Latency reduction and range extension system for radio networks

Abstract

A radio access network system is described that determines a signal metric associated with a user equipment or device. The user equipment device can implement an altered transmission policy. The altered transmission policy can alter a strength of transmissions by increasing power consumption per transmission, increasing a length of timer per transmission, and altering other parameters of transmissions. The altered transmission policy can also alter an error correction policy. The error correction policy can indicate that error correction transmissions are to be decreased. The altered transmission policy can be implemented until the signal metric changes to a more desirable level.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 tracking, by network equipment comprising a processor, a frequency of occurrences of a communication metric, associated with a defined geographic area, not satisfying a defined criterion; and   in response to determining that the frequency of occurrences represents at least a threshold amount of occurrences, denoting the defined geographic area as having poor communication quality and altering a communication policy associated with the defined geographic area.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where altering the communication policy comprises altering a transmission policy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where altering the communication policy comprises altering an error correction policy. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication metric comprises a latency metric. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication metric comprises a signal strength metric. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the network equipment, an amount of change in the communication metric resulting from altering the communication policy associated with the defined geographic area. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein altering the communication policy results in an altered communication policy, and further comprising, in response to the amount of change not satisfying a threshold amount of change, altering, by the network equipment, the altered communication policy with an additional alteration. 
     
     
         8 . A network device, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 counting a number of times that a communication metric, associated with a defined area, does not satisfy a defined criterion; and 
 in response to determining that the number of times satisfies a threshold quantity of occurrences, marking the defined area as having low communication quality and modifying a communication policy associated with the defined area. 
   
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 8 , where modifying the communication policy comprises modifying a transmission policy associated with transmissions made within the defined area. 
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 8 , where modifying the communication policy comprises modifying an error correction policy associated with correcting transmissions made within the defined area. 
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the communication metric comprises a latency metric associated with latencies associated with transmissions made within the defined area. 
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the communication metric comprises a signal strength metric associated with signal strengths of transmissions made within the defined area. 
     
     
         13 . The network device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise ascertaining an amount of improvement of the communication metric in response to modifying the communication policy associated with the defined area. 
     
     
         14 . The network device of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the amount of improvement not satisfying a threshold amount of improvement, making an additional modification to the communication policy beyond the modifying of the communication policy. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
 tracking a frequency of occurrences of a communication metric, associated with a defined geographic area, not meeting a defined criterion; and   in response to determining that the frequency of occurrences meets a threshold frequency of occurrences, labeling the defined area as having weak communication quality and adjusting a communication scheme associated with the defined area.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , where adjusting the communication scheme comprises adjusting a transmission scheme. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , where adjusting the communication scheme comprises adjusting an error correction scheme. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the communication metric comprises a latency metric. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the communication metric comprises a signal strength metric. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 after modifying the communication scheme associated with the defined area, determining a change in the communication metric owing to the modifying of the communication scheme; and   in response to the change not satisfying a threshold level of change, further modifying the communication scheme.