Method and apparatus for optimising a mobile radio network

p0001The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device provided according to the preamble of the independent claim.

p0002WO 92/21182 a method for optimizing an uncompleted property off the operating cellular network and a dedicated device are known. After the local process is by monitoring the cellular network by means of an operation and maintenance center ( "administrative center 200", page 13, lines 26 ff) determined whether an error in the cellular network occurs ( "Malfunctions and alarms", page 12, line 17 -20). If there is an error, be on the mobile network actual data ( "cell parameters") accessed in order target data ( "set of proposed changes") for optimizing parameter settings in the mobile network to charge (s. There claim 1 and description for Figure 3 ). The apparatus for performing this process is the operation and maintenance center itself (s. There page 13, lines 26 ff).

p0003Task and the invention is to improve the method mentioned initially so that it can be carried out in an apparatus which is particularly well suited for calculating the target data from the actual data and any possible computer capacity of the operation and maintenance center needs.

p0004The object is achieved by a method according to claim 1 and by an apparatus according to the independent claim. Accordingly, the device is a computer-controlled device for planning of radio networks, a so-called "Network Planning Tool", and the actual data are input data for this computer-controlled device, which are measured by measuring devices. In addition, the setpoint data output data of the computer-controlled device which calculates this using the input data and means in accordance with a predetermined radio network model design data.

p0005The invention provides an intended per se for network planning apparatus for optimizing an uncompleted property off the operating cellular network is used. Thus, the optimization is very simple. In addition, control loop contained by building a device and the operation and maintenance center is possible a fully automatic optimization of the mobile network.

p0006Advantageous embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

p0007Hereinafter, the invention will be described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment and with the aid of the following drawings:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>schematically illustrating the structure of a control loop for optimization; </dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>schematically illustrating the structure of a wireless control loop;</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>which is a block diagram of the apparatus; and</dd><dt>FIG. 4</dt><dd>the a flow chart of the method.</dd></dl>

p0008FIG. 1 schematically shows a control loop for optimizing an uncompleted property off the operating mobile radio network MRN. The control loop comprises essentially a computer-controlled device NPT corresponding to the present invention a so-called "Network Planning Tool", and an operation and maintenance center OMC. An input device 1 of the NPT is connected to the operation and maintenance center OMC. An output of the device 2 NPT is connected to an input of the operation and maintenance center. In addition, a connection for the transmission of control signals CTR of the operation and maintenance center leads to the device. The operation and maintenance center OMC is connected in this example with a mobile switching center MSC and a base station controller BSC. The cellular network typically contains several mobile switching centers and base station controllers. The mobile switching center MSC that any connected base station controller BSC and associated base stations BTS form components of the mobile radio network MRN, which is a mobile radio network according to the GSM standard here. The connection between the mobile switching center and the base station controller is an X.25 link AIF. The base station controller controls a plurality of base stations and is connected via PCM 30 connections abif with these. The compound AIF is also briefly referred to below A-interface connection abif is also briefly referred to below ABIS interface, according to the specified in the GSM standard nomenclature.

p0009To monitor the signaling and message traffic on these interfaces measuring devices are arranged there, which are connected via a switching matrix with Auswertereinheiten for network analysis ANL1 to ANLN. This Auswertereinrichtungen are here protocol analyzers that evaluate the data transmission via the mentioned interfaces AIF and abif basis of predetermined different protocols (eg. As MAP, ISUP, LAPD). If errors occur during data transfer via the interfaces mentioned occur, they are detected by the analyzers. The analyzers ANL1 to ANLN generate actual data, ie measured data for data transmission, which are operated as input data DIN via a connection to the input 1 of the device NPT. Also, the operation and maintenance center OMC generates input data Din and transmits this to the device NPT. The input data generated by the operation and maintenance center mainly relate to the actual state of the components mentioned MSC, BSC and BTS. Input data is collected eg from operational data, the load about the current traffic, specify the number of blocked radio channel additions or the number of access requests.

p0010In addition, a database DBX is shown in Fig. 1, which is connected to the input of the device and also the input data DIN NPT transmits. The illustrated database DBX is a customer database that stores the incoming from the network operator of the mobile network subscriber complaints.

p0011. The mobile network shown in Figure 1 with the control loop described above operates according to the following method, whose flowchart is shown in Figure 4 (In the further be Figures 1 and 4 considered together..).:

p0012In the process 100, the operation and maintenance center OMC initially monitors the functions of the network, by identifying, inter alia, an error in the data transfer to the interfaces AIF and abif, by controlling the analyzers ANL1 to ANLN. Also, the operation and maintenance center OMC able to detect errors within the components MSC, BSC and BTS. In addition, the operation and maintenance center (step 110) is connected to the database DBX (not shown) to evaluate stored therein customer complaints.

p0013In a second step 120, it is determined whether an error occurs in the network. If this is not the case, then in a step 121, no changes are made. If this is the case, then in a step 130, the input data for the apparatus NPT be determined. The content of this input data DIN gives information on the network surveillance, in particular information about errors in the mentioned components or in the data transmission to said interfaces. In addition, the input data DIN also include information from the customer database DBX.

p0014There are now the input data DIN applied to the input of the device NPT, so triggers the operation and maintenance center OMC through a control signal CTR, the calculation of output data from these input data within the device from NPT. It is also conceivable that the calculation of the output data by transferring the input data itself, ie without the control signal CTR, is triggered. In step 140, the output data DOUT are calculated based on a function that reproduces the radio network model (z. B. to Walvis u. IKEGAMI) of the mobile radio network MRN. Variables of this function include the input data DIN and planning data DNW for the network. To simulate a radio network model usually nonlinear equations are needed. The illustration in FIG. 4, the function f (DIN, DNW) is only a schematic representation of such system of equations. By means of the input data DIN and planning data DNW for the network, the device calculates the NPT output data DOUT. For this purpose the device NPT contains an adaptive, neural network, which was established by the so-called training sequences by entering before the calculation, that was calibrated to the mobile network MRN.

p0015In a step 150 will now be checked whether the calculated output data DOUT deviate from the planning data DNW. If this is the case, then in a step 151 the planning data DNW be corrected by being equated with the output data DOUT. Divergence between the calculated output data DOUT only insignificantly from the engineering data DNW, in a step 160, the parameter setting is changed in the network by means of the computed output data. Correcting the parameter settings in the network following measures be understood here:

p0016Correction settings in the components MSC, BSC and BTS, such as so-called "frequency redefinition" of the BSC or "power ramping" at the BTS. These measures mainly concern software parameters and can be carried out via control commands on the net for the most part of the operation and maintenance center OMC. In addition, under the correct parameter settings to be understood in the network MRN also measures on the hardware HW. The changes to the hardware HW of the mobile network are performed substantially in the field. These include, for. As the installation and adjustment of sector antennas, or to increase radio bearer. Are in step 160, the required parameter settings have been changed by the calculated output data, the optimization of the network is carried out. The method of FIG. 4 can be carried out continuously by the step 160, the step 110 follows (not shown).

p0017The inventive method, such as described above with reference to FIG. 1 and 4 is very simple to carry out, since only the structure of the control loop described by known per se devices (NPT and OMC) is established. According to the invention is thus the device NPT, which serves per se for network planning, used here to optimize the operation that are available in the mobile network.

p0018In Fig. 2, a mobile phone network MRN 'shown in which a loop is constructed by means of wireless connections between the operation and maintenance center OMC and the device NPT.

p0019Thus, the operation and maintenance center OMC as well as the device NPT each contain a transmitter TX and a receiver RX. The operation and maintenance center and the device are connected wirelessly via radio interfaces DL and UL. The analyzers ANL1 and the customer database DBX are connected wirelessly to the device NPT. The control loop in Fig. 2 operates according to the methods described previously (see. Fig. 4), ie the operation and maintenance center OMC, the analyzers ANL1 and the customer database DBX provide input data for the device NPT. From the input data are calculated using the described function of the network model output data sent by the device to the NPT operation and maintenance center as well as to means for changing the hardware HW. In FIG. 2, also is a mobile device MON for monitoring network functions, in particular for monitoring the radio field supply is illustrated. This mobile device MON also supplies input data to the device NPT.

p0020In Fig. 3, a block diagram is shown that shows the schematic structure of the device is intended to illustrate NPT. The device NPT (Network Planning Tool) is one of a processor PROC controlled device. The processor PROC is connected via a data and signaling bus BUS with the following components: an input data interface IFI, with an interface for input / output devices IFT, with a data converter CON, with a circuit NNW, with a database DB and an output data interface circuit IFO ,

p0021Via the input data interface IFI the NPT device receives the input data DIN which are preferably structured according to the X.25 protocol. If the input data DIN to be structured according to a different protocol, so they will be implemented by means of data converter CON in the structure according to the X.25 protocol.

p0022The input data DIN substantially form measurement data that represent the actual condition of the mobile network. From the input data DIN output data DOUT now be calculated for the parameter setting. For this purpose, the processor PROC controls the circuit NW, which is an adaptive, neural network. The input data DIN and the data retrieved from the database DB planning data DNW are in the circuit according to the NNW described function f (DIN, DNW) linked together to calculate the output data DOUT. About the output data interface IFO output data DOUT to the operation and maintenance center and possibly. To other entities for setting of software and hardware parameters are transmitted in the mobile network.

p0023The invention has been described with reference to a designed according to the GSM standard public mobile network. However, also other embodiments conceivable, such as the use of the invention in a private mobile radio network, for. example according to the TETRA standard, or use in a universal mobile telephone network, the so-called UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System).