Wireless video performance self-monitoring and alert system

• US 10,069,890 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Xi, Meissner, Bernard J., Hobrock, Lance M., Zeleznikar, Alan R., Zhang, Meng
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina A
• Application Number:
  US15/016,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate a self-monitoring of the performance of a wireless video service that is provided by a customer premise equipment (CPE) device. A CPE device such as an access point may periodically or continuously retrieve wireless video performance parameters associated with one or more devices receiving a wireless video service from the CPE device and/or one or more wireless links used by the CPE device to deliver wireless video services. The CPE device may consolidate retrieved parameters into a wireless video performance index and may compare the wireless video performance index to a threshold range. If the video performance index lies outside of the threshold range, the CPE device may output an alert to a device controlled by a content provider. The alert may provide a notification of an issue with the delivery of wireless video services by the CPE device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving one or more parameters associated with the delivery of a wireless video service from an access point to one or more client devices, wherein the one or more parameters are retrieved by the access point;

determining, at the access point, a wireless video performance index value by consolidating one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters; and

if the wireless video performance index value is outside of a predetermined threshold range;

generating an alert message, wherein the alert message comprises an indication that an issue exists with respect to the wireless video service being delivered by the access point; and

outputting the alert message, wherein the alert message is output from the access point to a server that is located upstream from the access point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more of the client devices to which the wireless video service is delivered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more wireless links over which the wireless video service is delivered to the one or more client devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein consolidating the one or more retrieved parameters to determine the wireless video performance index value comprises a weighting of each respective one of the one or more retrieved parameters according to the impact of the respective parameter on the performance of the wireless video service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert message comprises one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters are retrieved by the access point periodically.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless video performance index value is determined by the access point when at least one of the one or more retrieved parameters is outside of a predetermined threshold range.

8. An apparatus comprising:

one or more modules configured to;

deliver a wireless video service to one or more clients;

retrieve one or more parameters associated with the delivery of the wireless video service to the one or more client devices;

determine a wireless video performance index value by consolidating one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters; and

if the wireless video performance index value is outside of a predetermined threshold range, generate an alert message, wherein the alert message comprises an indication that an issue exists with respect to the wireless video service being delivered to the one or more client devices; and

an interface configured to be used to output the alert message to an upstream server, wherein the upstream server is located upstream from the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more of the client devices to which the wireless video service is delivered.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more wireless links over which the wireless video service is delivered to the one or more client devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein consolidating the one or more retrieved parameters to determine the wireless video performance index value comprises a weighting of each respective one of the one or more retrieved parameters according to the impact of the respective parameter on the performance of the wireless video service.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the alert message comprises one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless video performance index value is determined when at least one of the one or more retrieved parameters is outside of a predetermined threshold range.

14. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:

retrieving one or more parameters associated with the delivery of a wireless video service from an access point to one or more client devices, wherein the one or more parameters are retrieved by the access point;

determining, at the access point, a wireless video performance index value by consolidating one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters; and

if the wireless video performance index value is outside of a predetermined threshold range;

generating an alert message, wherein the alert message comprises an indication that an issue exists with respect to the wireless video service being delivered by the access point; and

outputting the alert message to an upstream server, wherein the upstream server is located upstream from the access point.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more of the client devices to which the wireless video service is delivered.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the retrieved one or more parameters are associated with one or more wireless links over which the wireless video service is delivered to the one or more client devices.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein consolidating the one or more retrieved parameters to determine the wireless video performance index value comprises a weighting of each respective one of the one or more retrieved parameters according to the impact of the respective parameter on the performance of the wireless video service.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the alert message comprises one or more of the one or more retrieved parameters.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the one or more parameters are retrieved by the access point periodically.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the wireless video performance index value is determined by the access point when at least one of the one or more retrieved parameters is outside of a predetermined threshold range.