Method, apparatus and computer program product for locating sources of potential interference in a cellular radio communication system

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for locating sources of potential interference in frequency bands of carrier signals used by cells of a plurality of base stations of a cellular radio communication system are disclosed. The method comprises receiving data representative of power spectral density, PSD, in carrier signals across different frequency bands received at the base stations for cells of the communication system over time intervals. The cells are clustered based on features of the received PSD data that distinguish between a normal received signal and an abnormal received signal subject to potential interference. For each cell assigned to a cluster having features indicative of an abnormal received signal, a correlation coefficient is determined between a matrix of the signal strength values in the received PSD data for that cell in the different frequency bands over the time intervals with the signal strength values in the received PSD data for all other cells in the respective frequency bands over the same time intervals. Cells having correlation coefficients above a threshold value are grouped as being members of interference groups. For each interference group, the cell having the highest received power in a correlated frequency band is identified as the cell causing or nearest that cause of the interference affecting the cells in the interference group.