Method and system for probing a wireless network to monitor and process the wireless network performance

• US 7,359,835 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Vogel, Andreas, Adams, Mark E., Brenner, Andrew S., Suojanen, Noah B. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman; Hal
• Application Number:
  US10/966,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/122
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring performance of a wireless network are disclosed. According to one described example, at least one probe is generated. In the example, the probe determines the portion of a wireless network to monitor, the type of the probe, and the number and frequency of the probe or probes to target a specific carrier, a specific system, or a specific geographical area. A probe server generates the probe based on a parameter specified by the user and transmits the probe to a plurality of posts or to the wireless network. In the example, the probe server controls the posts to send and receive probes to the wireless network. In response to the received probes, the wireless network responds by sending feedback information, which can be used to indicate how the wireless network is performing.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a plurality of parameters operable to identify a portion of said wireless network to be monitored, and further operable to identify a type and the number of probing signals to be generated;

in response to said receiving, generating a plurality of probes, each probe having a target and information based on said plurality of parameters;

sending each probe of the plurality of probes from a source to the wireless network;

in response to said sending, determining a response from said wireless network;

based on said determined response, determining a feedback information from said wireless network; and

storing said feedback information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each source is a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each wireless device is at a post.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the post stores feedback information generated in response to the plurality of probes.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending, for each probe of the plurality of probes, the stored feedback information to a server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback information for each probe of the plurality of probes comprises a time of a first event.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the feedback information for each probe of the plurality of probes comprises a time of a second event.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining, for each probe of the plurality of probes, from the time of the first event and the time of the second event, the time between the first event and the second event.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second event is the time the feedback information is received at the source.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time the probe is sent from the source.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time a carrier acknowledges a call from the source as an authenticated data call.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time a browser starts up.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time a browser authentication is completed.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time the source begins to receive the target information.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time the source begins to receive a homedeck.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time the source completes reception of a homedeck.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time the source establishes a TCP/IP connection with an HTTP server.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time a DNS server begins to translate a URL into an IP address.

19. The method of claim 6, wherein the first event is the time a DNS server completes a translation of a URL into an IP address.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each probe of the plurality of the probes is a WAP pull probe.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein each probe of the plurality of the probes is an HTTP pull probe.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, for each probe of the plurality of probes, the stored feedback information at a server.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the stored feedback information from each probe of the plurality of probes to a user interface.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a graphical representation of the stored feedback information.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

processing said feedback information to determine the performance of the wireless network.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising sending an alert when said determined performance of said wireless network is outside of a specified performance level threshold.