Method and apparatus for generating and exchanging information for coverage optimization in wireless networks

• US 9,210,586 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Catovic, Amer, De Angelis, Flavio
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US12/761,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20100284303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

The subject specification is directed towards generating and exchanging information for coverage optimization in wireless networks. Aspects are disclosed for facilitating a distributed coverage optimization. A communication is established with at least one external entity, and a coverage-related measurement is received from the at least one external entity. A coverage parameter is then self-optimized as a function of the coverage-related measurement.

Claims

1. A method for providing a distributed coverage optimization, the method comprising:

establishing communication with a wireless terminal and a first base station;

configuring the wireless terminal to collect coverage-related measurements;

receiving a first portion of a plurality of coverage-related measurements from the wireless terminal and a second portion of the plurality of coverage-related measurements from the first base station;

determining coverage-related statistics based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with an average cell geometry;

self-optimizing a coverage parameter as a function of the plurality of coverage-related measurements; and

communicating a coverage report that comprises the coverage-related statistics to the first base station or a second base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication with the first base station is established via a backhaul connection with the first base station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the coverage report based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with at least one of a coverage quality, a received power, a received interference power, a user equipment transmit power, or a path loss.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received interference power is a received downlink interference power from a specific neighbor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the coverage-related statistics comprises aggregating the coverage-related measurements and computing at least one of an average, a maximum, or a minimum across the coverage-related measurements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of a reference signal received power, a reference signal received quality, or a reference signal strength indication is associated with a serving cell.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of a reference signal received power, a reference signal received quality, or a reference signal strength indication is associated with a neighboring cell.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the coverage-related statistics further comprises analyzing the coverage-related measurements to determine at least one additional parameter that is not directly included in the coverage-related measurements.

10. The method of claim 6, the computing comprising computing an interference coefficient associated with at least one neighbor cell.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the coverage report is associated with a coverage provided by at least one cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cell is a neighboring cell.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cell is an extended neighbor cell.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the coverage report is configurable by a network entity to include coverage information associated with a set of extended neighbor cells within a threshold number of hops from a serving cell.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage report is included in a series of coverage reports, and wherein the communicating comprises reporting the series of coverage reports based on a period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the period is configurable by a network entity.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a trigger event, the communicating based on the trigger event.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the trigger event is a request for the coverage report.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising monitoring a load in a cell, wherein the detecting comprises determining whether the load exceeds a threshold.

20. An apparatus configured to provide a distributed coverage optimization, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer executable components stored in memory, the components including;

a communication component that configures a wireless terminal to collect coverage-related measurements, that receives a first portion of a plurality of coverage-related measurements from the wireless terminal and a second portion of the plurality of coverage-related measurements from a first base station, and that communicates a coverage report that comprises coverage-related statistics to the first base station or a second base station, wherein the coverage-related statistics are based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with an average cell geometry;

a computation component that determines the coverage-related statistics based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements; and

an optimization component that self-optimizes a coverage parameter as a function of the plurality of coverage-related measurements.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein configuring the wireless terminal to collect the coverage-related measurement comprises providing the wireless terminal with configuration data.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the communication component establishes a backhaul connection with the first base station.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with at least one of a coverage quality, a received power, a received interference power, a user equipment transmit power, or a path loss.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the received interference power is a received downlink interference power from a specific neighbor.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the computation component computes at least one of an average, a maximum, or a minimum across at least one of a reference signal received power, a reference signal received quality, a reference signal strength indication, or a user equipment transmit power.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least one of the reference signal received power, the reference signal received quality, or the reference signal strength indication is associated with a serving cell.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least one of the reference signal received power, the reference signal received quality, or the reference signal strength indication is associated with a neighboring cell.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the computation component performs an averaging of at least one of a cell geometry, a path loss in a cell, or a signal-to-noise ratio requirement of a user equipment.

29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the computation component computes an interference coefficient associated with at least one neighbor cell.

30. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the coverage report is associated with a coverage provided by at least one cell.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one cell is a neighboring cell.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one cell is an extended neighbor cell.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the coverage report is configurable by a network entity to include coverage information associated with a set of extended neighbor cells within a threshold number of hops from a serving cell.

34. The apparatus of claim 20, the communication component communicates the coverage report to the first base station.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the coverage report is included in a series of coverage reports, and wherein the communication component reports the series of coverage reports based on a period.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the period is configurable by a network entity.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a trigger component that detects a trigger event, wherein the communication component communicates the coverage report based on the trigger event.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the trigger event is a request for the coverage report.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, the trigger component determines whether a load in a cell exceeds a threshold.

40. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for causing at least on computer to:

establish communication with a wireless terminal and a first base station;

configure the wireless terminal to collect coverage-related measurements;

receive a first portion of a plurality of coverage-related measurements from the wireless terminal and a second portion of the plurality of coverage-related measurements from the first base station;

determine coverage-related statistics based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with an average cell geometry;

self-optimize a coverage parameter as a function of the plurality of coverage-related measurements; and

communicate a coverage report that comprises the coverage-related statistics to the first base station or a second base station.

41. An apparatus configured to provide a distributed coverage optimization, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing communication with a wireless terminal and a first base station;

means for configuring the wireless terminal to collect coverage-related measurements;

means for receiving a first portion of a plurality of coverage-related measurements from the wireless terminal and a second portion of the plurality of coverage-related measurements from the first base station;

means for determining coverage-related statistics based on the plurality of coverage-related measurements;

means for self-optimizing a coverage parameter as a function of the plurality of coverage-related measurements, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with an average cell geometry; and

means for communicating a coverage report that comprises the coverage-related statistics to the first base station or a second base station.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the coverage report is associated with a coverage provided by at least one cell.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the coverage-related statistics are associated with at least one of a coverage quality, a received power, a received interference power, a user equipment transmit power, or a path loss.