METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING AN ASSIGNMENT OF FREQUENCIES TO CELLS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

1 . A computer-implemented method for optimizing an assignment of frequencies to cells of a mobile communications network, the cells being distributed for communication within the mobile communications network, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

specifying a set of unplanned cells in the mobile communications network,

specifying for each unplanned cell a set of frequencies to be potentially assigned to this unplanned cell,

calculating frequency interference probabilities of selected cell pairs, wherein each cell pair defines a relation of an unplanned cell to another cell (c) within the mobile communications network,

formulating terms of a stress function, each term connecting a calculated frequency interference probability of a respective cell pair with a frequency relation between the cells of the respective cell pair, and

determining, by using a quantum concept processor, an optimized assignment of frequencies by selecting for each unplanned cell a sub-set of frequencies from the respective set of frequencies, such that the stress function is minimized.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the following steps:

specifying frequency variables, wherein each frequency variable is associated with one cell within the mobile communications network and one frequency for this cell,

formulating the frequency relations in the terms of the stress function as combinations of selected frequency variables, and

calculating the terms of the stress function, by using the quantum concept processor, to set the frequency variables, such that the stress function is minimized.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the terms of the stress function only calculated frequency interference probabilities are considered that are below a predetermined threshold.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed under consideration of a frequency demand condition that each sub-set of frequencies assigned to an unplanned cell has a specified number of frequencies, wherein one frequency is defined as control channel frequency and the other frequencies are defined as traffic channel frequencies.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed under consideration of a frequency combiner distance condition that for each unplanned cell forbidden frequency relations are defined such that the frequencies of the sub-set of frequencies assigned to this cell have frequency relations with a certain channel distance.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed under consideration of a cell neighborhood condition that for those cells which have a determined neighborhood relation forbidden frequency relations between these cells are defined.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is performed under consideration of a frequency interference probability condition that forbidden frequency relations between the cells of those cell pairs are defined whose frequency interference probabilities are above a predetermined threshold.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency relations distinguish between co-channel frequency relations and adjacent channel frequency relations, and

the co-channel frequency relations being formulated for frequencies of a same channel and the adjacent channel frequency relations being formulated for frequencies of adjacent channels.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency relations distinguish between control channel frequencies and traffic channel frequencies.

10 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising the following steps:

specifying frequency variables, wherein each frequency variable is associated with one cell within the mobile communications network and one frequency for this cell,

formulating the frequency relations of the respective condition as terms of selected frequency variables, and

calculating the frequency relations of the respective condition, by using the quantum concept processor, to set the frequency variables, such that the respective frequency relations become zero.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calculated frequency interference probabilities of respective cell pairs distinguish between co-channel frequency interference probabilities and adjacent channel frequency interference probabilities, and

the co-channel frequency interference probabilities being calculated for frequencies of a same channel (co) between the cells of respective cell pairs and the adjacent channel frequency interference probabilities being calculated for frequencies of adjacent channels between the cells of respective cell pairs.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the following steps:

specifying a subset of unplanned cells from the set of unplanned cells,

performing the method for the subset of unplanned cells,

updating the cells in the subset to planned cells with their determined optimized assignment of frequencies, and

iteratively performing the method for the remaining unplanned cells of the set of unplanned cells until all unplanned cells of the set of unplanned cells are processed.

13 . A quantum concept processor configured for performing the steps of the method according to claim 1 .

14 . A computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that, when the program is executed by one or more processors, cause each of the one or more processors to perform the method according to claim 1 .

15 . An interface arrangement comprising one or more interfaces to cells of a mobile communications network, the cells being distributed for communication within the mobile communications network, wherein the interface arrangement is configured to automatically deploy an optimized assignment of frequencies determined by the method according to claim 1 to the cells of the mobile communications network.

16 . The quantum concept processor according to claim 13 , wherein the quantum concept processor is a digital annealing processing unit.

17 . The quantum concept processor according to claim 13 , wherein the quantum concept processor is a quantum annealing processing unit.