Method and system for optimizing performance of a mobile communication system

• US 6,603,966 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheffield, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US08/996,486
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/456, 455/446, 455/449, 455/67.1, 455/67.4, 455/67.7, 455/466, 455/424, 455/425, 455/560, 455/561, 379/1.01, 379/24, 379/26.01, 379/27.02, 370/241-252
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Call data collected from the switch at a Mobile Telephone Switching Office is combined with location information of a mobile unit to generate information reports concerning the electromagnetic coverage of a geographic region. The collection of call data from the switch permits consideration of uplink information in the analysis of system performance. The uplink information reflects performance of specific equipment that is in use by the wireless customer. This uplink information may be combined with downlink and location information to remove from the performance evaluation transient effects associated with, for example, local terrain and other physical impairments.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a cell site a wireless signal from a mobile wireless system;

determining at least one of signal strength and signal error of the wireless signal;

communicating the at least one of signal strength and signal error to the mobile wireless system;

the mobile wireless system correlating the at least one of signal strength and signal error with location information collected by the mobile wireless system;

communicating the at least one of signal strength and signal error through a data switch before communicating the at least one of signal strength and signal error to the mobile wireless system, wherein the data switch is part of a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network; and

communicating the at least one of signal strength and signal error through a voice switch before communicating the at least one of signal strength and signal error to the mobile wireless system.

2. A method comprising:

receiving at a cell site a wireless signal comprising location data from a mobile wireless system, the location data received via a voice channel;

determining at least one of a signal strength and signal error for the wireless signal;

communicating the at least one of a signal strength and signal error to a processing device via a voice switch;

communicating the location data to the processing device via a data switch; and

the processing device causing the at least one of a signal strength and signal error to be visually correlated with the location data.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

communicating the at least one of a signal strength and signal error to the processing device in a first base station;

communicating the location data to a second base station; and

the second base station communicating the location data to the first base station.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

the second base station communicating with the first base station via a CDPD modem.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the location data is received via CDPD.