CLIAMS:WE CLAIM
1. A method for determining radio coverage in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
categorizing each of a plurality of micro zones within coverage area of a Base Station (BS) as one of a User Equipment (UE) micro zone and a blind micro zone based on signal measurement reports associated with the plurality of micro zones, a UE micro zone associated with at least one signal measurement report and a blind micro zone not associated with a signal measurement report; and
estimating signal quality of a blind micro zone within the plurality of micro zones based on signal quality of at least one set of neighboring micro zones surrounding the blind micro zone, wherein the signal quality of each set of neighboring micro zones is determined based on a predefined set of signal parameters extracted from corresponding signal measurement reports.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the plurality of micro zones of equal size based on transmission power of the BS and the number of sectors within the coverage area of the BS, the plurality of micro zones tessellating to overlay at least a portion of the coverage area of the BS.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining signal quality of a UE micro zone within the plurality of micro zones based on the predefined set of signal parameters extracted from a predefined threshold number of signal measurement reports received from the UE micro zone.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
collecting signal measurement reports for a micro zone from at least one UE in the micro zone; and
computing the predefined set of signal parameters for the micro zone based on the signal measurement reports of the micro zone and at least one configuration parameter.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one configuration parameter is selected from a group comprising threshold number of signal measurement reports, time duration for collecting signal measurement reports, transmission power of the BS, size of a micro zone, signal quality factor of a micro zone, good quality zone threshold, bad quality zone threshold, distance factor of a micro zone, and number of sectors in the coverage area of the BS.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the predefined set of signal parameters comprise average Handover Failure (HF), average Radio Link Failure (RLF), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and average signal strength.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising categorizing the UE micro zone as one of good quality micro zone, medium quality micro zone, and bad quality micro zone based on comparison of signal quality of the UE micro zone with good quality micro zone threshold and bad quality micro zone threshold.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the signal quality of the blind micro zone comprises determining a signal quality factor for a set of neighboring micro zones based on (i) average RLF and average HF of the set of neighboring micro zones, and (ii) comparison of signal quality deviation between actual signal quality of a UE micro zone associated with maximum number of signal measurement reports within the set of neighboring micro zones and an average estimated signal quality of the set of neighboring micro zones with threshold deviation of the BS, the threshold deviation being determined based on signal strength of the BS.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising predicting the signal quality of the blind micro zone comprising:
computing an average signal quality of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones based on (i) average RLF of a sector comprising the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, (ii) each of average signal strength, average RLF, and average HF of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, and (iii) a signal quality factor determined for each of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones; and
categorizing the blind zone as one of good quality micro zone, medium quality micro zone, and bad quality micro zone based on the average signal quality of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, distance of the blind zone from the BS, good quality micro zone threshold, and bad quality micro zone threshold.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising verifying the signal quality predicted for the blind zone with threshold limit of signal error deviation.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising performing a signal adjustment for the blind micro zone, when the signal quality predicted for the blind micro zone is outside the threshold limit of signal error deviation.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a radio coverage map for the coverage area of the BS based on the signal quality determined for the UE micro zone and the signal quality estimated for the blind micro zone.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network.
14. A Base Station (BS) in a wireless communication network, the BS comprising:
a processor configured to:
categorize each of a plurality of micro zones within coverage area of a Base Station (BS) as one of a User Equipment (UE) micro zone and a blind micro zone based on signal measurement reports associated with the plurality of micro zones, a UE micro zone associated with at least one signal measurement report and a blind micro zone not associated with a signal measurement report; and
estimate signal quality of a blind micro zone within the plurality of micro zones based on signal quality of at least one set of neighboring micro zones surrounding the blind micro zone, wherein the signal quality of each set of neighboring micro zones is determined based on a predefined set of signal parameters extracted from corresponding signal measurement reports.
15. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the plurality of micro zones of equal size based on transmission power of the BS and the number of sectors within the coverage area of the BS, wherein the plurality of micro zones tessellate to overlay at least a portion of the coverage area of the BS.
16. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine signal quality of a UE micro zone within the plurality of micro zones based on the predefined set of signal parameters extracted from a predefined threshold number of signal measurement reports received from the UE micro zone.
17. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:
collect signal measurement reports for a micro zone from at least one UE in the micro zone; and
compute the predefined set of signal parameters for the micro zone based on the signal measurement reports of the micro zone and at least one configuration parameter.
18. The BS of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the at least one configuration parameter, the at least one configuration parameter being selected from a group comprising threshold number of signal measurement reports, time duration for collecting signal measurement reports, transmission power of the BS, size of a micro zone, signal quality factor of a micro zone, good quality micro zone threshold, bad quality micro zone threshold, distance factor of a micro zone, and the number of sectors in the coverage area of the BS.
19. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to categorize the UE micro zone as one of good quality micro zone, medium quality micro zone, and bad quality micro zone based on comparison of signal quality of the UE micro zone with good quality micro zone threshold and bad quality micro zone threshold.
20. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a signal quality factor for a set of neighboring micro zones based on (i) average RLF and average HF of the set of neighboring micro zones, and (ii) comparison of signal quality deviation between actual signal quality of a UE micro zone associated with maximum number of signal measurement reports within the set of neighboring micro zones and an average estimated signal quality of the set of neighboring micro zones with threshold deviation of the BS, the threshold deviation being determined based on signal strength of the BS.
21. The BS of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to predict signal quality of the blind micro zone, the processor being further configured to:
compute an average signal quality of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones based on (i) average RLF of a sector comprising the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, (ii) each of average signal strength, average RLF, and average HF of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, and (iii) a signal quality factor determined for each of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones; and
categorize the blind zone as one of good quality micro zone, medium quality micro zone, and bad quality micro zone based on the average signal quality of the at least one set of neighboring micro zones, distance of the blind zone from the BS, good quality micro zone threshold, and bad quality micro zone threshold.
22. The BS of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to verify the signal quality predicted for the blind zone with threshold limit of signal error deviation.

23. The BS of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a signal adjustment for the blind micro zone, when the signal quality predicted for the blind micro zone is outside the threshold limit of signal error deviation.
24. The BS of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to create a radio coverage map for the coverage area of the BS based on the signal quality determined for the UE micro zone and the signal quality estimated for the blind micro zone.
25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for determining radio coverage in a wireless communication network, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
categorize each of a plurality of micro zones within coverage area of a Base Station (BS) as one of a User Equipment (UE) micro zone and a blind micro zone based on signal measurement reports associated with the plurality of micro zones, a UE micro zone associated with at least one signal measurement report and a blind micro zone not associated with a signal measurement report; and
estimate signal quality of a blind micro zone within the plurality of micro zones based on signal quality of at least one set of neighboring micro zones surrounding the blind micro zone, wherein the signal quality of each set of neighboring micro zones is determined based on a predefined set of signal parameters extracted from corresponding signal measurement reports.

Dated this 11th day of March 2015
Shwetha A Chimalgi
Of K&S Partners
Agent for the Applicant
,TagSPECI:Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication networks, and more particularly to methods and systems for determining radio coverage in wireless communication networks.