Methods and systems for frequency reuse in multi-cell deployment model of a wireless backhaul network

• US 8,918,108 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Taqua Wbh, LLC (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arad, Seyed M., van Heeswyk, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAHEED, KHALID W
• Application Number:
  US13/427,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20130029674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 455/457, 455/63.1, 455/63.2, 455/63.4, 455/447, 455/448, 455/449, 455/446
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/02 Resource partitioning among network components, e.g. reuse partitioning

Abstract

Systems and methods for frequency reuse in a multi-cell deployment model of a wireless backhaul network are shown. According to embodiments, a wireless backhaul network includes a plurality of cells, each of which includes one or more hubs supporting wireless backhaul communication utilizing a cell deployment geometry and wireless communication frequency assignments adapted to facilitate heterogeneous cell configurations within the wireless backhaul network. In particular, embodiments provide frequency planning for initial deployment, build out, and expansion of a plurality of cells providing wireless backhaul communication so as to implement a predetermined wireless frequency reuse pattern providing alternating utilization of a plurality of wireless communication frequencies by the cells of the backhaul network.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating heterogeneous expansion of a wireless backhaul network including a plurality of cells providing wireless backhaul communication implementing a first wireless frequency reuse pattern providing a first alternating utilization of a plurality of wireless communication frequencies by the cells of the backhaul network, the method comprising:

identifying, by a device associated with the wireless backhaul network, a cell cluster including a plurality of backhaul network cells (cluster cells) for heterogeneous expansion within the wireless backhaul network, wherein each cluster cell provides an orthogonal frequency face to a cell of the wireless backhaul network external to the cell cluster (external cell);

dividing, by the device, each cluster cell into a plurality of sectors greater than a number of sectors provided in each cluster cell prior to the dividing; and

assigning, by the device, frequencies of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies to sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing according to a second wireless frequency reuse pattern, wherein the second wireless frequency reuse pattern provides a second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies within each cluster cell, wherein, after the dividing, the sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing having a cell edge adjacent to an external cell provide an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or are provided a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the external cell by the frequency assignments, wherein cells of the wireless backhaul network external to the cell cluster continue to provide wireless backhaul communication implementing the first wireless frequency reuse pattern that provides the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies, and wherein the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies and the second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal frequency face relationship between a portion of each cluster cell remaining after the dividing and an adjacent one of the external cells is maintained after the dividing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal frequency faces comprise a cell edge of a cell associated with a frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies which is adjacent to a cell edge of another cell associated with a different frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the cell cluster comprises:

identifying, among the plurality of cells included in the wireless backhaul network, at least one cell for service goal expansion; and

identifying, among the plurality of cells included in the wireless backhaul network, one or more cells adjacent to the at least one service goal expansion cell for expansion goal expansion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service goal expansion comprises expansion of the cell for meeting a wireless backhaul network operational goal, and wherein the expansion goal expansion comprises expansion of the cell for meeting a heterogeneous expansion goal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless backhaul network operational goal comprises added bandwidth for serving increased demand within the at least one service goal expansion cell, and wherein the heterogeneous expansion goal comprises facilitating providing the sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing having a cell edge adjacent to an external cell with an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the external cell by the frequency assignments.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises a square cell deployment geometry configuration, and wherein the cell cluster comprises 4 cells within the square cell deployment geometry having a first cluster cell and a third cluster cell utilizing a first frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies and a second cluster cell and a fourth cluster cell utilizing a second frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies, and wherein the first and third cluster cells are disposed in the square configuration diagonally with respect to each other and the second and fourth cluster cells are disposed in the square configuration diagonally with respect to each other.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the dividing each cluster cell into a plurality of sectors comprises:

dividing each of the cluster cells diagonally.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises a tier offset cell deployment geometry configuration, and wherein a cell cluster comprises 2 cells within the tier offset cell deployment geometry having a first cluster cell and a second cluster cell in a first row, wherein the first row is offset with respect to an adjacent row of cells within the tier offset cell deployment geometry, and wherein the first cluster cell utilizes a first frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies and the second cluster cell utilizes a second frequency of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cells of the wireless backhaul network provide square cellular coverage patterns, and wherein the offset of the cells of the first row is an offset of one half a length of a cell edge of the square cellular coverage patterns.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the dividing each cluster cell into a plurality of sectors comprises:

dividing the cluster cells along a line perpendicular to the row offset.

12. A method for facilitating heterogeneous expansion of a wireless backhaul network including a plurality of cells providing wireless backhaul communication implementing a first wireless frequency reuse pattern providing a first alternating utilization of a plurality of wireless communication frequencies by the cells of the backhaul network, the method comprising:

identifying by a device associated with the wireless backhaul network, a cell cluster including a plurality of backhaul network cells (cluster cells) for heterogeneous expansion, wherein the cluster cells are identified by;

identifying, among the plurality of cells included in the wireless backhaul network, at least one cell for service goal expansion; and

identifying, among the plurality of cells included in the wireless backhaul network, one or more cells adjacent to the at least one service goal expansion cell for expansion goal expansion;

dividing each cluster cell into a plurality of sectors greater than a number of sectors provided in each cluster cell prior to the dividing; and

assigning frequencies of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies to sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing according to a second wireless frequency reuse pattern, wherein the second wireless frequency reuse pattern provides a second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies within each cluster cell, wherein, after the dividing, the sectors of the cluster cells that have a cell edge adjacent to an external cell provide an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or provide a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the external cell by the frequency assignments, wherein cells of the backhaul network external to the cell cluster continue to provide wireless backhaul communication implementing the first wireless frequency reuse pattern that provides the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies, and wherein the first alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies and the second alternating utilization of the plurality of wireless communication frequencies are different.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the service goal expansion comprises expansion of the cell for meeting a wireless backhaul network operational goal, and wherein the expansion goal expansion comprises expansion of the cell for meeting a heterogeneous expansion goal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the wireless backhaul network operational goal comprises added bandwidth for serving increased demand within the at least one service goal expansion cell, and wherein the heterogeneous expansion goal comprises facilitating providing the sectors of the cluster cells added by the dividing having a cell edge adjacent to an external cell with an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the external cell by the frequency assignments.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises a square cell deployment geometry configuration, and wherein the cell cluster comprises 4 cells within the square cell deployment geometry.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless backhaul network comprises a tier offset cell deployment geometry configuration, and wherein a cell cluster comprises 2 cells within the tier offset cell deployment geometry.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cells of the wireless backhaul network provide square cellular coverage patterns, and wherein the offset is an offset of one half a length of a cell edge of the square cellular coverage patterns.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein an orthogonal frequency face relationship between a portion of each cluster cell remaining after the dividing and an adjacent external cell is maintained after the dividing.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein each cluster cell provides an orthogonal frequency face to a plurality of adjacent external cells, and wherein the orthogonal frequency face relationship between each cluster cell and corresponding plurality of external cells is maintained after the dividing.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sectors the cluster cells are divided into comprises at least twice the number of sectors provided in each cluster cell prior to the dividing.

21. A wireless backhaul network, comprising:

a plurality of cells supporting wireless backhaul communication within a corresponding cell footprint portion of the wireless backhaul network;

a cluster of cells within the plurality of cells that has been divided into a number of sectors greater than a number of sectors of adjacent cells of the wireless backhaul network external to the cluster to thereby provide a heterogeneous cell configuration within the wireless backhaul network; and

a frequency reuse plan providing alternating assignments of a plurality of frequencies to the plurality of cells so as to facilitate the heterogeneous cell configuration by providing a first alternating assignment of the plurality of frequencies with respect to the sectors of the cluster cells to provide all cell edges adjacent to an external cell with either an orthogonal frequency face relationship with the adjacent external cell or a non-broadside common frequency view with respect to the adjacent external cell and by providing a second alternating assignment of the plurality of frequencies with respect to the external cells to provide cell edges between adjacent external cells with an orthogonal frequency face relationship or a non-broadside common frequency view.

22. The wireless backhaul network of claim 21, wherein the plurality of cells are disposed in a square cell deployment geometry.

23. The wireless backhaul network of claim 21, wherein the plurality of cells are disposed in a tier offset cell deployment geometry.

24. The wireless backhaul network of claim 23, wherein the cells supporting wireless backhaul communication provide square cellular coverage patterns, and wherein the offset is an offset of one half a length of a cell edge of the square cellular coverage patterns.

25. The wireless backhaul network of claim 21, wherein the number of sectors of the cluster cells is at least twice the number of sectors of the adjacent cells external to the cluster.

26. The wireless backhaul network of claim 25, wherein the number of sectors of the cluster cells is 2 and the number of sectors of the adjacent cells external to the cluster is 1.

27. The wireless backhaul network of claim 25, wherein the number of sectors of the cluster cells is 4 and the number of sectors of the adjacent cells external to the cluster is 2.

28. The wireless backhaul network of claim 25, wherein the number of sectors of the cluster cells is 8 and the number of sectors of the adjacent cells external to the cluster is 4.