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

• US 7,835,886 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
• Inventors: Adams, Mark E., Brenner, Andrew S., Suojanen, Noah B. K., Vogel, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wachsman; Hal D
• Application Number:
  US12/044,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/122, 702/187
• 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 system for monitoring a wireless network, comprising:

a probe server to receive parameters defining how to monitor the wireless network; and

a plurality of posts, each of the posts to receive commands from the probe server to send a plurality of probes to the wireless network via at least one wireless connections and to receive feedback information from the wireless network, wherein the probe server is communicatively coupled to the wireless network via a network connection different from the at least one wireless connections.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of posts comprises:

a post controller to receive the commands from the probe server; and

a plurality of wireless devices to send probes to the wireless network via the at least one wireless connection and to receive feedback information from the wireless network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of posts further comprises a plurality of device controllers to receive the parameters from the post controller, and wherein each post is connected to one of the plurality of wireless devices to control the wireless device.

4. A system for monitoring a wireless network, comprising:

a user interface server to receive monitoring parameters describing how to probe the wireless network;

an application server coupled to the user interface server to receive the monitoring parameters, cause a plurality of probes to be sent to the wireless network, and receive feedback information in response to the plurality of probes;

storage coupled to the application server to store feedback information received from the wireless network; and

a first post to send the plurality of probes to the wireless network via at least one wireless connection, wherein the application server is communicatively coupled to the wireless network via a network connection different from the at least one wireless connection.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a scheduler coupled to the application server to notify the application server when each of the plurality of probes should be send to the wireless network.

6. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein a second post is to receive the feedback information from the wireless network.

7. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a type of probe to be generated.

8. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a number of probes to be generated.

9. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a portion of the wireless network to be monitored.

10. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein the application server is to process the feedback information to evaluate the performance of the wireless network.

11. A tangible machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive parameters defining how to monitor a wireless network;

receive commands based on the parameters; and

in response to the commands, send a plurality of probes from a probe server to the wireless network via a network connection and to receive feedback information at a post from the wireless network via a wireless device connected to the wireless network via a wireless connection different from the network connection and to send the feedback information to the probe server.

12. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to control a wireless device to send the plurality of probes to the wireless network.

13. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive monitoring parameters describing how to probe the wireless network;

cause the plurality of probes to be sent to the wireless network based on the monitoring parameters; and

store the feedback information received from the wireless network.

14. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to indicate when each of the plurality of probes should be sent to the wireless network.

15. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a portion of the wireless network to be monitored.

16. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a type of probe to be generated.

17. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the monitoring parameters identify a number of probes to be generated.