Public wireless network performance management system with mobile device data collection agents

• US 10,198,398 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Holdings, Inc. (NetMotion Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Hofstaedter, Christian E., Canales, III, Reyes, Goziker, Edward, Simpkins, James S., Garcia-Duarte, Fernando, Renouard, Julia, Savarese, Joseph T., Kimmerly, Mark V., Wang, Zhenwu, Dangov, John, Hoover, Paul L., Snyder, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abyaneh, Ali S
• Application Number:
  US13/561,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20120289187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,381 Days
• Field of Search: 714 39, 714 471- 473, 340 11- 161, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

Mobile user auditing system and method for monitoring at least one available network accessible by a mobile user within a mobile communications environment. The mobile user auditing system includes an acquisition device to acquire, from the mobile user, data related to at least one of: service coverage for the mobile user in the at least one available network; service quality for the mobile user in the at least one available network; and service usage for the mobile user in the at least one available network, and a plotter to identify on an audit map locations within the at least one available network from which the acquired data was received.

Claims

1. A network auditing system for simultaneously monitoring multiple available networks at at least one global positioning location within a mobile communications environment, wherein a monitored mobile device is connected to each of the multiple available networks and wherein one of the connected multiple available networks is currently active for transmitting data, wherein the monitored mobile device simultaneously receives and records network data from each of the connected multiple available networks for the at least one positioning location, the network auditing system comprising:

an acquisition circuit to acquire, via transmission from the monitored mobile device over the currently active network, the network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location, in which the acquired network data includes at least one of;

service coverage available at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device;

service quality available at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device; and

service usage at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device, wherein the monitored mobile device receives the network data according to a sampling rate that varies proportionally with a velocity of movement of the monitored mobile device; and

a plotter circuit to record on one or more audit maps the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location.

2. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the audit map includes a map of geographical regions in which the connected multiple available networks are located.

3. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the data identified on the audit map comprises graphical data.

4. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the multiple available networks comprise at least one mobile network.

5. The network auditing system according to claim 4, wherein the connected multiple available networks comprise at least one of a public and a private mobile network.

6. The network auditing system according to claim 4, wherein the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location includes identification of attachment points for the monitored mobile device to the at least one mobile network.

7. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the network data acquired by the acquisition circuit is accumulated over time and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, and the plotter circuit identifies for the multiple global positioning locations on the audit map the data acquired from the monitored mobile device at a predetermined time or for a predetermined period.

8. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein when the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location relates to service quality and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, and the plotter circuit identifies for the multiple global positioning locations on the audit map at least one of signal strength data and bit transmission rate data for each multiple available networks of the monitored mobile device is at a specified time of acquisition.

9. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein when the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location relates to service usage and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, the plotter circuit identifies the multiple global positioning locations on the audit map to which the monitored mobile device is connected at specified times of acquisition.

10. A network auditing method for auditing simultaneously monitored multiple available networks at at least one global positioning location within a mobile communications environment, wherein a monitored mobile device is connected to each of the multiple available networks and wherein one of the connected multiple available networks is currently active for transmitting data, wherein the monitored mobile device simultaneously receives and records network data from each of the connected multiple available networks for the at least one positioning location, the method comprising:

acquiring, in an acquisition circuit, via transmission from the monitored mobile device over the currently active network, the network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location, in which the acquired network data includes at least one of;

service coverage available at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device;

service quality available at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device; and

service usage at the at least one global positioning location for each of the connected multiple available networks connected to the monitored mobile device, wherein the monitored mobile device receives the network data according to a sampling rate that varies proportionally with a velocity of movement of the monitored mobile device; and

plotting on one or more audit maps the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location.

11. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein at least one audit map depicts a map of a geographical region in which the connected multiple available networks are located.

12. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein the data identified on at least one audit map is graphically presented.

13. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein the connected multiple available networks comprise at least one mobile network.

14. The network auditing method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one mobile network comprises at least one of a public and a private mobile network.

15. The network auditing method according to claim 14, wherein the acquiring of network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location includes identifying attachment points for the monitored mobile device to the at least one mobile network.

16. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein the network data acquired is accumulated over time and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, and the data accumulated over time for the multiple locations is plotted on the audit map at a predetermined time or for a predetermined period.

17. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein when the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location relates to service quality and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, and at least one of signal strength data and bit transmission rate for the monitored mobile device at the multiple locations is plotted on the audit map for each of the multiple available networks of the monitored mobile device at a specified time of acquisition.

18. The network auditing method according to claim 10, wherein when the acquired network data from each of the connected multiple available networks stored on the monitored mobile device for the at least one global positioning location relates to service usage and the at least one global positioning location comprises multiple global positioning locations, and the service usage of the monitored mobile device is plotted for the multiple locations on the audit map to which the monitored mobile device is connected at specified times of acquisition.

19. A network auditing system for simultaneously monitoring multiple available networks within a mobile communications environment, wherein multiple monitored mobile devices are each connected to a plurality of the multiple available networks and wherein, for each of the multiple monitored mobile devices, one of the connected plurality of multiple available networks is currently active for transmitting data, wherein each of the monitored mobile devices simultaneously receive and record network data from each of the connected plurality of multiple available networks at its current global positioning location, the network auditing system comprising:

an acquisition circuit to acquire, via transmission from the monitored mobile devices over respective currently active networks, the network data from each of the connected plurality of multiple available networks stored on respective monitored mobile devices at a respective global positioning location, in which the acquired network data includes at least one of;

service coverage available at the respective global positioning location for each of the connected plurality of multiple available networks at which each respective monitored mobile device is located;

service quality available at the respective global positioning location for each of the connected plurality of mobile available networks at which each respective mobile device is located; and

usage at the respective global positioning location for each of the connected plurality of multiple available networks at which each respective mobile device is located, wherein each multiple monitored mobile device receives the network data according to a sampling rate that varies proportionally with a respective velocity of movement of each monitored mobile device;

a mapping circuit that produces one or more audit maps that includes at least one map of the plurality of multiple available networks connected to the multiple monitored mobile devices located at their respective global positioning locations, which overlays a map of a geographical region in which the plurality of multiple available networks are located; and

a plotting circuit to record on the one or more audit maps the data acquired for each network connected to the multiple monitored mobile devices at each global positioning location at which each respective monitored mobile device is located.

20. The network auditing system according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the plurality of multiple monitored available networks to which the multiple monitored mobile devices are connected comprises at least one of a public mobile network and a private mobile network.