USING PERSONAL WIRELESS DEVICES FOR NETWORK TESTING

• US 20120108199A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Peter S., Stern-Berkowitz, Janet A., Tamaki, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A personal wireless device is utilized to carry out measurements of one or more network-performance related metrics in response to a triggering event. The triggering event can be a message that is transmitted by a network element to the personal wireless device. The personal wireless device may be exemplified by a variety of personal devices such as, for example, a cellular phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The measurements may be used to derive network-performance related information such as cellular signal coverage areas, signal hole areas, and signal interference areas.

Claims

1. A device configured to:

carry out a measurement of a network-performance related metric in response to a first triggering event, and to transmit a result of the measurement to a network element that originated the triggering event.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first triggering event comprises a request message transmitted by the network element to a personal wireless device, the request message identifying the network-performance related metric to be measured by the personal wireless device.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the network-performance related metric comprises at least one of a downlink pilot signal strength, a signal power headroom, or a neighboring cell signal strength.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the personal wireless device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant device, or an internet-enabled wireless device.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the personal wireless device is a cellular device and the measurement is a logged-type measurement carried out when the cellular device is in an idle mode of operation.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the cellular device is configured to carry out the logged-type measurement when the cellular device is in a first cell coverage area and transmit the result of the logged-type measurement to the network element when the cellular device is in a second cell coverage area.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the cellular device is configured to transmit a location identification request message to the network element for obtaining geographic position information of the cellular device.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the cellular device is configured to activate the logged-type measurement after ensuring that the geographic position is under network coverage jurisdiction of a first network operator authorized to transmit the first triggering event to the cellular device.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein the personal wireless device is a cellular device configured to accept the first triggering event from a first network operator and explicitly reject a second triggering event originated by a second network operator.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the cellular device comprises a memory in which is stored the identity of the first network operator.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the personal wireless device is configured to negatively respond to the first triggering event if the first triggering event occurs when the personal wireless device is engaged in servicing an emergency call.

12. A method comprising:

receiving in a personal wireless device, a first triggering event;

using the personal wireless device to carry out a measurement of a network-performance related metric; and

transmitting the result of the measurement to a network element that originated the first triggering event.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using the personal wireless device to make a telephone call.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

using the personal wireless device to communicatively couple to the Internet and perform a data-related activity.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

carrying out the measurement when the personal wireless device is in an idle mode of operation.

16. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

ensuring that the network element is an authorized network element prior to carrying out the measurement.

17. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

responding to the first triggering event subject to identifying a network operator as an authorized network operator.

18. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a location identification request message to the network element for obtaining geographic position information of the personal wireless device prior to carrying out the measurement.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following steps:

processing a measurement request message received from a network element;

verifying that a personal wireless device is in an idle mode of operation;

carrying out a measurement of a network-performance related metric; and

transmitting the result of the measurement to the network element that originated the measurement request message.

20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the personal wireless device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant device, or an internet-enabled wireless device.