Methods and apparatus for coordination in multi-mode networks

• US 9,008,722 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2013
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Reverb Networks Inc (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Tarraf, Osama, Ansari, Arif
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/767,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/552.1, 455/522, 455/62, 455/418, 455/423, 455/13.3, 455/575.7, 370/254, 370/235, 370/328, 370/316, 370/329, 370/229
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code to cause a processor to receive a performance indicator associated with a first mode. The code causes the processor to calculate, using the performance indicator associated with the first mode, a first metric value associated with a first metric and an objective of the first mode. The code causes the processor to calculate, using the first metric value, a second metric value associated with a second metric and an objective of a second mode. The second metric value partially compensates for a change in a performance indicator associated with the second mode when the first metric value is implemented. The code causes the processor to send a signal associated with the first metric value and a signal associated with the second metric value to an antenna module such that the antenna module implements the first metric value and the second metric value.

Claims

1. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to be executed by a processor, the code comprising code to cause the processor to:

receive a performance indicator associated with a first mode from a plurality of modes associated with a cellular network area;

calculate, using the performance indicator associated with the first mode, a first metric value, the first metric value being associated with a first metric and an objective of the first mode;

calculate, using the first metric value, a second metric value, the second metric value being associated with a second metric and an objective of a second mode from the plurality of modes, the second metric value at least partially compensating for a change in a performance indicator associated with the second mode when the first metric value is implemented; and

send a signal associated with the first metric value and a signal associated with the second metric value to at least one antenna module associated with the cellular network area such that the at least one antenna module implements the first metric value and the second metric value.

2. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mode includes a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second mode includes a second RAT.

3. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mode includes a Radio Access Technology (RAT) operating in a first frequency band, the second mode includes the RAT operating in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.

4. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first metric is an antenna-based metric and the second metric is a parameter-based metric.

5. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the objective of the first mode is a Self Optimizing Network (SON) objective, the objective of the second mode is the SON objective.

6. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the objective of the first mode is different from the objective of the second mode.

7. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first metric value is associated with a tilt of an antenna, the second metric value is associated with a power level of the second mode.

8. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the performance indicator associated with the second mode is associated with an inter-modal relationship between the first mode and the second mode.

9. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna module is associated with a single antenna configured to implement the first mode and the second mode.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna module is associated with a first antenna configured to implement the first mode and a second antenna configured to implement the second mode.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a first network optimization module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device, the first network optimization module associated with a first mode from a plurality of modes of a cellular network area, the first network optimization module configured to receive a performance indicator associated with the first mode, the first network optimization module configured to calculate, using the performance indicator associated with the first mode, a metric value associated with a first metric, the first network optimization module configured to calculate the metric value associated with the first metric that satisfies an objective of the first mode when the metric value associated with the first metric is implemented; and

a second network optimization module operatively coupled to the first network optimization module, the second network optimization module associated with a second mode from the plurality of modes, the second network optimization module configured to calculate, using the metric value associated with the first metric, a metric value associated with a second metric and the second mode, the second network optimization module configured to calculate the metric value associated with the second metric that reduces an effect on a performance indicator associated with the second mode after the metric value associated with the first metric is implemented,

the first network optimization module configured to send a signal associated with the metric value associated with the first metric to at least one antenna module associated with the cellular network area such that the at least one antenna module implements the metric value associated with the first metric,

the second network optimization module configured to send a signal associated with the metric value associated with the second metric to the at least one antenna module associated with the cellular network area such that the at least one antenna module implements the metric value associated with the second metric.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first mode includes a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second mode includes a second RAT.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first mode includes a Radio Access Technology (RAT) operating in a first frequency band, the second mode includes the RAT operating in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the metric value associated with the first metric is associated with a tilt of an antenna, the metric value associated with the second metric is associated with a power level of the second mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the performance indicator associated with the second mode is associated with an inter-modal relationship between the first mode and the second mode.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a Self Optimizing Network (SON) implementation module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device, the SON implementation module configured to receive, at a first time, a value of a performance indicator associated with a first mode from a plurality of modes associated with a cellular network area and a value of a performance indicator associated with a second mode from the plurality of modes,

the SON implementation module configured to calculate a first metric value using the value of the performance indicator associated with the first mode at the first time, the first metric value affecting the performance indicator associated with the first mode and the performance indicator associated with the second mode when the first metric value is implemented; and

a performance compensation module operatively coupled to the SON implementation module, the performance compensation module configured to receive the first metric value from the SON implementation module, the performance compensation module configured to calculate, using the first metric value, a second metric value,

the SON implementation module configured to send a signal associated with the first metric value to at least one antenna module associated with the cellular network area such that the at least one antenna module implements the first metric value after the first time but prior to a second time,

the performance compensation module configured to send a signal associated with the second metric value to the at least one antenna module such that the at least one antenna module implements the second metric value after the first time but prior to the second time and such that a value of the performance indicator associated with the second mode at the second time is within a predetermined range of the value of the performance indicator associated with the second mode at the first time.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first mode includes a first Radio Access Technology (RAT) and the second mode includes a second RAT.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first mode includes a Radio Access Technology (RAT) operating in a first frequency band, the second mode includes the RAT operating in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first metric value is associated with an antenna-based metric and the second metric value is associated with a parameter-based metric.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the performance indicator associated with the second mode is associated with an inter-modal relationship between the first mode and the second mode.