Probe device for determining channel information in a broadband wireless system

• US 7,843,963 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2001
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Spaeth, Jonathon, Dispensa, Steve, Landon, James, Sloderbeck, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/981,015
• Time in Patent Office: 3,331 Days
• Field of Search: 725/139, 725/123, 725/95, 725/64, 725/122, 725/73, 725/107, 725/116, 725/131, 370/404, 370/347, 370/449, 370/396, 370/276, 370/412, 370/468, 370/202.01, 370/486, 370/463, 370/312, 370/330, 370/436, 370/478, 370/480, 370/230, 370/235, 370/346, 370328-329, 370/337, 455/67.11, 455/69, 455/24, 455/66.1, 455/455, 455/515, 455/517, 455450-4522, 455/63, 455/454, 455/67.14, 455301-303, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• 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 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data

Abstract

A probe device in a broadband wireless system receives a message and processes the message to determine channel information that indicates performance of channels in the broadband wireless system. The probe device then stores the channel information in a memory in the probe device. In some embodiments, the probe device determines a state of one of the channels. In some embodiments, the states are polling, dedicated, or idle.

Claims

1. A method of operating a probe device in a broadband wireless system, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

processing the message to determine channel information describing actual use of each of a plurality of channels in the broadband wireless system by each of a plurality of users, wherein the channel information describing actual use includes a per-user breakdown of a time spent in each channel;

storing the channel information in a memory in the probe device;

transferring the channel information from the memory to a user system; and

wherein the message is a credit that allows usage of one of the channels.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the channels are upstream.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the channels are downstream.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the message indicates a completion of usage of one of the channels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the probe device is connected to a switch in the broadband wireless system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the probe device is connected to an upstream manager in the broadband wireless system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the probe device is connected to a downstream manager in the broadband wireless system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the message comprises determining a state of one of the channels.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the state is polling.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the state is dedicated.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the state is idle.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining a time in the state.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the message comprises monitoring a number of bytes transmitted.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the message comprises monitoring a number of messages transmitted during a state of one of the channels.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel information comprises a state of one of the channels.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel information comprises a change in a state of one of the channels.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel information comprises a number of bytes transmitted.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel information comprises a number of messages transmitted.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the channel information comprises a time in a state of one of the channels.

20. A probe device for use in a broadband wireless system, the probe device comprising:

an interface configured to transfer a message;

a processor connected to the interface and configured to receive a message, process the message to determine channel information describing actual use of each of a plurality of channels in the broadband wireless system by each of a plurality of users, wherein the channel information describing actual use includes a per-user breakdown of a time spent in each channel, store the channel information in a memory in the probe device, and transfer the channel information from the memory to a user system; and

wherein the message is a credit that allows usage of one of the channels.

21. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channels are upstream.

22. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channels are downstream.

23. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the message indicates a completion of usage of one of the channels.

24. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the probe device is connected to a switch in the broadband wireless system.

25. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the probe device is connected to an upstream manager in the broadband wireless system.

26. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the probe device is connected to a downstream manager in the broadband wireless system.

27. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the processor is configured to determine a state of one of the channels.

28. The probe device of claim 27 wherein the state is polling.

29. The probe device of claim 27 wherein the state is dedicated.

30. The probe device of claim 27 wherein the state is idle.

31. The probe device of claim 27 wherein the processor is configured to determine a time in the state.

32. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the processor is configured to monitor a number of bytes transmitted.

33. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the processor is configured to monitor a number of messages transmitted during a state of one of the channels.

34. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channel information comprises a state of one of the channels.

35. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channel information comprises a change in a state of one of the channels.

36. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channel information comprises a number of bytes transmitted.

37. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channel information comprises a number of messages transmitted.

38. The probe device of claim 20 wherein the channel information comprises a time in a state of one of the channels.