Communications system with controlled selective measuring of traffic properties

• US 6,339,698 B1
• Filed: 03/29/1996
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Cullen, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lee
• Application Number:
  US08/586,716
• Time in Patent Office: 2,118 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 455/67.4, 455/67.5, 455/67.6, 455/56.1, 455/33.1, 455/33.2, 455/9, 455/53.1, 379/59, 379/60
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/403 with centralised control, e.g. polling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node

Abstract

A communications system includes a plurality of functional elements and measures properties of the functional elements. A processing function element controls the measuring and receives data from the measuring step. Communications links the central processor with the measuring element and the processing element is arranged to selectively instruct the measuring element to transmit selected data to the processing element.

Claims

1. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of measuring means for measuring properties of the traffic carried by the communications system, and

a data processing element for controlling the measuring means and receiving data from the measuring means,

wherein the data processing element is arranged to selectively instruct the measuring means to transmit selected data to the data processing element.

2. A system as in claim 1 in which:

the measuring means are re-configurable to measure different properties under the control fo the data processing element.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

the measuring means are arranged to monitor the properties that they measure continuously and to store the data until commanded by the data processing element to transmit it.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

the measuring means are arranged to transmit data to the data processing element over a time period, the beginning and end of which are controlled by the data processing element, and

the data processing element is arranged to perform a computation on the data received.

5. A system as in claim 4 wherein the computation is a time average.

6. A system as in claim 4 wherein the computation is the calculation of a trend.

7. A system as in claim 4 wherein:

the data processing element is arranged to compare data received from more than one measuring means and to provide an output based on the comparison.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein:

the system is a telecommunications network in which the measuring means determine signal quality at predetermined points within the network.

9. A system as in claim 7 wherein:

the measuring means measure the signal quality across an air interface.

10. A communications system as in claim 1, having at least one mobile unit.

11. A communications system as in claim 10, including a cellular radio system.

12. A communications system as in claim 1, including at least one fixed network termination point.

13. A method of measuring properties of the traffic of a communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling selected remote means for measuring selected traffic properties, and

instructing the selected measuring means to transmit the selected data to a data processing element.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein the properties are continuously monitored and the measurement is stored for later transmission.

15. A method as in claim 13 wherein the process includes:

instructing the measuring means to transmit data to the processing unit over a period of time, and

performing a computation on the data received over that period.

16. A method as in claim 15 wherein the computation is a time average.

17. A method as in claim 15 wherein the computation is the calculation of a trend.

18. A method as in claim 15 wherein the process includes:

a comparison of data received from more than one measuring means to provide an output based on the comparison.

19. A method as in claim 13 wherein the measuring means form part of a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

measuring received signal quality at predetermined points within the system.

20. A method as in claim 19, the method comprising:

measuring signal quality across an air interface.

21. A method as in claim 13 including:

controlling the measuring means to measure different properties in response to different control signals.

22. A method as in claim 13, wherein the distributed system includes a mobile radio system.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the mobile radio system is a cellular radio system.

24. A method as in claim 13 wherein the system includes at least one fixed network termination point.