System and method for determining and managing sector misalignment in a wireless network

Abstract

Disclosed is method for determining the sector misalignment in a wireless network. The method includes collecting user measurement data of a predefined time duration from one or more cells. From the user measurement data, a first set is created which includes each serving cell serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs). Further, the method includes calculating, for each cell among the one or more cells which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and the serving cell associated with the sample. Further, the method includes computing a center angle for each cell in the set based on the calculated bearing angles. Furthermore, the method includes determining sector misalignment by calculating deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set. The deviation in azimuth is calculated based on a mapping of a reference azimuth against the center angle.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AND MANAGING SECTOR MISALIGNMENT IN A WIRELESS NETWORK TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for determining and managing sector misalignment in a wireless network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely due to its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.

[0003] Wireless networks play a crucial role in modern communication systems, enabling seamless connectivity for various applications. However, the effectiveness of the wireless networks is significantly impacted by coverage and strength of the wireless signals. The coverage of a wireless network is impacted by several factors such as signal attenuation, refection and multipath interference, density of environment, and budget constraints in expansion of the wireless network.

[0004] One of the primary challenges faced by the wireless networks is attenuation of signal strength as the wireless signals traverse through the different materials such as wall, ceiling, and floors. The attenuation in signal strength results in areas with poor signal coverage or complete dead zones. Further, the wireless signals are also prone to multipath interference where signal reflect off surfaces and create multiple propagation paths. The multipath interference may lead to signal distortion, cancellation, or sector misalignment which reduces the effective coverage area. Thesector misalignment leads to the coverage gaps, unbalanced traffic load, and increased call drops.

[0005] Further, high density environments also strain the network capacity causing congestion and slower speeds further degrading the user experience. Furthermore, budget constraints restrict the number and strategic placement of network sites, resulting in underserved areas and gaps in the coverage in many cases. Further, conventional methods for managing sector misalignment are reactive rather than proactive which relying on field inputs such as drive test data and consumer complaints after the network rollout. Further, the data collected for coverage planning and managing the sector misalignment is inconsistent, incomplete, and inadequately varied leading to sub optimal solutions for addressing the problem of the sector misalignment and coverage gap.

[0006] In light of the aforementioned challenges, there is a need for a solution that can address the issue of optimizing network coverage by identifying and mitigating sector misalignment in a wireless network.SUMMARY

[0007] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key / critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0008] In an embodiment, a method for determining the sector misalignment in a wireless network is disclosed. The method includes collecting, by a data collection module from one or more cells serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs), user measurement data of a predefined time duration. The method further includes creating, by a data processing module based on one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, a first set including identity (ID) of each serving cellamong the one or more cells included in the user measurement data. Further, the method includes calculating, by a calculation module, for each serving cell among the one or more cells which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and a corresponding serving cell associated with each sample. Further, the method includes computing, by the calculation module, a center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles. Furthermore, the method includes calculating, by the calculation module, deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and a mapping of a reference azimuth against each cell in the first set and. Thereafter, the method includes determining, by a determination module, a number of misaligned sectors based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set. The method enables proactive identification and automated remediation of sector misalignment without reliance on manual drive tests.

[0009] According to some aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes performing, by an application module, an action among one or more actions based on the number of the misaligned sectors and the deviation in the azimuth for cells associated with the misaligned sectors.

[0010] According to some aspect of the present disclosure, the one or more actions includes a swap operation if the number of the misaligned sectors is greater than one and the deviation in the azimuth for the cells associated with the misaligned sectors is greater or equal to a specific degree.

[0011] According to some aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes creating, by the data processing module, a second set comprising the calculated bearing angles. Further, the method includes obtaining, by the calculation module, predefined percentile values for each cell in the first set using the calculated bearing angles from the second set. Furthermore, the method includes computing, by the calculation module, for each cell in the first set, the center angle using the predefined percentile values. Further, the method includes performing, by acorrection module for each cell in the first set, correction in the computed center angle based on a determination whether at least a quadrant correction or a center angle correction is required for a corresponding cell. Further, the method includes creating, by the data processing module, a list including the azimuth for of each cell in the first set based on the corrected center angle.

[0012] According to some aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes fetching, by the data processing module, the one or more parameters for each sample of the user measurement data. The one or more parameters for each sample include a location of a UE associated with each sample and ID of a serving cell among the one or more cells serving the UE.

[0013] According to some aspect of the present disclosure, the method further includes generating, by an output module, one of a report including information of the sector misalignment or a work order including recommendations to mitigate or reduce the sector misalignment.

[0014] In another embodiment, a system for determining the sector misalignment in a wireless network is disclosed. The system includes a data collection module configured to collect, from one or more cells serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs), user measurement data of a predefined time duration. The system further includes a data processing module configured to create, based on one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, a first set including identity (ID) of each serving cell among the one or more cells included in the user measurement data. Further, the system includes a calculation module configured to calculate, for each serving cell among the one or more cells which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and a corresponding serving cell associated with each sample. The calculation module is further configured to compute a center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles. Further, the calculation module is configured to calculate deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and a mapping of a referenceazimuth against each cell in the first set. The system further includes a determination module configured to determine a number of misaligned sectors based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG.2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for determining and managing sector misalignment in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram depicting one or more events for determining the sector misalignment in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG.4 illustrates a flow diagram depicting one or more events for managing the sector misalignment in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method for determining the sector misalignment in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing system for determining and managing the sector misalignment in the wireless network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.

[0023] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” or “some implementations” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments or implementations. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “inan embodiment” or “in an implementation” refers to one embodiment or one implementation and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments”. Further, the term, for example, “in one or more implementations” refers to “at least one implementation, or more than one implementation, or all implementations”.

[0025] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[0026] 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 embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0027] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.

[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As usedherein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.

[0029] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0030] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a system and a method for determining sector misalignment in a wireless network is disclosed. The disclosed method determines misalignment proactively using user-plane data without relying on post-deployment field measurements.

[0031] The term “sector misalignment” in the entire disclosure may refer to angular deviation between an intended antenna azimuth and an effective coverage direction inferred from user measurement data.

[0032] The term “bearing angle” in the entire disclosure may refer to an angle between the User Equipment (UE) and the serving cell associated with that UE sample. It represents the direction of the UE relative to the serving cell.

[0033] The term “sector’ in the entire disclosure may refer to a directional coverage area of a cell, typically divided into 3 (e.g., 120° each) to provide full 360° coverage.

[0034] The term “sector swap” in the entire disclosure may refer to a swap operation where configuration of two sectors is interchanged.

[0035] The term “cyclic swap” in the entire disclosure may refer to a swap operation where configuration of sectors is interchanged in a cyclic manner.

[0036] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 to FIG. 6, discussed below, and theone or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0037] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a system and a method for optimizing network coverage by determining and managing sector misalignment in a wireless network is disclosed.

[0038] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the wireless network 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the wireless network 100 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] The wireless network 100 may include various components such as one or more Base Stations (BSs) 102 (may also be referred to as “one or more cells 102”), one or more User Equipment (UEs) 104 (may also be referred to as “one or more user devices 104”), an application server 106, a network 108, other devices 110, one or more processing modules 112, and a database 114.

[0040] The one or more BSs 102 serves the one or more UEs 104 in a coverage region via the network 108. Each base station among the one or more BSs 102 may have same or similar configuration. It is to be noted that the “base station” may also be referred to as “cell”, “gNB”, or “node” interchangeably throughout this disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, the “base station” may also be referred to as “access point (AP)”, “evolved NodeB (eNodeB) (eNB)”, “5Gnode (5th generation node)”, “wireless point”, “transmission / reception point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0041] Further, each user equipment among the one or more UEs 104 may have same or similar configuration. Typically, the term “user equipment” can refer to any component such as “mobile station”, “subscriber station”, “remote terminal”, “wireless terminal”, “receive point”, “user device”, or the like.

[0042] The application server 106 (also referred to as “server 106”) may be a physical machine, a virtual machine in a cloud environment a network of computers, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the application server 106 may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini -computers, mainframe computers, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The application server 106 may be realized through various web-based technologies such as, but not limited to, a Java web -framework, a .NET framework, a personal home page (PHP) framework, or any web-application framework.

[0043] Further, the network 108 may include a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, Internet, or other data network. In some embodiments, the at least one BS may communicate with each other and with the at least one UE using a communication technique, such as a 5th Generation 5G / New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), or other wireless communication techniques. The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the wireless network 100.

[0044] The application server 106 is configured to identify and mitigate sector misalignment in the wireless network 100. The one or more UEs 104 may communicate with the application server 106 and with various other entities of the wireless network 100 (such as a base station, a core network, and in an external user device) via the network 108 using a communication technique, such as 2ndGeneration (2G) communication technology, 3rd Generation (3G) communication technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), 4th Generation (4G) LTE, 5th Generation (5G) / New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), or other wireless communication techniques with multiple bands and carriers of telecom operators.

[0045] The other devices 108 may include at least one of external databases such as relational database and non-relational database, framework servers, Internet of Things (loT) devices, or any other connected devices to handle or store measurement data associated with the one or more UEs 104.

[0046] The processing modules 112 may comprise a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) for performing one or more task related identifying and mitigating the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100. The processor may include one or more general purpose processors and / or one or more special purpose processors, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a state machine, or any type of programmable logic array.

[0047] The database 114 is managed by the processor 204 and configured to store and manage the collected user measurement data. The database 114 may store the user measurement data of a predefined time duration for example, one week data. The database 114 may also store intermediate data generated during one or more operations performed by the processing modules 112. The user measurement data may include at least location information and serving cell information of the one or more UEs 104.

[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for determining and managing sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the system 200 as shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. However, the system 200 may come in a widevariety of configurations, and FIG. 2 does not limit the scope of the present disclosure to any particular implementation of the system 200.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 includes the application server 106 which includes an Input-Output (I / O) interface 202, one or more processors 204 (hereinafter may also be referred to as “processor 204”), a memory 206, a communication unit 208, a console host 210, the database 114, and the processing modules 112. Components of the application server 106 are coupled to each other via a communication bus 228.

[0050] The I / O interface 202 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or codes that may be configured to receive input(s) and present (or display) output(s) on the application server 106. For example, the I / O interface may have an input interface and an output interface. The input interface may be configured to enable a user to provide input(s) to trigger (or configure) the application server 106 to perform various operations for determining and managing the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, such as but not limited to, configuring the application server 106 to receive the user measurement data from the one or more cells 102. Examples of the input interface may include, but are not limited to, a touch interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a motion recognition unit, a gesture recognition unit, a voice recognition unit, or the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the input interface including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. The output interface is configured to display sector misalignment report to the users. Examples of the output interface of the I / O interface 202 may include, but are not limited to, a digital display, an analog display, a touch screen display, an appearance of a desktop, and / or illuminated characters.

[0051] The processor 204 may include various processing circuitry and communicates with the memory 206, the communication unit 208, the console host 210, and the database 114 via the communication bus 228. The processor 204 is configured to execute instructions 206A (hereinafter also referred to as “a set ofinstructions 206A”) stored in the memory 206 and to perform various processes for determining and managing the sector misalignment. The processor 204 may include one or a plurality of processors, including a general -purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), a dedicated processor, a graphics-only processing unit such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) or the like, a programmable logic device, or any combination thereof.

[0052] The memory 206 stores the set of instructions 206A required by the processor 204 of the application server 106 for controlling its overall operations. The memory 206 may include non-volatile storage elements. Examples of such nonvolatile storage elements may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable (EEPROM) memories. In addition, the memory 206 may, in some examples, be considered a non-transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory 206 is non-movable. In some examples, the memory 206 may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory 206 may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the application server 106, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage. In certain examples, the memory 206 configured as the non-transitory storage medium may include hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives, Compact Disk (CD), Digital Video Disk (DVD), and the like. Further, the memory 206 may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0053] More specifically, the memory 206 may store computer-readable instructions 206 A including instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g., the processor 204) cause the application server 106 to perform various functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 206 may contain, among other things,a BIOS which may control basic hardware or software operation such as the interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0054] The communication unit 208 may be configured to enable the application server 106 to communicate with various entities of the wireless network 100 via the network 108. Examples of the communication unit 208 may include, but are not limited to, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and / or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit.

[0055] The console host 210 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or codes that may be configured to enable the I / O interface 202 to receive input(s) and / or render output(s). In some aspects of the present disclosure, the console host 210 may include suitable logic, instructions, and / or codes for executing various operations of one or more computer executable applications to host a console on an external user device, by way of which a user can trigger the application server 106 to determine the sector misalignment. In some other aspects of the present disclosure, the console host 210 may provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the application server 106 for user interaction.

[0056] The database 114 may store log data including the measurement data associated with the one or more UEs 104. The database 114 may also store, in a table, a set of cells among the one or more cells 102 which are appearing in the log data. The database 114 may also store calculated values of bearing angle, calculated values of azimuth for the set of cells, and intermediate values generated during the one or more task performed by the processing modules 112.

[0057] The processing module(s) 112 may be implemented as a combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions) to implement one or more functionalities of the application server 106. In non-limiting examples,described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be implemented in several different ways. For example, the programming for the processing modules(s) 112 may be processor-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium and the hardware for the processor 204 may comprise a processing resource (for example, one or more processors), to execute such instructions. In the present examples, the machine-readable storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processing resource, implement the processing module(s) 112. In such examples, the application server 106 may also comprise the machine-readable storage medium storing the instructions and the processing resource to execute the instructions, or the machine-readable storage medium may be separate but accessible to the application server 106 and the processing resource. In other examples, the processing module(s) 112 may be implemented using an electronic circuitry.

[0058] The processing modules 112 may include a data collection module 212, a data processing module 214, a filtering module 216, a calculation module 218, a determination module 220, a correction module 222, an application module 224, and an output module 226. The data collection module 212 performs collection of user data from various sources. The data processing module 214 refines and process the collected user data. The filtering module 216 filters useful data from the collected data. The calculation module 218 performs mathematical derivations. The determination module 220 applies decision logic based on computed values while the application module 224 performs corrective actions. The detailed explanation of one or more operations performed by the processing modules 112 of the application server 106 are described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0059] Although FIG. 2 illustrates one example of the system 200 or the application server 106, various changes may be made to FIG. 2. Further, the application server 106 may include any number of components in addition to those shown in FIG. 2, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components in FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs. For example, insome aspects of the present disclosure, the application server 106 may be coupled to an external database that provides data storage space to the application server 106.

[0060] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram depicting one or more events 300 for determining the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The one or more events 300 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 302 through 338.

[0061] At block 302, the data collection module 212 may collect 1-week valid user measurement data. The user measurement data may be collected using one or more sensor or data collections applications. The user measurement data may be collected from the one or more cells 102 serving the one or more UEs 104. The user measurement data may be stored in the database 114 as log data.

[0062] At block 304, the data processing module 214 may fetch one or more parameters for each sample of measurement data. The one or more parameters may include a location of a UE among the one or more UEs 104 from which the sample is associated. The one or more parameters may also include an identity (ID) of serving cell among the one or more cells 102 serving the UE.

[0063] At block 306, the data processing module 214 may further create a first set including IDs of all cells among the one or more cells 102 which are appearing in the log data.

[0064] At block 308, the filtering module 216 may filter a plurality of cells among the one or more cells 102 having more than a threshold number of samples of the measurement data.

[0065] At block 310, the filtering module 216 may ignore cells having less than the threshold number of samples.

[0066] At block 312, the calculation module 218 may calculate, for each serving cell of the plurality of cells, bearing angle between each sample and serving cell associated with the sample.

[0067] At block 314, the data processing module 214 may further create a second set by storing the calculated bearing angles in a table in the database 114.

[0068] At block 316, the calculation module 218 may further obtain predefined percentile values ( for example, 95th& 5thpercentile) for all cells in the first set using calculated “bearing angles” from the second set.

[0069] At block 318, the calculation module 218 may further compute, for each cell in the first set, a center angle using the predefined percentile values (for example, 95th& 5thpercentile values). The center angle may be calculated as average of predefined percentile values of the bearing angle.

[0070] At block 320, the determination module 220 may determine whether a quadrant correction is required. The quadrant correction accounts for angular wraparound effects when the percentile values span discontinuous angular ranges. The quadrant correction is applied to place the antenna direction in the correct quadrant. For instance, the determination module 220 may determine that the quadrant correction is required if the calculated predefined percentile values are in quadrant 1 (0 degree to 90 degree) or quadrant 4 (270 degree to 360 degree).

[0071] At block 322, for cells among the cells in the first set for which the quadrant correction is not required, the correction module 222 do not change the values of the center angle for the respective cells.

[0072] At block 324, for cells among the cells in the first set for which the quadrant correction is required, the correction module 222 correct the center angle for the respective cell. The quadrant corrected center angle may be equal to center angle corrected by a first degree (for example 180 degree). For instance, to obtain the quadrant corrected center angle, an angle equal to the first degree may be added the center angle.

[0073] At block 326, the data processing module 214 may further compile list of all cells with the quadrant correction.

[0074] At block 328, the determination module 220 may determine whether the center angle correction is required. The center angle correction adjusts the azimuths so that the angular separation between sectors matches the planned design. The determination module 220 determines that the center angle correction is required if the center angle is grater or equal to a second degree (for example, 360 degree).

[0075] At block 330, for cells among the cells in the first set for which the center angle correction is not required, the correction module 222 do not change the values of the center angle for the respective cells.

[0076] At block 332, for cells among the cells in the first set for which the center angle correction is required, the correction module 222 may correct the center angle by subtracting an angle equal to the second degree from the center angle.

[0077] At block 334, the data processing module 214 may further compile a list including corrected azimuth for of all cells in the first set.

[0078] At block 336, the data processing module 214 may further map a reference azimuth from database against each cell in the first set.

[0079] At block 338, the calculation module 218 may identify sector misalignment by calculating deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set. The deviation in azimuth is a difference between an intended or true azimuth or reference azimuth (correct directional angle) and the measured azimuth. The deviation in the azimuth may be calculated as difference between the corrected center angle and the reference azimuth.

[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram depicting one or more events 400 for managing the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The one or more events 400 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 402 through 424.

[0081] At block 402, the determination module 220 may determine number of misaligned sectors in a particular band of the site (for example, 4G or 5G) based on the calculated value of the deviation in the azimuth for each cell. If number of themisaligned sectors is one, the flow of one or more events 400 proceeds to block 404. If number of the misaligned sectors is greater than one, the flow of one or more events 400 proceeds to block 412.

[0082] At block 404, the application module 224 may perform an action based on the deviation in the azimuth of cell associated with the misaligned sector.

[0083] At block 406, if the deviation in the azimuth is less or equal to a third degree (for example, 10 degrees), no action is performed.

[0084] At block 408, if the deviation in the azimuth is less than a fourth degree (for example, 60 degrees) and greater than the third degree, the application module 224 may add a remark as “DATABASE MISMATCH with field value suspected. Please check” in a sector misalignment report. The sector misalignment report may include information of misaligned sectors.

[0085] At block 410, if the deviation in the azimuth is greater or equal to the fourth degree, the application module 224 may add a remark as ““MISALIGNED SECTOR. RF re-survey suggested” in the sector misalignment report.

[0086] At block 412, the application module 224 may perform an action for each cell based on the deviation in the azimuth. The action may include a swap operation based on the deviation in the azimuth for the cells. The swap operation may include one of a sector swap or a cyclic swap. The selection of the swap operation is based on a specific degree of misalignment in the sectors.

[0087] At block 414, if the deviation in the azimuth is less or equal to the third degree, no action is performed.

[0088] At block 416, if the deviation in the azimuth is less than a fifth degree (for example, 45 degree) and greater than the third degree, the application module 224 may re-align sector as proposed corrected azimuth.

[0089] At block 418, if the deviation in the azimuth is greater or equal to the fifth degree, the application module 224 may perform a swap detection by identifying one of a first condition or a second condition.

[0090] At block 420, the application module 224 may perform the sector swap if the first condition is identified. The first condition is identified if more than M percent measurement (for example, 40 percent) of a first cell are falling in +N degree (for example, +20 degree) of a second cell’s azimuth or a third cell’s azimuth of the same site and vice versa.

[0091] At block 422, the application module 224 may perform the cyclic swap if the second condition is identified. The second condition is identified if more than M percent of measurement of the first cell are falling in +N degree of the second cell’s azimuth, more than M percent of measurement of the second cell are falling in +M degree of the third cell’s azimuth, and more than M percent of measurement of the third cell are falling in +N degree of a first cell’s azimuth.

[0092] At block 424, the output module 226 may generate the sector misalignment report with remarks added in blocks 408 and 410. The output module 226 may also generate a work order with recommendation to mitigate or reduce sector misalignment. The sector misalignment report may include information of misaligned sectors, information of azimuth observed for misaligned sectors, type of misalignment, or cell ID associated with sector misalignment.

[0093] The exemplary values of the first degree, the second degree, the third degree, the fourth degree, the fifth degree, the M percent, the N degrees described herein may be configured based on one of operator selection or deployment requirements.

[0094] FIG.5 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 500 for determining the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 512.

[0095] At block 502, the data collection module 212 may collect, from the one or more cells 102 serving to the one or more UEs 104, the user measurement data of the predefined time duration. The user measurement data may include the one or more parameters associated with the one or more UEs 104 that includes location of each UEs and serving cell information of each UEs.

[0096] At block 504, the data processing module 214 may create, based on the one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, the first set including the ID of each serving cell among the one or more cells 102 included in the user measurement data.

[0097] At block 506, the calculation module 218 may calculate, for each serving cell among the one or more cells 102 which have at least the threshold number of samples (for example 100 samples) of the user measurement data, the bearing angle between each sample and the corresponding serving cell associated with each sample.

[0098] At block 508, the calculation module 218 may compute the center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles.

[0099] At block 510, the calculation module 218 may calculate deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and the mapping of the reference azimuth against each cell in the first set.

[0100] At block 512, the determination module 220 may determine the number of misaligned sectors in a specific band of site based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set.

[0101] Further, the processor 204, using the application module 224, may further perform the one or more actions based on the number of the misaligned sectors and the deviation in the azimuth for cells associated with the misaligned sectors.

[0102] Further, the processor 204, using the output module 226 may generate one of a report including information of the sector misalignment, or the work order including the recommendations to mitigate or reduce the sector misalignment. The report may include information of the misaligned sectors, the information of azimuth observed for misaligned sectors, type of the misalignment, or the cell ID associated with sector misalignment. The recommendations may includeinformation of corrective actions or preventive measures to mitigate or reduce the sector misalignment.

[0103] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing system 600 for determining and managing the sector misalignment in the wireless network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0104] The computing system 600 includes a network 602, a network interface 604, a processor 606 (similar in functionality to the processor 204 of FIG. 2), an Input / Output (I / O) interface 608 (similar in functionality to the I / O interface 202 of FIG. 2), and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium 610 (hereinafter may also be referred to as the “storage medium 610” or the “storage media 610”). The network interface 604 includes wireless network interfaces such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or wired network interfaces such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-864 (IEEE-864).

[0105] The processor 606 may include various processing circuitry / modules and communicate with the storage medium 610 and the I / O interface 608. The processor 606 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage medium 610 and to perform various processes. The processor 606 may include an intelligent hardware device including a general-purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, the CPU, the AP, the dedicated processor, or the like, the graphics-only processing unit such as the GPU, the microcontroller, the FPGA, the programmable logic device, the discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 606 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions 610-1 stored in the storage medium 610 to cause the system 200 to perform various functions disclosed throughput the disclosure.

[0106] The storage medium 610 stores a set of instructions i.e., computer program instructions 610-1 (hereinafter may also be referred to as instructions 610-1) required by the processor 606 for controlling its overall operations of the system200. The storage media 610 may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, or the like. For example, the storage media 610 may include, but are not limited to, hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of physical media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In one or more embodiments, the storage media 610 includes a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Compact Disk-Read / Write (CD-R / W), and / or a Digital Video Disc (DVD). In one or more implementations, the storage medium 610 stores computer program code configured to cause the computing system 600 to perform at least a portion of the processes and / or methods disclosed herein throughput the disclosure.

[0107] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the disclosure, and / or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and / or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and / or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general -purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed method.

[0108] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer-readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 206 or the storage medium 610) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions610-1 stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).

[0109] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processor 204 or the processor 606) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions 610-1 may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.

[0110] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by embodiments disclosed herein may include identifying sector misalignment issues in early stages before they escalate into more significant challenges by actively monitoring bearing angle between each sample and serving cell serving to the sample. Identification of the sector misalignment issues in early stages prevents the issues from becoming more complex or causing further damage and thereby results in reduced call drops, improved load balancing, and optimized coverage. Another potential advantage of the embodiments disclosed herein includes enabling the network providers to develop preventive measures, improve processes, and implement corrective actions to avoid future occurrences by recognizing recurring problems or patterns.

[0111] Further, the disclosed system and method enable tracking and categorizing the network coverage issue which helps to gain insights into the frequency and impact of different types of issues. The tracking and categorizing of the network coverage issue information enable to allocate resources more efficiently, focusing on high-priority problems that have the most significant impact on network performance. Further, tracking of the network coverage issue provides valuable data and metrics for network analysis. By reviewing and analyzing problem data over time, network providers can identify trends, root causes, and underlying systemicissues which enable the network operators to make informed decisions and implement improvements to enhance performance, productivity, and quality.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0113] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0114] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0115] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:100 - Wireless network102 - One or more cells / BSs104 - One or more User Equipment (UEs)106 - Application Server108 - Network110 - Other devices112 - Processing modules114 - Database200 - System for determining and managing sector misalignment202 - Input-Output (I / O) interface204 - Processor206 - Memory206 A - Set of instructions208 - Communication Unit210 - Console Host212 - Data collection module214 - Data processing module216 - Filtering module218 - Calculation module220 - Determination module222 - Correction module224 - Application module226 - Output module228 - Communication bus300 - One or more events for determining the sector misalignment 302-338 - Operation steps for the one or more events 300 400 - One or more events for managing the sector misalignment 402-424 - Operation steps for the one or more events 400 500 - method for determining the sector misalignment502-512 - Operation steps for the method 500600 - Block diagram of a computing system602 - Network604 - Network interface606 - Processor608 - Input / Output (I / O) interface610 - Non-transitory computer readable storage medium610-1 - Set of instructions

Claims

I / We Claim:

1. A method (500) for determining sector misalignment in a wireless network (100), the method (500) comprising:collecting (502), by a data collection module (212) from one or more cells (102) serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs) (104), user measurement data of a predefined time duration;creating (504), by a data processing module (214) based on one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, a first set including identity (ID) of each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) included in the user measurement data;calculating (506), by a calculation module (218), for each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and a corresponding serving cell associated with each sample;computing (508), by the calculation module (218), a center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles;calculating (510), by the calculation module (218), deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and a mapping of a reference azimuth against each cell in the first set and; and determining (512), by a determination module (220), a number of misaligned sectors based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising performing, by an application module (224), an action among one or more actions based on the number of the misaligned sectors and the deviation in the azimuth for cells associated with the misaligned sectors.

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more actions includes a swap operation if the number of the misaligned sectors is greater than one and thedeviation in the azimuth for the cells associated with the misaligned sectors is greater or equal to a specific degree.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:creating, by the data processing module (214), a second set comprising the calculated bearing angles;obtaining, by the calculation module (218), predefined percentile values for each cell in the first set using the calculated bearing angles from the second set; computing, by the calculation module (218), for each cell in the first set, the center angle using the predefined percentile values;performing, by a correction module (222) for each cell in the first set, correction in the computed center angle based on a determination whether at least a quadrant correction or a center angle correction is required for a corresponding cell; andcreating, by the data processing module (214), a list including the azimuth for of each cell in the first set based on the corrected center angle.

5. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising fetching, by the data processing module (214), the one or more parameters for each sample of the user measurement data, wherein the one or more parameters for each sample include a location of a UE associated with each sample and ID of a serving cell among the one or more cells (102) serving the UE.

6. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising generating, by an output module (226), one of a report including information of the sector misalignment or a work order including recommendations to mitigate or reduce the sector misalignment.

7. A system (200) for determining sector misalignment in a wireless network (100), the system (200) comprising:a data collection module (212) configured to collect, from one or more cells (102) serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs) (104), user measurement data of a predefined time duration;a data processing module (214) configured to create, based on one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, a first set including identity (ID) of each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) included in the user measurement data;a calculation module (218)configured to:calculate, for each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and a corresponding serving cell associated with each sample;compute a center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles; andcalculate deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and a mapping of a reference azimuth against each cell in the first set; anda determination module (220) configured to determine a number of misaligned sectors based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set.

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an application module (224) configured to perform an action among one or more actions based on the number of the misaligned sectors and the deviation in the azimuth for cells associated with the misaligned sectors.

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more actions includes a swap operation if the number of the misaligned sectors is greater than one and the deviation in the azimuth for the cells associated with the misaligned sectors is greater or equal to a specific degree.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, whereinthe data processing module (214) is further configured to create a second set comprising the calculated bearing angles,the calculation module (218) is further configured to:obtain predefined percentile values for each cell in the first set using the calculated bearing angles from the second set; andcompute, for each cell in the first set, the center angle using the predefined percentile values,the system (200) further comprises a correction module (222) configured to perform, for each cell in the first set, correction in the computed center angle based on a determination whether at least a quadrant correction or a center angle correction is required for a corresponding cell, andthe data processing module (214) is further configured to create a list including the azimuth for of each cell in the first set based on the corrected center angle.

11. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, whereinthe data processing module (214) is further configured to fetch the one or more parameters for each sample of the user measurement data, andthe one or more parameters for each sample include a location of a UE associated with each sample and ID of a serving cell among the one or more cells (102) serving the UE.

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an output module (226) configured to generate one of a report including information of the sector misalignment or a work order including recommendations to mitigate or reduce the sector misalignment.

13. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processor performs operations comprising:collecting, from one or more cells (102) serving to one or more User Equipment (UEs) (104), user measurement data of a predefined time duration; creating, based on one or more parameters included in the user measurement data, a first set including identity (ID) of each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) included in the user measurement data;calculating, for each serving cell among the one or more cells (102) which have at least a threshold number of samples of the user measurement data, bearing angle between each sample and a corresponding serving cell associated with each sample;computing a center angle for each cell in the first set based on the calculated bearing angles;calculating deviation in azimuth for each cell in the first set based on the computed center angle for each cell in the first set and a mapping of a reference azimuth against each cell in the first set and; anddetermining a number of misaligned sectors based on the deviation in the azimuth for each cell in the first set.

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