Error detecting and reporting system in a wireless communication network

• US 6,317,596 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Elwin, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester G.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,236
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 455/421, 455/423, 455/425, 455/474, 455/446, 455/456, 455/63, 455/65, 455/67.1, 455/406, 455/407, 455/67.4, 455/450, 455/703, 379/1, 379/27
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An error detecting and reporting system utilizes a subscriber terminal to monitor some aspect of communication link conditions while active on a call. The subscriber terminal includes a call state information detection mechanism. The mechanism monitors and saves the call state information leading to a link failure in a non-volatile memory. A processing unit sends the saved call state information to a system management entity when the link is re-established. The system management entity utilizes the call state information as part of a system performance activity by correlating the saved call state information with related system events to determine system problems.

Claims

1. A method for error detecting and reporting in a wireless communication network comprising:

(a) communicating using a subscriber terminal which monitors some aspect of communication link conditions while active on a call;

(b) saving call state information leading to a link failure in a problem coverage area, said call state information including time information related to said link failure; and

(c) instructing the subscriber terminal to send the saved call state information, including said time information, to a system management entity upon subsequent communication link re-establishment, where the system management entity performs certain statistical analysis based on said time information.

2. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 1, further comprising:

(a) utilizing the saved call state information as part of a system performance activity; and

(b) correlating the saved call state information with related system events to determine system problems.

3. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 1, wherein the saved call state information includes a time stamp, link error types, link error states, area information and radio frequency (RF) signal strengths.

4. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 3, further comprising using area information and rf signal strengths to determine the location of the problem coverage area.

5. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 2, further comprising:

(a) processing saved call state information; and

(b) generating visual display of error reports.

6. A method for error detecting and reporting in a wireless communication network system comprising:

(a) communicating using a subscriber terminal which monitors some aspect of communication link conditions while active on a call;

(b) saving call state information leading to a link failure in a problem coverage area, said call state information including time information related to said link failure;

(c) instructing the subscriber terminal to send the saved information, including said time information, to a system management entity upon subsequent communication link re-establishment;

(d) utilizing the saved call state information as part of a system performance activity; and

(e) correlating the saved call state information with related system events to determine system problems, where the system management entity performs certain statistical analysis based on said time information.

7. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 6, wherein the saved call state information includes a time stamp, link error types, link error states, area information and radio frequency (RF) signal strengths.

8. The method of error detecting and reporting of claim 7, further comprising using area information and rf signal strengths to determine the location of the problem coverage area.

9. An error detecting and reporting system in a wireless communication network comprising:

(a) a subscriber terminal, said subscriber terminal including a call state information detection mechanism which monitors some aspect of communication link conditions while the subscriber terminal is active on a call;

(b) a non-volatile memory which holds the saved call state information leading to a link failure in a problem coverage area, said call state information including time information related to said link failure; and

(c) a processing unit which determines when to send the saved call state information, including said time information, to a system management entity, where the system management entity performs certain statistical analysis based on said time information.

10. The error detecting and reporting system of claim 9, wherein the saved call state information includes a time stamp, link error types, link error states, area information and rf signal strengths.

11. The error detecting and reporting system of claim 9, further comprising:

(a) a system management entity which processes call state information sent by the subscriber terminals; and

(b) a central processing unit which analyzes and correlates various information received from the subscriber terminals with related system events.

12. The error detecting and reporting system of claim 11, further comprising a visual display system to visually display the generated information from the central processing unit.