Method and System for Analyzing Radio Performance During Over-the-Air Operation

• US 20110090807A1
• Filed: 09/14/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Locus Location Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Locus Location Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Mitchell, Robert, Caudill, Danny, Qahwash, Murad, Parkey, Charna, Keefe, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

An apparatus for determining operating characteristics of radio-frequency (RF) transmitting devices while the devices are in normal operation transmitting over-the-air RF signals. The apparatus comprises at least one signal sensor for receiving the RF signals, each sensor responsive to the RF signals received at a plurality of antennas or received at a directional antenna, an analyzer for determining signal parameters of received RF signals and for determining operating characteristics of the transmitting devices from the signal parameters, wherein each RF signal includes an identifier of the transmitting device, the apparatus using the identifier to link operating characteristics determined from the RF signals to the transmitting device, and a graphical user interface for displaying the operating characteristics for each transmitting device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining operating characteristics of radio-frequency (RF) transmitting devices while the devices are in normal operation transmitting over-the-air RF signals, the apparatus comprising:

at least one signal sensor for receiving the RF signals, each sensor responsive to the RF signals received at a plurality of antennas or received at a directional antenna;

an analyzer for determining signal parameters of received RF signals and for determining operating characteristics of the transmitting devices from the signal parameters;

wherein each RF signal includes an identifier of the transmitting device, the apparatus using the identifier to link operating characteristics determined from the RF signals to the transmitting device; and

a graphical user interface for displaying the operating characteristics for each transmitting device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the analyzer further determines one or more transmitting devices satisfying predefined operating thresholds, transmitting devices satisfying specifications applicable to the transmitting device, suspect transmitting devices, transmitting devices transmitting a signal having an RSSI below a predetermined threshold, transmitting devices transmitting a signal having an RSSI below the specification applicable to the transmitting device, transmitting devices having an insufficient number of transmissions from which to determine operating characteristics of the transmitting device, transmitting devices not in regular use, transmitting device reports according to user-defined topics, waveform visualization information and bit-field visualization information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein responsive to the analyzer, the graphical user interface identifies transmitting devices that have failed and transmitting devices that are suspect.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal parameters comprise, RF frequency accuracy, RF frequency offset from an assigned frequency, timing of RF frequency offsets relative to a beginning of a message transmission, RF frequency offset variations throughout a message transmission, frequency deviation of the modulated signal, range of frequency deviations over time, amplitude variations during a message transmission, symbol frequency error, symbol clock error, modulation fidelity, bit error rate, conformance to packet structure specifications, baud rate changes during a message transmission, spurious emissions, RSSI, consistent low power level irrespective of location of the transmitting device, high bit error rate irrespective of location of the transmitting device, battery charge, a number of retries over a predetermined threshold, unexpectedly low RSSI.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein operating characteristics for identified transmitting devices are collected more frequently than operating characteristics for other transmitting devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured with a storage time parameter for identifying a period of time for storing the operating characteristics and configured with a data collection frequency parameter for identifying a frequency at which the operating characteristics are determined.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a list of identifiers of transmitting devices for which signal parameters are to be determined.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frequency of monitoring and analyzing the signal parameters is user-defined for each transmitting device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitting device comprises a transmitting device operating in a trunked network and the apparatus monitors at least one of a request from the transmitting device to a network controller for an inbound channel, a message from the network controller advising the transmitting device of an assigned inbound channel and an inbound channel carrying transmissions from the transmitting device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus operates in conjunction with a location-determining system for determining location of transmitting devices in a trunked radio network, and wherein the apparatus advises the location-determining system of performance of the transmitting devices in the trunked radio network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein predefined operating thresholds for a transmitting device are modified responsive to a determined location for the transmitting device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a component for issuing email messages including operating characteristics for identified transmitting devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a component for issuing email alerts identifying failed or suspect transmitting devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a “

health”

of a transmitting device is determined by comparing the operating characteristics of the transmitting device with performance specifications for the device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a “

health”

of a transmitting device is determined by comparing the operating characteristics of the transmitting device with governmental regulations applicable to performance of the transmitting device.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitting device comprises a mobile, portable or stationary transmitting device or a mobile, portable, or stationary transceiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transmitting device is operative in a communications network, further comprising one of a WiFi network, a trunked transmitting device network, a cellular telephone network, a paging network, a WiMax network, an 802.11x network and a Zigbee network.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device transmits signals in at least one of digital and analog formats.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a database for storing information related to the operating characteristics, the information comprising one or more of a statistics related to the operating characteristics for a transmitting device, past repair dates for a transmitting device, transmitting devices for which no operating characteristics have been determined, user-defined information.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a database from which the operating characteristics for a transmitting device are deleted after the transmitting device is repaired.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one signal sensor comprises at least one antenna, a receiver, a digital signal processor, a precision oscillator and a general purpose processor, cooperating to measure signal parameters of the RF signals from which the operating characteristics of the transmitting device are determined.

22. A method for determining operating characteristics of a radio-frequency (RF) transmitting device while the device is in normal operation transmitting over-the-air RF signals, the method comprising:

receiving RF signals at least one signal sensor, each sensor responsive to the RF signals received at a plurality of antennas or received at a directional antenna;

measuring signal parameters of received RF signals;

determining operating characteristics of the transmitting device from the signal parameters;

wherein each RF signal includes an identifier of the transmitting device, using the identifier to link operating characteristics determined from the RF signals to the transmitting device; and

displaying the operating characteristics for the transmitting device.