US-12621762-B2 - Serving cell planning tool

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for serving cell planning. Wireless high-speed internet (HSI) is becoming more popular as an alternative to traditional options due to convenience of installation, among other reasons. However, wireless HSI has some propagation challenges such as requiring a line-of-sight (LOS) with the serving cell as well as significant indoor penetration loss for radio signals operating at higher frequencies. Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) devices are developing that mitigate indoor propagation losses but, in order to be effective, it must be determined whether each application can maintain LOS with a serving cell. An installation tool that evaluates various network factors to advise on viability and installation of CPE and indicate an orientation to face the best serving cell would be a valuable tool to maximize effectiveness of the CPE.

Inventors

• Chad Chun Fai AU

Assignees

• T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231221

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A system for serving cell planning, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media storing computer-usable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: identify a distance from a primary location to a plurality of serving cells within a predetermined area surrounding the primary location; access network data for each of the plurality of serving cells, wherein the network data includes a coverage area for each of the plurality of serving cells; predict a signal strength for each of the plurality of serving cells at the primary location; determine, based on the signal strength predicted for each of the plurality of serving cells at the primary location, a selected serving cell for the primary location; generate a ranking of the plurality of serving cells; and communicate a ranked list with instructions to connect a customer premises equipment (CPE) device to the selected serving cell for the primary location, wherein the instructions include a direction to orient the CPE.
2. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary location is a user equipment (UE) location.
3. 3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary location is a user-provided address.
4. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the selected serving cell has a signal strength higher than each other serving cell of the plurality of serving cells.
5. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to prompt, via a user equipment (UE), to confirm there are no physical obstructions between the primary location and a direction of the selected serving cell.
6. 6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to access topographical data to identify any physical obstructions between the primary location and a direction of the selected serving cell.
7. 7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein physical obstructions comprise one or more of a building, a tree, and a permanent fixture.
8. 8 . A method for serving cell planning, the method comprising: identifying a distance from a primary location to a plurality of serving cells within a predetermined area surrounding the primary location; accessing network data for each of the plurality of serving cells, wherein the network data includes a coverage area for each of the plurality of serving cells; predicting a signal strength for each of the plurality of serving cells at the primary location; determining based on the signal strength predicted for each of the plurality of serving cells at the primary location, a selected serving cell for the primary location; generating a ranking of the plurality of serving cells; and communicating a ranked list with instructions to connect a customer premises equipment (CPE) device to the selected serving cell for the primary location, wherein the instructions include a direction to orient the CPE.
9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the primary location is a user equipment (UE) location.
10. 10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the selected serving cell has a signal strength higher than each other serving cell of the plurality of serving cells.
11. 11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises prompting, via a user equipment (UE), to confirm there are no physical obstructions between the primary location and a direction of the selected serving cell.
12. 12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises accessing topographical data to identify any physical obstructions between the primary location and a direction of the selected serving cell.
13. 13 . A system for serving cell planning, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media storing computer-usable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: identify a distance between a primary location and a plurality of serving cells in a predetermined area to service a customer premises equipment (CPE); access network data for each cell of the plurality of serving cells, wherein the network data comprises a coverage area for each cell of the plurality of serving cells; utilize the distance and the coverage area to predict a signal strength for each cell of the plurality of serving cells; identify a selected serving cell for the CPE at the primary location, wherein the selected serving cell has a signal strength value higher than each cell of the plurality of serving cells; generate a ranking of the plurality of serving cells with the selected serving cell being a highest ranked cell; prompt for confirmation that the CPE is free of physical obstructions in a direction of the selected serving cell; and communicate one or more instructions to connect the CPE to the selected serving cell, wherein the one or more instructions comprises the direction of the selected serving cell in which to orient the CPE.
14. 14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the primary location is a user equipment (UE) location.
15. 15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the primary location is a user-provided address.
16. 16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the selected serving cell has a data throughput value higher than each other serving cell of the plurality of serving cells.
17. 17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to receive a confirmation from a user equipment (UE) that the CPE is free of physical obstructions in the direction of the selected serving cell.
18. 18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to access topographical data to identify any physical obstructions between the primary location and a direction of the selected serving cell.
19. 19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein physical obstructions comprise one or more of a building, a tree, and a permanent fixture.
20. 20 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors is further configured to: receive an indication that the CPE is not free of physical obstructions in a direction of the selected serving cell and re-prioritize the ranking such that a second-highest ranked serving cell is identified as an updated selected serving cell in the ranking.

Description

SUMMARY A high-level overview of various aspects of the present technology is provided in this section to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description section of this disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. In aspects set forth herein, systems and methods are provided for serving cell planning. More particularly, in aspects set forth herein, systems and methods enable serving cell planning utilizing an installation tool that evaluates network parameters to identify a best serving cell for customer premises equipment (CPE) based on a location of the CPE relative to a plurality of serving cells. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Implementations of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein: FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of an exemplary network environment in which implementations of the present disclosure may be employed, in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of an exemplary network environment in which implementations of the present disclosure may be employed, in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for serving cell planning, in accordance with aspects herein; FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for serving cell planning, in accordance with aspects herein; and FIG. 5 depicts a diagram of an exemplary computing environment suitable for use in implementations of the present disclosure, in accordance with aspects herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The subject matter of embodiments of the invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” may be used herein to connote different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly described. Throughout this disclosure, several acronyms and shorthand notations are employed to aid the understanding of certain concepts pertaining to the associated system and services. These acronyms and shorthand notations are intended to help provide an easy methodology of communicating the ideas expressed herein and are not meant to limit the scope of embodiments described in the present disclosure. The following is a list of these acronyms: 3G Third-Generation Wireless Technology4G Fourth-Generation Cellular Communication System5G Fifth-Generation Cellular Communication SystemAMF Access & Mobility Management FunctionAPN Access Point NameCD-ROM Compact Disk Read Only MemoryCDMA Code Division Multiple AccesseNodeB Evolved Node BGIS Geographic/Geographical/Geospatial Information SystemgNodeB Next Generation Node BGPRS General Packet Radio ServiceGSM Global System for Mobile communicationsiDEN Integrated Digital Enhanced NetworkDVD Digital Versatile DiscsEEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only MemoryLED Light Emitting DiodeLTE Long Term EvolutionMIMO Multiple Input Multiple OutputMD Mobile DevicePC Personal ComputerPCF Policy Control FunctionPCS Personal Communications ServicePDA Personal Digital AssistantRAM Random Access MemoryRET Remote Electrical TiltRF Radio-FrequencyRFI Radio-Frequency InterferenceR/N Relay NodeROM Read Only MemorySINR Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise RatioSMF Session Management FunctionSNR Signal-to-noise ratioSON Self-Organizing NetworksTDMA Time Division Multiple AccessTXRU Transceiver (or Transceiver Unit)UDM Unified Data Management FunctionUDR Unified Data RepositoryUE User EquipmentUPF User Plane Function Further, various technical terms are used throughout this description. An illustrative resource that fleshes out various aspects of these terms can be found in Newton's Telecom Dictionary, 32d Edition (2022). As used herein, the term “node” is used to refer to network access technology for the provision of wireless telecommunication services from a base station to one or more electronic devices, such as an eNodeB, gNodeB, etc. Embodiments of the present technology may be embodied as, among other things, a method, system, or computer-program product. Accordingly, the embodiments may take the form of a hardware embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. An embodiment takes the form of a computer-program product that includes computer-useable instructions embodied on one or more computer-re