Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W24/00—Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W24/00—Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
  • H04W24/08—Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04W—WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
  • H04W24/00—Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
  • H04W24/06—Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to the mobile telecommunications field and, in particular, to a system and method for enabling a user of a mobile radio terminal to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal .
• the quality of the radio signal received by a mobile radio terminal from a base station can be adversely affected by natural phenomena.
• This natural phenomena includes the problematic radio shadow effect which is created by buildings or natural obstacles such as hills that are located between the mobile radio terminal and the base station.
• Radio shadow which is also known as log-normal fading effectively decreases the strength of radio signals received by the mobile radio terminal.
• FIGURE 1 there is a simplified diagram illustrating an exemplary situation wherein the natural phenomena of radio shadow can occur when a building 102 or natural obstacles such as a hill 104 is located between a mobile radio terminal 106 (shown in an automobile) and a base station 108.
• JP 10042360 Japanese Abstract discloses a system which notifies a user of a portable radio communication device, located in a blind zone, as to the location of a particular area where communications can take place with a high speed radio communication base station.
• the portable radio communication device includes a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver used to estimate the present location of the user.
• GPS Global Positioning Satellite
• the system includes a control central center that uses a low speed radio data line at the time of the start of communication with the portable radio communication to notify the user of the location of an optimum region and/or the location of a place near their present location where communications can take place with a high speed radio communication base station. This is a complicated solution for enabling the user of the portable radio communication device to exit the blind zone (e.g., radio shadow) .
• the traditional ways used to address the problematic radio shadow effect fail to enable the user of a mobile radio terminal to influence their own radio quality prior to the mobile radio terminal entering a geographic area experiencing radio shadow.
• the traditional ways used to address the problematic radio shadowing effect fail to provide a simple solution for enabling the user of the mobile radio terminal to exit a geographic area currently experiencing radio shadow. Therefore, there is a need for a system and method capable of informing a user of a mobile radio terminal as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal thus enabling the user to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal.
• the present invention is a system and method that addresses the problematic radio shadow effect by enabling a user of a mobile radio terminal (e.g., mobile phone, communicator (comprising both a mobile phone and an organizer) , pager) to influence their own radio quality.
• a mobile radio terminal e.g., mobile phone, communicator (comprising both a mobile phone and an organizer) , pager
• the system includes a mobile communications network located between a mobile radio terminal and a cellular network analyzer.
• the mobile radio terminal is operable to estimate its current position, direction and speed within the mobile communications network, and is further operable to compare the estimated current position with a radio quality map received from the cellular network analyzer to determine the radio quality in the vicinity around the mobile radio terminal.
• the mobile radio terminal is capable of informing its user as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal which then enables the user to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal.
• FIGURE 1 is a simplified diagram illustrating an exemplary situation where the problematic radio shadow effect can adversely affect communications between a traditional mobile radio terminal and a traditional base station;
• FIGURE 2 is a block diagram illustrating the basic components associated with an exemplary system of the present invention
• FIGURE 3 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail a mobile communications network of the exemplary system shown in FIGURE 2 ;
• FIGURE 4 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail a cellular network analyzer of the exemplary system shown in FIGURE 2;
• FIGURE 5 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary radio quality map that can be generated by the cellular network analyzer shown in FIGURE 4 ;
• FIGURE 6 is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail a mobile radio terminal of the exemplary system shown in FIGURE 2; and FIGURE 7 is a flowchart illustrating the basic steps of the preferred method in accordance with the present invention.
• FIGURES 2-7 there are disclosed an exemplary system 200, an exemplary mobile radio terminal 600, and a preferred method 700 in accordance with the present invention.
• the present invention is described in a manner to address the problematic radio shadow effect commonly known in the industry as log-normal fading (see FIGURE 1) , it should be understood that the present invention can also be used to address other transmission problems commonly known in the industry as path loss and rayleigh fading. Accordingly, the system 200, the mobile radio terminal 600 and the preferred method 700 described should not be construed in a limited manner.
• the system 200 includes a mobile communications network 300 located between a mobile radio terminal 600 (only one shown) and a cellular network analyzer 400.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 e.g., mobile phone, communicator
• the mobile radio terminal 600 is operable to estimate its own current position, direction and speed within the mobile communications network 300.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 may use a Global Position System (GPS) including GPS satellites 220 and a GPS receiver 610 to estimate its current position within the mobile communications network 300.
• GPS Global Position System
• the mobile radio terminal 600 is also operable to compare the estimated current position with a radio quality map received from the cellular network analyzer 400 to determine the radio quality in the vicinity around the mobile radio terminal.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 is capable of informing its user as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal which then enables the user to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal .
• FIGURE 3 there is a block diagram illustrating in greater detail the exemplary mobile communications network 300. Certain details associated with the mobile communications network 300 are known in the industry and as such need not be described herein. Therefore, for clarity, the description provided below in relation to the mobile communications network 300 omits some components not necessary to understand the invention.
• the mobile communications network 300 includes an arbitrary geographic area that has been divided into a plurality of radio coverage areas, or cells Cl to CIO. Each cell Cl to CIO has a base station Bl to B10, denoted with the same number as the cell.
• the mobile communications network 300 as illustrated supports nine mobile radio terminals Ml to M9 and ten mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 each of which can move within a single cell and can also move from one cell to another cell.
• Each of the nine mobile radio terminals Ml to M9 (at least one can be the mobile radio terminal 600) and ten mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 (see the cellular network analyzer 400 of FIGURE 4) can incorporate a GPS receiver that interacts with the GPS satellites 220 to determine their current position within the mobile communications network 300.
• the mobile communications network 300 also includes a mobile radio telephone exchange MSC which is hard-wired to all of the illustrated ten base stations Bl to B10.
• the mobile radio telephone exchange MSC is connected to a public switched telephone network PSTN which is, in turn, connected to the cellular network analyzer 400.
• PSTN public switched telephone network
• FIGURE 1 the representation of the mobile communications network 300 shown in FIGURE 1 is for purposes of illustration only and is not intended as a limitation on the possible implementations of the present invention.
• the present invention is normally applied with a mobile communications network that includes more than ten cells, ten base stations, nine mobile radio terminals and ten mobile test units.
• the cellular network analyzer 400 can be used by a network operator to monitor and report the overall radio quality within the mobile communications network 300. To help do this, the cellular network analyzer 400 utilizes the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 to generate a radio quality map 500
• each mobile test unit MTUl to MTU10 may incorporate a GPS receiver 405 and use the GPS satellites 220 to estimate their current position within the mobile communications network 300.
• each mobile test unit MTUl to MTU10 can initiate or receive a test call(s) at a time, place and under network conditions given by measurement orders sent from a communication server 410.
• the communication server 410 operates to receive information from each mobile test unit MTUl to MTUIO including their current position and a variety of network signaling parameters (described below) measured during the test call(s) by way of the mobile communications network 300 and the PSTN.
• the communication server 410 is coupled via a data communication network 412 to an administration center 415 that includes an operator console 420 and a configuration station 425.
• the operator console 420 is the main center for managing (e.g., defining the measurement orders, performing software upgrades and configuring the mobile test units) the autonomous mobile test units MTUl to MTU10.
• the operator console 420 also operates to originate and terminate the test call(s) to the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10.
• the operator console 415 allows the network operator to control the operations of the cellular network analyzer 400.
• the configuration station 425 operates to define the geographical areas and order the different measurements taken by the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 so as to prepare the radio quality map 500 (see FIGURE 5) . More specifically, the configuration station 425 operates to manage the geographical information and generate statistical data using the measured signaling parameters to prepare the radio quality map 500.
• the radio quality map 500 can be presented on a presentation station 430 and/or forwarded to the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 by the operator console 420.
• the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 can also present the radio quality map 500 to the user.
• the configuration station 425 operates as an interface with a database management system 440 that stores the information (e.g., measurement results, configuration data) used by the cellular network analyzer 400.
• the components (e.g., communication server 410, administration center 415 and the database management system 440) of the cellular network analyzer 400 can communicate via the data communication network 412 based on the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) standard.
• TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
• the use of the TCP/IP standard enables the components to be geographically distributed and also allows the components to be connected via LAN (Local Area Network) , WAN (Wide Area Network) , fixed or dial-up lines, or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) (for example) .
• an exemplary radio quality map 500 that is formed by overlapping a geographical area layer (e.g., road map) and a radio quality statistical layer (e.g., reception levels) .
• the cellular network analyzer 400 operates to create at least one sub-area within the geographical area layer wherein measurements are performed by a select number of the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10.
• the use of the sub-area enables the network operator to execute different measurements within different sub-areas such that certain sub-areas may be given higher attention than other sub-areas, these sub- areas can be locations with a higher subscriber density and traffic load or areas with known or suspected problems (e.g., radio shadow problems) .
• the different sub-areas can have arbitrarily shaped polygons which are interactively defined and named by the network operator, and are stored in the database management system 440.
• the sub-areas can be used to facilitate the presentation and analysis of the measurement reports as well as to control the behavior of the mobile test units MTUl to MTU10 through measurement orders.
• the sub-areas which form the geographical area layer e.g., road map
• the radio quality statistical layer e.g., reception levels
• the radio quality statistical layer can be used to view the collected measurement results (measured network signaling parameters) taken by the mobile test units MTUl to MTUIO.
• the radio quality statistical layer can include a matrix of parcels which can be an arbitrary shaped region subdivided by a grid to form uniformly shaped parcels.
• the cellular network analyzer 400 operates to create the radio quality statistical layer using the network signaling parameters measured by the mobile test units MTUl to MTUIO.
• the cellular network analyzer 400 operates to merge the data from a select number of mobile test units MTUl to MTU10, and then operates to distribute this data into geographically distributed statistical accumulators.
• the statistical accumulators such as mean value, median value, standard deviation and/or distribution are used in the statistical layer instead of the measured network signaling parameters.
• FIGURE 5 shows an exemplary radio quality statistical layer including measured Rx levels, but it should be understood that any of the above-mentioned network parameters can be represented within the radio quality statistical layer including an area with a high level of dropped and/or blocked calls.
• the radio quality statistical layer may include the use of simulated radio quality values instead of the use of measured radio quality values.
• the cellular network analyzer 400 After completing or updating the radio quality map 500, the cellular network analyzer 400 operates to forward the radio quality map 500 to the mobile radio terminal 600.
• the quality map 500 can be forwarded to the mobile radio terminal 600 during predetermined actions including, for example, the powering-on and handing-off of the mobile radio terminal.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 when the mobile radio terminal 600 is located in a small cell or a rural area network it may be useful to define how close to the edge of the radio quality map 500 the mobile radio terminal could be before initiating a download of a new quality map.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 may be used within a mobile communications network 300 based on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specification.
• the mobile communications network 300 may be based on other specifications or standards including, for example, the Advanced Mobile radio terminal System (AMPS) , the Digital Advanced Mobile radio terminal System (D-AMPS) and the Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) System.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 includes a receiver
• the mobile radio terminal 600 that operates to estimate the current position of the mobile radio terminal within the mobile communications network 300.
• the Global Position System GPS
• the mobile radio terminal 600 also includes a memory 620 that operates store the radio quality map 500 received from the cellular network analyzer 400.
• the radio quality map 500 is indicative of the radio quality within a predetermined geographical area including all or only a portion of the area serviced by the mobile communications network 300.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 includes a controller 630 operable to compare the stored radio quality map 500 with the current position of the mobile radio terminal to determine the radio quality in the vicinity around the mobile radio terminal. The user may also view the radio quality map 500 relative to their current position.
• the controller 630 is coupled to the receiver 610 and the memory 620.
• the mobile radio terminal 600 includes an interface unit 640, coupled to the controller 630, operable to inform the user of the mobile radio terminal as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal. More specifically, the interface unit 640 is capable of informing the user that they are about to enter an area currently providing unacceptable (poor) radio quality thus enabling the user to avoid the problematic area by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal.
• the unacceptable radio quality may be due to the problematic radio shadow effect or other transmission related problems.
• the interface unit 640 is also capable of informing the user that is currently located in an area providing unacceptable radio quality which direction they would have to move so as to enter an area that is providing acceptable radio quality.
• the interface unit 640 can inform the user or give directions to the user in one of several ways including, for example, visual, voice or tones .
• FIGURE 7 there is a flowchart illustrating the basic steps of the preferred method 700 which enables the user of the mobile radio terminal 600 to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal .
• the current position, direction and speed of the mobile radio terminal 600 are estimated using the GPS satellites 220 and the GPS receiver 610. It should also be understood that other positioning systems (e.g., Location Radio Based Navigation (LORAN) or triangulation) can be used to estimate the current position of the mobile radio terminal 600.
• LORAN Location Radio Based Navigation
• triangulation can be used to estimate the current position of the mobile radio terminal 600.
• the radio quality map 500 indicative of the radio quality within a portion or all of the area serviced by the mobile communications network 300 is received from the cellular network analyzer 400 and stored within the memory 620 of the mobile radio terminal 600.
• the radio quality map 500 is generated by the cellular network analyzer 400 with the aid of the mobile test units MTUl to MTUIO that operate to measure the network signaling parameters within the mobile communications network 300.
• the controller 630 operates to compare the radio quality map 500 with the estimated current position of the mobile radio terminal 600 to determine the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal.
• the interface unit 604 operates to inform the user of the mobile radio terminal 600 as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal such that the user can then influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal. More specifically, the interface unit 640 operates to inform the user that they are about to enter an area currently providing unacceptable (poor) radio quality thus enabling the user to avoid the problematic area by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal. In addition, the interface unit 640 is also capable of informing the user, currently located in an area providing unacceptable radio quality, which direction to move so as to enter an area that is providing acceptable radio quality. It should be emphasized that the term
• the present invention provides a system and method capable of informing a user of a mobile radio terminal as to the radio quality around the current position of the mobile radio terminal thus enabling the user to influence their own radio quality by moving or stopping the mobile radio terminal .

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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• 2000
  • 2000-12-12 WO PCT/EP2000/012616 patent/WO2001045441A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2000-12-12 EP EP00990725A patent/EP1238552A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-12-12 CN CN 00819008 patent/CN1435066A/zh active Pending
  • 2000-12-12 JP JP2001546194A patent/JP2003517799A/ja active Pending
  • 2000-12-12 AU AU30103/01A patent/AU3010301A/en not_active Abandoned

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