Expert system for troubleshooting cellular site problems

• US 7,274,932 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2001
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Gopal N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/955,817
• Time in Patent Office: 2,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/226.1, 455/12.1, 455/67.1, 455/424, 455/446, 455/67.11, 379/9.03, 379/9.02, 706/908, 714/26
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method of troubleshooting a cellular network problem is provided. The network problem and the facts regarding the problem are input. This input is sent to an inference engine which determines whether a rule is invoked by the input. If a rule is invoked by the input, the method will output potential sources of the problem and potential solutions to the problem. If no rule is invoked, the method will add the input to a provisional rules list which may be later converted to troubleshooting rules. If the output potential sources and solutions do not solve the problem, the method can also add the input to the provisional rules list for subsequent conversion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for troubleshooting a problem associated with a cellular network site, comprising:

receiving a symptom input describing the symptoms of the problem associated with the cellular network site;

determining whether at least one of a plurality of rules is invoked by the symptom input, wherein the plurality of rules comprise a plurality of if-then statements, wherein the plurality of if-then statements comprise a plurality of if portions and a plurality of then portions, the then portions corresponding to potential solutions to the problem, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of rules is generated by a software application for interviewing cellular network site engineers;

if so, then outputting a potential solution to the problem wherein the potential solution is determined by the invoked rule; and

storing the symptoms in a provisional rules list when none of the plurality of rules are invoked.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether at least one of a plurality of rules is invoked by the symptom input comprises determining whether the symptom input matches one of the plurality of if portions;

and if so, then determining that the rule associated with the matched if portion is invoked.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein outputting a potential solution to the problem comprises outputting the then portion of the invoked rule.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein outputting a potential solution to the problem comprises displaying the potential solution in a user interface of a computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a facts input describing relevant facts regarding the cellular network and wherein determining whether at least one of a plurality of rules is invoked by the symptom input further comprises determining whether at least one of a plurality of rules is invoked by the symptom input and the facts input.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving an indication input indicating whether the potential solution was successful.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a potential solution input; and

adding the symptom input and potential solution input as one of the plurality of rules stored in a knowledge database.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a potential solution input; and

adding the symptom input and potential solution input as one of the plurality of rules stored in a knowledge database.

9. An expert system for troubleshooting a problem in a cellular network site, the expert system comprising:

a user interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the expert system;

an inference engine connected to the user interface, wherein the inference engine receives data from the user interface and transmits data to the user interface;

a knowledge database connected to the inference engine, wherein the knowledge database comprises a plurality of rules used to provide potential solutions to the problem, wherein the plurality of rules comprise a plurality of if-then statements wherein the if portion corresponds to the problem and the then portion corresponds to a potential solution, and wherein at least a portion of the knowledge database is populated with the plurality of rules using a knowledge acquisition facility (KAF) comprising a software application for interviewing cellular network site engineers, wherein the knowledge database stores symptoms of a problem in a provisional rules list when none of the plurality of rules are invoked; and

a domain database, wherein the domain database comprises a plurality of facts regarding the cellular network site.

10. The expert system of claim 9 wherein the KAF formulates a plurality of if-then statements from the interviews with the cellular network site engineers wherein the plurality of if-then statements are stored as the plurality of rules in the knowledge database.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for troubleshooting a problem associated with a cellular network site, the method comprising:

receiving a symptom input describing the symptoms of the problem associated with the cellular network site;

determining whether at least one of a plurality of rules is invoked by the symptom input, wherein the plurality of rules comprise a plurality of if-then statements, wherein the plurality of if-then statements comprise a plurality of if portions and a plurality of then portions, the then portions corresponding to potential solutions to the problem, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of rules is generated by a software application for interviewing cellular network site engineers;

if so, then outputting a potential solution to the problem wherein the potential solution is determined by the invoked rule; and

storing the symptoms in a provisional rules list when none of the plurality of rules are invoked.