Methods and systems for correlating telecommunication antenna infrastructure placement information to provide telecommunication quality of service information

• US 6,795,707 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Truepricing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Truepricing, Inc.
• Inventors: Derby, Paul, Martin, Jeffrey W., Hawkins, Campbell
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/863,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20020115447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/423, 455/67.11, 455/406, 455/566, 455/414.1, 455/556.1, 455/457, 705/1
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/24 Negotiating SLA [Service Level Agreement]; Negotiating QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

The present invention is related to methods and systems for correlating telecommunication antenna infrastructure placement information to provide telecommunication quality of service information. In one embodiment, a system includes a database configured to store cellular antenna location information for a plurality of cellular antennas associated with a first service provider, and to store cellular antenna placement information for a plurality of antennas associated with a second service provider. The system further includes a first instruction configured to transmit a request over a network to a first terminal for a user to identify a first location in which the user intends to utilize cellular service, a second instruction configured to request the user to identify a travel route connecting to the first location on which the user uses cellular service, a third instruction configured to determine the cellular coverage provided by the first service provider for areas along the travel route.

Claims

1. A method of correlating telecommunications infrastructure information with user routes, comprising:

receiving from a plurality of sources cellular antenna placement information, including latitude and longitude information, for a plurality of cellular antennas in a plurality of regions;

requesting, over a network, a user to identify at least a first city and a second city in which the user intends to utilize cellular service;

receiving over the network the user city identifications;

requesting the user to identify at least a first route on which the user intends to travel from the first city to the second city;

receiving an instruction from the user to provide coverage information for a first cellular service provider;

identifying, using the antenna placement information, antennas located within a first area through which the first route passes, wherein the antennas are associated with the first cellular service provider;

retrieving information related to the coverage of the identified antennas associated with the first cellular service provider;

displaying, on a map of the first area presented on a first terminal, area coverage indicators corresponding to the identified antennas associated with the first cellular service provider, wherein coverage gaps on the first route can be identified by the user;

receiving an instruction from the user to provide coverage information for a second cellular service provider;

identifying, using the antenna placement information, antennas associated with the second cellular service provider located within the first area;

retrieving information related to the coverage of the identified antennas associated with the second cellular service provider; and

displaying, on the map of the first area presented on the first terminal, area coverage indicators corresponding to the identified antennas associated with the second cellular service provider, wherein coverage gaps on the first route can be identified by the user.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein in the coverage indicators are in the form of circles having a first diameter.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing the user with a numerical indication for the area coverage for the first cellular provider and a numerical indication for the area coverage for the second cellular provider.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the cellular antenna placement information is received from a governmental agency and a non-governmental entity.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first terminal is located in a physical store.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first terminal is located in one of a home and an office of the user.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first route includes at least a tunnel.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first route includes at least a train route.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising offering the user accessories based at least partly on the at least first route.

10. A method of identifying telecommunications infrastructure placement, comprising:

storing cellular antenna placement information for a plurality of cellular antennas associated with a first service provider in a database;

storing cellular antenna placement information for a plurality of cellular antennas associated with a second service provider in the database;

transmitting a request over a network to a first terminal, for a user to identify at least a first location in which the user intends to utilize cellular service;

receiving over the network the user identification of the first location;

transmitting information to the first terminal, including map information for the first location and for related travel routes;

requesting the user to identify at least one of the travel routes on which the user intends to travel;

identifying the cellular coverage for areas along the at least one travel route provided by the first service provider, based at least upon the antenna placement information for the plurality of cellular antennas associated with the first service provider;

transmitting to the first terminal display information indicating the cellular coverage for areas along the at least one travel route provided by the cellular service provider;

identifying the cellular coverage for areas along the at least one travel route provided by the second cellular service provider, based at least upon the antenna placement information for the plurality of cellular antennas associated with the second service provider; and

transmitting to the first terminal display information indicating the cellular coverage for areas along the at least one travel route provided by the second service provider.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the display information, indicating the cellular coverage for the first and second service providers, is used to display on the first terminal discrete indicators of the approximate coverage of individual antennas along the at least one travel route.

12. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the display information, indicating the cellular coverage for the first service provider, is used to display on the first terminal a plurality of indicators illustrating the approximate coverage of a corresponding plurality of antennas along the at least one travel route.

13. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the display information, indicating the cellular coverage for the first service provider, is used to display at least a first coverage break along the at least one travel route on the first terminal.

14. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first terminal is located in a physical store.

15. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the first terminal is located in one of a home and an office of the user.

16. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising transmitting a request, over the network to the first terminal, for the user to identify a second location in which the user intends to utilize cellular service and a travel route connecting the first location and the second location.

17. The method as defined in claim 10, further comprising providing a numerical indication of the first service provider'"'"'s quality of service.

18. A system for correlating user usage information with a service provider'"'"'s service coverage, the system comprising:

a database configured to store cellular antenna location information for a plurality of cellular antennas associated with a first service provider, and to store cellular antenna placement information for a plurality of cellular antennas associated with a second service provider;

at least a first instruction stored in memory configured to transmit a request over a network to a first terminal for a user to identify at least a first location in which the user intends to utilize cellular service;

at least a second instruction configured to request the user to identify a travel route at least connecting to the first location on which the user uses cellular service;

at least a third instruction configured to determine the cellular coverage provided by the first service provider for areas along the travel route, based at least upon the antenna location information for the plurality of cellular antennas associated with the first service provider;

at least a fourth instruction configured to provide to the first terminal information indicating the cellular coverage for areas along the travel route provided by the first service provider; and

at least a fifth instruction configured to provide to the first terminal information indicating the cellular coverage for areas along the travel route provided by the second service provider.

19. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising a service plan database configured to store service plan information for a plurality of service providers.

20. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising a product database configured to store cellular phone product information for a plurality of product providers.

21. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising a physical store in which the first terminal is located.

22. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising mapping data used to generate display information for the travel route.

23. The system as defined in claim 18, further comprising a sixth instruction used to access updated service data from a service provider.