Automatic adaptive network planning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10542330-B2
Application number	US-201715609587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	May 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A method for automatic adaptive network planning includes receiving a first list which includes a plurality of potential sites. A set of the network coverage goals and one or more models substantially related to the network coverage are received. A wireless network coverage map is generated for each site based on the received model(s). The coverage map includes a plurality of locations within a corresponding coverage area. For each location and for each site the likelihood of the network coverage goals being realized is calculated using the generated wireless network coverage map. A second list of proposed active sites is automatically generated. The second list includes a subset of the sites included in the first list based on the calculations performed for each location. The second list of the proposed active sites substantially meets the set of network coverage goals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatic adaptive network planning, the method comprising steps of:
receiving a first list comprising a plurality of potential sites;
receiving a set of network coverage goals for a wireless network and receiving a plurality of models substantially related to the network coverage;
generating a wireless network coverage map for each site of the plurality of potential sites based on the plurality of received models, the coverage map comprising a plurality of locations within a corresponding coverage area;
calculating, for each location of the plurality of locations for each site of the plurality of sites, the likelihood of the network coverage goals being realized using the generated wireless network coverage map including generating a site coverage value for each of the plurality of potential sites and wherein calculating a location coverage value for each location of the plurality of locations for each site and calculating the site coverage value is based on a vector dot product of the location coverage value and the square of an overall location coverage percentage; and
automatically generating a second list of proposed active sites comprising a subset of the sites included in the first list based on the calculations performed for each location of the plurality of locations, wherein the second list of proposed active sites substantially meets the set of network coverage goals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of potential sites are communicatively connected to the wireless network via at least one network backhaul connection and wherein each site included into the second list is communicatively connected to the wireless network via either at least one direct network backhaul connection or via a connection to another active site communicatively connected to the wireless network via at least one network backhaul connection.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of models comprise a calibrated signal path loss model providing terrain path loss prediction for a signal travelling from a proposed transmitter to a corresponding coverage area and a geospatial building model providing statistical measurements indicative of signal path loss and signal penetration loss for each of one or more buildings situated within the corresponding coverage area.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the first list comprises automatically generating the first list of the potential sites and wherein each potential site is determined based on geospatial data and based on a signal quality analysis carried out using a clutter object data set characterizing influences of a plurality of objects present in a vicinity of the potential site on signal propagation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of automatically generating the second list comprises iteratively recalculating, responsive to selecting a potential site into the second list of active sites, the site coverage value for each of the plurality of potential sites remaining in the first list.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising sorting the generated site coverage values in a descending order.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overall location coverage percentage is calculated according to the following expression 1−Π active sites (1−P S, B ),
where P S, B is the probability of coverage from site S to location B.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of selecting the potential site into the second list of active sites comprises selecting from the plurality of potential sites one or more sites having the highest site coverage value.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of selecting the potential site into the second list of active sites further comprises selecting one from the plurality of potential sites based on site acquisition costs or site backhaul availability.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least a first of the potential sites selected into the second list is selected by applying a greedy optimization strategy.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting one or more attributes associated with at least one of the plurality of the potential sites, adding the at least one site having adjusted attributes to the first list and automatically regenerating the second list based on the updated first list.

12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising presenting a sorted second list and a menu of available options to a user via a graphical user interface, wherein the second list is sorted based on the calculated site coverage value.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising iteratively recalculating, responsive to user selecting an option from the presented menu, the site coverage value for each of the plurality of potential sites remaining in the first list.

14. A system for automatic adaptive network planning, the system comprising:
a calibrated signal path loss model providing terrain path loss prediction for a signal travelling from a proposed transmitter to a corresponding coverage area;
a geospatial building model providing statistical measurements indicative of signal path loss and signal penetration loss for each of one or more buildings situated within the corresponding coverage area;
a planning repository for storing network planning data; and
an information processing system comprising a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor in communication with the calibrated signal path model, the geo spatial building model and with the planning repository, the memory device containing a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a first list comprising a plurality of potential sites;
receive a set of network coverage goals for a wireless network and receive a plurality of model parameters substantially related to the network coverage from the calibrated signal path model and the geospatial building model;
generate a wireless network coverage map for each site of the plurality of potential sites based on the plurality of received model parameters, the coverage map comprising a plurality of locations within a corresponding coverage area;
calculate, for each location of the plurality of locations for each site of the plurality of sites, the likelihood of the network coverage goals being realized using the generated wireless network coverage map; and
automatically generate a second list of proposed active sites comprising a subset of the sites included in the first list based on the calculations performed for each location of the plurality of locations, wherein the second list of proposed active sites substantially meets the set of network coverage goals;
generate a site coverage value for each of the plurality of potential sites and iteratively recalculate, responsive to selecting a potential site into the second list of active sites, the site coverage value for each of the plurality of potential sites remaining in the first list; and
calculate a location coverage value for each location of the plurality of locations for each site and calculate the site coverage value based on a vector dot product of the location coverage value and the square of an overall location coverage percentage.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein at least some of the plurality of potential sites are communicatively connected to the wireless network via at least one network backhaul connection and wherein each site included into the second list is communicatively connected to the wireless network via either at least one direct network backhaul connection or via a connection to another active s

Assignees

• Netscout Systems Inc

Inventors

• Hopcraft Geoff
• Berksoy Burak

Classifications

• H04W16/18

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• H04Q3/0083 Primary

  Network planning or design; Modelling of planned or existing networks · CPC title

• H04L41/145

  involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network · CPC title

• H04W16/10

  Dynamic resource partitioning · CPC title

• H04L41/0883 Primary

  Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system · CPC title