# US 8,150,344 B1 · Method and system of planning a wireless telecommunication network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,150,344 B1 - Document ID: US8150344B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 12/053,391 - Filed: 2008-03-21 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2008-02-19 - Assignees: Sprint Spectrum L.P. - Inventors: Anoop Goyal; E. Michael Shafer, II; Shilpa Srinivas Kowdley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150344B1 ## CPC - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 16/18: Network planning tools - H04W 84/045: {using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method and system are provided for planning a service provider network. At one or more low-cost Internet base stations (LCIBs) operating within a building, one or more wireless signals are detected. The wireless signals are provided by one or more macro base stations. The wireless signals are detected by the LCIB on an LCIB wireless-communication interface. For each detected wireless signal, one or more signal-strength values are determined. The determined signal-strength values are sent from the LCIB via an LCIB packet-communication interface to one or more network entities. The signal-strength values are used to plan the service provider network, by generating one or more network-planning directions and/or one or more network-coverage maps. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: a low-cost Internet base station (LCIB) detecting a wireless signal from a macro base station in a macro network on an LCIB wireless-communication interface, wherein the LCIB is operating in a building; the LCIB determining at least one signal-strength value for the detected wireless signal; and the LCIB sending the at least one signal-strength value to at least one network entity via an LCIB packet-communication interface, wherein the at least one network entity comprises at least one network-planning director; generating, using the network-planning director, at least one network-planning direction for the macro network based, at least in part, on the at least one signal-strength value, wherein the at least one network-planning direction comprises a direction to reallocate at least one carrier from a first sector to a second sector; and planning the macro network in accordance with the at least one generated network-planning direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network entity comprises at least one network-planning server. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein sending the at least one signal-strength value to the at least one network entity further comprises: sending the at least one signal-strength value to the at least one network-planning server in response to receiving a request from the at least one network-planning server. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising the at least one network-planning server storing the at least one signal-strength value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising the at least one network-planning server sending at least one signal-strength value to at least one network-planning director. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the LCIB further comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the method further comprising the LCIB using the GPS receiver to determine a location of the LCIB. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising the LCIB sending the location of the LCIB to the at least one network-planning server. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network-planning direction further comprises a network-planning direction to add at least one sector to at least one wireless coverage area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network-planning director comprises at least one of a network-map generator and a network-optimization director. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one network-planning direction further comprises at least one network-coverage map. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one network-coverage map comprises a graphical indication of the at least one signal-strength value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one signal-strength value comprises averaging a plurality of signal-strength values. ### Claim 13 A system, comprising: (a) at least one low-cost Internet base station (LCIB), operating in a building, each LCIB comprising: an LCIB wireless-communication interface, an LCIB packet-communication interface, LCIB data storage, an LCIB processor, and machine-language instructions stored in the LCIB data storage and executable by the LCIB processor to perform functions including: detecting one or more signals from at least one macro base station via the LCIB wireless-communication interface, determining at least one signal-strength value for each of the one or more detected signals, and sending the at least one signal-strength value via the LCIB packet-communication interface to at least one network entity; (b) at least one network-planning server (NPS), each NPS comprising an NPS communication interface, NPS data storage, an NPS processor, and machine-language instructions stored in the NPS data storage and executable by the NPS processor to perform functions including: receiving the at least one signal-strength value from the at least one LCIB, storing the received at least one signal-strength value in the NPS data storage, and sending the at least one stored signal-strength value to at least one network entity; and (c) at least one network-optimization director (NOD), each NOD comprising: a NOD communication interface, NOD data storage, a NOD processor, and machine-language instructions stored in the NOD data storage and executable by the NOD processor to perform functions including: receiving the at least one signal-strength value via the NOD communication interface, generating at least one network-planning direction based, at least in part, on the at least one received signal-strength value, and outputting the at least one network-planning direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one network-planning direction comprises a network-coverage map. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one NOD receiving the at least one signal-strength value over the NOD communication interface comprises receiving the at least one signal-strength value over the NOD communication interface from the at least one NPS. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the machine-language instructions stored in the at least one NPS further comprise instructions to receive a request from a network entity for at least one signal-strength value, and to send the at least one requested signal-strength value to the network entity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the machine-language instructions stored in the at least one NOD further comprise instructions to send a request for at least one signal-strength value to the at least one NPS, and to receive the requested at least one signal-strength value from the at least one NPS. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the machine-language instructions stored in the NPS further comprise instructions to send a request for least one signal-strength value to the at least one LCIB, and the machine-language instructions stored in the LCIB further comprise instructions to send at least the one signal-strength value to the at least one NPS in response to receiving to the request. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the machine-language instructions stored in the LCIB further comprise instructions to send base transceiver station (BTS) information for each of the one or more detected signals to the at least one network entity. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one network-planning direction comprises a network-planning direction to add at least one sector to at least one wireless coverage area.