Mobile service maintenance management

• US 8,265,618 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wavemarket Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: MacNaughtan, Malcolm David, Scott, Craig Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/084,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.1, 455/446
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for managing inconsistencies between a radio communications network and a network database. In one aspect, the system is informed of one or more inconsistencies and various decisions are made as to what actions to take. One possible action is to simply inform a network operator of the discrepancy. Another possible action is to determine which network elements are affected by the inconsistency and to update the network database in relation to those network elements to compensate for the inconsistency.

Claims

1. A method for managing an inconsistency between a radio communications network and a network database in a zone-based location system, the method comprising:

receiving a notification of an inconsistency;

identifying at least one zone profile affected by the inconsistency;

updating the at least one zone profile to compensate for the inconsistency;

identifying at least one mobile radio terminal associated with the at least one zone profile; and

transmitting the at least one zone profile to the at least one mobile radio terminal associated with the at least one zone profile.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising informing a system operator of the inconsistency.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising updating the network database to remove the inconsistency.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the step of updating the network database comprises updating respective network databases on one or more mobile radio terminals in the radio communications network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising flagging data in the network database relating to the inconsistency such that the flagged data will be ignored.

5. A zone-based location system configured for managing an inconsistency between a radio communications network and a network database, the system comprising:

a server; and

a memory in communication with the server having instructions stored therein configured to cause the server to execute the steps of;

receiving a notification of an inconsistency;

identifying at least one zone profile affected by the inconsistency;

updating the at least one zone profile to compensate for the inconsistency;

identifying at least one mobile radio terminal associated with the at least one zone profile; and

transmitting the at least one zone profile to the at least one mobile radio terminal associated with the at least one zone profile.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising informing a system operator of the inconsistency.

8. A system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising updating the network database to remove the inconsistency.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein updating the network database comprises updating respective network databases on one or more mobile radio terminals in the radio communications network.

10. A system as claimed in claim 5 further comprising flagging data in the network database relating to the inconsistency such that the flagged data will be ignored.

11. A method of managing an inconsistency between a radio communications network and a network database, the method comprising:

receiving a notification of the inconsistency;

determining whether any mobile radio terminals in the radio communications network are affected by the inconsistency; and

transmitting a communication to one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency to compensate for the inconsistency;

wherein the step of determining whether any mobile radio terminals are affected by the inconsistency comprises determining whether one or more zones defined in the radio communications network are affected by the inconsistency and determining whether any mobile radio terminals are associated with one or more of the one or more zones.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 further comprising updating respective profiles defining the one or more zones determined to be affected by the inconsistency.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the step of transmitting a communication to the one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency comprises transmitting the updated profile to the one or more mobile radio terminals.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of transmitting the communication to the one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency to compensate for the inconsistency comprises transmitting an ignore flag such that data associated with the inconsistency is ignored.

15. A zone-based location system configured for managing an inconsistency between a radio communications network and a network database, the system comprising:

a server; and

a memory in communication with the server having instructions stored therein configured to cause the server to execute the steps of;

receiving a notification of the inconsistency;

determining whether any mobile radio terminals in the radio communications network are affected by the inconsistency; and

transmitting a communication to one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency to compensate for the inconsistency;

wherein determining whether any mobile radio terminals are affected by the inconsistency comprises determining whether one or more zones defined in the radio communications network are affected by the inconsistency and determining whether any mobile radio terminals are associated with one or more of the one or more zones.

16. A system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising updating respective profiles defining the one or more zones determined to be affected by the inconsistency.

17. A system as claimed in claim 16 wherein transmitting a communication to the one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency comprises transmitting the updated profile to the one or more mobile radio terminals.

18. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein transmitting the communication to the one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency to compensate for the inconsistency comprises transmitting an ignore flag such that data associated with the inconsistency is ignored.

19. A system as claimed in claim 15 wherein determining whether any mobile radio terminals in the radio communications network are affected by the inconsistency and transmitting a communication to one or more of the mobile radio terminals that were determined to be affected by the inconsistency to compensate for the inconsistency are provided by a network processor.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the network processor is a location server.

21. A method for managing a change in a radio communications network, the method comprising:

identifying one or more zones defined by a respective profile in the radio communications network that are affected by the change, the respective profile containing data relating to one or more cells;

for each cell in the respective profile, determining whether the cell is significantly affected by the change; and

if the cell is determined to be significantly affected by the change, flagging the respective profile for updating to compensate for the change.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the change is a new base station in the radio communications network.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the change is due to a non-operational base station.

24. A system for managing a change in a radio communications network, the system comprising:

means for identifying one or more zones defined by a respective profile in the radio communications network that are affected by the change, the respective profile containing data relating to one or more cells;

means for, for each cell in the respective profile, determining whether the cell is significantly affected by the change; and

means for, if the cell is determined to be significantly affected by the change, flagging the respective profile for updating to compensate for the change.

25. A system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the means for identifying one or more zones defined by a respective profile in the radio communications network that are affected by the change, the respective profile containing data relating to one or more cells;

the means for, for each cell in the respective profile, determining whether the cell is significantly affected by the change; and

the means for, if the cell is determined to be significantly affected by the change, flagging the respective profile for updating to compensate for the change, are provided by a network processor.

26. A system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the network processor is a location server.