Ue-measurement assisted closed loop learning approach for real-time optimization of system metrics

A method for assessing an impact of a design choice on a system level performance metric of a small cell radio access network (RAN) having a plurality of small cell radio nodes (RNs), the method comprising:

• receiving, from a plurality of small cell RNs in the small cell RAN, a plurality of Radio Resource Control (RRC) measurement reports generated by a plurality of user equipments (UEs) over time, wherein each of the plurality of RRC measurement reports provide signal strength measurements made by one or more of the plurality of UEs of signals received from different ones of the plurality of small cell RNs;
• receiving a plurality of different design choices for a set of operating parameters of the small cell RAN;
• assessing an impact of each of the plurality of different design choices for the set of operating parameters, wherein the assessing comprises:
• processing each of the plurality of different design choices and one or more of measurement values in each of the received plurality of RRC measurement reports to compute a set of derivatives for a respective one of the plurality of different design choices, wherein each derivative of the set of derivatives for a respective one of the plurality of different design choices is a function of the respective one of the plurality of different design choices and a spatial location of a respective UE in the small cell RAN, such that the set of derivatives is computed for a set of dense spatial data points spanning a coverage area of the small cell RAN;
• and
• determining a system level performance metric for each of the plurality of different design choices as a function of the computed set of derivatives;
• and
• selecting a design choice from the plurality of different design choices that optimizes the system level performance metric for use in operation of the small cell RAN based on the determined system level performance metric for each of the plurality of different design choices.

A small cell radio access network (RAN), comprising:

• a plurality of small cell radio nodes (RNs), each of the plurality of small cell RNs serving a small cell radio coverage area;
• and
• at least one controller operatively coupled to one or more of the plurality of small cell RNs in the small cell RAN,
• wherein each of the plurality of small cell RNs is configured to receive a plurality of measurement reports from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) in its respective small cell coverage area over time and forward the plurality of measurement reports to the at least one controller;
• and
• wherein the at least one controller is configured to:
• receive, from two or more of the plurality of small cell RNs, the plurality of measurement reports, wherein each of the plurality of RRC measurement reports received from the two or more of the plurality of small cell RNs provide signal strength measurements made by one or more of the plurality of UEs of signals received from different ones of the plurality of small cell RNs;
• receive a plurality of different design choices for a set of operating parameters of the small cell RAN;
• assess an impact of each of the plurality of different design choices for the set of operating parameters by:
• processing each of the plurality of different design choices and one or more of measurement values in each of the received plurality of RRC measurement reports to compute a set of derivatives for each of the plurality of different design choices, wherein each derivative of the set of derivatives for a respective one of the plurality of different design choices is a function of the respective one of the plurality of different design choices and a spatial location of a respective UE in the small cell RAN, such that the set of derivatives is computed for a set of dense spatial data points spanning the small cell radio coverage area of the small cell RAN;
• and
• determining a system level performance metric for each of the plurality of different design choices as a function of the computed set of derivatives;
• and
• select a design choice from the plurality of different design choices that optimizes the system level performance metric for use in operation of the small cell RAN based on the determined system level performance metric for each of the plurality of different design choices.