Systems and methods for coordinating the coverage and capacity of a wireless base station

• US 7,970,377 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Adaptix, Inc. (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Reudink, Douglas O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US12/651,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/446, 455/449, 455/67.1, 455/453, 455/442, 455/436, 455/437, 455/440, 379/113, 379/133
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0083 Multi-mode cell search, i.e. where several modes or systems can be used, e.g. backwards compatible, dual mode or flexible systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/10 adapted for operation in multiple networks, e.g. multi-mode access points

Abstract

A communications base station is installed at a selected new location and the base station, prior to going “on line” monitors the wireless traffic from other base stations within interference range of the new base station'"'"'s coverage area. The new base station also monitors the wireless traffic between mobile devices within its coverage area and these other base stations. Based upon these monitored conditions, as well as other known conditions, the new base station then determines the transmitting parameter configuration it should imply in order to achieve a desired optimization between capacity and coverage area. After the new base station is on line, a central control can monitor the entire network to determine if any additional changes are necessary and if so the new transceiver, or any other transceiver, can be instructed to monitor itself with respect to interference and to take corrective action to improve overall network coverage and capacity.

Claims

1. A method for adding a new base station to a wireless communication network, said network providing wireless communications to a coverage area, said network having multiple base stations;

said method comprising;

said new base station, upon activation and before coming on-line with its own transmission, sampling for a period of time existing transmission data to and from base stations within said new base station'"'"'s proposed coverage area; and

deriving, under control of said new base station, a set of transmission parameters calculated to achieve criteria established for said base station, said derived transmission parameters based upon said sampling.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adjusting said derived transmission parameters after said new base station has been activated using said derived transmission parameters to take into account anomalies caused by said activation of said new base station.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said anomalies are selected from the list comprising:

traffic increases, traffic balances, data losses experienced, increase in call drops, increase in interference levels.

4. A wireless communication system comprising:

at least one established transceiver for bi-directional communication between said transceiver and a plurality of mobile devices within a transmission area of said transceiver;

a newly added transceiver positioned at a location such that the transmission area of said newly added transceiver overlaps, at least partially, said transmission area of said established transceiver;

said newly added transceiver comprising;

means for selecting transmitting parameters to achieve a desired coverage criteria, said selecting based upon transmission parameters as measured from said bi-directional communication between said established transceiver and said plurality of mobile devices within said transmission area of said established transceiver.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4 further comprising:

means for bringing said newly added transceiver online using said selected transmitting parameters.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5 further comprising:

means, at said established transceiver, and operable after said newly added transceiver is online for adjusting the transmission parameters of said established transceiver based upon measured bi-directional communication within said overlap area.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising:

means for storing said measured bi-directional communications; and

means for changing said selected transmitting parameters to match anticipated transmissions within said transmission area, said anticipated transmissions bases on said stored bi-directional communications.

8. A wireless communication method, said method comprising:

transmitting data to an established base station on a first channel, said data transmitted on said first channel within the coverage area of a new base station; and

receiving data from said new base station on a second channel, said second channel selected by said new base station based, at least in part, on;

sampling performed by said new base station, for a period of time, data transmitted on said first channel between said mobile station and said established base station.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said second channel is further selected by said new base station based on:

sampling performed by said new base station, for a period of time, data transmitted by at least one other mobile station and at least one other established base station within the coverage area of said new base station.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting ranging signals from said mobile station to said new base station and, in response to said transmitting, receiving data transmitted from said new base station according to updated transmit parameters.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said updated transmit parameter comprises an adjusted transmit power.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said updated transmit parameter comprises an adjusted antenna tilt.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said sampling comprises measuring the power at which said data is transmitted from said mobile station to said established base station.

14. A wireless communication method, said method comprising:

transmitting, to a new base station, information indicative of the channels used for communication between a plurality of mobile stations and a plurality of established base stations within the coverage area of said new base station;

receiving, from said new base station, information related to measurements of bi-directional communication between said established base stations and said mobile stations within said coverage area of said new base station; and

in response to said receiving, transmitting to said new base station, an instruction to update transmit parameters for data transmission from said new base station and at least one of said mobile stations.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

in response to said receiving, further transmitting to at least one of said established base stations, an instruction to update transmit parameters for data transmission from said at least one of established base stations and at least one other of said mobile stations.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said information sufficient to determine, by said new base station, which of particular mobile stations are communicating with particular base stations on particular channels.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said updated transmit parameter comprises an adjusted transmit power.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein said updated transmit parameter comprises an adjusted antenna tilt.