Facilitation of self-adjusting network uplink noise balancing

• US 8,874,127 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Stephens, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/686,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20140148172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/453
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0066 of narrowband interference narrowband interference reduction H04B1/1036
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/24 Cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/302 due to low signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

Compensation is provided for foreign interference within a cell. Uplink noise on an uplink channel to a first base station device is detected. Whether the uplink noise includes foreign interference is determined. Foreign interference can include any device other than a mobile device configured to communicate with a base station device associated with a cell. The first service area of the base station device can be modified, e.g., scaled based on determining that the uplink noise includes foreign interference. Scaling can include reducing the first service area to a second service area that does not include an imbalance region in the first service area caused by the foreign interference. Scaling can be effected by reducing the amount of downlink power from the first base station device, or by adjusting a re-selection parameter associated with reducing the range of the base station device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a system comprising a processor, uplink noise on an uplink channel to a first base station device;

determining, by the system, whether the uplink noise includes foreign interference, wherein the foreign interference comprises interference from a device that operates outside of a communication system within which the first base station device operates; and

modifying, by the system, a first service area of the first base station device based on determining that the uplink noise includes foreign interference, wherein the modifying comprises reducing the first service area to a second service area by excluding a portion of an imbalance region in the first service area, and wherein the determining comprises determining whether the uplink noise on the uplink channel to the first base station device satisfies a defined condition of whether the uplink noise comprises a value that reduces an uplink service area of the first base station device to a region that is less than a downlink service area for the first base station device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined condition comprises a condition of whether an average value of the uplink noise is greater than a reference value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the imbalance region is determined to be located at a gap between the uplink service area and the downlink service area.

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

reducing an amount of downlink power from the first base station device from a first downlink power to a second downlink power, and wherein the method further comprises;

facilitating, by the system, transfer to a cell associated with a second base station device, for a mobile device in the imbalance region, wherein the facilitating is based on the reducing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the amount is based on a difference by which an average value of the uplink noise is greater than a reference value.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, by the system, that the uplink noise fails to include the foreign interference; and

adjusting, by the system, the downlink power from the first base station device to the first downlink power based on the determining that the uplink noise fails to include the foreign interference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a source of the foreign interference comprises a device configured to broadcast an analog signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises:

adjusting a first re-selection parameter associated with reducing a first range of the first base station device, wherein the first re-selection parameter is adjusted from a first value to a second value, and wherein the method further comprises;

facilitating, by the system, re-selection, from the cell associated with a first base station device to a cell associated with a second base station device, of an idle mobile device in the imbalance region based on the adjusting the first re-selection parameter.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting, by the system, a second re-selection parameter associated with reducing a second range of a cell for the second base station device, wherein the second base station device neighbors the first base station device, and wherein the second re-selection parameter is adjusted an amount determined to prevent re-selection of the cell for the first base station device by the idle mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by the system, that the uplink noise fails to include the foreign interference; and

re-adjusting, by the system, the first re-selection parameter to the first value based on the determining that the uplink noise fails to include the foreign interference.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

detecting uplink noise on an uplink channel to a first base station device;

determining whether the uplink noise includes foreign interference; and

modifying a first service area of the first base station device based on determining that the uplink noise includes the foreign interference, wherein the modifying comprises reducing the first service area to exclude an imbalance region in the first service area, and wherein the determining comprises determining whether the uplink noise on the uplink channel to the first base station device satisfies a defined condition of whether the uplink noise comprises a value that reduces an uplink service area of the first base station device to a region that is less than a downlink service area for the first base station device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the imbalance region is determined to be present at a gap between the uplink service area and the downlink service area, wherein the uplink service area is an area in which the first base station can receive communication on the uplink channel at at least a first defined likelihood, and wherein the downlink service area is an area in which communication can be received on the downlink channel from the first base station at at least a second defined likelihood.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the modifying further comprises:

reducing an amount of downlink power from the first base station device based on a determination that the uplink noise to the first base station device satisfies the defined condition.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the amount is determined based on a difference between an average value of the uplink noise and a reference value.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the modifying further comprises:

adjusting a re-selection parameter associated with reduction of a range of the first base station device; and

facilitating re-selection of an idle mobile device from a cell associated with the first base station device, wherein the idle mobile device is located in the imbalance region.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the imbalance region is a region determined to have become imbalanced as a result of the foreign interference based on an evaluation of an imbalance criterion.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

detecting uplink noise on an uplink channel of a first one of base station devices;

determining that the uplink noise includes foreign interference from a source other than a mobile device served by any of the base station devices; and

reducing a coverage area of the first one of the base station devices to exclude an imbalance region, wherein the determining comprises determining whether the uplink noise on the uplink channel to the first base station device satisfies a defined condition of whether the uplink noise comprises a value that reduces an uplink service area of the first base station device to a region that is less than a downlink service area for the first base station device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the reducing the coverage area comprises modifying a broadcast parameter to instruct a mobile device in the imbalance region with respect to selecting a second one of the base station devices.