Assignment of hierarchical cell structures employing geolocation techniques

• US 10,039,111 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosseifi, Mario, Meredith, Sheldon K., Myneni, Lakshman Sundeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne H
• Application Number:
  US15/131,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/32 by location or mobility data, e.g. speed data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

Distance is employed to facilitate sector selection and re-selection in a network during handoff. A system receives measurement information for a mobile device. The measurement information includes information indicative of a geographical location of the mobile device. The system determines information indicative of a geographical location of a cell site to which the mobile device is assigned. The system then selects a sector of the cell site with which to associate the mobile device. The selection of the sector is based, at least, on a distance determined between the mobile device and the cell site. In various embodiments, the distance information is determined based on the latitude and longitude of the mobile device. In various embodiments, the morphology of the terrain for the area in which the mobile device is located is factored into the determination of the sector.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

determining height information indicative of an average height of terrain elements and architectural structures for a geographical location associated with a mobile device; and

assigning the mobile device to a base station device based on whether a distance between the mobile device and the base station device satisfies a defined criterion that varies as a function of the height information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining first height information associated with a first type of the terrain elements for the geographic location;

determining second height information associated with a second type of the terrain elements for the geographic location; and

determining third height information associated with the architectural structures for the geographic location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion as a function of the first height information, the second height information and the third height information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises receiving the height information from a storage device that stores the height information and geographical information indicative of a geographical area associated with the base station device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises assigning the mobile device to a sector associated with the base station device based on whether the distance between the mobile device and the base station device satisfies the defined criterion.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises:

assigning the mobile device to a first sector associated with the base station device in response to a first determination that the distance between the mobile device and the base station device satisfies the defined criterion; and

assigning the mobile device to a second sector associated with the base station device in response to a second determination that the distance between the mobile device and the base station device fails to satisfy the defined criterion.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion as a function of terrain element information indicative of an average height of trees for the geographical location associated with the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion as a function of reflectivity information indicative of reflectivity of the architectural structures for the geographical location.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining geographical information indicative of a geographical area associated with the base station device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the assigning comprises assigning the mobile device to the base station device based on the geographical information.

11. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system comprising a processor, height information indicative of an average height of terrain elements and architectural structures for a geographical area associated with user equipment; and

assigning, by the system, the user equipment to a cell site device, comprising determining whether a distance between the user equipment and the cell site device satisfies a defined criterion that varies as a function of the height information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the assigning further comprises assigning the user equipment to a sector of the cell site device based on a result of the determining whether the distance between the equipment and the cell site device satisfies the defined criterion.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the assigning further comprises:

assigning the user equipment to a first sector of the cell site device in response to a first determination that the distance between the user equipment and the cell site device satisfies the defined criterion; and

assigning the user equipment to a second sector of the cell site device in response to a second determination that the distance between the user equipment and the cell site device fails to satisfy the defined criterion.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

varying, by the system, the defined criterion as a function of reflectivity information indicative of roof reflectivity of the architectural structures for the geographical area.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining, by the system, geographical information indicative of a geographical location of the cell site device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the assigning comprises assigning the user equipment to the cell site device based on the geographical information.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining height information indicative of an average height of terrain elements and architectural structures for a location associated with a mobile device; and

determining whether to assign the mobile device to a base station device based on whether a distance between the mobile device and the base station device satisfies a defined criterion that varies as a function of the height information.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion based on reflectivity information indicative of reflectivity of the architectural structures.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion based on density information indicative of an amount of the terrain elements for the location.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

varying the defined criterion based on density information indicative of an amount of the architectural structures for the location.