Patent · US Active

Capacity optimisation in a cellular wireless network

US8537774B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
14References
44Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 28, 2007
Grant dateSep 17, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 17, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W84/045
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to cellular wireless networks and are particularly suited to networks including different types of base stations. So-called femtocell base stations are typically deployed within a subscriber's premises and operate at low transmit power, providing a very limited area of wireless coverage. A femtocell is typically deployed within the area of wireless coverage of a conventional macrocell type of base station, and if handover from a macrocell is performed on the basis of the best signal to noise plus interference ratio, a connection is likely to be transferred to another macrocell rather than to a femtocell. However, in view of the low density of user equipments capable of transceiving with a femtocell, the femtocell could potentially provide a greater data rate to the user equipment terminal than is possible with a macrocell. A cellular wireless network according to an embodiment of the invention employs a method of handover algorithm that has dependence on both a measure of signal quality such as signal to noise plus interference ratio and on a measure of loading of the base station. The handover algorithm is thereby able to weight selection of a b…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.