Device-driven intelligence and feedback for performance optimization and planning of a service network

• US 10,129,777 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark, Bates, Michael, Dennisson, Joseph, Kelly, Stephen, Meredith, Sheldon, Ryan, Lawrence, Salmon, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US15/403,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A subscriber device reports network operation conditions, such as network performance incidents, to receive feedback from the network related to the incident and available or possibly available solutions, and to produce network intelligence suitable for network planning and network performance enhancement. Reporting of network performance incidents can be characterized by location and time of occurrence, wherein this intelligence is provided by the user device. Feedback provided by the network is based on the network performance data received as part of reporting an incident. The reporting described herein enables a network operator to generate network planning intelligence based on actual network performance as experienced at the subscriber level.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving, from a user equipment, report data indicative of a network performance incident associated with a communication network comprising the network device, wherein the report data comprises gesture data that classifies a geographical location associated with the network performance incident as an indoor location, wherein the gesture data is determined based on a user gesture captured via an interface of the user equipment, and wherein the report data comprises first signal strength data indicative of a first strength of a first signal received at the indoor location;

based on an analysis of the report data, facilitating a determination of performance data associated with a utilization of the communication network by the user equipment at the geographical location;

facilitating a transmission of feedback data, associated with the performance data, to the user equipment; and

based on the first signal strength data, facilitating a calibration of signal propagation loss data that is determined based on second signal strength data indicative of a second strength of a second signal received at an outdoor location associated with the geographical location.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the user equipment is a first user equipment, the report data is first report data, the network performance incident is a first network performance incident, and the operations further comprise:

receiving, from a second user equipment, second report data indicative of a second network performance incident associated with the communication network; and

based on the first report data and the second report data, determining the feedback data that is to be provided to the first user equipment.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

directing the feedback data to the first user equipment via a text message.

4. The network device of claim 2, wherein the feedback data comprises acknowledgement data that acknowledges the receiving the first report data.

5. The network device of claim 2, wherein the feedback data comprises information related to a network development plan associated with the communication network.

6. The network device of claim 2, wherein the feedback data is customized based on user identity data associated with the first user equipment.

7. The network device of claim 2, wherein the feedback data comprises information that characterizes a course of action aimed to resolve an issue related to the network performance incident.

8. The network device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

directing the feedback data to the first user equipment as part of an alerting service, to which the first user equipment has subscribed.

9. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the calibration, quantifying a characteristic of an in-building propagation loss.

10. The network device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the calibration, updating a per subscriber model of attrition vulnerability associated with an indoor signal quality.

11. The network device of claim 1, wherein the receiving the report data comprises receiving the report data via a text message.

12. A method, comprising:

determining, by a network device of a communication network, incident data indicative of a network performance incident associated with the communication network that has been reported via a user equipment, wherein the network device comprises a processor, wherein the incident data comprises gesture data that specifies that a geographical location associated with the network performance incident is inside a building, wherein the gesture data is determined based on a user gesture input via an interface of the user equipment, and wherein the report data comprises first signal strength data indicative of a first strength of a first signal received at the geographical location;

based on the incident data, facilitating, by the network device, a determination of performance data associated with a utilization of the communication network by the user equipment at the geographical location;

facilitating, by the network device, a transmission of feedback data to the user equipment, wherein the feedback data corresponds to the performance data; and

based on the first signal strength data, calibrating signal propagation loss data that has determined based on second signal strength data indicative of a second strength of a second signal received outside the building.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the network device, the feedback data that comprises acknowledgement data indicative of an acknowledgement of reception of the incident data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission of the feedback data to the user equipment via a text message.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the facilitating the transmission comprises facilitating the transmission of the feedback data to the user equipment as part of an alerting service, to which the user equipment is determined to have subscribed.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the feedback data comprises determining information that characterizes a course of action aimed to resolve an issue related to the network performance incident.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

based on account data associated with the user equipment, customizing, by the network device, the feedback data.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first network device of a communication network, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

determining incident data indicative of a network performance incident associated with a second network device of the communication network that has been reported via a user equipment, wherein the incident data comprises gesture data that classifies a geographical location associated with the network performance incident as an indoor location that is inside a structure, wherein the gesture data is determined based on a user gesture received via an interface of the user equipment, and wherein the report data comprises first signal strength data indicative of a first strength of a first signal received at the indoor location;

employing the incident data to facilitate a determination of a performance issue associated with a utilization of the second network device of the communication network by the user equipment at the geographical location;

directing, to the user equipment, feedback data associated with the performance issue; and

based on the first signal strength data, facilitating a calibration of signal propagation loss data that is determined based on second signal strength data indicative of a second strength of a second signal received at an outdoor location that is outside the structure.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the feedback data is indicative of an action associated with resolution of the performance issue.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the feedback data comprises timing data indicative of an estimated time period during which the performance issue is to be resolved.