Self-care self-tuning wireless communication system

• US 20160165460A1
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alberto Gutierrez, Jr.
• Inventors: Mikkelsen, Frederick, Gutierrez, Alberto Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,591,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A customer self-service tuning system assists a mobile device user in adjusting his network settings and device configuration. Device, network and performance metrics are stored for a population. Over time all of these suggest changes in the device or network that change measured performance. The potential improvement(s) are presented to the user for selection. Performance measurements are taken and the user can choose to go forward with the new configuration or to revert. Each time a user requests self-care service, a new cohort is extracted from the then current overall population and analyzed for similarity to the user at that point in time. Each time an improvement is selected, the history of device states and network states is augmented. Identified variances are transformed into an action plan specific to a user and implemented on the device or network upon concurrence.

Claims

1. A method for operation of a customer service self-care server comprising:

receiving a request from a client mobile wireless device;

receiving a selection on an application installed on the device;

receiving a package of metrics and device state;

selecting a cohort of substantially similar devices;

presenting potential performance improvements; and

transforming a network account and its device configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request from a client mobile wireless device comprises:

receiving a selection on an application installed on the device; and

receiving a package of metrics and device state.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a cohort of substantially similar devices comprises:

determining a first plurality of devices whose past devstate and netstate are substantially similar to current configuration of client device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein selecting a cohort of substantially similar devices further comprises:

determining a subset of first plurality whose current devstate and netstate are different and whose performance has improved, whereby it is inferred that delta devstate and delta netstate are causes of improved performance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting potential performance improvements comprises:

associating improvements in performance with changes in devstate and netstate in the subset of first plurality; and

displaying selectable list of improvements to client operator to obtain agreement.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a network account and its device configuration comprises:

receiving from client operator agreement to transform account and configuration.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a network account and its device configuration comprises:

adjusting server-side network account setting to new netstate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a network account and its device configuration comprises:

prompting client user to amend settings of device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a network account and its device configuration comprises:

reiterating performance measurements.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein transforming a network account and its device configuration comprises:

reverting settings if performance unsatisfactory.

11. A method for operation of a self-care server comprising:

initiating Self-care service Request;

distinguishing user from cohort;

confirming desired outcome with client; and

supporting client trial changes and recovery;

wherein initiating Self-care service Request comprises

receiving user initiated request for assistance;

wherein distinguishing user from cohort comprises

determining cohort of substantially similar user population for client;

wherein confirming desired outcome with client comprises

retrieving expectation failures associated with divergences, and

transmitting selectable problem descriptions to client display; and

wherein supporting client trial changes and recovery comprises

transmitting prompts to client to converge device settings.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein initiating a self-care request further comprises:

receiving device state; and

reading network state for user account.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein distinguishing client from cohort further comprises:

determining modes for distribution of cohort settings; and

determining divergences from “

modal”

configuration of client configuration.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein confirming desired outcome with client further comprises

receiving one or more agreement selections from the mobile device;

and

storing prior device state and network state.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein supporting client trial changes and recovery further comprises:

upon client concurrence, adjusting network account settings; and

upon a trigger offering to revert or continue operation with new settings.

16. A system comprises:

a wireless communication network coupling a plurality of wireless mobile devices to a self-care server;

the plurality of wireless mobile devices; and

the self-care server, whereby a device operator self improves performance of a device relative to other devices in the plurality of devices.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the mobile wireless device (client) comprises:

a circuit to record performance metrics and settings of the software components of the device (device state);

a circuit to request analysis from a self-care server; and

a circuit to transmit device state to the self-care server.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the customer self-care server comprises:

a store of device states (devstate) and network account settings (netstate) for a plurality of wireless mobile devices recorded over time;

a circuit to receive network account settings and device state triggered by a request for self-care from a mobile wireless device; and

,

a circuit to select and retrieve past performance metrics, devstate and netstate for a cohort of wireless mobile devices substantially similar to the client.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the customer self-care server further comprises:

a circuit to select and retrieve current devstate and current netstate for subset of the cohort which has current performance metrics improved over the current performance metrics of the client;

a circuit to present possible performance improvements by changing client'"'"'s devstate and netstate toward settings deployed by the subset of the cohort;

a circuit to adjust client'"'"'s network account upon permission; and

a circuit to transmit a guide to amend client'"'"'s device settings.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the mobile wireless device further comprises:

a circuit to receive and display at least one selectable problem description consistent with the subset of a cohort of users for which a change in device and network configuration is proposed;

a circuit to indicate to the self-care server concurrence with proposed adjustments to the user'"'"'s network configuration; and

a circuit to receive and perform amendments to the mobile wireless device settings according to performance by the user of change proposed by the self-care server.