Method and system for automatic coverage assessment for cooperating wireless access networks
AssigneeKoninklijke KPN N.V.
InventorsLjupco Jorguseski, Remco Litjens, Haibin Zhang, Adrian Victor Pais
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Abstract
The invention relates a method and system for assessing coverage of a wireless access network within a desired area via cooperating wireless access networks and terminals capable of measurement and reporting across the different wireless access networks. The cooperation refers to, among other things, the ability of obtaining coverage assessment for one of the wireless access networks using results of the measurements collected at one of the other wireless access networks. In this manner, more accurate and complete coverage assessment may be obtained, relative to the prior art approaches.
Claims15
An automatic coverage assessment system configured for generating a coverage assessment for a second wireless access network of a telecommunications infrastructure comprising a first wireless access network and the second wireless access network, the first and second wireless access networks capable of providing services to a plurality of terminals, the system comprising:
- an information collector;
- and
- a coverage estimator,
- wherein the information collector is configured to:
- (i) select one or more terminals from at least part of the plurality of the terminals, the at least part of the plurality of the terminals capable of communicating with both the first wireless access network and the second wireless access network,
- (ii) instruct the selected one or more terminals to measure signals from the second wireless access network,
- (iii) obtain measurement information indicative of the signals measured from the second wireless access network by the selected one or more terminals, and
- (iv) provide the measurement information to the coverage estimator, and wherein the coverage estimator is configured to:
- (i) obtain the measurement information from the information collector, and
- (ii) based on the obtained measurement information, generate the coverage assessment for the second wireless access network of the telecommunications infrastructure.
An automatic coverage assessment method for generating a coverage assessment for a second wireless access network of a telecommunications infrastructure comprising a first wireless access network and the second wireless access network, the first and second wireless access networks capable of providing services to a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:
- (i) collecting, at an information collector, information from terminals by:
- selecting one or more terminals from at least part of the plurality of the terminals, the at least part of the plurality of the terminals capable of communicating with both the first wireless access network and the second wireless access network,
- instructing the selected one or more terminals to measure signals from the second wireless access network,
- obtaining measurement information indicative of the signals measured from the second wireless access network by the selected one or more terminals, and
- providing the measurement information to a coverage estimator;
- and
- (ii) generating, at the coverage estimator, the coverage assessment for the second wireless access network by:
- obtaining the measurement information from the information collector, and
- based on the obtained measurement information, generating the coverage assessment for the second wireless access network of the telecommunications infrastructure.
A network node for use in a telecommunications infrastructure comprising a first wireless access network and a second wireless access network, the first and second wireless access networks capable of providing services to a plurality of terminals, the node comprising:
- means for selecting one or more terminals from at least part of the plurality of the terminals, the at least part of the plurality of the terminals capable of communicating with both the first wireless access network and the second wireless access network;
- means for instructing the selected one or more terminals to measure signals from the second wireless access network,
- means for obtaining measurement information indicative of the signals measured from the second wireless access network by the selected one or more terminals;
- and
- means for providing the measurement information to a coverage estimator,
- wherein the coverage estimator is configured to generate the coverage assessment for the second wireless access network of the telecommunications infrastructure based on the measurement information provided by the network node.
A network node for use in a telecommunications infrastructure comprising a first wireless access network and a second wireless access network, the first and second wireless access networks capable of providing services to a plurality of terminals, the node comprising:
- means for obtaining measurement information from an information collector;
- and
- means for generating the coverage assessment for the second wireless access network of the telecommunications infrastructure based on the obtained measurement information,
- wherein the information collector is configured to:
- (i) select one or more terminals from at least part of the plurality of the terminals, the at least part of the plurality of the terminals capable of communicating with both the first wireless access network and the second wireless access network,
- (ii) instruct the selected one or more terminals to measure signals from the second wireless access network,
- (iii) obtain measurement information indicative of the signals measured from the second wireless access network by the selected one or more terminals, and
- (iv) provide the measurement information to the network node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.