Method and apparatus for mobile station management and system

• US 20060128371A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, John M., Vogedes, Jerome O., Dillon, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A communication system optimizes system performance by selectively managing which mobile stations (MSs) are to serve as test MSs. The test MSs report system operating parameters in order to detect sleeping cells, coverage holes, or other flaws in system coverage or in order to determine an impact of a change in an access network configuration. The communication system further provides for end-to-end messaging between the test MSs and network servers via an access network and a core network, thereby permitting network elements that are best able to perform system optimization to control the monitoring, measuring, and reporting by the MSs. To minimize system and user inconvenience, reporting by a test MS further may be based on one or more of whether the MS is in an area of low mobility, has an acceptable power source output level, and is operating in a cell with an acceptable load level.

Claims

1. A method for managing reporting by a mobile station comprising:

measuring system parameters;

determining whether a trigger event has occurred;

in response to determining that a trigger event has occurred, determining whether the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, whether the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and whether the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level; and

when the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the mobile station and wherein reporting further comprises reporting, by the mobile station, a location of the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting comprises, when the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, has an acceptable power source output level, and is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when one or more of the mobile station is not in an area of low mobility, the mobile station does not have an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is not operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, storing, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters to produce stored system parameters and waiting, by the mobile station, for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the stored system parameters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein when, upon expiration of the waiting period, at least one of the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the stored system parameters.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a location of the mobile station, wherein reporting further comprises reporting, by the mobile station, the location of the mobile station, wherein storing further comprises storing the location of the mobile station, and wherein waiting further comprises waiting, by the mobile station, for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the location of the mobile station.

7. A method for managing reporting by a mobile station comprising:

measuring system operating parameters;

determining whether the mobile station is in an area of low mobility;

in response to determining that the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, determining whether a trigger event has occurred;

in response to determining that a trigger event has occurred, determining one or more of whether the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and whether the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level; and

when the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a location of the mobile station and wherein reporting further comprises reporting, by the mobile station, the location of the mobile station.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein reporting comprises, when the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, when one or more of the mobile station does not have an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is not operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, storing, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters to produce stored system parameters and waiting, by the mobile station, for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the stored system parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when, upon expiration of the waiting period, at least one of the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the stored system parameters.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a location of the mobile station, wherein reporting further comprises reporting, by the mobile station, a location of the mobile station, wherein storing further comprises storing the location of the mobile station, and wherein waiting further comprises waiting, by the mobile station, for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the location of the mobile station.

13. A mobile station capable of reporting system operating parameters to a base station, the mobile station comprising a processor that measures system operating parameters, determines whether a trigger event has occurred, in response to determining that a trigger event has occurred determines at least one of whether the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, whether the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and whether the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, and when the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reports the measured system parameters.

14. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein the processor further determines a location of the mobile station, wherein when the at least one of the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor further reports a location of the mobile station.

15. The mobile station of claim 13, wherein reporting comprises, when the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, has an acceptable power source output level, and is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting the measured system parameters.

16. The mobile station of claim 13, further comprising an at least one memory device, wherein when at least one of the mobile station is not in an area of low mobility, the mobile station does not have an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is not operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor stores the measured system parameters in the at least one memory device to produce stored system parameters, and wherein the processor waits for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the stored system parameters.

17. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein when, upon expiration of the waiting period, at least one of the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level, and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor reports the stored system parameters.

18. The mobile station of claim 16, wherein the processor further determines a location of the mobile station, wherein reporting further comprises reporting a location of the mobile station, wherein storing further comprises storing the location of the mobile station, and wherein waiting further comprises waiting for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the location of the mobile station.

19. A mobile station capable of reporting system operating parameters to a base station, the mobile station comprising a processor that measures system parameters, determines whether the mobile station is in an area of low mobility, in response to determining that the mobile station is in an area of low mobility determines whether a trigger event has occurred, in response to determining that a trigger event has occurred, determines at least one of whether the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and whether the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, and when the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reports the measured system parameters.

20. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein the processor further determines a location of the mobile station and wherein when the at least one of the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor further reports a location of the mobile station.

21. The mobile station of claim 19, wherein reporting comprises, when the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, reporting, by the mobile station, the measured system parameters.

22. The mobile station of claim 19, further comprising an at least one memory device, wherein when at least one of the mobile station does not have an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is not operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor stores the measured system parameters in the at least one memory device to produce stored system parameters, and wherein the processor waits for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the stored system parameters.

23. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein when, upon expiration of the waiting period, at least one of the mobile station has an acceptable power source output level and the mobile station is operating in a cell with an acceptable cell loading level, the processor reports the stored system parameters.

24. The mobile station of claim 22, wherein the processor further determines a location of the mobile station, wherein reporting further comprises reporting a location of the mobile station, wherein storing further comprises storing the location of the mobile station, and wherein waiting further comprises waiting for an expiration of a waiting period before reconsidering reporting the location of the mobile station.

25. An apparatus for managing a measuring and reporting of system operating parameters by a mobile station comprising:

an at least one memory device that maintains system operating parameter measurement and report policies that comprise information concerning system operating parameters that are measured by a mobile station and reported by the mobile station to the network server; and

an at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory device that determines a test mobile station that is to execute the system operating parameter measurement and report policies and that conveys the system operating parameter measurement and report policies to the test mobile station.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the system operating parameter measurement and report policies further comprise information concerning trigger events that trigger a reporting of the measured system operating parameters by the test mobile station to the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the trigger events comprise a change in a configuration of an air interface associated with the test mobile station.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the trigger events comprise a change in a measured radio frequency parameter of an air interface associated with the test mobile station.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor receives a system operating parameter measurement from the test mobile station and, based on the received measurement, issues an alert.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one processor receives a system operating parameter measurement from the test mobile station, wherein the received measurement indicates an undesirable condition, and wherein the at least one processor attempts to remedy the condition.