INTERFERENCE REDUCTION FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK
An apparatus, method and program reduce interference in interfered cell sites of a wireless communications network. A cell site is a region in which wireless communications are provided to mobile devices, and the interfered cell sites being cell sites where mobile devices are subject to interference signals from at least one interfering transmitter. A transmitter is selected from a list of interfering transmitters in need of adjustment and corresponding antennas. A critical zone is determined with respect to the selected transmitter. Parameters of the selected transmitter and the corresponding antenna are altered and performance of the wireless network in the critical zone around the problem transmitter and interference in the cell sites interfered by the problem transmitter are monitored. Altering of the parameters of the transmitter and the corresponding antenna is performed continuously until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the cell sites interfered by the selected transmitter.
1 . A method for reducing interference in interfered cell sites of a wireless communications network, a cell site being a region in which wireless communications are provided to mobile devices, and the interfered cell sites being cell sites where mobile devices are subject to interference signals from at least one interfering transmitter, the method comprising:
selecting a transmitter from a list of interfering transmitters in need of adjustment and corresponding antennas;
determining a critical zone with respect to the selected transmitter;
altering parameters of the selected transmitter and a corresponding antenna; and
monitoring performance of the wireless communications network in the critical zone and interference by signals being transmitted to any interfered cell sites from the selected transmitter,
wherein the altering of the parameters of the selected transmitter and the corresponding antenna is performed continuously until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the interfered cell sites of the wireless communications network.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of interfering transmitters includes the transmitters in need of adjustment and the corresponding antennas in association with ranked signal code measurements for sources included in a list of interfering sources.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring of the performance in the critical zone and the monitoring of the interference by signals being transmitted to the interfered cell sites from the selected transmitter are performed during a critical time period.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
returning to best previous transmitter parameters when it is determined that performance in the critical zone has degraded or based on an amount of interference detected by an interfering transmitter in the interfered cell sites.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of interfering transmitters includes transmitters that have a highest interference power as measured by the mobile devices, transmitters that cause interference in a highest number of mobile devices, transmitters that cause interference in a highest number of cells, or transmitters with a highest weight metric assigned.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameters altered by the altering of the parameters include antenna tilt and transmit power of the selected transmitter.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performance in the critical zone is based on key performance indicators (KPIs).
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein in the KPIs include change in interference power, successful call rate or call traffic increases during a critical time period.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether to alter a parameter of the selected transmitter based on a change in the average ratio of best server power to interferer power (C/I).
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the altering of the parameters for the selected transmitter is performed for all transmitters on the list of interfering transmitters until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the interfered cell sites of the wireless network.
11 . At least one program recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for reducing interference in interfered cell sites of a wireless communications network, a cell site being a region in which wireless communications are provided to mobile devices, and the interfered cell sites being cell sites where mobile devices are subject to interference signals from at least one interfering transmitter, the at least one program causing a computer to perform steps comprising:
selecting a transmitter from a list of interfering transmitters in need of adjustment and corresponding antennas;
determining a critical zone with respect to the selected transmitter;
altering parameters of the selected transmitter and a corresponding antenna; and
monitoring performance of the wireless network in the critical zone and interference by signals being transmitted to any interfered cell sites from the selected transmitter,
wherein the altering of the parameters of the selected transmitter and the corresponding antenna is performed continuously until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the interfered cell sites of the wireless communications network.
12 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein the list of interfering transmitters includes the transmitters in need of adjustment and the corresponding antennas in association with ranked signal code measurements for sources included in a list of interfering sources.
13 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring of the performance in the critical zone and the monitoring of the interference by signals being transmitted to the interfered cell sites from the selected transmitter are performed during a critical time period.
14 . The at least one program of claim 11 , further comprising:
returning to best previous transmitter parameters when it is determined that performance in the critical zone has degraded or based on an amount of interference in the interfered cell sites.
15 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein the list of interfering transmitters includes transmitters that have a highest interference power as measured by the mobile devices, transmitters that cause interference in a highest number of mobile devices, transmitters that cause interference in a highest number of cells, or transmitters with a highest weight metric assigned.
16 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein the parameters altered by the altering of the parameters include antenna tilt and transmit power corresponding to the selected transmitter.
17 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein performance in the critical zone is based on key performance indicators (KPIs).
18 . The at least one program of claim 17 , wherein the KPIs include change in interference power, successful call rate or call traffic increases during a critical time period.
19 . The at least one program of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining whether to alter a parameter of the selected transmitter based on a change in the average ratio of best server power to interferer power (C/I).
20 . The at least one program of claim 11 , wherein the altering of the parameters for the selected transmitter is performed for all transmitters on the list of interfering transmitters until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the interfered cell sites of the wireless network.
21 . An antenna adjustment apparatus for making adjustments to at least one antenna transmitting signals to interfered cell sites of a wireless communications network, a cell site being a region in which wireless communications are provided to mobile devices, and the interfered cell sites being cell sites where mobile devices are subject to interference signals from at least one interfering transmitter, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory, the memory storing at least one interference reduction program for reducing interference in interfered cell sites of a wireless network, wherein at least one transmitter and antenna performs data communication with mobile devices distributed in any of the interfered cell sites, the at least one interference reduction program causing the antenna adjustment apparatus to perform steps comprising:
selecting a transmitter from a list of interfering transmitters in need of adjustment and corresponding antennas;
determining a critical zone with respect to the selected transmitter;
altering parameters of the selected transmitter and a corresponding antenna; and
monitoring performance of the wireless network in the critical zone and interference by signals being transmitted to any of the interfered cell sites from the selected transmitter,
wherein the altering of the parameters of the selected transmitter and the corresponding antenna is performed continuously until a desired interference reduction is achieved in the interfered cell sites of the wireless communications network.
22 . The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the list of interfering transmitters includes the transmitters in need of adjustment and the corresponding antennas in association with ranked signal code measurements for sources included in a list of interfering sources.