Systems and methods for uplink coverage adaptation

1. A method of operation of a network node to adjust a shape of an uplink coverage for one or more cells in a cellular communications network, comprising:

determining that there is a need to adjust uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells of a plurality of cells in the cellular communications network to adjust the shape of the uplink coverage for the one or more cells, wherein, for each cell of the one or more cells, the uplink beam transformation for the cell is a transformation of received uplink signals for the cell from an antenna domain to a beam domain where determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises:

evaluating a mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and a shape of a downlink coverage of the one or more cells; and

determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells if the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells is more than a predefined threshold; and

upon determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells:

determining new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells; and

applying the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein evaluating the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells comprises evaluating the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells in response to a change in downlink cell shaping for at least one of the one or more cells.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells such that the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells reduce or minimize the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells from a plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations such that the new uplink beam transformations are uplink beam transformations from the plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations that provide a best match between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising, after applying the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells:

determining that a remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells is greater than a predefined threshold; and

upon determining that the remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells is greater than a predefined threshold:

computing second new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells that reduce or minimize the remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells; and

applying the second new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises computing the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells from a plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations such that the new uplink beam transformations reduce or minimize the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises:

evaluating a mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and a geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells; and

determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells if the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells is more than a predefined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells such that the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells reduce or minimize the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells from a plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations such that the new uplink beam transformations are uplink beam transformations from the plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations that provide a best match between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, after applying the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells:

determining that a remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells is greater than a predefined threshold; and

upon determining that the remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells is greater than a predefined threshold:

computing second new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells that reduce or minimize the remaining mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells; and

applying the second new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein determining the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises computing the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells from a plurality of predetermined uplink beam transformations such that the new uplink beam transformations reduce or minimize the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the geographical distribution of uplink traffic of the one or more cells.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

evaluating whether there is a need to perform one or more handovers, one or more Coordinated Multi-Point, CoMP, set changes, and/or one or more carrier aggregation configuration changes for the one or more cells; and

performing one or more handovers, one or more CoMP set changes, and/or one or more carrier aggregation configuration changes for the one or more cells upon determining that there is a need to perform one or more handovers, one or more CoMP set changes, and/or one or more carrier aggregation configuration changes for the one or more cells.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the network node is a core network node of the cellular communications network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein applying the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises configuring the one or more cells to use the new uplink beam transformations when processing uplink signals on the one or more cells.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the network node is a radio access node of the cellular communications network, and the one or more cells are one or more cells served by the radio access node.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein applying the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises applying the new uplink beam transformations locally at the radio access node when processing uplink signals on the one or more cells.

17. A network node for adjusting a shape of an uplink coverage for one or more cells in a cellular communications network, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors whereby the network node is operable to:

determine that there is a need to adjust uplink beam transformations for one or more cells of a plurality of cells in the cellular communications network, wherein, for each cell of the one or more cells, the uplink beam transformation for the cell is a transformation of received uplink signals for the cell from an antenna domain to a beam domain where determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells comprises being operable to:

evaluate a mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and a shape of a downlink coverage of the one or more cells; and

determine that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells if the mismatch between the shape of the uplink coverage of the one or more cells and the shape of the downlink coverage of the one or more cells is more than a predefined threshold; and

upon determining that there is a need to adjust the uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells:

determine new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells; and

apply the new uplink beam transformations for the one or more cells.