Coverage adjustment in E-UTRA networks

• US 9,538,413 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Joey, Mena, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Otis L
• Application Number:
  US14/843,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0013 Rate matching, e.g. puncturing or repetition of code symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0836 to enhance reliability, e.g. reduce downtime
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 : Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 : based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/246 : Connectivity information discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 : using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 : Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/00 : Power management, e.g. TPC [Transmission Power Control], power saving or power classes gain control in transmitters or power amplifiers H03G3/3042
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 : in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 : managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 : using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 : controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 : Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 : Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and techniques for coverage adjustment in evolved universal terrain radio access networks (E-UTRANs) are described. In some embodiments, a network management (NM) apparatus may receive data representative of first and second radio link failure (RLF) reports including information related to respective disconnections of first and second user equipment (UEs) from an E-UTRAN. The NM apparatus may identify a hole in a coverage area of the E-UTRAN based at least in part on the first and second RLF reports, and may perform an automated coverage and capacity optimization (CCO) action to reconfigure cell resources of the E-UTRAN based on the identified hole. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having program code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) component to:

receive service performance data of one or more evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cells, wherein each E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells is provided by at least one evolved nodeB (eNB);

identify a service-deficient area based on the service performance data;

control transmission of a first instruction to initiate performance of one or more minimization of drive tests (MDTs) by one or more eNBs associated with the identified service-deficient area;

control receipt of MDT data that is based on results of the one or more MDTs;

correlate the MDT data with the service performance data;

determine a coverage area to be adjusted based on the correlation; and

control transmission of a second instruction to alter a service parameter of at least one E-UTRAN cell of the one or more E-UTRAN cells to adjust the coverage area.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the program code, when executed, further causes the CCO component to:

correlate the service performance data with a same user session, a same geographic area, or environmental information.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the coverage area is a cell coverage area of the at least one E-UTRAN cell.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 3, wherein the second instruction is to instruct the at least one E-UTRAN cell to increase a size of the cell coverage area to extend the cell coverage area into a coverage hole between two or more E-UTRAN cells of the one or more E-UTRAN cells.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the service parameter is one or more of a size of the at least one E-UTRAN cell or capacity of the at least one E-UTRAN cell.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the service performance data comprises one or more of a number of active user equipment (UEs) in a given area, internet protocol (IP) throughput, upload or download physical resource block (PRB) usage, packet delay, drop rate, loss rate, or environmental information.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the service performance data includes one or more measurements collected by one or more eNBs.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the service performance data further comprises one or more radio link failure (RLF) reports to indicate RLF data, wherein the RLF data comprises one or more of reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, or radio resource control (RRC) failure events.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the RSRP measurements include location information or the RSRQ measurements include location information.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the program code, when executed, further causes the CCO component to:

correlate the MDT data with the RLF data and one or more of a number of active UEs in a given area, IP throughput, upload or download PRB usage, packet delay, drop rate, loss rate, or environmental information.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1, wherein one or more non-transitory computer readable media and the one or more processors are implemented in a network management (NM) apparatus.

12. An apparatus to be implemented in a network management (NM) computing device, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors coupled with one or more computer readable media, the one or more processors are to execute program code to implement a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) component to;

receive, from one or more evolved nodeBs (eNBs), service performance data of one or more evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cells provided by the one or more eNBs, wherein the service performance data includes one or more of a number of active user equipment (UEs) in a given area, internet protocol (IP) throughput, upload or download physical resource block (PRB) usage, packet delay, drop rate, loss rate, or environmental information;

identify a service-deficient area based on the service performance data;

transmit, to a set of eNBs of the one or more eNBs, a first instruction to initiate performance of one or more minimization of drive tests (MDTs) by the set of eNBs, wherein eNBs of the set of eNBs are associated with the identified service-deficient area;

determine a coverage area to be adjusted based on results of the one or more MDTs; and

transmit, to at least one eNB of the set of eNBs, a second instruction to adjust a service parameter of an E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB to adjust the coverage area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein to determine the service-deficient area, the program code, when executed, further causes the CCO component to:

correlate the service performance data with a same user session, a same geographic area, or environmental information.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the coverage area is a cell coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB, and

the service parameter is one or more of a size of a coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB or a capacity of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the service performance data includes one or more measurements collected by the one or more eNBs and another portion of the service performance data includes one or more measurements collected by one or more UEs.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the service performance data further includes one or more of reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, or radio resource control (RRC) failure events, wherein the RSRP measurements include location information or the RSRQ measurements include location information, and wherein the program code, when executed, further causes the CCO component to:

correlate the results of the one or more MDTs with the service performance data.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having program code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes a Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) component to:

receive, from one or more evolved node Bs (eNBs), service performance data of one or more evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cells provided by the one or more eNBs, wherein the service performance data includes one or more reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, or radio resource control (RRC) failure events;

identify a service-deficient area based on a correlation of the service performance data with a same user session or a same geographic area;

transmit, to a set of eNBs of the one or more eNBs, a first instruction to initiate performance of one or more minimization of drive tests (MDTs) by the set of eNBs, wherein the set of eNBs are associated with the identified service-deficient area;

determine a coverage area to be adjusted based on results of the MDTs; and

transmit, to at least one eNB of the set of eNBs, a second instruction to adjust a service parameter of an E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB to adjust the coverage area.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, wherein

the coverage area is a cell coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB, and

the service parameter is one or more of a size of a coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB or a capacity of the E-UTRAN cell provided by the at least one eNB.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, wherein the service performance data further includes one or more of a number of active user equipment (UEs) in a given area, internet protocol (IP) throughout, upload or download physical resource block (PRB) usage, packet delay, drop rate, loss rate, or environmental information.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 19, wherein the RSRP measurements or the RSRQ measurements include location information, and wherein the program code, when executed, further causes the CCO component to:

correlate the results of the MDTs with one or more of the RSRP measurements, the RSRQ measurements, the RRC failure events, the location information, the number of active UEs, the IP throughout, the upload or download PRB usage, the packet delay, the drop rate, the loss rate, or the environmental information.

21. An apparatus to be implemented in an evolved nodeB (eNB), the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors coupled with one or more computer readable media, the one or more processors are to execute program code to;

control transmission, to a network management (NM) apparatus, of service performance data of an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) cell provided by the eNB;

control receipt, from the NM apparatus, of a first instruction to initiate performance of one or more minimization of drive tests (MDTs);

initiate performance of the one or more MDTs;

obtain MDT results based on the one or more MDTs;

control transmission, to the NM apparatus, of the MDT results;

control receipt, from the NM apparatus, of a second instruction to adjust a service parameter of the E-UTRAN cell based on the service performance data, wherein the second instruction is based on a correlation of the service performance data with the MDT results; and

adjust the service parameter of the E-UTRAN cell according to the second instruction, wherein the service parameter is at least one of a size of a coverage area of the E-UTRAN cell or a capacity of the E-UTRAN cell.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein to adjust the service parameter of the E-UTRAN cell, the one or more processors are to execute the program code to:

control alignment of one or more antennas of the eNB;

or

control power output to the one or more antennas.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein to initiate the one or more MDTs and to obtain MDT results, the one or more processors are to execute the program code to:

control transmission, to one or more UEs, of a third instruction to initiate one or more measurement collection processes or one or more data logging processes in accordance with the one or more MDTs; and

control receipt, from the one or more UEs, of MDT results based on the one or more measurement collection processes or one or more data logging processes.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein to initiate the one or more MDTs and to obtain MDT results, the one or more processors are to execute the program code to:

initiate one or more measurement collection processes or one or more data logging processes at the eNB in accordance with the one or more MDTs; and

determine MDT results based on the one or more measurement collection processes or one or more data logging processes.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the service performance data includes one or more of a number of active user equipment (UEs) in a given area, internet protocol (IP) throughout, upload or download physical resource block (PRB) usage, packet delay, drop rate, loss rate, environmental information, reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements, reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements, or radio resource control (RRC) failure events.