Method And Apparatus For Monitoring Mobile Communication Networks

• US 20150181449A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Didenko, Nikolai, McNay, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US14/139,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

A manner of monitoring communications networks, and in a preferred embodiment specifically of monitoring and reporting RF (radio frequency) signal strength in mobile communication networks. A mobile device manager generates and transmits one or more measurement request messages and receives network-characteristic measurements in response. These responses are stored and aggregated and may be used to generate network maps and generate alarms as appropriate or at the request of a network operator.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a mobile communication network, comprising:

transmitting from a mobile device manager a measurement request message, the request message comprising a request that a managed device measure at least one network characteristic;

receiving at the mobile device manager a response to the measurement request message, the response comprising a measurement value;

associating the measurement value with the location of the managed device; and

storing the measurement value and associated location in a measurement database accessible to the mobile device manager.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the location of the managed device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the location of the managed device comprises receiving an indication of the location in the received response to the measurement request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a time stamp with the measurement value and storing the associated time stamp in the measurement database.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network characteristic is the strength of a received RF signal at the mobile station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the at least one network characteristic.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one managed device as an addressee of a measurement request message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one managed device is a mobile station.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one managed device is a plurality of managed devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising aggregating a plurality of measurement values.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising creating a measurement map comprising least one measurement value in association with a geographic area.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting the measurement map.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a received measurement value to a threshold, and generating an alarm if the value is beyond the threshold.

14. A mobile device manager, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device in communication with the processor;

a measurement request message generator configured to generate measurement request messages;

a network interface for transmitting measurement request messages and receiving responses to measurement request messages; and

a measurement database for storing measurements received in response to measurement request.

15. The mobile device manager of claim 14, further comprising a measurement aggregator configured for extracting measurements contained in responses to measurement request messages and storing them in the measurement database.

16. The mobile device manager of claim 15, wherein the measurement aggregator is further configured for associating a timestamp with an individual measurement.

17. The mobile device manager of claim 15, wherein the measurement aggregator is further configured for associating a location with an individual measurement.

18. The mobile device manager of claim 15, wherein the measurement aggregator is further configured for aggregating a plurality of measurements in association with their respective timestamps and locations.

19. The mobile device manager of claim 15, further comprising a map generator configured for generated a map comprising one or more of the measurements stored in the measurement database.

20. The mobile device manager of claim 15, further comprising an alarm generator configured for generating an alarm message if one or more measurements pass a measurement threshold.