UE-assisted network optimization methods

• US 9,521,561 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Yan, Sundararajan, Jay Kumar, Tinnakornsrisuphap, Peerapol, Yavuz, Mehmet
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Madani, Farideh
• Application Number:
  US13/802,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/453, 455/425, 455/67.11, 455/452.1, 455/424
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/08 Load shedding arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12

Abstract

A UE or mobile entity in a wireless communication may assist network optimization by determining a location uncovered by a wireless network, generate a coverage hole detected message if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, and determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network. The covered network may act on the message to add covered in a second network so that the second network covers the UE. In other aspects, a UE or mobile entity may detect cell congestion in a first cell and assist the network in offloading congestion from the congested cell. In other aspects, a UE or mobile entity may detect backhaul congestion on a first cell, and assist in offloading backhaul communication for the first cell via a second cell.

Claims

1. A method for user equipment (UE) communication device assisted coverage hole detection, the method comprising:

determining, by the UE, a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network;

determining if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied;

preventing generation, by the UE, of a coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions is determined not to be satisfied despite the determining a coverage hole by the UE;

generating, by the UE, the coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are determined to be satisfied; and

determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network if the coverage hole detected message is generated by the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE comprises a mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network associated with the uncovered location has a unique network identity and includes one or both of a public land mobile network and a WiFi network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the coverage hole resulting from the location uncovered by the wireless network comprises at least one of determining if an associated network signal strength is below a first threshold or determining if service quality including data throughput measured at the UE is below a second threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage hole detected message comprises at least an uncovered network identity and uncovered location information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more conditions for generating the coverage hole detected message include at least one of:

traffic demand of the UE at the uncovered location being above a first threshold;

or

duration of the UE staying at the uncovered location being above a second threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the traffic demand is measured by a number of calls initiated at the uncovered location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the duration that the UE stays at the uncovered location is estimated via at least one of an accelerometer of the UE, GPS, or connected small cell identities.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the time to transmit the coverage hole detected message is determined if one or more following conditions are satisfied:

battery life of the UE is above a threshold;

or

the covered wireless network is detected by the UE.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the time to transmit the coverage hole detected message comprises determining based on a time associated with a low load at the covered wireless network.

11. A wireless user equipment (UE) communication apparatus comprising:

at least one processor of the UE configured to;

determine a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network, determine if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, prevent generation, by the UE, of a coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions is determined not to be satisfied despite the determining a coverage hole by the UE, generate the coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are determined to be satisfied, and determine a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network if the coverage hole detected message is generated by the UE; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more conditions for generating the coverage hole detected message include at least one of:

traffic demand of the UE at the uncovered location being above a first threshold;

or

duration of the UE staying at the uncovered location being above a second threshold.

13. A wireless user equipment (UE) communication apparatus comprising:

means for determining, by the UE, a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network;

means for determining if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied;

means for preventing generation, by the UE, of a coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions is determined not to be satisfied despite the determining a coverage hole by the UE;

means for generating, by the UE, the coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are determined to be satisfied; and

means for determining a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network if the coverage hole detected message is generated by the UE.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more conditions for generating the coverage hole detected message include at least one of:

traffic demand of the UE at the uncovered location being above a first threshold;

or

duration of the UE staying at the uncovered location being above a second threshold.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to:

determine, by a user equipment (UE), a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network, determine if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, prevent generation, by the UE, of a coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions is determined not to be satisfied despite the determining a coverage hole by the UE, generate, by the UE, the coverage hole detected message if the one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are determined to be satisfied, and determine a time to transmit the coverage hole detected message to a covered wireless network if the coverage hole detected message is generated by the UE.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more conditions for generating the coverage hole detected message include at least one of:

traffic demand of the UE at the uncovered location being above a first threshold;

or

duration of the UE staying at the uncovered location being above a second threshold.

17. A method for user equipment (UE) assisted coverage hole detection by a network node in a covered wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving a coverage hole detected message from the (UE), the coverage hole detected message having been generated by the UE upon determining a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network and if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, wherein the one or more conditions are different than parameters used by the UE in determining the coverage hole; and

at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network, as indicated in the coverage hole detected message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network.

18. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a coverage hole detected message from a user equipment (UE) communication device, the coverage hole detected message having been generated by the UE upon determining a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network and if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, wherein the one or more conditions are different than parameters used by the UE in determining the coverage hole;

at least one processor, coupled to the receiver, configured for at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network, as indicated in the coverage hole detected message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

19. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a coverage hole detected message from a user equipment (UE) communication device, the coverage hole detected message having been generated by the UE upon determining a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network and if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, wherein the one or more conditions are different than parameters used by the UE in determining the coverage hole;

means for at least one of (i) locating at least one network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network, as indicated in the coverage hole detected message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) sending a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code for causing at least one computer to:

receive a coverage hole detected message from a user equipment (UE) communication device, the coverage hole detected message having been generated by the UE upon determining a coverage hole resulting from a location uncovered by a wireless network and if one or more conditions associated with the uncovered location are satisfied, wherein the one or more conditions are different than parameters used by the UE in determining the coverage hole; and

at least one of (i) locate at least one network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network, as indicated in the coverage hole detected message, and instructing the at least one network node to increase transmit power, or (ii) send a message to a managing center for adding at least one additional network node near the uncovered location in the wireless network.