FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
“METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RESTORING WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION SERVICE IN A CELLULAR NETWORK”
We, Jio Platforms Limited, an Indian National, of Office - 101, Saffron, Nr.
Centre Point, Panchwati 5 Rasta, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad - 380006, Gujarat, India.
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in
which it is to be performed.
2
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR RESTORING WIRELESS
COMMUNICATION SERVICE IN A CELLULAR NETWORK
FIELD OF INVENTION
5
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to network
performance management systems. More particularly, embodiments of the present
disclosure relate to methods and systems for restoring wireless communication
service in a cellular network.
10
BACKGROUND
[0002] The following description of the related art is intended to provide
background information pertaining to the field of the disclosure. This section may
15 include certain aspects of the art that may be related to various features of the
present disclosure. However, it should be appreciated that this section is used only
to enhance the understanding of the reader with respect to the present disclosure,
and not as admissions of the prior art.
20 [0003] Wireless communication technology has rapidly evolved over the past few
decades, with each generation bringing significant improvements and
advancements. The first-generation of wireless communication technology was
based on analog technology and offered only voice services. However, with the
advent of the second-generation (2G) technology, digital communication and data
25 services became possible, and text messaging was introduced. The third-generation
(3G) technology marked the introduction of high-speed internet access, mobile
video calling, and location-based services. The fourth-generation (4G) technology
revolutionized wireless communication with faster data speeds, better network
coverage, and improved security. Currently, the fifth-generation (5G) technology is
30 being deployed, promising even faster data speeds, low latency, and the ability to
connect multiple devices simultaneously. With each generation, wireless
3
communication technology has become more advanced, sophisticated, and capable
of delivering more services to its users.
[0004] An antenna within the telecommunication network provides the
telecommunications services by enabling 5 communication with user devices present
in a geographical region. Within the telecommunication networks, there are various
antennas which provides such services, and the geographical regions which is
covered by these antennas may be called as a coverage area of the network. In such
geographical regions, due to certain blockage, signal disruptions, the coverage area
10 may be affected which may cause coverage holes. In order to cover such areas
additional antennas are provided to cover such areas.
[0005] Generally, a temporary coverage hole may be created when an antenna
serving a geographical area malfunctions. In the temporary coverage hole, a user
15 equipment loses cellular signal due to an unavailable antenna serving the
geographical area of temporary coverage hole. An antenna can become unavailable
to serve the geographical area if said antenna has malfunctioned or due to an ongoing
alarm that needs to be resolved before resuming services or due to outage for
any other reason. Such problems are generally transient and negatively impacts
20 customer experience. Currently, there are no known solutions to promptly restore
service in temporary coverage hole due to unavailable antenna.
[0006] Thus, there exists an imperative need in the art for a system and a method
for promptly restoring service in temporary coverage hole created by unavailable
25 antenna, which the present disclosure aims to address.
SUMMARY
[0007] This section is provided to introduce certain aspects of the present disclosure
30 in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description.
4
This summary is not intended to identify the key features or the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a method for restoring
wireless communication service in 5 a cellular network. The method comprises
detecting, by a detection unit, one or more failures within the cellular network using
dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The method further
comprises identifying, by a processing unit, at least one outage cell based on the
detected one or more failures. Then the method comprises obtaining, by a
10 transceiver unit, a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at least
one outage cell. The method comprises processing, by a determination unit, the
obtained data to determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring
cells based on the one or more failures, wherein the set of target actions comprises
one of at least a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a
15 handover adjustment action. The method further comprises triggering, by a
triggering unit, one or more target actions from the set of target actions at the one
or more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or more failures.
[0009] In an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more failures
20 are at least one of one or more hardware failures and one or more software failures,
and wherein the one or more failures are detected by the detection unit based on a
continuous monitoring of at least one critical alarms and service affecting alarms
associated with the cellular network.
25 [0010] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more
failures are associated with at least a temporary coverage hole.
[0011] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprising adjusting, by the triggering unit, one or more parameters of the one or
30 more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions.
5
[0012] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method further
comprises monitoring, by the processing unit, a status of the at least one outage cell
post an adjustment of one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells
based on the one or more target action. Then the method comprises detecting, by
the detection unit, an indication 5 of the resolution of the one or more failures based
on the monitoring of the status. Then the method comprises readjusting, by the
triggering unit, the one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells
based on the indication.
10 [0013] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the data of the one or
more neighboring cells is obtained from a High Ranked Physical Neighbors table
list.
[0014] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more target
15 actions from the set of target actions is determined based on the one or more failures
associated with the at least one outage cell.
[0015] Another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a system for restoring
wireless communication service in a cellular network. The system comprises a
20 detection unit, a processing unit, a transceiver unit, a determination unit, and a
triggering unit connected to each other. The detection unit is configured to detect
one or more failures within the cellular network using dedicated Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs). The processing unit is configured to identify at
least one outage cell based on the detected one or more failures. The transceiver
25 unit is configured to obtain a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with
the at least one outage cell. The determination unit is configured to process the
obtained data to determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring
cells based on the one or more failures. The set of target actions comprises one of
at least a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a
30 handover adjustment action. The triggering unit is configured to trigger one or more
6
target actions from the set of target actions at the one or more neighboring cells to
mitigate the one or more failures.
[0016] Yet another aspect of the present disclosure may relate to a non-transitory
computer readable 5 storage medium storing instructions for restoring the wireless
communication service in the cellular network. The instructions include executable
code which, when executed by one or more units of a system, causes a detection
unit of the system to detect one or more failures within the cellular network using
dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Further, the instructions
10 include executable code which, when executed, causes a processing unit to identify
at least one outage cell based on the detected one or more failures. Further, the
instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a transceiver
unit to obtain a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at least
one outage cell. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when
15 executed, causes a determination unit to process the obtained data to determine a
set of target actions for the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more
failures, wherein the set of target actions comprises one of at least a Remote
Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a handover adjustment
action. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when executed,
20 causes a triggering unit to trigger one or more target actions from the set of target
actions at the one or more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or more failures.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
25 [0017] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one
embodiment disclosed herein satisfies are listed herein below.
[0018] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for
restoring wireless communication service in a cellular network.
30
7
[0019] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a system and a
method for promptly restoring service in temporary coverage hole created by
unavailable antenna.
[0020] It is yet another 5 object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
ensures stability.
[0021] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
enhances user experience, even after an antenna is unavailable.
10
[0022] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
maintains high levels of service quality, even after an antenna is unavailable.
[0023] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
15 reduces business loss due to unavailability of a network, even after an antenna is
unavailable.
[0024] It is yet another object of the present disclosure to provide a solution that
optimizes a remote electrical tilt (RET) of neighbouring antennae around
20 unavailable antenna to finely adjust coverage and eliminate temporary coverage
hole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
25 [0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein, and constitute
a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosed methods
and systems in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the
different drawings. Components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present
30 disclosure. Also, the embodiments shown in the figures are not to be construed as
limiting the disclosure, but the possible variants of the method and system
8
according to the disclosure are illustrated herein to highlight the advantages of the
disclosure. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that disclosure of such
drawings includes disclosure of electrical components or circuitry commonly used
to implement such components.
5
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture system diagram representation
of an environment used for restoring wireless communication service in a cellular
network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present disclosure;
10 [0027] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device upon
which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in accordance with
exemplary implementation of the present disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a system for restoring the
15 wireless communication service in the cellular network, in accordance with
exemplary implementations of the present disclosure; and
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a method flow diagram for restoring the wireless
communication service in the cellular network, in accordance with exemplary
20 implementations of the present disclosure.
[0030] The foregoing shall be more apparent from the following more detailed
description of the disclosure.
25 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of
embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that
30 embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific
details. Several features described hereafter may each be used independently of one
9
another or with any combination of other features. An individual feature may not
address any of the problems discussed above or might address only some of the
problems discussed above.
[0032] The ensuing description 5 provides exemplary embodiments only, and is not
intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the disclosure. Rather,
the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in
the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment.
It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and
10 arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the
disclosure as set forth.
[0033] Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough
understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by one of
15 ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these
specific details. For example, circuits, systems, processes, and other components
may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the
embodiments in unnecessary detail.
20 [0034] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", "primary", "secondary",
"target" and the like, herein do not denote any order, ranking, quantity, or
importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.
[0035] Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process
25 which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flow diagram, a structure
diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as
a sequential process, many of the operations may be performed in parallel or
concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process
may be terminated when its operations are completed but could also have additional
30 steps that may not be included in the figures.
10
[0036] The word “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is used herein to mean
serving as an example, instance, or illustration. For the avoidance of doubt, the
subject matter disclosed herein is not limited by such examples. In addition, any
aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” and/or “demonstrative” is not
necessarily to be construed as preferred 5 or advantageous over other aspects or
designs, nor is it meant to preclude equivalent exemplary structures and techniques
known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms
“includes,” “has,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed
description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive—in a manner
10 similar to the term “comprising” as an open transition word—without precluding
any additional or other elements.
[0037] As used herein, a “processing unit” or “processor” or “operating processor”
includes one or more processors, wherein processor refers to any logic circuitry for
15 processing instructions. A processor may be a general-purpose processor, a special
purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality
of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a Digital
Signal Processing (DSP) core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific
Integrated Circuits, Field Programmable Gate Array circuits, any other type of
20 integrated circuits, etc. The processor may perform signal coding data processing,
input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the working of
the system according to the present disclosure. More specifically, the processor or
processing unit is a hardware processor.
25 [0038] As used herein, “a user equipment”, “a user device”, “a smart-user-device”,
“a smart-device”, “an electronic device”, “a mobile device”, “a handheld device”,
“a wireless communication device”, “a mobile communication device”, “a
communication device” may be any electrical, electronic and/or computing device
or equipment, capable of implementing the features of the present disclosure. The
30 user equipment/device may include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, smart
phone, laptop, a general-purpose computer, desktop, personal digital assistant,
11
tablet computer, wearable device or any other computing device which is capable
of implementing the features of the present disclosure. Also, the user device may
contain at least one input means configured to receive an input from unit(s) which
are required to implement the features of the present disclosure.
5
[0039] As used herein, “storage unit” or “memory unit” refers to a machine or
computer-readable medium including any mechanism for storing information in a
form readable by a computer or similar machine. For example, a computer-readable
medium includes read-only memory (“ROM”), random access memory (“RAM”),
10 magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices or other
types of machine-accessible storage media. The storage unit stores at least the data
that may be required by one or more units of the system to perform their respective
functions.
15 [0040] As used herein “interface” or “user interface refers to a shared boundary
across which two or more separate components of a system exchange information
or data. The interface may also be referred to a set of rules or protocols that define
communication or interaction of one or more modules or one or more units with
each other, which also includes the methods, functions, or procedures that may be
20 called.
[0041] All modules, units, components used herein, unless explicitly excluded
herein, may be software modules or hardware processors, the processors being a
general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a
25 digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller,
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array
circuits (FPGA), any other type of integrated circuits, etc.
30 [0042] As used herein the transceiver unit include at least one receiver and at least
one transmitter configured respectively for receiving and transmitting data, signals,
12
information or a combination thereof between units/components within the system
and/or connected with the system.
[0043] As discussed in the background section, the current known solutions have
several shortcomings. The 5 present disclosure aims to overcome the abovementioned
and other existing problems in this field of technology by providing
method and system for restoring wireless communication service in a cellular
network.
10 [0044] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture system diagram representation
of an environment [100] used for restoring wireless communication service in a
cellular network, in accordance with exemplary implementations of the present
disclosure. As depicted in the FIG. 1, the environment [100] comprises a Telecom
Network Management (TNM) platform [102], a master database (MDB) system
15 [104], a fault management (FM) system [106], a performance management (PM)
system [108], and a configuration management (CM) system [110].
[0045] The TNM platform [102] is a platform for end-to-end telecom network
management. It may be built on top of a state-of-the-art big data architecture
20 touching upon every aspect of the network from the core to the radio and even the
business functions of a telecom service provider. The TNM platform [102]
facilitates cross-functional operations by the means of a robust microservices based
workflow architecture that is infinitely scalable. The TNM platform [102] may
deploy multiple algorithms to support closed loop automation for full-fledged life
25 cycle of planning, deploying and maintaining operations of radio access network.
The TNM platform [102] provides the analysis of individual customer experience
both for its high-speed internet usage as well as for voice service usage.
[0046] The master database (MDB) [104] may be connected to the TNM platform
30 [102] via an interface such as an MDB interface. The MDB [104] is used for various
geographical parameters and physical parameters, that are related to the database
13
which is used for cells and cell sites that are available in the network. Further, the
MDB [104] is connected with the TNM platform [102] over a TNM-MDB interface
as shown in FIG. 1.
[0047] The FM system [106] may be a 5 component responsible for management of
fault management data such as service affecting alarms. The FM system [106] may
be connected to the TNM platform [102] via an interface such as an TNM-FM
interface. The PM system [108] may be a component responsible for management
of performance management data such as PR Utilisation, RRC users, active users,
10 total traffic (both uplink and downlink). The PM system [108] may be connected to
the TNM platform [102] via an interface such as an TNM-FM interface. The CM
system [110] may be a component responsible for management of configuration
data such as cell administrative state. The CM system [110] may be connected to
the TNM platform [102] via an interface such as an TNM-CM interface.
15
[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing device [200]
upon which the features of the present disclosure may be implemented in
accordance with exemplary implementation of the present disclosure. In an
implementation, the computing device [200] may also implement a method for
20 restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular network utilising the
system [300]. In another implementation, the computing device [200] itself
implements the method for restoring the wireless communication service in the
cellular network using one or more units configured within the computing device
[200], wherein said one or more units are capable of implementing the features as
25 disclosed in the present disclosure.
[0049] The computing device [200] may include a bus [202] or other
communication mechanism for communicating information, and a hardware
processor [204] coupled with bus [202] for processing information. The hardware
30 processor [204] may be, for example, a general-purpose microprocessor. The
computing device [200] may also include a main memory [206], such as a random14
access memory (RAM), or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus [202]
for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor [204]. The
main memory [206] also may be used for storing temporary variables or other
intermediate information during execution of the instructions to be executed by the
processor [204]. Such instructions, 5 when stored in non-transitory storage media
accessible to the processor [204], render the computing device [200] into a specialpurpose
machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the
instructions. The computing device [200] further includes a read only memory
(ROM) [208] or other static storage device coupled to the bus [202] for storing static
10 information and instructions for the processor [204].
[0050] A storage device [210], such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state
drive is provided and coupled to the bus [202] for storing information and
instructions. The computing device [200] may be coupled via the bus [202] to a
15 display [212], such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), Liquid crystal Display (LCD),
Light Emitting Diode (LED) display, Organic LED (OLED) display, etc. for
displaying information to a computer user. An input device [214], including
alphanumeric and other keys, touch screen input means, etc. may be coupled to the
bus [202] for communicating information and command selections to the processor
20 [204]. Another type of user input device may be a cursor controller [216], such as a
mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicating direction
information and command selections to the processor [204], and for controlling
cursor movement on the display [212]. The input device typically has two degrees
of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allow
25 the device to specify positions in a plane.
[0051] The computing device [200] may implement the techniques described
herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware
and/or program logic which in combination with the computing device [200] causes
30 or programs the computing device [200] to be a special-purpose machine.
According to one implementation, the techniques herein are performed by the
15
computing device [200] in response to the processor [204] executing one or more
sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory [206]. Such
instructions may be read into the main memory [206] from another storage medium,
such as the storage device [210]. Execution of the sequences of instructions
contained in the main memory [5 206] causes the processor [204] to perform the
process steps described herein. In alternative implementations of the present
disclosure, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with
software instructions.
10 [0052] The computing device [200] also may include a communication interface
[218] coupled to the bus [202]. The communication interface [218] provides a twoway
data communication coupling to a network link [220] that is connected to a
local network [222]. For example, the communication interface [218] may be an
integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or
15 a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of
telephone line. As another example, the communication interface [218] may be a
local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a
compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such
implementation, the communication interface [218] sends and receives electrical,
20 electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing
various types of information.
[0053] The computing device [200] can send messages and receive data, including
program code, through the network(s), the network link [220] and the
25 communication interface [218]. In the Internet example, a server [230] might
transmit a requested code for an application program through the Internet [228], the
ISP [226], the local network [222], a host [224] and the communication interface
[218]. The received code may be executed by the processor [204] as it is received,
and/or stored in the storage device [210], or other non-volatile storage for later
30 execution.
16
[0054] Referring to FIG. 3, an exemplary block diagram of a system [300] for
restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular network, is shown, in
accordance with the exemplary implementations of the present disclosure. The
system [300] may comprise at least one detection unit [302], at least one processing
unit [304], at least one transceiver 5 unit [306], at least one determination unit [308],
and/or at least one triggering unit [310]. Also, all of the components/ units of the
system [300] are assumed to be connected to each other unless otherwise indicated
below. As shown in FIG.3, all units shown within the system [300] should also be
assumed to be connected to each other. Also, in FIG. 3 only a few units are shown,
10 however, the system [300] may comprise multiple such units or the system [300]
may comprise any such numbers of said units, as required to implement the features
of the present disclosure. Further, in an implementation, the system [300] may be
present in a user device/ user equipment to implement the features of the present
disclosure. The system [300] may be a part of the user device/ or may be
15 independent of but in communication with the user device (may also referred herein
as a UE). In another implementation, the system [300] may reside in a server or a
network entity. In yet another implementation, the system [300] may reside partly
in the server/ network entity and partly in the user device.
20 [0055] The system [300] is configured for restoring the wireless communication
service in the cellular network, with the help of the interconnection between the
components/units of the system [300]. In an example, the system [300] is
configured for restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular network,
with the help of the interconnection between the components/ units of the
25 environment [100].
[0056] As would be understood, the cellular network may generally refer to a
telecommunication network provided specifically for the cell phones, however as
per the present disclosure, the cellular network may refer to the telecommunication
30 network as a whole. Further, the wireless communication service may refer to one
or more services provided over the wireless communication network such as the
17
telecommunication network, and the one or more services may be such as enabling
communication using voice calls, video calls, internet accessibility, value added
services, etc.
[0057] It may be 5 noted that the wireless communication service may be disrupted
due to presence of certain issues and errors, and such interruption in providing the
wireless communication service are required to be resolved in order to maintain
continuity of the wireless communication service. Thus, in order to maintain the
continuity of the wireless communication service, the present disclosure focuses on
10 the restoration of the wireless communication service in the cellular network.
[0058] In operation, for restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular
network, the detection unit [302] detects one or more failures within the cellular
network using dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). As would be
15 understood, the one or more failures may refer to the issues associated with errors
and crashes caused in the cellular network. Further, the dedicated APIs may refer to
a specific set of APIs that may be used for receiving information associated with
detection of the one or more failures. As would be understood, the APIs may refer
to a mechanism that enables two software components to communicate with each
20 other using a set of definitions and protocols. In an example, the one or more
failures are detected using the Fault Management (FM) module [106] using the
dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). For example, one or more
failures may be detected based on a presence of alarm, error events, etc.
25 [0059] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more
failures are at least one of one or more hardware failures and one or more software
failures. The one or more failures are detected by the detection unit [302] based on
a continuous monitoring of at least one critical alarms and service affecting alarms
associated with the cellular network. In an example, the one or more failures may
30 be detected using the FM module [106]. The one or more failures may be caused
due to issues with either the hardware components or the software components
18
present within the network. The issues with the hardware components which may
result in failure may be termed as the one or more hardware failures. Such hardware
issues may be detected when the one or more critical alarms and service affecting
alarms are raised which indicates critical problems in the hardware components.
The issues with the software components which 5 may result in failure may be termed
as the one or more software failures. Such software issues may be detected when
the one or more service affecting alarms may be raised which indicates that the one
or more services provided by the software components are affected and are unable
to function properly.
10
[0060] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more
failures may be associated with at least a temporary coverage hole. The association
of the one or more failures with the at least a temporary coverage hole may indicate
that due to the one or more failures there would be a formation of a coverage hole.
15 As would be understood, the “coverage hole” is an area where the signal level,
indicated by signal to noise ratio (SNR) or signal to noise plus interference ratio
(SINR) of both serving and allowed neighbor cells, is below the level needed to
maintain basic service (signaling radio bearer (SRB) & downlink (DL) common
channels), i.e. coverage of physical downlink coverage channel (PDCCH).
20 Similarly, the temporary coverage hole may refer to a coverage hole which may be
formed for a limited period of time.
[0061] Continuing further, after the one or more failures are detected, the
processing unit [304] identifies at least one outage cell based on the detected one or
25 more failures. As would be understood, the at least one outage cell may refer to the
cell or the base station or the antenna which may be unable to perform and provide
the wireless communication services in the designated region of that cell. The at
least one outage cells may be identified based on a detection of an absence of
coverage in a particular region as may be indicated by the temporary coverage hole.
30
19
[0062] On identification of the at least one outage cell, the transceiver unit [306]
obtains a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at least one
outage cell. The one or more neighboring cells may refer to one or more cells that
may surround the at least one outage cells and may be able to provide wireless
communication service in place of the at least 5 one outage cells. The data of one or
more neighboring cells may, for example, be an availability information associated
with availability of resources with a particular cell, a capability information, a
geolocation information, etc. The data of the one or more neighboring cells may be
used for analyzing if the neighboring cell is capable of covering the temporary
10 coverage hole in order to provide wireless communication services within the
region in the temporary coverage hole. In an example, the transceiver unit [306]
may obtain the data of one or more neighboring cells from the Performance
Management (PM) system [108]. Since, the PM system [108] may comprise
information associated with the performance of the cells or antennas, the
15 information or the data of the one or more neighboring cells may be present with
the PM system [108] and may be fetched from the PM system [108].
[0063] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the data of the
one or more neighboring cells may be obtained from a High Ranked Physical
20 Neighbors table list. The High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list may refer to a
list of cell sites which may be located in the neighborhood of the at least one outage
cell based on a ranking, where the nearest cell sites may be ranked highest and the
cell sites that are far are ranked lower. In an example, the one or more neighboring
cells may be obtained from the High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list which
25 may be present within the PM system [108].
[0064] Continuing further, the determination unit [308] processes the obtained data
to determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring cells based on
the one or more failures. The processing of the obtained data to determine the set
30 of target actions may be done based on a comparison of the one or more failures
with a mapping of the set of target actions. The mapping of the set of target actions
20
may refer to a database which includes a list of actions that may be required to be
performed in case of such one or more failures and may also be pre-stored in a
storage. The set of target actions may include a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action,
a power adjustment action, a handover adjustment action, and may also include
other actions which may be 5 obvious to a person skilled the art, that may also be
applicable for correcting the one or more failures and providing the wireless
network service in the regions covered by the coverage hole or the temporary
coverage hole. In an example, the RET action may refer to an action of
electronically changing the tilt angles of one or more antennas which may be
10 performed using the Remote Electrical Tilting Application Part (RETAP) based on
certain elementary procedures. The power adjustment action may refer to an action
for adjusting the levels of power that may be provided to a particular antenna which
may be adjusted for accommodating the temporary coverage hole. The handover
adjustment may refer to an adjustment in which the user equipment falling within
15 the temporary coverage hole that may be connected to the at least one outage cell
and may be required to be handover to the one or more neighboring cells to enable
connection for providing the wireless communication service. Further, other actions
may be included within the scope of the present disclosure, which may be indicative
of fulfilling the temporary coverage hole and may not be considered to be limiting
20 the scope of the set of target actions.
[0065] After the obtained data has been processed, then the triggering unit [310]
triggers one or more target actions from the set of target actions at the one or more
neighboring cells to mitigate the one or more failures. As provided above, the one
25 or more target actions may refer to the selected actions which may be performed
based on the requirement for mitigating the one or more failures. In an example, the
one or more target actions may be triggered via the Configuration Management
(CM) system [110] at the one or more neighboring cells. In an example, the
triggering unit [310] may send a message or a request for triggering the one or more
30 target actions to the CM system [110]. Such target actions may be able to mitigate
21
the issues caused by the one or more failures, by providing the wireless network
services in the temporary coverage holes.
[0066] In an implementation of the present disclosure, the triggering unit [310] may
adjust one or more parameters 5 of the one or more neighboring cells based on the
one or more target actions. The one or more parameters of the one or more
neighboring cells may refer to parameters for example, a coverage area, a signal
strength, managing network traffic, etc.
10 [0067] In another implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more target
actions from the set of target actions may be determined based on the one or more
failures associated with the at least one outage cell. As provided above the set of
target actions may comprise various actions, but to select the best action for a
particular scenario the target actions are required to be determined. For
15 determination of such actions, the reasons for failures as provided in the one or
more failures may be detected. For example, in case the one or more failure was
caused due to the one or more hardware failures such as due to overload, then in
such cases, the neighboring cell sites may provide additional coverage to
accommodate the network traffic overload and help mitigate the one or more
20 failures in such cases. Similarly, in another case, due to a hardware issue in the
antenna at the cell site, a particular region may not be able to be provided with the
wireless network services. In order to provide network services in such regions, the
neighboring cell sites may provide coverage by performing RET action and after
tiling towards that particular region, the neighboring cell may provide services in
25 that region, thereby mitigating the one or more failures.
[0068] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the processing unit
[304] monitors (or continuously monitors) a status of the at least one outage cell
post an adjustment of one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells
30 based on the one or more target actions. As used herein, the status may refer to a
performance indicator of the at least one outage cell, which may be used to indicate
22
the health/ existence of the one or more failures associated with the at least one
outage cell. The status is continuously monitored in order to analyze if the one or
more failures of the at least one outage cell has been resolved or not resolved yet.
Based on the monitoring of the status, when the detection unit [302] detects an
indication of the resolution of the one or 5 more failures, then in such cases, the
triggering unit [310] may readjust the one or more parameters of the one or more
neighboring cells based on the indication. The indication may provide that the
resolution of the one or more failures at the at least one outage cell has been resolved
and the same may be able to function normally. The readjusting action of the
10 triggering unit [310] may refer to the reverting action of the target actions that were
performed earlier when the mitigating of the one or more failures were performed.
For example, in case the neighboring cells were tilted towards the temporary
coverage hole, then in such cases, the RET action may be performed again for
revering the tilt of the antenna in the former state that was before the mitigating
15 actions were performed by the triggering unit [310].
[0069] Referring to FIG. 4, an exemplary method flow diagram [400] for restoring
the wireless communication service in the cellular network, in accordance with
exemplary implementations of the present disclosure is shown. In an
20 implementation the method [400] is performed by the system [300]. Further, in an
implementation, the system [300] may be present in a server device to implement
the features of the present disclosure. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the method [400]
starts at step [402].
25 [0070] As would be understood, the cellular network may generally refer to a
telecommunication network provided specifically for the cell phones, however as
per the present disclosure, the cellular network may refer to the telecommunication
network as a whole. Further, the wireless communication service may refer to one
or more services provided over the wireless communication network such as the
30 telecommunication network, and the one or more services may be such as enabling
communication using voice calls, video calls, internet accessibility, value added
23
services, etc. It may be noted that the wireless communication service may be
disrupted due to presence of certain issues and errors, and such interruption in
providing the wireless communication service are required to be resolved in order
to maintain continuity of the wireless communication service. Thus, in order to
maintain the continuity 5 of the wireless communication service, the present
disclosure focuses on the restoration of the wireless communication service in the
cellular network.
[0071] In operation, for restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular
10 network, at step [404], the method [400] involves detecting, by a detection unit
[302], one or more failures within the cellular network using dedicated Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs). As would be understood, the one or more failures
may refer to the issues associated with errors and crashes caused in the cellular
network. Further, the dedicated APIs may refer to a specific set of APIs that may be
15 used for receiving information associated with detection of the one or more failures.
As would be understood, the APIs may refer to a mechanism that enables two
software components to communicate with each other using a set of definitions and
protocols. In an example, the one or more failures are detected using the Fault
Management (FM) module [106] using the dedicated Application Programming
20 Interfaces (APIs).
[0072] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more
failures are at least one of one or more hardware failures and one or more software
failures. The one or more failures are detected by the detection unit [302] based on
25 a continuous monitoring of at least one critical alarms and service affecting alarms
associated with the cellular network. In an example, the one or more failures may
be detected using the FM module [106]. The one or more failures may be caused
due to issues with either the hardware components or the software components
present within the network. The issues with the hardware components which may
30 result in failure may be termed as the one or more hardware failures. Such hardware
issues may be detected when the one or more critical alarms and service affecting
24
alarms are raised which indicates critical problems in the hardware components.
The issues with the software components which may result in failure may be termed
as the one or more software failures. Such software issues may be detected when
the one or more service affecting alarms may be raised which indicates that the one
or more services provided by the software components 5 are affected and are unable
to function properly.
[0073] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more
failures may be associated with at least a temporary coverage hole. The association
10 of the one or more failures with the at least a temporary coverage hole may indicate
that due to the one or more failures there would be a formation of a coverage hole.
As would be known the “coverage hole” is an area where the signal level, indicated
by signal to noise ratio (SNR) or signal to noise plus interference ratio (SINR) of
both serving and allowed neighbor cells, is below the level needed to maintain basic
15 service (signaling radio bearer (SRB) & downlink (DL) common channels), i.e.
coverage of physical downlink coverage channel (PDCCH). Similarly, the
temporary coverage hole may refer to a coverage hole which may be formed for a
limited period of time.
20 [0074] Continuing further, after the one or more failures are detected, at step [406],
the method [400] involves identifying, by a processing unit [304], at least one
outage cell based on the detected one or more failures. As would be understood, the
at least one outage cell may refer to the cell or the base station or the antenna which
may be unable to perform and provide the wireless communication services in the
25 designated region of that cell. The at least one outage cells may be detected based
on a detection of an absence of coverage in a particular region as may be indicated
by the temporary coverage hole.
[0075] On identification of the at least one outage cell, at step [408], the method
30 [400] involves obtaining, by a transceiver unit [306], a data of one or more
neighboring cells associated with the at least one outage cell. The data of one or
25
more neighboring cells may, for example, be an availability information associated
with availability of resources with a particular cell, a capability information, a
geolocation information, etc. The data of the one or more neighboring cells may be
used for analyzing if the neighboring cell is capable of covering the temporary
coverage hole in order to provide 5 wireless communication services within the
region in the temporary coverage hole. In an example, the transceiver unit [306]
may obtain the data of one or more neighboring cells from the Performance
Management (PM) system [108]. Since, the PM system [108] may comprise
information associated with the performance of the cells or antennas, the
10 information or the data of the one or more neighboring cells may be present with
the PM system [108] and may be fetched from the PM system [108].
[0076] In an exemplary implementation of the present disclosure, the data of the
one or more neighboring cells may be obtained from a High Ranked Physical
15 Neighbors table list. The High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list may refer to a
list of cell sites which may be located in the neighborhood of the at least one outage
cell based on a ranking, where the nearest cell sites may be ranked highest and the
cell sites that are far are ranked lower. In an example, the one or more neighboring
cells may be obtained from the High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list which
20 may be present within the PM system [108].
[0077] Continuing further, at step [410], the method [400] involves processing, by
a determination unit [308], the obtained data to determine a set of target actions for
the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more failures. The set of
25 target actions may include a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power
adjustment action, a handover adjustment action, and may also include other actions
which may be obvious to a person skilled the art, that may also be applicable for
correcting the one or more failures and providing the wireless network service in
the regions covered by the coverage hole or the temporary coverage hole. In an
30 example, the RET action may refer to an action of electronically changing the tilt
angles of one or more antennas which may be performed using the Remote
26
Electrical Tilting Application Part (RETAP) based on certain elementary
procedures. The power adjustment action may refer to an action for adjusting the
levels of power that may be provided to a particular antenna which may be adjusted
for accommodating the temporary coverage hole. The handover adjustment may
refer to an adjustment in which 5 the user equipment falling within the temporary
coverage hole that may be connected to the at least one outage cell and may b
required to be handover to the one or more neighboring cells to enable connection
for providing the wireless communication service. Further, other actions may be
included within the scope of the present disclosure, which may be indicative of
10 fulfilling the temporary coverage hole and may not be considered to be limiting the
scope of the set of target actions.
[0078] After the obtained data has been processed, then at step [412], the method
[400] involves triggering, by a triggering unit [310], one or more target actions from
15 the set of target actions at the one or more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or
more failures. As provided above, the one or more target actions may refer to the
selected actions which may be performed based on the requirement for mitigating
the one or more failures. In an example, the one or more target actions may be
triggered via the Configuration Management (CM) system [110] at the one or more
20 neighboring cells. Such target actions may be able to mitigate the issues caused by
the one or more failures, by providing the wireless network services in the
temporary coverage holes.
[0079] In an implementation of the present disclosure, the method [400] further
25 comprises adjusting, by the triggering unit [310], one or more parameters of the one
or more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions. The one or more
parameters of the one or more neighboring cells may refer to parameters for
example, a coverage area, a signal strength, managing network traffic, etc.
30 [0080] In another implementation of the present disclosure, the one or more target
actions from the set of target actions may be determined based on the one or more
27
failures associated with the at least one outage cell. As provided above the set of
target actions may comprise various actions, but to select the best action for a
particular scenario the target actions are required to be determined. For
determination of such actions, the reasons for failures as provided in the one or
more failures may be detected. For example, in 5 case the one or more failure was
caused due to the one or more hardware failures such as due to overload, then in
such cases, the neighboring cell sites may provide additional coverage to
accommodate the network traffic overload and help mitigate the one or more
failures in such cases. Similarly, in another case, due to a hardware issue in the
10 antenna at the cell site, a particular region may not be able to be provided with the
wireless network services. In order to provide network services in such regions, the
neighboring cell sites may provide coverage by performing RET action and after
tiling towards that particular region, the neighboring cell may provide services in
that region, thereby mitigating the one or more failures.
15
[0081] In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, the method [400] may
further comprise monitoring, by the processing unit [304], a status of the at least
one outage cell post an adjustment of one or more parameters of the one or more
neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions. As used herein, the status
20 may refer to a performance indicator of the at least one outage cell, which may be
used to indicate the health/ existence of the one or more failures associated with the
at least one outage cell. The status is continuously monitored in order to analyze if
the one or more failures of the at least one outage cell has been resolved or not
resolved yet. Based on the monitoring of the status, the method [400] further
25 includes detecting, by the detection unit [302], an indication of the resolution of the
one or more failures based on the monitoring of the status. Also, the method [400]
leads to readjusting, by the triggering unit [308], the one or more parameters of the
one or more neighboring cells based on the indication. The detection unit [302]
detects an indication of the resolution of the one or more failures, then in such cases,
30 the triggering unit [310] may readjust the one or more parameters of the one or more
neighboring cells based on the indication. The indication may provide that the
28
resolution of the one or more failures at the at least one outage cell has been resolved
and the same may be able to function normally. The readjusting action of the
triggering unit [310] may refer to the reverting action of the target actions that were
performed earlier when the mitigating of the one or more failures were performed.
For example, in case the neighboring 5 cells were tilted towards the temporary
coverage hole, then in such cases, the RET action may be performed again for
revering the tilt of the antenna in the former state that was before the mitigating
actions were performed by the triggering unit [310].
10 [0082] Thereafter, at step [414], the method [400] is terminated.
[0083] The present disclosure further discloses a non-transitory computer readable
storage medium storing instructions for restoring the wireless communication
service in the cellular network. The instructions include executable code which,
15 when executed by one or more units of a system [300], causes a detection unit of
the system to detect one or more failures within the cellular network using dedicated
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Further, the instructions include
executable code which, when executed, causes a processing unit [304] to identify
at least one outage cell based on the detected one or more failures. Further, the
20 instructions include executable code which, when executed, causes a transceiver
unit [306] to obtain a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at
least one outage cell. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when
executed, causes a determination unit [308] to process the obtained data to
determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring cells based on the
25 one or more failures, wherein the set of target actions comprises one of at least a
Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a handover
adjustment action. Further, the instructions include executable code which, when
executed, causes a triggering unit [310] to trigger one or more target actions from
the set of target actions at the one or more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or
30 more failures.
29
[0084] As is evident from the above, the present disclosure provides a technically
advanced solution for restoring the wireless communication service in the cellular
network. The present solution provides a technically advanced solution for
promptly restoring service in temporary coverage hole created by unavailable
antenna. The present disclosure provides 5 a solution that ensures stability, enhances
user experience, maintains high levels of service quality, and reduces business loss
due to unavailability of a network, even after an antenna has unavailable. The
present disclosure to also provides a solution that optimizes a remote electrical tilt
(RET) of neighbouring antennae around unavailable antenna to finely adjust
10 coverage and eliminate temporary coverage hole. The present disclosure also
enables formation of a close loop environment in which there may be no human
intervention required, thereby resulting in a automation based on the closed loop
environment, and enables making decisions based on the machine to machine
communication during the monitoring, analysis, and execution as well. The present
15 solution can be further implemented in future technologies such as sixth-generation
(6G) technologies.
[0085] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the disclosed
implementations, it will be appreciated that many implementations can be made and
20 that many changes can be made to the implementations without departing from the
principles of the present disclosure. These and other changes in the implementations
of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, whereby it is to
be understood that the foregoing descriptive matter to be implemented is illustrative
and non-limiting.
25
[0086] Further, in accordance with the present disclosure, it is to be acknowledged
that the functionality described for the various components/units can be
implemented interchangeably. While specific embodiments may disclose a
particular functionality of these units for clarity, it is recognized that various
30 configurations and combinations thereof are within the scope of the disclosure. The
functionality of specific units as disclosed in the disclosure should not be construed
30
as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Consequently, alternative
arrangements and substitutions of units, provided they achieve the intended
functionality described herein, are considered to be encompassed within the scope
of the present disclosure.

We Claim:
1. A method for restoring wireless communication service in a cellular network, the method comprising: detecting, by a detection unit [302], one or more failures within the cellular network using dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs); identifying, by a processing unit [304], at least one outage cell based on the detected one or more failures; obtaining, by a transceiver unit [306], a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at least one outage cell; processing, by a determination unit [308], the obtained data to determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more failures, wherein the set of target actions comprises one of at least a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a handover adjustment action; and triggering, by a triggering unit [310], one or more target actions from the set of target actions at the one or more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or more failures.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more failures are at least one of one or more hardware failures and one or more software failures, and wherein the one or more failures are detected by the detection unit [302] based on a continuous monitoring of at least one critical alarms and service affecting alarms associated with the cellular network.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more failures are associated with at least a temporary coverage hole.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising adjusting, by the triggering unit [310], one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions.
5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the method comprises:
monitoring, by the processing unit [304], a status of the at least one outage cell post an adjustment of one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions; detecting, by the detection unit [302], an indication of the resolution of the one or more failures based on the monitoring of the status; and readjusting, by the triggering unit [308], the one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the indication.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data of the one or more neighboring cells is obtained from a High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more target actions from the set of target actions is determined based on the one or more failures associated with the at least one outage cell.
8. A system [300] for restoring wireless communication service in a cellular network, the system [300] comprising:
a detection unit [302] configured to detect one or more failures within the cellular network using dedicated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs); a processing unit [304] connected at least to the detection unit [302], the processing unit [304] configured to identify at least one outage cell based on the detected one or more failures; a transceiver unit [306] connected at least to the processing unit [304], the transceiver unit [306] configured to obtain a data of one or more neighboring cells associated with the at least one outage cell; a determination unit [308] connected at least to the transceiver unit [306], the determination unit [308] configured to process the obtained data to determine a set of target actions for the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more failures, wherein the set of target actions comprises one of at least a Remote Electrical Tilt (RET) action, a power adjustment action, a handover adjustment action; and a triggering unit [310] connected at least to the determination unit [308], the triggering unit [310] configured to trigger one or more target actions from the set of target actions at the one or 5 more neighboring cells to mitigate the one or more failures.
9. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more failures are at least one of one or more hardware failures and one or more software failures, and wherein the one or more failures are detected by the detection unit [302] based on a continuous monitoring of at least one critical alarms and service affecting alarms associated with the cellular network.
10. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more failures are associated with at least a temporary coverage hole.
11. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the triggering unit [310] is further configured to adjust one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions.
12. The system [300] as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
the processing unit [304] is further configured to monitor a status of the at least one outage cell post an adjustment of one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the one or more target actions; the detection unit [302] is further configured to detect an indication of the resolution of the one or more failures based on the monitoring of the status; and the triggering unit [310] is further configured to readjust the one or more parameters of the one or more neighboring cells based on the indication.
13. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the data of the one or more
neighboring cells is obtained from a High Ranked Physical Neighbors table list.
14. The system [300] as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more target actions from the set of target actions is determined based on the one or more failures associated with the at least one outage cell.