Coverage solution recommendation tool

• US 10,334,459 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2018
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Steve, Cook, Robert Dean, Conley, Della Jolene
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US16/133,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20190021015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 455423, 455424, 455425, 455406, 455 6711, 4552261, 4552263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A coverage solution recommendation tool may generate prioritized lists of coverage solutions for resolving a network coverage problem at a location. The tool may obtain network parameters of a wireless communication network that provides services to user devices at the location. The tool may further acquire device parameters of the user devices used at the location, as well as collect environment parameters associated with the location. The environment parameters may affect whether a wireless telecommunication carrier is able to leverage additional coverage solutions to provide services at the location. Accordingly, the coverage solution tool may generate a prioritized list of coverage solutions for resolving the network coverage problem based on the parameters.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

collecting one or more environment parameters associated with a location at which one or more user devices experienced a network coverage problem, the one or more environment parameters affecting whether a wireless telecommunication carrier that provides services to the one or more user devices at the location is able to leverage additional coverage solutions to provide the services at the location;

receiving a list of one or more coverage solutions, at least one coverage solution of the list comprises implementing Wi-Fi calling for the one or more user devices and an installation of a Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi calling at the location; and

prioritizing the list of one or more coverage solutions to generate a prioritized list of one or more coverage solutions for resolving the network coverage problem at the location based at least on a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one network parameter of the wireless telecommunication carrier at the location, at least one device parameter of the one or more user devices used at the location, and the one or more environment parameters, and wherein at least one of the one or more coverage solutions provides additional network coverage to the one or more user devices utilizing unlicensed spectrum.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise receiving one or more operational considerations of the wireless telecommunication carrier, and wherein the plurality of parameters further includes the operational considerations of the wireless telecommunication carrier.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein the one or more operational considerations include an inventory quantity of a device for providing a coverage solution, a profit or a cost savings generated from a deployment of the coverage solution, whether a particular version of the device is interchangeable with another version of the device, or a technical longevity of the device.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the acts further comprise determining that a subscriber associated with the one or more user devices is eligible for the one or more coverage solutions in response to one or more conditions being satisfied, the one or more conditions including that an account of the subscriber is a postpaid account, the account of the subscriber is non-delinquent, the one or more coverage solutions are available for use at the location, and the one or more coverage solutions are not previously implemented for the location.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 4, wherein a coverage solution in a form of a deployment of a small network cell is available for use at the location when no pre-existing small network cell is deployed for a different subscriber at another location that is within a predetermined distance of the location.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more coverage solutions further include an installation of a signal booster at the location, or a deployment of a small network cell at the location.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the at least one network parameter includes an availability of one or more spectrum licenses at the location, an availability of a public-safety access point (PSAP) for the location, or a type of telecommunication carrier network signal that cover the location.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the at least one device parameter includes whether a user device is capable of more than Second Generation (2G) telecommunication, whether the user device is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-compatible device, or whether the user device is capable of Wi-Fi calling.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the one or more environment parameters include whether Internet access is available at the location, whether a sufficiency of Wi-Fi coverage at the location meets a predetermined sufficiency threshold, or whether a pre-existing deployed small network cell is present proximate to the location.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the generating includes prioritizing an implementation of Wi-Fi calling for the one or more user devices over an installation of a Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi calling at the location in response to a sufficiency of Wi-Fi coverage at the location meeting a predetermined sufficiency threshold, or prioritizing the installation of the Wi-Fi router over the implementation of Wi-Fi calling in response to the sufficiency of Wi-Fi coverage failing to meet the predetermined sufficiency threshold.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the generating includes recommending an installation of a Long-Term Evolution (LTE)/Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)-capable small network cell at the location at least in response to a determination that each of the one or more user devices are LTE-capable user devices, or recommending an installation of a UMTS-capable small network cell at the location at least in response to a determination that at least one of the one or more user devices is not a LTE-capable user device.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the generating includes recommending an installation of a Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-compatible signal booster at the location at least in response to a determination that at least one of the one or more user devices is a LTE-capable user device or a Voice over LTE (VoLTE)-capable user device, prioritizing an installation of a LTE-compatible signal booster over an installation of a LTE non-compatible signal booster at least in response to a determination that none of the one or more user devices is a LTE-capable user device, or determining that no coverage solution involving a signal booster is applicable at least in response to a determination that none of the one or more user devices is a VoLTE-capable device.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

collecting one or more environment parameters associated with a location at which one or more user devices experienced a network coverage problem, the one or more environment parameters affecting whether a wireless telecommunication carrier that provides services to the one or more user devices is able to leverage additional coverage solutions to provide the services at the location;

receiving one or more operational parameters of the wireless telecommunication carrier;

receiving a list of one or more coverage solutions, at least one coverage solution of the list comprises implementing Wi-Fi calling for the one or more user devices and an installation of a Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi calling at the location; and

prioritizing the list of one or more coverage solutions to generate a prioritized list of one or more recommended coverage solutions for resolving the network coverage problem at the location based at least on a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one of the at least one network parameter of the wireless telecommunication carrier at the location, at least one device parameter of the one or more user devices used at the location, the one or more environment parameters, or the one or more operational parameters, and wherein at least one of the one or more recommended coverage solutions provides additional network coverage to the one or more user devices utilizing unlicensed spectrum.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising determining that a subscriber associated with the one or more user devices is eligible for the one or more recommended coverage solutions in response to one or more conditions being satisfied, the one or more conditions including that an account of the subscriber is a postpaid account, the account of the subscriber is non-delinquent, the one or more recommended coverage solutions are available for use at the location, and the one or more recommended coverage solutions are not previously implemented for the location.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the one or more recommended coverage solutions further include an installation of a signal booster at the location, or a deployment of a small network cell at the location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the at least one network parameter includes an availability of one or more spectrum licenses at the location, an availability of a public-safety access point (PSAP) for the location, or a type of telecommunication carrier network signal that cover the location.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the at least one device parameter includes whether a user device is capable of more than Second Generation (2G) telecommunication, whether the user device is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE)-compatible device, or whether the user device is capable of Wi-Fi calling.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the one or more environment parameters include whether Internet access is available at the location, whether a sufficiency of Wi-Fi coverage at the location meets a predetermined sufficiency threshold, or whether a pre-existing deployed small network cell is present proximate to the location.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the one or more operational parameters include an inventory quantity of a device for providing a coverage solution, a profit or a cost savings generated from a deployment of the coverage solution, whether a particular version of the device is interchangeable with another version of the device, or a technical longevity of the device.

20. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory including a plurality of computer-executable components that are executable by the one or more processors to perform a plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising;

receiving a list of one or more coverage solutions at a location, at least one coverage solution of the list comprising implementing Wi-Fi calling for one or more user devices that experienced a network coverage problem at the location and an installation of a Wi-Fi router that supports Wi-Fi calling at the location;

prioritizing the list of one or more coverage solutions to generate a prioritized list of one or more coverage solutions for resolving the network coverage problem at the location based at least on a plurality of parameters, wherein the plurality of parameters include at least one network parameter of a wireless telecommunication carrier at the location, at least one device parameter of the one or more user devices used at the location, and one or more environment parameters associated with the location, the one or more environment parameters affecting whether the wireless telecommunication carrier is able to leverage additional coverage solutions to provide services at the location, and wherein at least one of the one or more coverage solutions provides additional network coverage to the one or more user devices utilizing unlicensed spectrum; and

determining that a subscriber associated with the one or more user devices is eligible for the one or more coverage solutions in response to one or more conditions being satisfied, the one or more conditions including that an account of the subscriber is a postpaid account, the account of the subscriber is non-delinquent, the one or more coverage solutions are available for use at the location, and the one or more coverage solutions are not previously implemented for the location.