serving a first set of wireless communication devices (WCDs) that are above a threshold altitude and a second sub-area serving a second set of WCDs that are below the threshold altitude, wherein the RAN uses a first transmit power to define the first sub-area and a second transmit power to define the second sub-area;

determining a first count of WCDs in the first set;

determining a second count of WCDs in the second set; and

the RAN adjusting at least one of the first transmit power and the second transmit power to attain a selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power, wherein the selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power is related to a ratio of the first count of WCDs to the second count of WCDs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first count of WCDs in the first set comprises:

receiving a respective altitude report from each WCD served by the split wireless coverage area; and

defining the first set to include any WCDs having reported altitudes above the threshold altitude.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the second count of WCDs in the second set comprises:

defining the second set to include any WCDs having reported altitudes below the threshold altitude.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the split coverage area is defined by a base transceiver station (BTS), and wherein determining the first count of WCDs in the first set comprises:

receiving, from each WCD served by the split wireless coverage area, a respective signal strength report that reports the signal strengths of wireless coverage areas as measured by the respective WCD, wherein a group of the wireless coverage areas are defined by one or more antennas that are more than a threshold distance from the BTS; and

based on the received signal strength reports, defining the first set to include any WCDs that measured signal strengths above a threshold strength from at least n wireless coverage areas in the group.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining the second count of WCDs in the second set comprises:

based on the received signal strength reports, defining the second set to include any WCDs that measured signal strengths above the threshold strength from at most m wireless coverage areas in the group, wherein m is less than n.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein n is less than five.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein m is one.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN uses one or more frequencies to define both the first sub-area and the second sub-area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sub-area and the second sub-area overlap geographically.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting at least one of the first transmit power and the second transmit power to attain the selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power comprises increasing the first transmit power and decreasing the second transmit power.

11. A method comprising:

a radio access network (RAN) radiating on a first set of frequencies to define a first set of wireless coverage areas and radiating on a second set of frequencies to define a second set of wireless coverage areas, wherein the first set of wireless coverage areas serve a first set of wireless communication devices (WCDs) that are above a threshold altitude, and the second set of wireless coverage areas serve a second set of WCDs that are below the threshold altitude;

determining a first count of WCDs in the first set of WCDs and a second count of WCDs in the second set of WCDs;

determining a third count of frequencies in the first set of frequencies and a fourth count of frequencies in the second set of frequencies;

comparing a first ratio of the first count of WCDs to the second count of WCDs with a second ratio of the third count of frequencies to the fourth count of frequencies; and

based on the comparison of the first ratio to the second ratio, assigning a particular frequency defined by the RAN to one of the first set and the second set.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein assigning the particular frequency to one of the first set and the second set comprises:

if the first ratio is greater than the second ratio, assigning the particular frequency to the first set of frequencies; and

if the first ratio is less than or equal to the second ratio, assigning the particular frequency the second set of frequencies.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein assigning the particular frequency to one of the first set and the second set comprises:

removing the particular frequency from the second set; and

assigning the particular frequency to the first set.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein assigning the particular frequency to one of the first set and the second set comprises:

removing the particular frequency from the first set; and

assigning the particular frequency to the second set.

15. A computing device configured to interact with a radio access network (RAN), wherein the RAN radiates to define a split wireless coverage area, wherein the split wireless coverage area includes a first sub-area serving a first set of wireless communication devices (WCDs) that are above a threshold altitude and a second sub-area serving a second set of WCDs that are below the threshold altitude, wherein the RAN uses a first transmit power to define the first sub-area and a second transmit power to define the second sub-area, the computing device comprising:

a processor;

data storage; and

program instructions, stored in the data storage that, upon execution by the processor, cause the computing device to (i) determine a first count of WCDs in the first set, (ii) determine a second count of WCDs in the second set, and (iii) instruct the RAN to adjust at least one of the first transmit power and the second transmit power to attain a selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power, wherein the selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power is related to a ratio of the first count of WCDs to the second count of WCDs.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein determining the first count of WCDs in the first set comprises:

receiving a respective altitude report from each WCD served by the split wireless coverage area; and

defining the first set to include any WCDs having reported altitudes above the threshold altitude.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein determining the second count of WCDs in the second set comprises:

defining the second set to include any WCDs having reported altitudes below the threshold altitude.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the split coverage area is defined by a base transceiver station (BTS), and wherein determining the first count of WCDs in the first set comprises:

receiving, from each WCD served by the split wireless coverage area, a respective signal strength report that reports the signal strengths of wireless coverage areas as measured by the respective WCD, wherein a group of the wireless coverage areas are defined by one or more antennas that are more than a threshold distance from the BTS; and

based on the received signal strength reports, defining the first set to include any WCDs that measured signal strengths above a threshold strength from at least n wireless coverage areas in the group.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein determining the second count of WCDs in the second set comprises:

based on the received signal strength reports, defining the second set to include any WCDs that measured signal strengths above the threshold strength from at most m wireless coverage areas in the group, wherein m is less than n.

20. The computing device of claim 15, wherein instructing the RAN to adjust at least one of the first transmit power and the second transmit power to attain the selected ratio of the first transmit power to the second transmit power comprises instructing the RAN to increase the first transmit power and decrease the second transmit power.