Generating and Analyzing Mobility Vectors to Determine Subscriber Behavior

• US 20150148041A1
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozkan, Mehmet
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,653 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for generating and analyzing mobility vectors to determine subscriber behavior. A processor can execute an analysis engine. The analysis engine can obtain a log from a data collection device associated with a cellular network. The log can include subscriber data, cell identifier data, and time data. The analysis engine can identify a subscriber represented by the subscriber data and determine a vector associated with the subscriber. The vector can represent a movement of the subscriber within the cellular network. The analysis engine can store vector data that corresponds to the vector determined.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, at a processor executing an analysis engine, a log from a data collection device associated with a cellular network, the log comprising subscriber data, cell identifier data, and time data;

identifying, by the processor, a subscriber represented by the subscriber data;

determining, by the processor, a vector associated with the subscriber, the vector represents a movement of the subscriber within the cellular network; and

storing, by the processor, vector data that corresponds to the vector determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the vector represents a movement of the subscriber through two cells of the cellular network, and wherein the time data represents a time at which a handoff associated with the device occurred between a first of the two cells and a second of the two cells.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber data identifies a subscriber, wherein the cell identifier data identifies a cell of the cellular network with which a device associated with the subscriber communicated, and wherein the time data identifies a time at which the device communicated with the cell.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, a vector associated with the subscriber;

analyzing, by the processor, the vector to determine a status associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at a cell corresponding to the vector; and

storing, by the processor, status data that represents the status determined, wherein the status data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status indicates that the subscriber was one of mobile and stationary if the subscriber is located within the cell.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving, by the processor, the status data associated with the subscriber;

determining, by the processor, a behavior associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at the cell; and

storing, by the processor, behavior data that represents the behavior determined, wherein the behavior data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a subscriber located within a cell;

determining, by the processor, an origination cell associated with the subscriber, the origination cell comprising one of a work cell and a home cell;

determining, by the processor, that the cell and the originating cell do not match; and

determining, by the processor, that the subscriber is a visitor in response to determining that the cell and the originating cell do not match.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, a travel vector associated the cellular network, the travel vector comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a travel route through a geographic location covered by the plurality of cells;

storing, by the processor, data defining the travel vectors as part of the vector data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a subscriber located at one of the plurality of cells associated with the travel vector; and

identifying, by the processor, the subscriber as a travelling subscriber.

7. The method of 6, wherein the behavior indicates that the subscriber was one of located at home, located at work, and travelling at a time at which the subscriber was located within the cell.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

obtaining a log from a data collection device associated with a cellular network, the log comprising subscriber data, cell identifier data, and time data,

identifying a subscriber represented by the subscriber data,

determining a vector associated with the subscriber, the vector represents a movement of the subscriber within the cellular network, and

storing vector data that corresponds to the vector determined.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the logs comprise data defining handoffs between cells of the cellular network, and wherein the data collection devices comprise a home location register associated with the cellular network.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

selecting a vector associated with the subscriber;

analyzing the vector to determine a status associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at a cell corresponding to the vector; and

storing status data that represents the status determined, wherein the status data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

retrieving the status data associated with the subscriber;

determining a behavior associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at the cell; and

storing, by the processor, behavior data that represents the behavior determined, wherein the behavior data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

identifying a subscriber located within a cell;

determining an origination cell associated with the subscriber, the origination cell comprising one of a work cell and a home cell;

determining that the cell and the originating cell do not match; and

determining that the subscriber is a visitor in response to determining that the cell and the originating cell do not match.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a computing device that is configured to generate a query; and

computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising

receiving the query,

executing the query against the vector data,

generating a report comprising data responsive to the query, and

providing the report to a requestor associated with the query.

17. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a log from a data collection device associated with a cellular network, the log comprising subscriber data, cell identifier data, and time data;

identifying a subscriber represented by the subscriber data;

determining a vector associated with the subscriber, the vector represents a movement of the subscriber within the cellular network; and

storing vector data that corresponds to the vector determined.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting a vector associated with the subscriber;

analyzing the vector to determine a status associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at a cell corresponding to the vector; and

storing status data that represents the status determined, wherein the status data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving the status data associated with the subscriber;

determining a behavior associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is located at the cell; and

storing behavior data that represents the behavior determined, wherein the behavior data is stored as a portion of the vector data.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying a subscriber located within a cell;

determining an origination cell associated with the subscriber, the origination cell comprising one of a work cell and a home cell;

determining that the cell and the originating cell do not match; and

determining, by the processor, that the subscriber is a visitor in response to determining that the cell and the originating cell do not match.