INDOOR COMPETITIVE SURVEY OF WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20100246544A1
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brisebois, Arthur Richard, Klein, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,416,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/00 Magnetostrictive devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N39/00

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided to collect network operation data within a confined indoor wireless environment for generation of competitive intelligence and strategic network planning. Scanner component(s) survey and compare signals transported in a set of electromagnetic frequency bands, and in accordance with a set of radio technologies associated with competing networks. Collected data can be aggregated and delivered to femto gateway node(s), which can supply the data to an analysis component that generates network operations NetOp intelligence. A report component can manage received and aggregated network operation data and convey a portion thereof to planning tool(s) that can produce competitive intelligence and develop strategic network planning. Planning tool(s) can request specific network operation data or NetOp intelligence. Aggregated network operation data can be employed to identify service provider indoor coverage strengths or weaknesses relative to competitors to focus sales activities related to network services, and network improvement efforts.

Claims

1. A method for collecting macro-network operation data through an indoor-based access point (AP), comprising:

employing a processor to execute code instructions retained in a memory, the code instructions when executed by the processor carry out the following acts;

receiving a directive to scan a confined wireless environment and a scan configuration associated with the directive, the indoor-based AP operates in the confined wireless environment, wherein the request is received periodically or on based on a schedule;

when accepting the directive to scan the confined wireless environment, probing if the received scan configuration is compatible with operation of the indoor-based AP;

when the scan configuration is compatible with operation of the indoor-based AP, scanning the confined wireless environment in accordance with the scan configuration; and

collecting macro-network operation data surveyed through scanning the confined wireless environment, the macro-network operation data includes data on a network that operates the indoor-based AP and a competing network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retaining at least one of the collected data or a scan log, wherein the scan log generated subsequent to collecting macro-network operation data to allow at least in part performing data analysis or organizing historical data.

3. The method of claim 1, conveying the collected data in accordance with at least one of at least a portion of the scan configuration and a retention protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the retention protocol includes at least one of a schedule to deliver the collected data or one or more periods of time during which conveyed data is retained prior to the data being flushed, or compressed and stored as backup information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting macro-network operation data includes decoding measurements of wireless signals on at least one of a set of radio technologies and a set of frequency bands, the measurements specified in at least a portion of the scan configuration.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the wireless signals originate from a set of base stations and a set of mobile devices, and the decoding of measurements of wireless signals enables determination of at least one of downlink (DL) carrier frequency or channel number, network identity, a cell site identity or macro sector identifier, or determination of DL channel quality or strength.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scan configuration includes at least one of a scan profile, one or more schedules, or a privacy profile, wherein a scan profile dictates a set of measurements to be performed during a scan, the one or more schedules determine a set of times to conduct a scan and delivery of collected data there from, and a privacy profile includes criteria to override a scheduled scan or data delivery.

8. The method of claim 1, when the scan configuration is not compatible with operation of the indoor-based AP, autonomously adjusting at least a portion of the scan configuration and scanning the confined wireless environment in accordance with the adjusted scan configuration.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein being compatible with operation of the indoor-based AP includes satisfying a set of performance criteria based at least in part on at least one of in-building service quality or capacity of the indoor-based AP.

10. A system, comprising:

at least a processor that executes code instructions retained in a memory, the code instructions when executed by at least the processor confer at least part of the functionality of the following components;

a component that receives a directive to scan an indoor wireless environment and a scan configuration, wherein the directive is received periodically or based on a schedule;

a component that scans the indoor wireless environment in accordance with the received scan configuration, wherein a scan collects network operation data for a set of competing networks;

an analyzer component that compiles network operation data collected through a scan of the indoor wireless environment; and

a component that conveys at least a portion of the compiled data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the component that receives the directive to scan the indoor wireless environment retains at least one of the collected network operation data or a scan log, which is generated subsequent to a scan and allows at least in part to perform data analysis or organize historical data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the component that scans the indoor wireless environment decodes, at least in part, measurements of wireless signals on at least one of a set of radio technologies and a set of frequency bands, the measurements specified in at least a portion of the scan configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wireless signals originate from a set of base stations and a set of mobile devices, and the decoded measurements provide at least one of downlink (DL) carrier frequency or channel number, network identity, a cell site identity or macro sector identifier, or determination of DL channel quality or strength.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the component that scans the indoor wireless environment utilizes at least one of a set of code sequence hypothesis or a set of radio technology hypothesis to decode, at least in part, the measured wireless signals.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the scan configuration includes at least one of a scan profile, one or more schedules, or a privacy profile, wherein the scan profile determines a set of measurements to be performed during a scan, the one or more schedules establish a set of times to conduct a scan and to deliver network operation data collected there from, and a privacy profile includes criteria to override a scheduled scan or data delivery.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the component that scans the indoor wireless environment includes a configuration component that generates at least in part at least one of a scan schedule or a delivery schedule when performance of a scan does not fulfill operation criteria based at least in part on at least one of in-building service quality or capacity of an access point that operates in the indoor wireless environment and houses that component that scans the indoor wireless environment.

17. The system of claim 12, the component that scans the indoor wireless environment, conduct signaling time-of-flight measurements to enable at least in part extraction of location-based information associated with radio transmission resources of a competing network, the TOF measurements include at least one of round trip time measurements, or time difference of arrival measurements.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the component that conveys at least the portion of compiled data delivers the data in accordance to the delivery schedule.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration component schedules, at least in part, the received directive to scan the indoor wireless environment to a time in which scan performance satisfies the operation criteria.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the analyzer component includes a management component that manipulates and administers the compiled data, data administration includes at least one consolidation of databases of related data, generation of backup storage, data encryption for secure submission to a femto gateway node, or data removal.

21. A method for generating network operation intelligence based at least in part on a competitive network survey, the method comprising:

employing one or more processors to execute code instructions retained in a memory, the code instructions when executed by the processor carry out the following acts;

configuring a scan protocol that affords to collect network operation data in one or more confined wireless environments from a set of femto access points (APs);

delivering a directive to scan the one or more confined wireless environments to the set of femto APs;

when acknowledgement of the directive is received, conveying the configured scan profile to the set of femto APs;

receiving collected network operation information data from the set of femto APs in accordance at least in part with the configured scan profile; and

analyzing the received network operation data to generate network operation intelligence.

22. The method of claim 21, conveying at least a portion of the received operational data or the generated network operation intelligence.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

acquiring at least a portion of network the collected network operation data; and

based at least in part on at least the acquired portion of network operation data, predict at least one of capacity evolution, coverage development, service development, or network failure.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising retaining the received network operation data and the generated network operation intelligence.

25. The method of claim 21, when acknowledgement of the directive is not received, implementing a retry cycle and when the retry cycle is successful, conveying the configured scan protocol to the set of femto APs.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the scan protocol that affords to collect network operation data in one or more confined wireless environments from a set of femto access points (APs) includes:

generating at least one of a schedule to scan an indoor wireless environment or a schedule to deliver data collected from a set of scans of the indoor wireless environment;

specifying a scan profile that includes at least a set of measurements to be conducted in a scan of the indoor wireless environment; and

supplying at least one of the generated schedules and the scan profile.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein analyzing the received network operation data to generate network operation intelligence includes:

compiling the received network data on wireless network operation in an indoor wireless environment; and

mapping the compiled data to at least one of a location, a network operator, a sector identifier, or a sector carrier.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising extracting from the compiled data a number of at least one of unique sector identifiers per operator or unique sector carriers per operator.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising assessing from the compiled data at least one of a site density, a capacity density, a coverage density, or a traffic density, wherein site density is the number of unique sector identifiers per network operator, capacity density is the number of unique sector carriers per operator normalized by the carrier'"'"'s bandwidth, coverage density is defined as the average signal strength per operator, and traffic density is uplink noise per unique mobile device detected in a predetermined, configurable time interval.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising gauging inter-carrier interference for intra-operator sector carriers.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein conveying at least a portion of the received operational data or the generated network operation intelligence includes:

receiving a request to deliver at least a portion of network operation data collected in an indoor environment through a femto AP, wherein the request is received periodically or based on a schedule; and

when the request is authorized, delivering at least the requested portion of network operation data.

32. The method of claim 31, further including:

receiving a command to manipulate at least a portion of network operation data collected in an indoor environment through a femto AP; and

implementing the command to manipulate at least the requested portion of the network operation data.

33. A system that generates network operation intelligence based at least in part on a competitive network survey, the system comprising:

at least a processor that executes code instructions retained in a memory, the code instructions when executed by at least the processor confer at least part of the functionality of the following components;

a set of nodes that conveys a directive to scan an indoor wireless environment and a scan configuration associated with the directive, wherein the directive is conveyed periodically or based on a schedule;

a set of nodes that receives collected network operation data;

an analysis component that aggregates the received network operation data and generates network intelligence; and

a report component that conveys at least one of collected network operation data or generated network intelligence.

34. The system of claim 33, further comprising one or more planning tools that acquire at least a portion of at least one of the network operation data or the generated network intelligence.

35. The system of claim 34, based at least in part on at least the acquired portion of network operation data or the generated network intelligence, the one or more planning tools predict at least one of capacity evolution, coverage development, service development, or network failure.

36. The system of claim 34, to generate network intelligence, the analysis component includes a mapping component associates the received data to at least one of a location, a network operator, a sector identifier, or a sector carrier.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the analysis component generates a distance registry of location of base stations of a competing network.

38. The system of claim 36, to generate network intelligence, the analysis component includes an assessment component that extract from the received network operation data a number of at least one of unique sector identifiers per operator or unique sector carriers per operator.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the assessment component further evaluates the received network operation data to extract at least one of a site density, a capacity density, a coverage density, or a traffic density, wherein site density is the number of unique sector identifiers per network operator, capacity density is the number of unique sector carriers per operator normalized by the carrier'"'"'s bandwidth, coverage density is defined as the average signal strength per operator, and traffic density is uplink noise per unique mobile device detected in a predetermined, configurable time interval.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the assessment component determines inter-carrier interference for intra-operator sector carriers.

41. The system of claim 34, to convey at least one of collected network operation data or generated network intelligence, the report component receives a request to deliver at least a portion of the collected network operation data or the generated network intelligence.

42. The system of claim 41, to acquire at least the portion of at least one of the network operation data or the generated network intelligence, the one or more planning tools convey a request to access the network operation data or the generated network intelligence.

43. The system of claim 36, the one or more planning tools convey a directive to manipulate at least a portion of the generated network operation data.

44. The system of claim 33, the one or more nodes specify the scan configuration, which comprises at least one of a scan profile that includes at least a set of measurements to be conducted in a scan of the indoor wireless environment, a schedule to scan the indoor wireless environment or a schedule to deliver data collected from a set of scans of the indoor wireless environment, or a privacy profile.