Methods and apparatus for estimating wireless network coverage

1. A method of operating a resource allocation management device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station;

estimating, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area;

making a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station;

prior to estimating the first wireless base station coverage area, identifying the UE with the largest timing advance in communication with the first wireless base station; and

determining if the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided in said first UE information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the identified UE having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the identified UE having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, taking into consideration the lowest power headroom information, in addition to the largest timing advance, when determining the first wireless base station coverage area.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first UE information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with the first wireless base station includes information corresponding to multiple UEs, the method further comprising:

in response to determining the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance does not also have the lowest power headroom, processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station includes performing at least one of determining an average timing advance for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station or determining an average power headroom for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein timing advances (TAs) of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station having a timing advance (TA) within a determined range of the average timing advance are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein power headroom values of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station that have a power headroom within a determined range of the average power headroom, and which also have a TA within the determined range of the average TA, are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station;

estimating, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and

making a second resource allocation to the second wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the second wireless base station.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station;

estimating, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and

making a second resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

communicating the first resource allocation to the first wireless base station.

11. A resource allocation management device comprising:

memory;

an input/output interface including at least one receiver and at least one transmitter;

one or more processors that control the resource allocation management device to:

receive, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station;

estimate, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area;

make a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station;

wherein said one or more processors control the resource allocation management device to:

prior to estimating the first wireless base station coverage area, identify the UE with the largest timing advance in communication with the first wireless base station; and

determine if the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided in said first UE information.

12. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said to estimate, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.

13. The resource allocation management device of claim 12 , wherein said to estimate, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, taking into consideration the lowest power headroom information, in addition to the largest timing advance, when determining the first wireless base station coverage area.

14. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 ,

wherein the first UE information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with the first wireless base station includes information corresponding to multiple UEs;

wherein said one or more processors control the resource allocation management device to process the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station in response to determining the UE in communications with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance does not also have the lowest power headroom.

15. The resource allocation management device of claim 14 , wherein said processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station includes performing at least one of determining an average timing advance for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station or determining an average power headroom for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station.

16. The resource allocation management device of claim 15 , wherein timing advances of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station having a timing advance (TA) within a determined range of the average timing advance are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.

17. The resource allocation management device of claim 16 , wherein power headroom values of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station that have a power headroom within a determined range of the average power headroom, and which also have a timing advance within the determined range of the average timing advance, are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.

18. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said one or more processors controls the resource allocation management device to:

receive, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station;

estimate, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and

make a second resource allocation to the second wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the second wireless base station.

19. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said one or more processors controls the resource allocation management device to:

receive, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station;

estimate, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and

make a second resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a resource allocation management device cause the resource allocation management device to perform the steps of:

receiving, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station;

estimating, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area; and

making a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station;

wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the first UE information includes information that a UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.