Apparatus and method for adding and removing a base station from a cellular communications system

摘要

An apparatus and method for adding and removing a target base station from a network of base stations, which includes base stations adjacent the target base station. The apparatus is comprised of two attenuators: a first for setting an artificial receive noise power level and a second for setting a transmit level. The transmit level determines the forward link coverage area of the base station. The artificial noise level sets the reverse link coverage area of the base station when a base station is added, initially the transmit power is low and the artificial receive noise power is high such that the forward and reverse kink coverage areas are collocated in close proximity to the base station. As the base station blossoms into full operation, the artificial receive noise power is decreased and the transmit level is increased such that the two coverage areas of the base station remain balanced as the coverage areas expand. When a base station is to be removed from a system, the same attenuators are used to wilt the two coverage areas in unison as the power level transmitted from the base station decreases.