Network diagnostic system for analyzing performance of a radio network during functional over-the-air operation
First Claim
1. A communications network health-determining apparatus, the network comprising a plurality of network base station transceivers distributed over a geographic area and in bidirectional communication with mobile, portable, or stationary radios operating in the network, each radio having a respective radio identifier and transmitting a signal including the respective radio identifier, the apparatus comprising:
- health determining devices;
configured to receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of one of the radios; and
configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and
when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio;
the health determining device determines the identifier within the received signal;
the health determining device determines a signal waveform of the received signal at different times and compares the determined signal waveforms;
the health determining device determines operating characteristics of the authorized radio from the compared signal waveforms; and
the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area;
a master controller communicatively coupled to the health determining devices;
a first of the health determining devices;
configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of;
packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure;
discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and
determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and
configured to send a first analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller;
a second of the health determining devices;
configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of;
packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure;
discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and
determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and
configured to send a second analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and
after both the first and second analysis results sent to the master controller indicate that the authorized radio is healthy, the master controller determines from the first and second analysis results whether a geographically healthy or geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus determining network health comprising base stations in bidirectional communication with radios, each having an identifier and transmitting a signal including the identifier. First and second health determining devices each receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of radio and determine if the radio is authorized and, if so, determine the identifier, time-separated signal waveforms that are compared, operating characteristics from the compared waveforms, and a current location of the radio. Each of the devices determine health of the radio based on packet sniffing, a frequency deviation, or a range of deviations by analyzing the operating characteristics. After analysis results sent to the master controller from the devices indicate that the authorized radio is healthy, the master controller determines from the analysis results that a geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A communications network health-determining apparatus, the network comprising a plurality of network base station transceivers distributed over a geographic area and in bidirectional communication with mobile, portable, or stationary radios operating in the network, each radio having a respective radio identifier and transmitting a signal including the respective radio identifier, the apparatus comprising:
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health determining devices; configured to receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of one of the radios; and configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio; the health determining device determines the identifier within the received signal; the health determining device determines a signal waveform of the received signal at different times and compares the determined signal waveforms; the health determining device determines operating characteristics of the authorized radio from the compared signal waveforms; and the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area; a master controller communicatively coupled to the health determining devices; a first of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a first analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; a second of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a second analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and after both the first and second analysis results sent to the master controller indicate that the authorized radio is healthy, the master controller determines from the first and second analysis results whether a geographically healthy or geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A communications network health-determining apparatus, the network comprising a plurality of network base station transceivers distributed over a geographic area and in bidirectional communication with mobile, portable, or stationary radios operating in the network, each radio having a respective radio identifier and transmitting a signal including the respective radio identifier, the apparatus comprising:
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health determining devices; configured to receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of one of the radios; and configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio; the health determining device determines the identifier within the received signal; the health determining device determines a signal waveform of the received signal at different times and compares the determined signal waveforms; the health determining device determines operating characteristics of the authorized radio from the compared signal waveforms; and the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area; a master controller communicatively coupled to the health determining devices; a first of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a first analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; a second of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a second analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and after both the first and second analysis results sent to the master controller indicate that the authorized radio is healthy the master controller determines from the first and second analysis results whether a geographically healthy or geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal or the authorized radio in bidirectional communication receives a bidirectional communication indicating the signal waveform determined to be unhealthy.
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15. A communications network health-determining apparatus, the network comprising a plurality of network base station transceivers distributed over a geographic area and in bidirectional communication with mobile, portable, or stationary radios operating in the network, each radio having a respective radio identifier and transmitting a signal including the respective radio identifier, the apparatus comprising:
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health determining devices; configured to receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of one of the radios; and configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio; the health determining device determines the identifier within the received signal; the health determining device determines a signal waveform of the received signal at different times and compares the determined signal waveforms; the health determining device determines operating characteristics of the authorized radio from the compared signal waveforms; and the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area; a master controller communicatively coupled to the health determining devices; a first of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a first analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; a second of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of; packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure; discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; and configured to send a second analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and after both the first and second analysis results sent to the master controller indicate that the authorized radio is healthy the master controller determines from the first and second analysis results whether a geographically healthy or geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal or the authorized radio in bidirectional communication receives the unhealthy signal waveform determination and a correction message to cure the unhealthy signal waveform.
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16. A communications network health-determining apparatus, the network comprising a plurality of network base station transceivers distributed over a geographic area and in bidirectional communication with mobile, portable, or stationary radios operating in the network, each radio having a respective radio identifier and transmitting a signal including the respective radio identifier, the apparatus comprising:
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a master controller; health determining devices; communicatively coupled to the master controller; and configured to receive the signal during normal over-the-air operation of one of the radios; and either; the health determining devices; configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio;
the health determining device determines the identifier within the received signal;
the health determining device determines a signal waveform of the received signal at different times and compares the determined signal waveforms;
the health determining device determines operating characteristics of the authorized radio from the compared signal waveforms; and
the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area;a first of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of;
packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure;
discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and
determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; andconfigured to send a first analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and a second of the health determining devices; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is healthy by at least one of;
packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure;
discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and
determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; andconfigured to send a second analysis result of the authorized radio to the master controller; and after both the first and second analysis results sent to the master controller indicate that the authorized radio is healthy, the master controller determines from the first and second analysis results that a geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal; or the health determining devices; configured to determine if the signal received by the one radio was transmitted from an authorized one of the radios; and when a health determining device determines that the signal is from an authorized radio;
the health determining device determines a current location of the authorized radio within the geographic area; and
the health determining device forwards the signal of the authorized radio along with the radio identifier and the current location of the authorized radio to the master controller; andthe master controller; configured to receive the signal, the radio identifier, and the current location from the health determining devices; configured to determine a signal waveform of the received signal at different time and compares the determined signal waveforms; configured to determine operating characteristics of each of the authorized radios from the respective compared signal waveforms; configured to analyze the operating characteristics of each of the authorized radios and determining if each of the authorized radios is healthy by at least one of;
packet sniffing a received signal from the authorized radio and determining if the authorized radio is compliant with a packet/signal specification structure;
discerning from the compliant packet/signal specification structure a type of transmission that has been received from the radio; and
determining a frequency deviation of the received signal from the authorized radio and a range of frequency deviations of the signal from the authorized radio over time; andconfigured to create an analysis result of each of the authorized radios; after at least two analysis results sent to the master controller from two different health determining devices indicate that one of the authorized radios is healthy, the master controller determines whether a geographically healthy or geographically unhealthy location of the network exists within the geographic area from which the authorized healthy radio transmitted the signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification