Network performance server

• US 8,364,089 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US13/250,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20120021776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/424, 455/425, 455/446
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/26 using historical data, averaging values or statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/27 for locating or positioning the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters

Abstract

Techniques are described for collecting and providing information regarding mobile network performance. In one example, a device includes a mobile device interface configured to receive data sets from mobile devices, each of the data sets comprising a geographic position value identifying a geographic position of a corresponding mobile device and a signal quality value representative of signal quality for the corresponding mobile device at the geographic position, a computer-readable storage medium configured to store the data sets, a request interface configured to receive a request for signal quality data at a requested geographic position, and means for providing an aggregate location value representative of an average signal quality at a location including the requested geographic position, wherein the aggregate signal quality value comprises an aggregation of signal quality values of the data sets that also have geographic position values contained within the location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data sets from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the data sets comprising;

a geographic position value identifying a geographic position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

a signal quality value representative of signal quality for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices at the geographic position, wherein the signal quality value is derived from one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), data transfer rate, and current bit rate as determined by the mobile device, and

an indication of a carrier that provides service to the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

wherein;

the geographic position value and the signal quality value are determined at the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices, and

at least two of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with different carriers;

receiving a request for an aggregate signal quality value for a requested geographic position and a requested carrier;

determining a location from a plurality of locations corresponding to the requested geographic position, wherein the location includes one or more geographic positions;

identifying data sets that have

     1) geographic position values that identify geographic positions within the location and

     2) indications of a carrier corresponding to the requested carrier;

aggregating the signal quality values of the identified data sets to obtain an aggregate signal quality value for the location and the requested carrier; and

responsive to the request, providing, by a computing device, the aggregate signal quality value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality value is based on at least one of latency, signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, and received erroneous data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the data sets further comprises at least one of an indication of a connection type that describes a mobile network to which the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices was connected when the signal quality value was determined and an indication of a device type for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices that describes a device model for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data sets comprises:

receiving a first data set from a first one of the plurality of mobile devices, the first data set having a first geographic position value in a first format; and

receiving a second data set from a second one of the plurality of mobile devices, the second data set having a second geographic position value in a second format different from the first format,

the method further comprising storing the data sets by storing both the first geographic position value for the first data set and the second geographic position value for the second data set in a common format.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

translating the first geographic position value from the first format to the common format; and

translating the second geographic position value from the second format to the common format.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first format comprises a global positioning system (GPS) format that describes a latitude position in fractions of microdegrees and a longitude position in fractions of microdegrees, wherein the first one of the plurality of mobile devices comprises a GPS unit that determines the geographic position value, and wherein the second format comprises a triangulated location format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing a map for which data is to be collected into equally-sized locations, wherein determining the location from the plurality of locations corresponding to the requested geographic position comprises determining which of the equally-sized locations includes the requested geographic position.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the equally-sized locations comprise square locations.

9. A device comprising:

a mobile device interface configured to receive data sets from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the data sets comprising;

a geographic position value identifying a geographic position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

a signal quality value representative of signal quality for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices at the geographic position, wherein the signal quality value is derived from one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), data transfer rate, and current bit rate as determined by the mobile device, and

an indication of a carrier that provides service to the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

wherein;

the geographic position value and the signal quality value are determined at the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices, and

at least two of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with different carriers;

a computer-readable storage medium configured to store the data sets;

a request interface configured to receive a request for an aggregate signal quality value for a requested geographic position and a requested carrier;

a location management module configured to;

determine a location from a plurality of locations corresponding to the requested geographic position, wherein the location includes one or more geographic positions;

identify data sets that have

     1) geographic position values that identify geographic positions within the location and

     2) indications of a carrier corresponding to the requested carrier; and

a data aggregation module configured to;

aggregate the signal quality values of the identified data sets to obtain an aggregate signal quality value for the location and the requested carrier; and

responsive to the request, provide the aggregate signal quality value.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device interface is configured to receive the data sets having geographic position values in one of a plurality of formats, the device further comprising a control unit configured to translate the geographic position values for each of the data sets into a common format.

11. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

receive data sets from a plurality of mobile devices, each of the data sets comprising;

a geographic position value identifying a geographic position of a corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

a signal quality value representative of signal quality for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices at the geographic position, wherein the signal quality value is derived from one or more of received signal strength indication (RSSI), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), data transfer rate, and current bit rate as determined by the mobile device, and

an indication of a carrier that provides service to the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices,

wherein;

the geographic position value and the signal quality value are determined at the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices, and

at least two of the plurality of mobile devices are associated with different carriers;

receive a request for an aggregate signal quality value for a requested geographic position and a requested carrier;

determine a location from a plurality of locations corresponding to the requested geographic position, wherein the location includes one or more geographic positions;

identify data sets that have

     1) geographic positions values that identify geographic positions within the location and

     2) indications of a carrier corresponding to the requested carrier;

aggregate the signal quality values of the identified data sets to obtain an aggregate signal quality value for the location and the requested carrier; and

responsive to the request, provide the aggregate signal quality value.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each of the data sets further comprises an indication of a connection type for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices and an indication of a device type for the corresponding one of the plurality of mobile devices.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions to receive the data sets comprise instructions to:

receive a first one of the data sets from a first one of the plurality of mobile devices, the first data set having a first geographic position value in a first format; and

receive a second one of the data sets from a second one of the plurality of mobile devices, the second data set having a second geographic position value in a second format,

further comprising instructions to store both the first geographic position value for the first one of the data sets and the second geographic position value for the second one of the data sets in a common format.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions to:

translate the first geographic position value from the first format to the common format; and

translate the second geographic position value from the second format to the common format.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions to divide a map for which data is to be collected into equally-sized locations, wherein the instructions to determine the location from the plurality of locations corresponding to the requested geographic position comprise instructions to determine which of the equally-sized locations includes the requested geographic position.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein at least two of the mobile devices correspond to different service providers.