Method for deploying a cellular communication network
View Patent ↗Methods and systems are provided for optimizing communication networks, such as cellular communication networks. A super-cell may be configured a communication network, with the super-cell comprising a central cell and at least a part of one cell adjacent to the central cell, with antennas of the super-cell comprising one or more antennas of the adjacent cell, and where the configuring of the super-cell comprises arranging the one or more antennas of the adjacent cell to be directed towards the central cell. The configuring of the super-cell may comprise configuring antennas of the super-cell such that signals from the antennas use at least one same channel resource. The super-cell may be configured to communicate with at least one communication device located within the super-cell without use of any antenna of the central cell of the super-cell.
1. A method, comprising:
configuring a super-cell in a communication network that comprises a plurality of cells, the super-cell comprising one of the plurality of cells that is assigned as a central cell and at least a part of another cell from the plurality of cells, adjacent to the central cell, wherein:
antennas of the super-cell comprise one or more antennas of the adjacent cell; and
the configuring of the super-cell comprises arranging or causing the arrangement of the one or more antennas of the adjacent cell to be directed towards the central cell; and
configuring the antennas of the super-cell to use at least one same channel resource for signals communicated from the antennas of the super-cell, wherein the at least one same channel resource comprises a common channel configured for use in accordance with a time division multiplex, a frequency division multiplex, or a code division multiplex based communication scheme.
2. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring at least one antenna of the central cell of the super-cell to communicate, in coordination or cooperation with antennas of one or more adjacent cells that are part of the super-cell.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the super-cell to communicate with any communication device located within the super-cell without use of any antenna of the central cell of the super-cell.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising replacing, when configuring the super-cell, omnidirectional antennas of a base station of the at least one adjacent cell with directional antennas.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising reconfiguring, when configuring the super-cell, one or more antennas of the at least one adjacent cell to point towards the center of the super-cell.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising deploying in base stations of the at least one adjacent cell separate antennas or antenna arrays associated with the super-cell, wherein the angle or sector covered by the separate antenna or antenna array is adjusted to lie within the super-cell.
7. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the antennas of the super-cell to increase the data rate or to optimize distribution of the data rate in communicating with at least one communication device located within the super-cell, while maintaining transmission power used prior to configuring the one super-cell.
8. The method of claim 7 , comprising optimizing the distribution of the data rate based on maximizing of minimum data rate of communication over a plurality of the communication devices.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the super-cell to increase failure tolerance within the super-cell.
10. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring the super-cell to reduce transmission power of the antennas of the super-cell while maintaining the same quality of service.
11. A system, comprising:
one or more devices for use in a communication network that comprises a plurality of cells, the one or more devices are operable to:
configure and operate a super-cell in the communication network, wherein:
the super-cell comprises one of the plurality of cells that is assigned as a central cell and at least a part of another cell from the plurality of cells, adjacent to the central cell;
antennas of the super-cell comprise one or more antennas of the adjacent cell; and
the one or more antennas of the adjacent cell are arranged to be directed towards the central cell; and
configure the antennas of the super-cell to use at least one same channel resource for signals communicated from the antennas of the super-cell, and wherein the at least one same channel resource comprises a common channel configured for use in accordance with a time division multiplex, a frequency division multiplex, or a code division multiplex based communication scheme.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to configure at least one antenna of the central cell of the super-cell to communicate, in coordination or cooperation with antennas of one or more adjacent cells that are part of the super-cell.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to configure the super-cell to communicate with any communication device located within the super-cell without use of any antenna of the central cell of the super-cell.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein an antenna or antenna array of the central cell of the super-cell comprise an omnidirectional antenna or an omnidirectional antenna array.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein an antenna or antenna array of a base station of the at least one adjacent cell comprise an omnidirectional antenna or an omnidirectional antenna array, and
when configuring the super-cell, the omnidirectional antenna or an omnidirectional antenna array of the base station of the at least one adjacent cell are replaced with directional antennas.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to reconfigure, when configuring the super-cell, one or more antennas of the at least one adjacent cell to point towards the center of the super-cell.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to configure the antennas of the super-cell to increase the data rate or to optimize distribution of the data rate in communicating with at least one communication device located within the super-cell, while maintaining transmission power used prior to configuring the one super-cell.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to optimize the distribution of the data rate based on maximizing of minimum data rate of communication over a plurality of the communication devices.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to configure the super-cell to increase failure tolerance within the super-cell.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more devices are operable to configure the super-cell to reduce transmission power of the antennas of the super-cell while maintaining the same quality of service.