Web server and method for hosting a web page for presenting location based user quality data related to a communication network

• US 10,419,949 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Root Wireless Incorporated (Ziff Davis, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Root Wireless Incorporated (Ziff Davis, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griff, Paul, Dicklin, Ron, Browne, Jason, Luschei, Edward Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinkantarakorn, Pao
• Application Number:
  US14/815,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

A computing device forms a predictive composite score by retrieving geographically based wireless networking performance data derived from at least one mobile device. At least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data is temporally averaged and geostatistically combined to form the predictive composite score. The predictive composite score is a forecast of expected performance quality of a wireless communication network in a particular geographic region.

Claims

1. A method to form a predictive confidence level, comprising:

retrieving geographically based wireless networking performance data from a first computing device, the geographically based wireless networking performance data derived from at least one mobile device;

spatially averaging at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data;

temporally averaging at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data, the temporal averaging including applying a full weighting factor to a first portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a first time, and applying a partial weighting factor to a second portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a second time, wherein the full weighting factor is greater than the partial weighting factor, and wherein the first time is more recent than the second time;

geostatistically combining the temporally and spatially averaged geographically based wireless networking performance data to form a predictive confidence level, the predictive confidence level being a forecast of expected success of a determined wireless communication network event in the first geographic region; and

communicating a representation of the predictive confidence level for output to a presentation device.

2. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1 wherein the predictive confidence level is an indication of wireless network quality that can be expected in an identified geographic area.

3. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 2 wherein the identified geographic area is selectable by a user.

4. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 3 wherein the predictive confidence level is recalculated for a second identified geographic area selected by a user, the second identified geographic area having a different size or shape from the identified geographic area.

5. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1 wherein the determined wireless communication network event is a connection of a wireless call.

6. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1 wherein the determined wireless communication network event is a maintaining of a wireless call through one or more handoffs.

7. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1 wherein the determined wireless communication network event is a certain rate of data transfer over a wireless communication network.

8. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1 wherein the predictive confidence level is formed in association with a first operator of a wireless communication network and a second predictive confidence level is formed in association with a second operator of a second wireless communication network.

9. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 1, wherein the act of spatially averaging at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data comprises:

creating a plurality of weighting factors to increase or decrease the influence of the at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data, each of the plurality of weighting factors based on a different network quality influence factor; and

applying one or more of the plurality of weighting factors to individual ones of the at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data.

10. The method to form a predictive confidence level of claim 9 wherein a network quality influence factor is value associated with:

a degradation of carrier signal over terrain, a distance between a tower and a mobile device, a distance between towers, a tower capacity, a terrain foliage attribute, a terrain topology attribute, population density, a time of day, a time of year, a weather event, a traffic pattern, or a network technology.

11. A method to form and present a predictive confidence level, comprising:

assigning boundaries to a plurality of geographic areas;

retrieving from at least one memory device a set of wireless networking performance data associated with at least one of the plurality of geographic areas, the set of wireless networking performance data derived from at least one mobile device;

temporally averaging at least some of the wireless networking performance data from the retrieved set of wireless networking performance data, the temporal averaging including applying a full weighting factor to a first portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a first time, and applying a partial weighting factor to a second portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a second time, wherein the full weighting factor is greater than the partial weighting factor, and wherein the first time is more recent than the second time;

spatially aggregating at least some of the wireless networking performance data from the retrieved set of wireless networking performance data;

geostatistically calculating a predictive confidence level from the spatially aggregated data, the predictive confidence level being a forecast of expected success of a determined wireless communication network event in the at least one of the plurality of geographic areas; and

presenting the predictive confidence level to an output port.

12. The method to form and present a predictive confidence level of claim 11 wherein spatially aggregating at least some of the wireless networking performance data includes executing a kriging algorithm.

13. The method to form and present a predictive confidence level of claim 11 wherein spatially aggregating at least some of the wireless networking performance data includes averaging a set of collected data over geographic space and over time, wherein the set of collected data is weighted based on a distance between a geographic point of interest and a geographic area where each datum of the set of collected data was collected, and wherein each datum of the set of collected data is weighted based on a time that the datum was collected.

14. The method to form and present a predictive confidence level of claim 11 wherein the determined wireless communication network event estimates a confidence with which a wireless call will remain connected through one or more handoffs.

15. The method to form and present a predictive confidence level of claim 11 wherein the determined wireless communication network event estimates a confidence with which a data rate above a selected threshold can be achieved.

16. The method to form and present a predictive confidence level of claim 11, comprising:

based on the predictive confidence level, identifying a geographic location that will improve a wireless communication event.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising content that configures a computing device to perform acts, comprising:

retrieving a set of geographically based wireless networking performance data derived from a plurality of mobile computing devices;

spatially averaging at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data;

temporally averaging at least some of the geographically based wireless networking performance data, the temporal averaging including applying a full weighting factor to a first portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a first time, and applying a partial weighting factor to a second portion of the geographically based wireless networking performance data collected at a second time, wherein the full weighting factor is greater than the partial weighting factor, and wherein the first time is more recent than the second time; and

geostatistically combining the temporally and spatially averaged geographically based wireless networking performance data to form a predictive confidence level, the predictive confidence level being a forecast of expected success of an event occurring at least partially in a first geographic region across a wireless communication network.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the content configures the computing device to perform acts, wherein the event occurring at least partially in the first geographic region across the wireless communication network is a connection of a wireless call.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the content configures the computing device to perform acts, wherein the event occurring at least partially in the first geographic region across the wireless communication network is a certain rate of data transfer over the wireless communication network.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the content configures the computing device to perform acts, wherein geostatistically combining temporally and spatially averaged geographically based wireless networking performance data includes executing a kriging algorithm.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the content configures the computing device to perform acts, wherein executing the kriging algorithm includes applying at least one weighting factor based on a distance between geographic points where the geographically based wireless networking performance data has been collected.