Embedded wireless benchmarking systems and methods

• US 7,738,864 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crick, Todd, Donovan, John, Link, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brandt; Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US11/205,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20070037570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/425, 455/424, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/67.14, 455/67.15, 455/67.7
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Systems and methods for measuring the performance of a provider of communications service are described. A plurality of mobile communications devices measure average power received, signal to noise ratio, voice quality, blocked and dropped calls, or any combinations of such measurements. The device may also receive a set of data identifying the location of the device. The device may transmit one or more communications signals to a server computer system with such measurements and location data. The measurements and location data may be stored in a database, and new data may be created and transmitted illustrating a subset of the measurements and location data.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device for measuring performance of a provider of communications services, the device comprising:

means for receiving a range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the range including a modulated voice signal;

means for measuring an average power received from the range of frequencies at each measurement interval when the device is in use;

means for demodulating a subset of the range to produce a demodulated voice signal;

means for recording the time that the average power received is measured;

means for measuring a voice quality measurement of the demodulated voice signal when the device is in use, the voice quality measurement based on acoustical properties of human hearing;

means for associating the time that the voice quality measurement is measured;

means for identifying the location of the device;

means for programming the mobile communication device to collect data points for measurements of the average power received, measurements of the time at which the average power received is measured, or the voice quality measure and for the location of the device, wherein the data points are collected based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

means for transmitting at a variable reporting interval a set of data comprising;

all data points collected for the measurement of the average power received from the range and the time at which the data points for the measurement of the average power received were made;

all data points collected for the measurement of the voice quality measurement and the time at which the data points for the measurement of the voice quality were made; and

the location of the device at the time at which the collection of the data points for the measurement of the voice quality and the measurement of the average power received were collected.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the provider of communications services is a wireless carrier operating a cellular system.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves received comprises a wireless signal from the provider of communications services, and wherein the metric is a distance movement metric for determining whether the device has moved a predetermined distance.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves received comprises a modulated voice signal, and wherein the metric is a time interval metric for determining whether a predetermined amount of time has passed since a previous measurement.

5. A method of measuring performance of a provider of communications services, the method comprising:

receiving a set of data from each of a plurality of mobile communications devices, the set of data comprising;

measurements of the location of each device comprising a collection of location data points collected by the mobile communications device programmed to collect data points at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

measurements of an average power of a range of frequencies received by each device comprising a collection of average power data points collected by the mobile communications device programmed to collect data points at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

measurements of a voice quality for each device comprising a collection of voice quality data points collected by the mobile communications device at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric; and

times when each of the measurement were made for the location, average power, and voice quality,

storing the set of data in a database;

displaying a subset of the set of data including some of the data points of average power of the range of frequencies received, some of the data points of the voice quality;

some of data points of the location of the device that performed the measurement, and the time at which each of the data points was collected.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of displaying comprises displaying the subset of the set of data on a map wherein different ranges of the signal quality metric are represented as different colors on the map.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the measurements of the average power, and the measurements of the voice quality are received representing different providers of communications services.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the provider of communications services is a wireless carrier operating a cellular system, and wherein the the metric is a distance movement metric for determining whether the device has moved a predetermined distance.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the measurements of the average power and the measurements of the voice quality are measured during use of the device by a user for purposes of voice communication.

10. A method of measuring performance of a provider of communications services, the method comprising:

receiving at least one communications signal from a plurality of mobile communications devices, the at least one communications signal including information comprising;

measurements of an average power received by the devices from a range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the range associated with the provider of communications services, comprising a plurality of data points of measurements of the average power received collected by the mobile communications device based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

measurements of a location of the devices comprising a plurality of data points of the location of the devices collected by the mobile communications device based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

measurements of a voice quality of the devices comprising a plurality of data points of the measurement of voice quality collected by the mobile communications device based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric; and

a time associated with when the data points of the measurements of an average power, the data points of the measurement of a location and the data points of the measurements of the voice quality were collected;

associating the measurements of average power received and the measurements of the voice quality with the locations and time; and

generating a subset of information comprising a graphical representation of the locations of each device and the average power and the measurement associated with each location at each time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of information comprises image data illustrating a map containing the location of each device and the average power associated with each location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, the measurements of the voice quality of the device comprises a

measurement of voice quality of a voice signal, the voice signal reproduced via demodulation by each device of a subset of the range received by the device;

and

wherein the subset of information comprises image data illustrating a map containing a graphical representation of the location of each device and the measurement of voice quality associated with each location.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of information comprises at least one table, illustrating the location of each device and the measurements of average power and the measurements of voice quality associated with each location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a plurality of geographic regions;

wherein the location of each device is included in at least one of the plurality of geographic regions, and the measurements of average power and the measurements of voice quality in the table are further linked with the at least one of a plurality of geographic regions.

15. A method for measuring performance of a provider of communications services utilizing a database, the method comprising:

receiving at a server at least one communications signal from each of a plurality of mobile communications devices, the at least one communications signal including information comprising;

multiple data points of measurements of an average power received by the device from a range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the range associated with the provider of communications services and collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

multiple data points of measurements taken by the mobile communication device of voice quality of a voice signal, the voice signal reproduced via demodulation by the device of a subset of the range received by the device and collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

the time when each measurement was taken; and

multiple data points of measurements of a location of the mobile communication device and collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

relating the data points of the measurements of the average power, the data points of the measurements of voice quality, and the time when each of the average power and data points of the voice quality measurements were taken with the data points of the measurements of the location of the device to create a relational data set;

storing the relational data set in a database; and

maintaining the database with the relational data set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the provider of communications services is a wireless carrier operating a cellular system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves comprises a wireless signal from the provider of communications services.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves received by each device comprises a modulated voice signal from the provider of communications services.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the voice quality measurement comprises a Mean Opinion Score (“

MOS”

).

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the communications signal flirt her comprises a measurement of a signal to noise ratio for the range received, and the relating step further comprises relating the signal to noise ratio measurement to the location.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the communications signal further comprises information about blocked and dropped calls, and relating further comprises relating the information about blocked and dropped calls with the location of the device.

22. The method of claim 15, which further comprises:

transmitting a subset of information comprising the location of each device and the average power and the measurement associated with each location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the subset of information comprises image data illustrating a map.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the map contains a graphical representation of the location of each device and the average power associated with each location.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the subset of information comprises at least one table illustrating the location of each device and the average power and the measurement associated with each location.

26. A computer program embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

receive a communications signal from a plurality of mobile communications devices, at a variable interval information included in each signal comprising;

multiple data points of a measurement of an average power received by the device from a range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

multiple data points of a measurement of voice quality of a voice signal on the device collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric;

the time at which the measurement of an average power in the measurement of voice quality was taken, and

multiple data points identifying the location of the device collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric,

relate the multiple data points of the measurement of an average power, the multiple data points of the measurement of voice quality and the time that each measurement was taken with the multiple data points of the location of the device to create a relational data set; and

store the relational data set in a database.

27. The computer program recited in claim 26, which further comprises instructions executable to receive multiple data points of a signal to noise ratio measurement from the device for the range received collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric, and store the multiple data points of the signal to noise ratio measurement.

28. The computer program recited in claim 27 which further comprises instructions executable to transmit subset of the relational data set.

29. The computer program recited in claim 28, which further comprises instructions executable to create image data illustrating a map including graphical representation of the location of each device and the average power received, the image data comprising the subset of information.

30. A method of providing a user interface which illustrates performance of a provider of communications services, the method comprising:

providing an interface which allows a user to select a geographic region;

selecting a data set representing data points of the average power received as measured by a mobile communications device and collected by the mobile communications device at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric within the geographic region;

selecting a data set representing data points of the voice quality received as measured by the mobile communication devices collected at an interval based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a time interval metric and a distance movement metric within the geographic region; and

creating image data which comprises a map illustrating the geographic region, the average power received by the mobile communication devices within the geographic region and the voice quality received by mobile communication devices within the geographic region.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

providing an interface which allows a user to select a range of times; and

creating image data representing measurements during the range of times.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

providing an interface which allows a user to select one of a plurality of providers of communications services; and

creating image data representing measurements of the selected provider.

33. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method of claim 30 for providing a user interface.

34. A mobile communications device, wherein the device is configured to:

receive a range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves, the range associated with a provider of communications services;

collect data points of measurements of an average power received from the range based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a distance movement metric and a time interval metric;

demodulate a subset of the range to reproduce a voice signal;

collect data points of measurements of voice quality of the reproduced voice signal based on a metric selected from the group consisting of a distance movement metric and a time interval metric;

receive a set of data identifying a location of the device;

associate the time when the data points of the measurements of the average power received and the data points of the measurements of the voice quality were measured and

transmit at least one communications signal which includes information comprising;

the data points of the measurements of the average power received from the range;

the data points of the voice quality measurement;

the time when the measurements of the average power received and the voice quality measurement were made; and

the set of data identifying the location of the device.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the time interval metric comprises 10 minutes, and the distance movement metric comprises 20 meters.

36. The device of claim 34, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves received comprises a wireless signal from the provider of communications services.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein the wireless signal from the provider of communications services comprises a plurality of wireless signals.

38. The device of claim 34, wherein a time is associated with the average power received and a time is associated with the measurement, and each time is included in the information.

39. The device of claim 34, wherein the provider of communications services is a wireless carrier operating a cellular system.

40. The device of claim 34, wherein the range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves received comprises a modulated voice signal.

41. The device of claim 34, wherein the set of data comprises Global Positioning System (“

GPS”

) coordinates.

42. The device of claim 34, wherein the voice quality measurement comprises a Mean Opinion Score (“

MOS”

).

43. The device of claim 34, wherein the device is further configured to measure a signal to noise ratio for the range received, and transmit the measurements of the signal to noise ratio measurement in the at least one communications signal.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein each device is further configured to receive information about blocked and dropped calls, and transmit the information about blocked and dropped calls in the at least one communications signal.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the information about blocked and dropped calls is received from user input after a call.