Self-optimizing wireless network

Abstract

Optimizing a plurality cell sites or sectors in a wireless network including receiving network data regarding a plurality of cell sites or sectors; determining a critical zone in which communication is degraded; determining best neighbor cell sites or sectors among the neighbor cell sites or sectors associated with the critical cell sites or sectors; determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources for achieving a desired improvement in communications; determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors for achieving the desired improvement in communications. Altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cell sites or sectors is performed continuously until the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is achieved.

1 . A method for optimizing a plurality cell sites or sectors in a wireless network, the method comprising:
 receiving network data regarding a plurality of cell sites or sectors, each cell site or sector corresponding to a coverage area for providing communications in a wireless network;   evaluating the network data to determine if communications provided by the plurality of cell sites or sectors has been degraded;   determining a critical zone in which communication is degraded, the critical zone including critical cell sites or sectors needing improved communications and neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell sites or sectors;   determining best neighbor cell sites or sectors among the neighbor cell sites or sectors associated with the critical cell sites or sectors;   determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources for achieving a desired improvement in communications;   determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources for achieving the desired improvements in communications;   altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or of the best neighbor cells sites or sectors for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and   determining if the desired improvement in communications has been achieved by altering the wireless network parameters,   wherein altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cell sites or sectors is performed continuously until the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is achieved.   
     
     
         2 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a critical hour within the critical zone at which the degraded communications occurs;   determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and   determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvements in communication.   
     
     
         3 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 ,
 wherein determining if there is an improvement in communications based on the altered wireless network parameters of the critical cell site or sector, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors is based on monitoring network data during a specified time period or observation window.   
     
     
         4 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one network parameters includes a horizontal and vertical pointing direction of at least one controllable antenna, beamwidth of the at least one controllable antenna, or a transmit power of at least one base station. 
     
     
         5 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 , wherein the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is determined based on key performance indicators (KPIs). 
     
     
         6 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 , wherein determining the critical zone further comprises:
 identifying a critical cell site or sector needing improved communications by a reference_ID;   creating a cell table by collecting a list of neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell site or sector;   sorting cell table by zone_IDs and then by cell_IDs;   determining if the reference_ID matches a cell_ID stored in the cell table, and if so designate cell_ID as X;   determining if the reference_ID matches a zone_ID stored in the cell table, and if so designate zone_ID as Y;   determining if X and Y are included in the critical zone, such that:
 if X is included in the critical zone and Y is not, add Y to the critical zone. 
 if Y is included in the critical zone and X is not, then add X to the critical zone, 
 if neither X and Y are not included in the critical zone, then create a new critical zone including X and Y, and 
 if X and Y are included in two different critical zones, then create a new critical zone including X and Y, 
   wherein the determination of a critical zone is performed continuously for all cells sites or sectors in the wireless network.   
     
     
         7 . The method for optimizing of  claim 1 , wherein finding the best neighbor cell sites or sectors includes:
 sorting neighbor cell sites or sectors based on network statistics;   grouping neighbor cell sites or sectors into a plurality of groups and an order of the plurality of groups based on resources available and network statistics;   ranking the neighbor cell sites or sectors in each group based on resources available and network statistics;   determining a best neighbor cell site or sector in a group, and if the best neighbor cell site or sector is not determined, searching a next group for the best neighbor cell site or sector;   determining if the best neighbor cell site or sector has sufficient resources for improving communications; and   calculating alterations or modifications needed to neighbor cell site or sector for improving communications.   
     
     
         8 . A program recorded on a computer-readable storage medium for optimizing a plurality cell sites or sectors in a wireless network, the program causing a computer to execute optimizing steps comprising:
 receiving network data regarding a plurality of cell sites or sectors, each cell site or sector corresponding to a coverage area for providing communications in a wireless network;   evaluating the network data to determine if communications provided by the plurality of cell sites or sectors has been degraded;   determining a critical zone in which communication is degraded, the critical zone including critical cell sites or sectors needing improved communications and neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell sites or sectors;   determining best neighbor cell sites or sectors among the neighbor cell sites or sectors associated with the critical cell sites or sectors;   determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources for achieving a desired improvement in communications;   determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources for achieving the desired improvements in communications;   altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and   determining if the desired improvement in communications has been achieved by altering the wireless network parameters,   wherein altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cell sites or sectors is performed continuously until the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is achieved.   
     
     
         9 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 determining a critical hour within the critical zone at which the degraded communications occurs;   determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and   determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources at the critical hour for achieving the desired improvements in communication.   
     
     
         10 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 ,
 wherein determining if there is an improvement in communications based on the altered wireless network parameters of the critical cell site or sectors, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors based on monitoring network data during a specified time period or observation window.   
     
     
         11 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one network parameters include a horizontal and vertical pointing direction of at least one controllable antenna, beamwidth of the at least one controllable antenna, or a transmit power of at least one base station. 
     
     
         12 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 , wherein the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is determined based on key performance indicators (KPIs). 
     
     
         13 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 , wherein determining the critical zone further comprises:
 identifying a critical cell site or sector needing improved communications by a reference_ID;   creating a cell table by collecting a list of neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell site or sector;   sorting cell table by zone_IDs and then by cell_IDs;   determining if the reference_ID matches a cell_ID stored in the cell table, and if so designate cell_ID as X;   determining if the reference_ID matches a zone_ID stored in the cell table, and if so designate zone_ID as Y;   determining if X and Y are included in the critical zone, such that:
 if X is included in the critical zone and Y is not, add Y to the critical zone, 
 if Y is included in the critical zone and X is not, then add X to the critical zone, 
 if neither X and Y are not included in the critical zone, then create a new critical zone including X and Y, and 
 if X and Y are included in two different critical zones, then create a new critical zone including X and Y, 
   wherein the determination of a critical zone is performed continuously for all cells sites or sector in the wireless network.   
     
     
         14 . The program for optimizing of  claim 8 , wherein finding the best neighbor cell sites or sectors includes:
 sorting neighbor cell sites or sectors based on network statistics;   grouping neighbor cell sites or sectors into a plurality of groups and determining an order of the plurality of groups based on resources available and network statistics;   ranking neighbor cell sites or sectors in each or the groups based on resources available and network statistics;   determining a best neighbor cell site or sector in a group, and if the best neighbor cell site or sector is not determined, searching a next group for the best neighbor cell site or sector;   determining if best neighbor cell site or sector has sufficient resources for improving communications; and   calculating alterations or modifications needed to neighbor cell site or sector for improving communications.   
     
     
         15 . A system for optimizing a plurality cell sites in a wireless network, the system comprising:
 an optimization apparatus that monitors network data associated with a plurality of cell sites or sectors and performs alterations to network parameters wireless network;   at least one controller configured to perform data communications with said optimization apparatus;   a least one base station configured to perform data communication with said at least one controller;   at least one controllable antenna configured to perform data communication with said at least one base station and a plurality of subscribers distributed in a plurality of coverage areas; and   a dynamic load balancing apparatus configured to perform data communication with said optimization apparatus and said at least one controllable antenna,   said optimization apparatus being configured to:
 receive network data regarding the plurality of cell sites or sectors, each cell site or sector corresponding to a coverage area for providing communications in a wireless network; 
 evaluate the network data to determine if communications provided by the plurality of cell sites or sectors has been degraded; 
 determine a critical zone in which communication is degraded, the critical zone including critical cell sites or sectors needing improved communications and neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell sites or sectors; 
 determine best neighbor cell sites or sectors among the neighbor cell sites or sectors associated with the critical cell sites or sectors; 
 determine if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources for achieving a desired improvement in communications; 
 determine if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources for achieving the desired improvements in communications; 
 alter wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and 
 determine if the desired improvement in communications has been achieved by altering the wireless network parameters, 
 wherein altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cell sites or sectors is performed continuously until the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is achieved. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system for optimizing of  claim 15 , further comprising a network database configured to store the target criteria, network topology and parameters, and network statistics regarding the wireless network. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for optimizing a plurality cell sites in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:
 a communication interface;   at least one processor; and   a memory, the memory storing an optimizing program for causing the apparatus to perform optimizing steps comprising:
 receiving network data regarding a plurality of cell sites or sectors, each cell site or sector corresponding to a coverage area for providing communications in a wireless network; 
 evaluating the network data to determine if communications provided by the plurality of cell sites or sectors has been degraded; 
 determining a critical zone in which communication is degraded, the critical zone including critical cell sites or sectors needing improved communications and neighbor cell sites or sectors corresponding to the critical cell sites or sectors; 
 determining best neighbor cell sites or sectors among the neighbor cell sites or sectors associated with the critical cell sites or sectors; 
 determining if the critical cell sites or sectors in the critical zone have available resources for achieving a desired improvement in communications; 
 determining if the best neighbor cell sites or sectors have available resources for achieving the desired improvement in communications, when it is determined that the critical cells sites or sectors do not have adequate available resources for achieving the desired improvements in communications; 
 altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cells sites or sectors for achieving the desired improvement in communications; and 
 determining if the desired improvement in communications has been achieved by altering the wireless network parameters, 
 wherein altering wireless network parameters of the critical cell sites or sectors, or the best neighbor cell sites or sectors is performed continuously until the desired improvement in communications in the wireless network is achieved.