Method and system for assessing wireless communication quality in a communications network
First Claim
1. A method for assessing wireless communication quality in a communications network having a plurality of networked switching systems and base stations for providing wireless communications services to wireless RF devices, the method comprising:
- broadcasting, by a network application to base stations in the network, reporting criteria requesting reporting of RF signal strength from powered RF devices in the communications network;
sending, from at least one base station to powered RF devices in the network, a message requesting RF devices in an area served by the at least one base station to report RF quality information to the at least one base station according to the reporting criteria;
receiving, at the at least one base station from at least one reporting RF device, RF quality information including RF signal strength measured by the at least one reporting RF device;
receiving at the network application from the at least one base station, reported RF quality information from at least one reporting RF device; and
processing the reported RF quality information for a plurality of locations served by the network to provide an assessment of RF network quality for at least a subset of the RF coverage areas served by the network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are presented for assessing wireless communication quality in a communications network, in which a network application broadcasts reporting criteria to base stations in the network that requests reporting of RF signal strength from powered RF devices, and the base stations send messages to RF devices to request the RF devices to RF quality information according to the reporting criteria. The base station sends reported RF quality information to the network application, which processes the reported information to provide an assessment of RF network quality for all or a subset of the RF coverage areas served by the network.
21 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for assessing wireless communication quality in a communications network having a plurality of networked switching systems and base stations for providing wireless communications services to wireless RF devices, the method comprising:
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broadcasting, by a network application to base stations in the network, reporting criteria requesting reporting of RF signal strength from powered RF devices in the communications network; sending, from at least one base station to powered RF devices in the network, a message requesting RF devices in an area served by the at least one base station to report RF quality information to the at least one base station according to the reporting criteria; receiving, at the at least one base station from at least one reporting RF device, RF quality information including RF signal strength measured by the at least one reporting RF device; receiving at the network application from the at least one base station, reported RF quality information from at least one reporting RF device; and processing the reported RF quality information for a plurality of locations served by the network to provide an assessment of RF network quality for at least a subset of the RF coverage areas served by the network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A wireless communications network, comprising:
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a plurality of switching systems operatively associated with one or more base stations for providing communications services to wireless RF devices; a network application operatively coupled with the switching systems, the application broadcasting reporting criteria to base stations in the network via associated switching systems, the reporting criteria specifying immediate or periodic reporting of RF signal strength from powered RF devices; wherein at least one of the base stations sends a message to powered RF devices requesting RF devices in an area served by the at least one base station to report RF quality information to the at least one base station according to the reporting criteria, and receives RF quality information from at least one reporting RF device, wherein the at least one base station sends reported RF quality information to the network application via the associated switching system, and wherein the network application processes the reported RF quality information for a plurality of locations served by the network to provide an assessment of RF network quality for at least a subset of the RF coverage areas served by the network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification