WCDMA network cost function minimization for soft handover optimization with variable user load

WCDMA networks have many parameters which determine their performance. Ensuring a desired quality of service means a proper choice of parameters. One approach to choosing these parameters automatically is to minimize a cost function with respect to these parameters. The minimum of the cost function corresponds to an optimal network performance. The choice of cost function, in the simplest case, can be some combination of key performance indicators (KPI) of the network. Here a cost function is described which can be used to optimize the window add handover parameter. A second order gradient method is derived which is used to minimize the cost function. The cost function and gradient algorithm are implemented on an advanced WCDMA radio network simulator. The robust nature is demonstrated using a time varying network traffic level.