GB2330737A - Quality assessment in a mobile communications system - Google Patents

Quality assessment in a mobile communications system Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2330737A
GB2330737A GB9722509A GB9722509A GB2330737A GB 2330737 A GB2330737 A GB 2330737A GB 9722509 A GB9722509 A GB 9722509A GB 9722509 A GB9722509 A GB 9722509A GB 2330737 A GB2330737 A GB 2330737A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
data
amount
measure
received
quality
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9722509A
Other versions
GB9722509D0 (en
Inventor
Edward Hatala
David Fraser Chambers
Erick Michel O'connor
Luis Lopes
Howard Peter Benn
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motorola Solutions UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Motorola Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motorola Ltd filed Critical Motorola Ltd
Priority to GB9722509A priority Critical patent/GB2330737A/en
Publication of GB9722509D0 publication Critical patent/GB9722509D0/en
Priority to GBGB9800563.0A priority patent/GB9800563D0/en
Publication of GB2330737A publication Critical patent/GB2330737A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L1/00—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received
    • H04L1/20—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received using signal quality detector
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L1/00—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received
    • H04L1/12—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by using return channel
    • H04L1/16—Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by using return channel in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
    • H04L1/18—Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems

Landscapes

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

Abstract

A method of assessing the quality of communications between a mobile unit and a base station of a mobile communications system determines the number of packets of data received at the mobile unit and compares this number with the number of transmitted packets of data. The difference provides an indication of transmission quality and can be used, for example, in determining how subsequent transmissions are to be made, in terms of frequency and/or direction, and for billing and the like. As an alternative to a count of the number of packets received, the number of re-transmissions could be used.

Description

QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for determining the quality of transmissions between a mobile unit and a fixed base station in a mobile communications system.
Background of the Invention At present, telecommunications and mobile network operators measure customer call utilisation within the network. This measure is used for billing and the like.
With the advent of packet systems for voice and data communications, the potential for loss of quality is increased. This is due, for example, to oversubscription leading to congestion. Congestion leads to the discarding of user data (voice) packets. In the case of data, for guaranteed reception it may be necessary to re-transmit the data. Thus, the worse the system is, the more re-transmissions are required and worse is the service.
Summary of the Invention The present invention seeks to provide a system for assessing the quality of transmissions between a mobile unit and a fixed base station in a communications system.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of determining communication quality in a communications system, including the steps of obtaining a measure of the amount of data received as a result of a data transmission; obtaining a measure of the amount of data transmitted; and determining the difference between the transmitted and received amounts of data and therefrom an indication of transmission quality.
An indication of call quality can be used to determine transmission mode (such as direction, frequency and the like) or for other purposes such as billing.
Preferably, the data is transmitted between a mobile unit and a fixed base station of a mobile communications system.
The measure of amount of data received and the amount of data sent may be counted as a number of packets of data. The amount of data correctly received may be the number of packets of an adequate quality.
Alternatively, the measure of amount of data received may be obtained as the number of required re-transmissions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for determining communication quality in a communications system, including means for obtaining a measure of the amount of data received as a result of a data transmission; means for obtaining a measure of the amount of data transmitted; and processing means for determining the difference between the transmitted and received amounts of data and therefrom an indication of transmission quality.
When implemented in a mobile communications system, the means for obtaining a measure of the amount of received data may be located in a mobile unit and the means for obtaining a measure of the amount of transmitted data and the processing means may be located in a fixed base station, the mobile unit being operative to send its measure to the base station.
Detailed Description of a Prefewd Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention is described herein, by way of example only.
A conventional mobile communications system, such as a GSM system, includes a mobile unit which is adapted to be able to count the number of received packets which are of a satisfactory quality. At the fixed base station, any packets which are transmitted to the mobile unit are also counted.
Typically, the number of received packets of adequate quality will be less than the number of transmitted packets.
The mobile unit is also adapted to send to the base station, during an uplink transmission, the counted number of received packets of adequate quality. From this number the base station can determine the quality of communications with the mobile unit.
Such an indication of call quality can be used in determining how to communicate with the mobile unit, for example with an adaptive antenna by choosing a different one of the plurality of signal paths to the mobile unit, or by choosing a different transmission frequency. An indication of call quality could also be used to bill the user on the basis of the correctly received packets rather than time using the network.
It will be apparent that the quality of uplink communications could also be determined on the same basis.
In an alternative embodiment, communication quality could be determined on the basis of the number of re-transmissions requested by the receiving unit.
The changes required both at the base station and in the mobile unit can best be implemented in software, as will be readily apparent to the skilled reader.

Claims (9)

  1. Claims 1. A method of determining communication quality in a communications system, including the steps of obtaining a measure of the amount of data received as a result of a data transmission; obtaining a measure of the amount of data transmitted; and determining the difference between the transmitted and received amounts of data and therefrom an indication of transmission quality.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted between a mobile unit and a fixed base station of a mobile communications system.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measure of amount of data received and the amount of data sent is counted as a number of packets of data.
  4. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the amount of data correctly received is the number of packets of an adequate quality.
  5. 5. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measure of amount of data received is obtained as the number of required re-transmissions.
  6. 6. A system for determining communication quality in a communications system, including means for obtaining a measure of the amount of data received as a result of a data transmission; means for obtaining a measure of the amount of data transmitted; and processing means for determining the difference between the transmitted and received amounts of data and therefrom an indication of transmission quality.
  7. 7. A system according to claim 6, implemented in a mobile communications system, wherein the means for obtaining a measure of the amount of received data is located in a mobile unit and the means for obtaining a measure of the amount of transmitted data and the processing means are located in a fixed base station, the mobile unit being operative to send its measure to the base station.
  8. 8. A method of determining communication quality in a communication system substantially as hereinbefore described.
  9. 9. A system for determining communication quality in a communication system substantially as hereinbefore described.
GB9722509A 1997-10-27 1997-10-27 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system Withdrawn GB2330737A (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9722509A GB2330737A (en) 1997-10-27 1997-10-27 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system
GBGB9800563.0A GB9800563D0 (en) 1997-10-27 1998-01-13 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9722509A GB2330737A (en) 1997-10-27 1997-10-27 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9722509D0 GB9722509D0 (en) 1997-12-24
GB2330737A true GB2330737A (en) 1999-04-28

Family

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Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9722509A Withdrawn GB2330737A (en) 1997-10-27 1997-10-27 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system
GBGB9800563.0A Ceased GB9800563D0 (en) 1997-10-27 1998-01-13 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GBGB9800563.0A Ceased GB9800563D0 (en) 1997-10-27 1998-01-13 Quality assessment in a mobile communications system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB2330737A (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1179911A1 (en) * 2000-08-11 2002-02-13 Alcatel Quality assessment method for a radio link in a mobile radio communications system
US7075887B2 (en) 1999-12-24 2006-07-11 Agilent Technologies, Inc. Measuring efficiency of data transmission
US7412252B2 (en) 2002-05-15 2008-08-12 Ipwireless, Inc. System, transmitter, receiver and method for communication power control

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4691314A (en) * 1985-10-30 1987-09-01 Microcom, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting data in adjustable-sized packets

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4691314A (en) * 1985-10-30 1987-09-01 Microcom, Inc. Method and apparatus for transmitting data in adjustable-sized packets

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7075887B2 (en) 1999-12-24 2006-07-11 Agilent Technologies, Inc. Measuring efficiency of data transmission
EP1179911A1 (en) * 2000-08-11 2002-02-13 Alcatel Quality assessment method for a radio link in a mobile radio communications system
FR2813005A1 (en) * 2000-08-11 2002-02-15 Cit Alcatel METHOD FOR EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF A RADIO LINK IN A MOBILE RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
US7099637B2 (en) 2000-08-11 2006-08-29 Alcatel Method of evaluating the quality of a radio link in a mobile radiocommunication system
US7412252B2 (en) 2002-05-15 2008-08-12 Ipwireless, Inc. System, transmitter, receiver and method for communication power control

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9800563D0 (en) 1998-03-11
GB9722509D0 (en) 1997-12-24

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Legal Events

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)