Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing network visualization services

• US 7,801,054 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reichman, Andrew, Hill, Nicholas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mattis; Jason E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Clawson; Stephen J
• Application Number:
  US11/537,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 726/95
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 41/5051 Service on demand, e.g. definition and deployment of services in real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for monitoring performance of a network providing content to an Internet Protocol device are provided. The method includes assigning an Internet Protocol address to a network monitoring system to establish a communication between the network monitoring system and an Internet Protocol device associated with the Internet Protocol address. The method also includes gathering performance data corresponding to the network and providing the Internet Protocol device with access to the performance data corresponding to the network via the Internet Protocol address.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring performance of a network providing content to an Internet Protocol device, comprising:

assigning an Internet Protocol address to a network monitoring system to establish a communication between the network monitoring system and an Internet Protocol device associated with the Internet Protocol address;

gathering performance data corresponding to the network; and

providing the Internet Protocol device with access to the performance data corresponding to the network via the Internet Protocol address, the access provided through a residential gateway and a modem in communication with the Internet Protocol device;

wherein the Internet Protocol device comprises

a set top box;

wherein the performance data is segmented into one or more location-specific regions, wherein access to the performance data by an end user of the Internet Protocol device is restricted to location-specific regions providing local service to the Internet Protocol device, the method further comprising;

comparing the gathered performance data to parameter values established for the Internet Protocol device and the network;

analyzing data from external sources when the performance data reflects values that are outside of the parameter values established, the data from external sources determined to impact performance of the Internet Protocol device when location-specific information associated with the data matches location-specific information associated with the Internet Protocol device; and

recording results of the analyzing in a storage location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance data is presented in a graphical format at the Internet Protocol device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external sources include:

other network monitoring systems servicing area network locations or sharing resources with the Internet Protocol device;

a communications device that shares resources with the Internet Protocol device over a local area network;

a power supplier entity;

an emergency information service; and

a weather provider service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance data includes at least one of:

picture quality data;

data transmission rates; and

network resource consumption data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance data comprises the number of high definition and standard definition channels being viewed.

6. A system for monitoring performance of a network providing content to an Internet Protocol device, comprising:

a computer processing device; and

a network visualization application executing on the computer processing device, the network visualization application implementing a method, comprising;

assigning an Internet Protocol address to a network monitoring system to establish a communication between the network monitoring system and an Internet Protocol device associated with the Internet Protocol address;

gathering performance data corresponding to the network;

providing the Internet Protocol device with access to the performance data corresponding to the network via the Internet Protocol address;

comparing the gathered performance data to parameter values established for the Internet Protocol device and the network;

analyzing data from external sources when the performance data reflects values that are outside of the parameter values established, the data from external sources determined to impact performance of the Internet Protocol device when location-specific information associated with the data matches location-specific information associated with the Internet Protocol device; and

recording results of the analyzing in a storage location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the performance data is presented in a graphical format at the Internet Protocol device;

and

wherein the performance data is segmented into one or more location-specific regions, wherein access to the performance data by an end user of the Internet Protocol device is restricted to location-specific regions providing local service to the Internet Protocol device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the external sources include:

other network monitoring systems servicing area network locations or sharing resources with the Internet Protocol device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the performance data includes at least one of:

data transmission rates; and

network resource consumption data.

10. system of claim 6, wherein the performance data includes:

picture quality data.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the external sources of data include:

a communications device that shares resources with the Internet Protocol device over a local area network.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the external sources of data include:

a power supplier entity.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the external sources of data include:

an emergency information service.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the external sources of data include:

a weather provider service.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the network visualization application is accessed through a guide on a set top box of the Internet Protocol device.

16. A computer program product for monitoring performance of a network providing content to an Internet Protocol device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement a method, comprising:

assigning an Internet Protocol address to a network monitoring system to establish a communication between the network monitoring system and an Internet Protocol device associated with the Internet Protocol address;

gathering performance data corresponding to the network;

providing the Internet Protocol device with access to the performance data corresponding to the network via the Internet Protocol address;

comparing the gathered performance data to parameter values established for the Internet Protocol device and the network;

analyzing data from external sources when the performance data reflects values that are outside of the parameter values established, the data from external sources determined to impact performance of the Internet Protocol device when location-specific information associated with the data matches location-specific information associated with the Internet Protocol device; and

recording results of the analyzing in a storage location.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the performance data is presented in a graphical format at the Internet Protocol device.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the external sources include:

a power supplier entity;

an emergency information service; and

a weather provider service.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the external sources include at least one of:

other network monitoring systems servicing area network locations or sharing resources with the Internet Protocol device; and

a communications device that shares resources with the Internet Protocol device over a local area network.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the performance data includes at least one of:

picture quality data;

data transmission rates; and

network resource consumption data.

21. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the performance data is filtered by service type data, the service type data comprising:

local service data; and

entire network service data; and

wherein the local service data is accessible by users; and

the entire network service data is accessible by network provider technicians.