SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELF-INITIALIZATION AND AUTOMATED BOOTSTRAPPING OF MOBILE ACCESS POINTS IN A NETWORK OF MOVING THINGS

• US 20170215021A1
• Filed: 07/06/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexar Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Veniam Inc.
• Inventors: de Azevedo, Joao Pedro Coelho, Carreira, Diogo Emanuel da Silva Jordao
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for self-initialization and automated bootstrapping of mobile access points in a network of moving things. A software application directs an automated system for the pre-initialization and provisioning of various elements of a network of moving things by gathering information about network element hardware components, accesses and installs on the network element the appropriate software components, a performs testing of the provisioned network element. Information identifying the hardware, software, and results of testing of the provisioned network element are made available on a cloud-based repository. This enables network personnel and management, and suppliers of the network elements components to track and manage provisioning, performance, and trouble information.

Claims

1. A system for self-initialization and automated bootstrapping of a mobile device for use in a network or moving things, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising a software application having executable instructions for generating a user interface on a connected display device, the computer system configured to communicatively couple to the mobile device and to a cloud-based system storing configuration information for operating the mobile device in the network and one or more of software and firmware code executable by the mobile device;

a satellite signal generator controllable by the computer system to produce one or more radio frequency signals that simulate transmissions from satellites of a global navigation satellite system, the satellite signal generator operably coupled to the computer system;

a wireless access point controllable by the computer system to communicate with the mobile device using radio frequency signals as a plurality of different elements of the network;

wherein the software application directs the computer system to, at least;

receive, from the mobile device, information characterizing components of the mobile device;

install one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device, based on the information characterizing components of the mobile device; and

test the mobile device by controlling the satellite signal generator and the wireless access point, according to the configuration information.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cellular communication network signal generator controllable by the computer system to transmit and receive radio frequency signals that simulate communication with one or more wireless cellular network base stations.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein installing one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device comprises retrieving the one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information for the mobile device from the cloud-based system, based upon the received information characterizing the components of the mobile device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

collecting results for each test performed upon the mobile device; and

forwarding the collected results to the cloud-based system in storage for the mobile device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

receiving identifying information assigned to the mobile device by the cloud-based system; and

producing one or both of a human readable label and an electronically readable label, using the identifying information.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of different network elements comprise one or both of a second mobile device and a fixed access point device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises configuration parameters that control communication methodologies used by the mobile device to communicate with devices of the network.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the communication methodologies comprise one or both of a communication methodology that employs only a specific type of wireless communication protocol and a communication methodology that employs any available type of wireless communication protocol.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the software application directs the computer system to define in the network at least one condition an occurrence of which causes identified software of the one or more of software and firmware code to be configured on the mobile device.

10. The system according to claim 9, where the at least one condition comprises one or both of an occurrence of a particular operating condition in the mobile device and/or a current date matching a particular date.

11. A method of operating a computer system for self-initialization and automated bootstrapping of a mobile device for use in a network or moving things, the method comprising:

generating a user interface on a display device;

communicatively coupling to the mobile device and to a cloud-based system storing configuration information for operating the mobile device in the network and one or more of software and firmware code executable by the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, information characterizing components of the mobile device;

installing one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device, based on the information characterizing components of the mobile device;

testing the mobile device by controlling a satellite signal generator configurable to produce one or more radio frequency signals that simulate transmissions from satellites of a global navigation satellite system and by controlling a wireless access point configurable to communicate with the mobile device using radio frequency signals as a plurality of different elements of the network, according to the configuration information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein testing the mobile device comprises controlling a cellular communication network signal generator to transmit and receive radio frequency signals that simulate communication with one or more wireless cellular network base stations.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein installing one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device comprises retrieving the one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information for the mobile device from the cloud-based system, based upon the received information characterizing the components of the mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

collecting results for each test performed upon the mobile device; and

forwarding the collected results to the cloud-based system in storage for the mobile device.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

receiving identifying information assigned to the mobile device by the cloud-based system; and

producing one or both of a human readable label and an electronically readable label, using the identifying information.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of different network elements comprise one or both of a second mobile device and a fixed access point device.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the configuration information comprises configuration parameters that control communication methodologies used by the mobile device to communicate with devices of the network.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the communication methodologies comprise one or both of a communication methodology that employs only a specific type of wireless communication protocol and a communication methodology that employs any available type of wireless communication protocol.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method comprises defining in the network at least one condition an occurrence of which causes identified software of the one or more of software and firmware code to be configured on the mobile device.

20. The method according to claim 19, where the at least one condition comprises one or both of an occurrence of a particular operating condition in the mobile device and/or a current date matching a particular date.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section, the at least one code section being executable by a computer system for causing the computer system to perform operations for self-initialization and automated bootstrapping of mobile devices for use in a network or moving things, the operations comprising:

generating a user interface on a display device;

communicatively coupling to the mobile device and to a cloud-based system storing configuration information for operating the mobile device in the network and one or more of software and firmware code executable by the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, information characterizing components of the mobile device;

installing one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device, based on the information characterizing components of the mobile device;

testing the mobile device by controlling a satellite signal generator configurable to produce one or more radio frequency signals that simulate transmissions from satellites of a global navigation satellite system and by controlling a wireless access point configurable to communicate with the mobile device using radio frequency signals as a plurality of different elements of the network, according to the configuration information.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein testing the mobile device comprises controlling a cellular communication network signal generator configurable to transmit and receive radio frequency signals that simulate wireless communication with one or more cellular network base stations.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein installing one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information on the mobile device comprises retrieving the one or more of software, firmware, and configuration information for the mobile device from the cloud-based system, based upon the received information characterizing the components of the mobile device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

collecting results for each test performed upon the mobile device; and

forwarding the collected results to the cloud-based system in storage for the mobile device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein testing the mobile device comprises:

receiving identifying information assigned to the mobile device by the cloud-based system; and

producing one or both of a human readable label and an electronically readable label, using the identifying information.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the plurality of different network elements comprise one or both of a second mobile device and a fixed access point device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the configuration information comprises configuration parameters that control communication methodologies used by the mobile device to communicate with devices of the network.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the communication methodologies comprise one or both of a communication methodology that employs only a specific type of wireless communication protocol and a communication methodology that employs any available type of wireless communication protocol.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the software application directs the computer system to define in the network at least one condition an occurrence of which causes identified software of the one or more of software and firmware code to be configured on the mobile device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 29, where the at least one condition comprises one or both of an occurrence of a particular operating condition in the mobile device and/or a current date matching a particular date.