GB2532791A

GB2532791A - Telecommunications control with user group optimization

Info

Publication number: GB2532791A
Application number: GB1421198.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lu Zhanhong; Dunkin Andrew
Original assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Ltd
Current assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Ltd
Priority date: 2014-11-28
Filing date: 2014-11-28
Publication date: 2016-06-01
Also published as: GB201421198D0

Abstract

A self-organizing network engine is described for use in a telecommunications network. The self-organizing network engine is configured to receive user equipment data about a user equipment device such as a smart phone or other user equipment device. For example, the user equipment device is receiving a service from the telecommunications network such as a voice service, a video service or another service. The self-organizing network engine is configured to select a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data. Each profile comprises quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices. The self-organizing network engine is configured to obtain fromthe profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received. The self-organizing network engine determines a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and commands the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.

Description

TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONTROL WITH USER GROUP OPTIMIZATION Background [0001] Management and control of telecommunications networks is an ongoing problem. Service providers and infrastructure providers constantly look for ways to more efficiency use network resources, improve performance, balance traffic load, reduce risk of malfunction, and/or meet service level agreements.

[0002] This problem is made more complex by the variety and heterogeneous nature of telecommunications networks. For example, many telecommunications networks have equipment of different types and provide communications using different frequencies, different technologies (such as GSM, UMTS, LTE and Wi-Fi) and different hierarchical layers (such as macro cells, small cells, femto cells).

[0003] The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known telecommunications network control systems.

Summary

[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] A self-organizing network engine is described for use in a telecommunications network. The self-organizing network engine is configured to receive user equipment data about a user equipment device such as a smart phone or other user equipment device. For example, the user equipment device is receiving a service from the telecommunications network such as a voice service, a video service or another service. The self-organizing network engine is configured to select a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data. Each profile comprises quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices. The self-organizing network engine is configured to obtain from the profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received. The self-organizing network engine determines a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and commands the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.

[0006] According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a self-organizing network engine, configured to automatically: receive user equipment data about a user equipment device receiving a service from a telecommunications network comprising the self-organizing network engine; select a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data, each profile comprising quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices; obtain from the profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received; determine a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and command the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.

[0007] For example, the user equipment data comprises an identifier of the user equipment device and/or a geo-location of the user equipment device.

[0008] For example, the quality of service requirement comprises one or more requirements for service quality indicators associated with a group of which the user equipment is a member; and wherein the self-organizing network engine is configured to determine the network reconfiguration also using the service quality indicator requirements.

[0009] For example the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected radio access technology.

[0010] In an example the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected network layer.

[0011] In an example the network reconfiguration comprises reallocating network resources available to the user equipment.

[0012] In an example the engine is further configured to determine the network reconfiguration by optimizing one or more network parameters using network performance data observed from the telecommunications network.

[0013] In an example the engine is configured to optimize the network parameters by searching for values of the network parameters which result in service quality indicators that meet the quality of service requirement.

[0014] In an example the network comprises a plurality of radio access technologies, and wherein the network parameters comprise one or more inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds, the self-organizing network engine being configured to optimize the inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds to select one of the radio access technologies to provide the service according to the quality of service requirement.

[0015] In an example the service quality indicator requirements comprise a matrix storing one or more service quality indicator requirements for each of a plurality of services offered by the telecommunications network.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a computer-implemented method of optimizing a self-organizing network, comprising: receiving user equipment data about a user equipment device receiving a service from a telecommunications network comprising the self-organizing network engine; selecting a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data, each profile comprising quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices; obtaining from the profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received; determining a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and commanding the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.

[0017] For example, receiving the user equipment data comprises receiving an identifier of the user equipment device and/or a geo-location of the user equipment device.

[0018] In an example the method comprises receiving one or more service quality indicator requirements describing a quality of service associated with a group of which the user equipment is a member; and determining the network reconfiguration also using the service quality indicator requirements.

[0019] For example the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected radio access technology.

[0020] In an example the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected network layer.

[0021] In an example the network reconfiguration comprises reallocating network resources available to the user equipment.

[0022] In an example the method is further configured to determine the network reconfiguration by optimizing one or more network parameters using network performance data observed from the telecommunications network.

[0023] In an example the telecommunications network comprises a plurality of radio access technologies, and the network parameters comprise one or more inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds, the self-organizing network engine being configured to optimize the inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds to select one of the radio access technologies to provide the service according to the quality of service requirement.

[0024] In an example the service quality indicator requirements comprises a matrix storing one or more service quality indicators for each of a plurality of services offered by the telecommunications network.

[0025] Another aspect of the invention comprises computer program code which when run on a computer causes the computer to perform a method as described in any combination of the paragraphs above.

[0026] Another aspect of the invention comprises a carrier medium carrying computer readable code which when run on a computer causes the computer to perform a method as described in any combination of the paragraphs above.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention comprises a telecommunications network comprising a self-organizing network engine as described in any combination of the paragraphs above.

[0028] The methods described herein may be performed by software in machine readable form on a tangible storage medium e.g. in the form of a computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform all the steps of any of the methods described herein when the program is run on a computer and where the computer program may be embodied on a computer readable medium. Examples of tangible (or non-transitory) storage media include disks, thumb drives, memory cards etc. and do not include propagated signals. The software can be suitable for execution on a parallel processor or a serial processor such that the method steps may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously.

[0029] This acknowledges that firmware and software can be valuable, separately tradable commodities. It is intended to encompass software, which runs on or controls "dumb" or standard hardware, to carry out the desired functions. It is also intended to encompass software which "describes" or defines the configuration of hardware, such as HDL (hardware description language) software, as is used for designing silicon chips, or for configuring universal programmable chips, to carry out desired functions.

[0030] The preferred features may be combined as appropriate, as would be apparent to a skilled person, and may be combined with any of the aspects of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0031] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings, in which: [0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a telecommunications network comprising a plurality of groups of end user equipment devices; [0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the telecommunications network of Figure 1 with a centralized self-organizing network node; [0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the telecommunications network of Figure 1 with distributed self-organizing network functionality; [0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an interwork procedure between a self-organizing network engine, an operation support system and telecommunications network; [0036] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a self-organizing network engine and an operation support system used with a telecommunications network having different groups of end user equipment devices; [0037] Figure 6 is a flow diagram of a method at a self-organizing network engine; [0038] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a computing device implementing a self-organizing network engine to optimize a telecommunications network according to user group profile and service criteria.

[0039] Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures to indicate similar features.

Detailed Description

[0040] Embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of example only. These examples represent the best ways of putting the invention into practice that are currently known to the Applicant although they are not the only ways in which this could be achieved. The description sets forth the functions of the example and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

[0041] The inventors have found that it is possible to improve management and control of a telecommunications network such that qualities of service requirements for different groups of end user equipment devices are met in a more efficient manner. For example, an enterprise may have associated with it many individual end user equipment devices for which a specified level of quality of service has been agreed. The invention is suited to controlling the telecommunications network so that the specified level of quality of service is met in an efficient manner, even where the telecommunications network is heterogeneous. For example, where the telecommunications network has equipment of different types, provides communications using different frequencies, different technologies (such as GSM, UMTS, LTE and W-Fi) and different hierarchical layers (such as macro cells, small cells, femto cells). In the examples described herein, a self-organizing network engine is used to manage and control a telecommunications network. As a result of meeting the quality of service requirements in a more efficient manner, overall network performance is improved and faults, congestion and the need for maintenance is reduced.

[0042] Previous self-organizing network engines for telecommunications have not been able to manage and control heterogeneous telecommunications networks in a manner which takes into account different groups of end user equipment devices having different agreed quality of service levels. In some examples herein a group of end user equipment devices is associated with a corporation or enterprise. However, groups of end user equipment devices bucketed according to other criteria may also be used. Examples of other criteria include but are not limited to geo-location, membership of a group which is not an enterprise such as a charity, club, or other organization, membership of a social network, or other group.

[0043] A self-organizing network (SON) engine comprises computer-implemented functionality for executing an optimization algorithm which uses efficient methods to search huge numbers of combinations of possible values of parameters of a telecommunications network (such as a 2G, 3G, 4G mobile radio access network), to find solutions which are optimal according to one or more assessment metrics. For example, the parameters include but are not limited to hand-over parameters, antenna tilt parameters, pilot transmission power, common channel transmission power, automatic neighbor relations, and traffic load etc. The assessment metric may comprise thresholds and or criteria to be met by telecommunications network performance data. Examples of telecommunications network performance data include but are not limited to key performance indicators such as dropped call rate, call setup failure rate. Various embodiments of the invention use a new type of network performance data, which is referred to herein as service quality indicators (SOD. Service quality indicators are described in more detail below and examples include mean opinion score, delay, jitter, video resolution, video delay, number of video stalls, frequency of video stalls etc. Self-organizing network engine functionality may be centralized or distributed through a telecommunications network. Hybrid deployments using a mix of centralized and distributed SON technology may also be used. SON has been defined in 3GPP release 8 and other

specifications.

[0044] An operation support system (OSS) is computer-implemented apparatus interfacing between a SON engine and telecommunications infrastructure. An example OSS is described in more detail below.

[0045] A service quality indicator (SOD comprises data recorded by end user equipment devices or other telecommunications network nodes about quality of a specified telecommunications service being provided by the telecommunications network. For example, service quality indicators for video, voice and other services may be recorded. A service quality indicator for voice service may comprise user feedback such as an opinion score entered by a user at an end user equipment or other device. A service quality indicator may comprise empirical data observed or monitored by end user equipment and/or other telecommunications network nodes.

[0046] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced into Release 8 the concept of a Self-Organizing Network (SON), an intelligent platform that automatically optimizes 2G, 3G and 4G networks, and defined a set of use cases that govern a network including the planning, deployment, optimization and maintenance activities. 3GPP does not specify how to implement these use cases: SON vendors may implement the use cases using their own proprietary algorithms. The use cases include Automatic Neighbor Relations (ANR), Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO), Mobility Load Balancing (MLB), Mobility Robustness Optimization (MRO).

[0047] Automatic Neighbor Relations (ANR) is designed to optimize the neighbor relations by adding missing neighbor relations, deleting redundant neighbor relations, and prioritizing neighbor relations, in order to reduce the number of user calls dropped due to missing or incorrect neighbor relations. Correct and up-to-date neighboring lists will increase the number of successful handovers and minimize the number of dropped calls.

[0048] Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO) aims to optimize parameters relating to transmission power, antenna tilting and handover in order to balance the network coverage and capacity. Specific examples of parameters to be optimized during CCO include antenna remote electronic tilt (RET), primary CPICH (Common Pilot Channel) power, BCH (Broadcast Channel) power, AICH (Acquisition Indicator Channel) power, PCH (Paging Channel) power, PICH (Paging Indication Channel) power, idle mode inter-RAT reselect threshold, idle mode inter-frequency reselect threshold, inter-RAT handover threshold, intra-frequency mobility parameters, and HSDPA(High Speed Downlink Packet Access) power.

[0049] Mobility Load Balancing (MLB) seeks to optimize the pilot transmission power, common channels power, and handover parameters to balance traffic or network load between different sites, different frequency layers, and different Radio Access Technologies (RAT) (2G/3G/LTE). MLB allows cells suffering congestion to transfer load to other cells which have spare resources, and includes load reporting to exchange information about load level and available capacity. In case of inter-RAT MLB, a load reporting protocol may be used to transfer information between base stations of different radio access technologies, so that the capacities of the different technologies can be compared and weighed against each other.

[0050] MRO (Mobility Robustness Optimization) is a solution for automatic detection and correction of errors in the mobility configuration, and is designed to optimize the handover parameters to reduce the Radio Link Failure (RLF) due to handover occurring too early, too late, to an incorrect cell, and due to the so-called "Ping-Pong effect". Specific examples of parameters to be optimized during MRO include cell individual offset (CIO), time to trigger (TTT), trigger thresholds, hysteresis value for Ping-Pong control, neighbor list relation, speed-dependent parameters, antenna RET, and idle mode parameters to avoid immediate HO trigger when transitioning from idle to active states.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a telecommunications network 100 comprising a plurality of groups of end user equipment devices 102, 104. In this example a group A of end user equipment devices 102 comprises three devices and a group B of end user equipment devices 104 comprises three devices. In practice, many more groups may be present, each having two or more end user devices. In the case of a large enterprise there may be hundreds of thousands of end user devices in a group and the group may itself be subdivided into sub-groups. The telecommunications network comprises a plurality of communications network nodes connected by links. The links may be wired or wireless (for example, radio communications links, optical fibre). The telecommunications network 100 comprises functionality to enable quality of service requirements for different groups of end user equipment devices to be met in a more efficient manner. The functionality may be implemented in a self-organizing network engine in a centralized and/or distributed manner.

[0052] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the telecommunications network of Figure 1 with a centralized self-organizing network engine 202. The centralized self-organizing network engine 202 is connected to telecommunications infrastructure 200 of the telecommunications network 100 via an operation support system 204. The centralized self-organizing network engine 202 is computer-implemented using, for example, a server or a group of servers. Figure 7 shows an example of a computing-based device implementing a self-organizing network engine.

[0053] The operation support system 204 is also computer-implemented and is arranged to interface with telecommunications infrastructure 200 comprising different types of telecommunications network nodes. These include base stations, switches, and routers. Telecommunications infrastructure 200 is in communication with base stations of a cellular telecommunications network such as base stations 210, 212, 216, each base station having a footprint indicated schematically in the figure as a hexagonal cell. User equipment devices 214 are able to receive services from the telecommunications network 100 such as voice, video and other services.

[0054] The operation support system 204 is configured to receive data from the telecommunications network such as performance statistics and other data. The operation support system 204 may compute higher level statistics from the performance data it receives, for example, by aggregating data after filtering out outliers. The operation support system 204 may probe the telecommunications network to obtain the performance data in some examples. The operation support system 204 comprises interfaces for interoperating with various different types of telecommunications network node, such as base stations and/or other nodes in the telecommunications infrastructure. In this way the operation support system is able to issue commands to telecommunications network nodes in order to control the behavior of those nodes.

[0055] In some examples a policy node 206 is present, although this is not essential. The policy node comprises a store holding profiles, records or policy data. For example, there may be profiles for any one or more of individual users, groups of users, specified types of service. A profile may comprise quality of service requirements such as thresholds or criteria which network performance statistics, and/or service quality indicators are to meet.

[0056] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the telecommunications network of Figure 1 with a self-organizing network engine 304 having centralized SON functionality and distributed SON (D-SON) functionality. For example, a D-SON component 302 is present at base stations 300. In this scenario network performance and service quality indicator data received at a base station 300 is made available to a local SON component 302 at the base station itself. The local SON component 302 carries out an optimization using the data available to it and communicates the results to the OSS 204 and/or uses the results locally to control parameters of the base station 300. The local SON component 302 is thus able to carry out a fast optimization process for immediate control of the base station. This local optimization and control may later be fine-tuned by commands received as a result of a SON optimization which takes into account data from a greater part of the telecommunications network. Local SON components may communicate their results to one another and/or to the OSS.

[0057] Figure 4 shows a telecommunications network 400 which outputs network performance data 410 to an operation support system 204. The operation support system 204 calculates higher level performance data 402, for example by aggregating and/or filtering the data 410. The operation support system sends the higher level performance data 402 to a SON engine 202. The operation support system may also send service quality indicators 404 to the SON. The SON carries out an optimization to search for a best set of values of radio parameters, or other network parameters 406 for reconfiguring the telecommunications network 400. This is done by using observed network performance data to assess values of network parameters. The SON sends the optimized parameters 406 to the OSS which uses them to send commands 408 to nodes of the telecommunications network so that the reconfiguration is implemented. In the example of figure 4 both network data 402 and service quality indicators 404 are sent to and used by the SON. However, it is also possible to use only the network data 402 or only the SQIs 404.

[0058] Figure 5 shows a telecommunications network 100 where there is heterogeneity amongst any of the frequencies, layers, technologies. A plurality of different groups of end user equipment devices 102, 104 are connected to the telecommunications network. Each group of end user equipment devices comprises at least one end user equipment device. The groups may be defined in any suitable manner, such as by enterprise or other organization.

[0059] An operation support system 510 is inter-connected between the telecommunications network 100 and a self-organizing network (SON) engine 502. The self-organizing network engine 502 may have some distributed functionality in the telecommunications network as explained above with reference to Figure 3. The operation support system 510 obtains and/or calculates network performance data and/or service quality indicators 506 from the telecommunications network 100. For example, communications nodes (user equipment, base stations, other infrastructure nodes) of the telecommunications network record empirically observed data and forward the data to the operation support system. In some examples service quality indicators are input by end users and/or calculated from empirically observed data.

[0060] The SON engine 502 has access to one or more user group profiles from user group policy node 504. Each profile comprises quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices. For example, a user group profile comprises requirements such as thresholds and/or criteria to be met by the telecommunications network when providing specified services to the user group (plurality of end user equipment devices). The thresholds may be for example, thresholds for service quality indicators and/or key performance indicators.

[0061] The SON engine 502 receives user equipment data 500 from the operation support system 510 and/or the telecommunications network 100. The user equipment data 500 is for example an identifier of a user equipment device such as an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), or other identifier. In some examples the user equipment data 500 is a reference to an identifier of a user equipment device. In some examples the user equipment data 500 comprises geo-location data derived by a cellular telecommunications network which is part of telecommunications network 100.

[0062] The SON engine 502 determines which user group profile is appropriate for the received user equipment data 500. For example, this is done using rules or criteria stored at the SON engine 502. For example, the user equipment data may comprise an IMSI which is in a table or list of IMSI's associated with enterprise A. The appropriate user group profile is accessed from node 504 and the SON engine 502 applies the thresholds and/or criteria when it carries out its optimization. The results of the optimization comprise optimized radio parameters 508 which essentially specify a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement. The SON engine 502 commands the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration. This is achieved by sending the optimized radio parameters 508 (also referred to as network parameters) to the OSS 510 which interfaces with the telecommunications network 100 to implement the reconfiguration. For example, by directing the user equipment to a selected radio access technology. For example, by directing the user equipment to a selected network layer. For example, by reallocating network resources available to the user equipment.

[0063] In some examples the telecommunications network comprises a plurality of radio access technologies, and the radio parameters (also referred to as network parameters) comprise one or more inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds. The SON engine may be configured to optimize the inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds to select one of the radio access technologies to provide the service according to the quality of service requirement. In some examples, the user group profile comprises a matrix storing one or more service quality indicators for each of a plurality of services being offered by the telecommunications network.

[0064] Figure 6 is a flow diagram of an example method at the SON engine 502 of figure 5 or at a distributed SON engine (or hybrid SON). User equipment data is received 600 such as an IMSI and/or geo-location data of a UE. The SON engine finds an appropriate user group 602 that the user equipment data belongs to. The SON engine looks up user group quality of service criteria 604 from user group profiles stored at a location accessible to the SON. The SON engine computes an optimization to find values of radio parameters of the telecommunications network (such as a radio access network) according to the particular user group quality of service requirements. For example, the user group quality of service criteria may comprise service quality indicators (SQIs) or other performance criteria. The optimization may comprise searching possible values of network parameters to find optimal network parameter values which will give SQIs (or other network performance data) meeting the requirements. The optimization may be an iterative process comprising observing network performance data and adjusting the network parameters in order to find optimal network parameters. Therefore, if the observed network performance data received at the SON from the OSS indicates that the quality of service requirement are not being met, the optimization process with run in order to find and implement better network parameters. The radio parameter values are output to an OSS to control 608 the telecommunications network. For example, by directing the user equipment to a selected radio access technology. For example, by directing the user equipment to a selected network layer. For example, by reallocating network resources available to the user equipment. The process of figure 6 may repeat so that the telecommunications network is dynamically controlled.

[0065] Figure 7 illustrates various components of an exemplary computing-based device 700 which may be implemented as any form of a computing and/or electronic device, and in which embodiments of a self-organizing network engine may be implemented.

[0066] Computing-based device 700 comprises one or more processors 702 which may be microprocessors, controllers or any other suitable type of processors for processing computer executable instructions to control the operation of the device in order to receive data from an OSS and compute optimized parameters of a telecommunications network. In some examples, for example where a system on a chip architecture is used, the processors 702 may include one or more fixed function blocks (also referred to as accelerators) which implement a part of the method of figure 6 in hardware (rather than software or firmware). Platform software comprising an operating system 704 or any other suitable platform software may be provided at the computing-based device to enable application software to be executed on the device. Software comprising a self-organizing network engine 706 may be provided at the computing-based device and data store 710 may hold telecommunications network parameters, network performance data, service quality indicators or other data.

[0067] The computer executable instructions may be provided using any computer-readable media that is accessible by computing based device 700. Computer-readable media may include, for example, computer storage media such as memory 712 and communications media. Computer storage media, such as memory 712, includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information for access by a computing device. In contrast, communication media may embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanism. As defined herein, computer storage media does not include communication media. Although the computer storage media (memory 712) is shown within the computing-based device 700 it will be appreciated that the storage may be distributed or located remotely and accessed via a network or other communication link (e.g. using communication interface 714).

[0068] The computing-based device 700 also comprises an input/output controller 716 arranged to output display information to a display device 718 which may be separate from or integral to the computing-based device 700. The display information may provide a graphical user interface. The input/output controller 716 is also arranged to receive and process input from one or more devices, such as a user input device 720 (e.g. a mouse or a keyboard). This user input may be used to set thresholds or criteria, configure optimization algorithms, view optimization results. In an embodiment the display device 718 may also act as the user input device 720 if it is a touch sensitive display device. The input/output controller 716 may also output data to devices other than the display device, e.g. a locally connected printing device.

[0069] The term 'computer' is used herein to refer to any device with processing capability such that it can execute instructions. Those skilled in the art will realize that such processing capabilities are incorporated into many different devices and therefore the term 'computer' includes PCs, servers, mobile telephones, personal digital assistants and many other devices.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will realize that storage devices utilized to store program instructions can be distributed across a network. For example, a remote computer may store an example of the process described as software. A local or terminal computer may access the remote computer and download a part or all of the software to run the program.

Alternatively, the local computer may download pieces of the software as needed, or execute some software instructions at the local terminal and some at the remote computer (or computer network). Those skilled in the art will also realize that by utilizing conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art that all, or a portion of the software instructions may be carried out by a dedicated circuit, such as a DSP, programmable logic array, or the like.

[0071] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought, as will be apparent to the skilled person.

[0072] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages.

[0073] Any reference to 'an' item refers to one or more of those items. The term 'comprising' is used herein to mean including the method blocks or elements identified, but that such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements.

[0074] The steps of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the examples described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other examples described to form further examples without losing the effect sought.

[0075] It will be understood that the above description of a preferred embodiment is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A self-organizing network engine, configured to automatically: receive user equipment data about a user equipment device receiving a service from a telecommunications network comprising the self-organizing network engine; select a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data, each profile comprising quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices; obtain from the profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received; determine a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and command the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.
2. The self-organizing network engine of claim 1 wherein the user equipment data comprises an identifier of the user equipment device and/or a geo-location of the user equipment device.
3. The self-organizing network engine of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the quality of service requirement comprises one or more requirements for service quality indicators associated with a group of which the user equipment is a member; and wherein the self-organizing network engine is configured to determine the network reconfiguration also using the service quality indicator requirements.
4. The self-organizing network engine of any preceding claim, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected radio access 25 technology.
5. The self-organizing network engine of any preceding claim, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected network layer.
6. The self-organizing network engine of any preceding claim, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises reallocating network resources available to the user equipment.
7. The self-organizing network engine of any preceding claim, further configured to determine the network reconfiguration by optimizing one or more network parameters using network performance data observed from the telecommunications network.
8. The self-organizing network engine of claim 7, configured to optimize the network parameters by searching for values of the network parameters which result in service quality indicators that meet the quality of service requirement.
9. The self-organizing network engine of claim 7, wherein the self-organizing network comprises a plurality of radio access technologies, and wherein the network parameters comprise one or more inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds, the self-organizing network engine being configured to optimize the inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds to select one of the radio access technologies to provide the service according to the quality of service requirement.
10. The self-organizing network engine of claim 3, wherein the service quality indicator requirements comprise a matrix storing one or more service quality indicator requirements for each of a plurality of services offered by the telecommunications network.
11. A computer-implemented method of optimizing a self-organizing network, comprising: receiving user equipment data about a user equipment device receiving a service from a telecommunications network comprising the self-organizing network engine; selecting a profile from a plurality of profiles, on the basis of the user equipment data, each profile comprising quality of service requirements for a group comprising a plurality of user equipment devices; obtaining from the profile a quality of service requirement for the service being received; determining a network reconfiguration for the telecommunications network according to the quality of service requirement; and commanding the telecommunications network to implement the network reconfiguration.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the user equipment data comprises receiving an identifier of the user equipment device and/or a gee-location of the user equipment device.
13. The method of claim 11 or claim 12 comprising receiving one or more service quality indicator requirements describing a quality of service associated with a group of which the user equipment is a member; and determining the network reconfiguration also using the service quality indicator requirements.
14. The method of any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected radio access technology.
15. The method of any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises directing the user equipment to a selected network layer.
16. The method of any of claims 11-15, wherein the network reconfiguration comprises reallocating network resources available to the user equipment.
17. The method of any of claims 11-16, further configured to determine the network reconfiguration by optimizing one or more network parameters using network performance data observed from the telecommunications network.
18. The method of claim 17, configured to optimize the network parameters by searching for values of the network parameters which result in service quality indicators that meet the quality of service requirement.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the telecommunications network comprises a plurality of radio access technologies, and wherein the network parameters comprise one or more inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds, the self-organizing network engine being configured to optimize the inter-radio-access-technology handover thresholds to select one of the radio access technologies to provide the service according to the quality of service requirement.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the service quality indicator requirements comprise a matrix storing one or more service quality indicators for each of a plurality of services offered by the telecommunications network.
21. Computer program code which when run on a computer causes the computer to perform a method according to any of claims 11 to 20.
22. A carrier medium carrying computer readable code which when run on a computer causes the computer to perform a method according to any of claims 11 to 20.
23. A telecommunications network comprising a self-organizing network engine as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10.