System and method for design, tracking, measurement, prediction and optimization of data communication networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for designing, deploying or optimizing an actual communications network operating within a physical space, comprising the steps of:
- receiving user inputs specifying different components from a plurality of computerized components each representing a hardware device used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, and wherein each of the components in the plurality of components is associated with performance attributes;
generating a computerized model of the physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display;
predicting a performance metric for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said specified locations of said different components within the physical space; and
updating the display in real time to reflect the predicted performance metric for said communications network.
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Abstract
A system and method for design, tracking, measurement, prediction and optimization of data communications networks includes a site specific model of the physical environment, and performs a wide variety of different calculations for predicting network performance using a combination of prediction modes and measurement data based on the components used in the communications networks, the physical environment, and radio propagation characteristics.
392 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for designing, deploying or optimizing an actual communications network operating within a physical space, comprising the steps of:
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receiving user inputs specifying different components from a plurality of computerized components each representing a hardware device used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, and wherein each of the components in the plurality of components is associated with performance attributes; generating a computerized model of the physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting a performance metric for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said specified locations of said different components within the physical space; and updating the display in real time to reflect the predicted performance metric for said communications network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for designing, deploying or optimizing an actual communications network operating within a physical space, comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database of computerized components representing different types of hardware devices, wherein the database comprises performance attributes associated with each of the hardware devices; receiving user inputs specifying different components from the plurality of computerized components that represent the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space; generating a computerized model of the physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting a performance metric for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said specified locations of said different components in said computerized model; and using a table look up to relate empirically measured network performance metrics to the predicted performance metric. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for designing, deploying or optimizing an actual communications network operating within a physical space, comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database of computerized components representing different types of hardware devices, wherein the database comprises performance attributes associated with each of the hardware devices; receiving user inputs specifying different components from the plurality of computerized components that represent the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space; generating a computerized model of the physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; generating a prediction of a performance metric of the actual communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the performance attributes and the specified locations of the different computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, and-upon information obtained by using a table look up of empirically measured network performance metrics, and said performance attributes.
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13. A method for analyzing an actual communications network operating with a physical space, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving user inputs specifying different components from a plurality of computerized components having performance attributes that represent hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space; generating a computerized model of the communications network within a physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting propagation delay information for said communications network based on said modeled attributes; and predicting propagation delay information for said communications network based on said computerized model, wherein said propagation delay information is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said specified locations of said different components within the physical space; and outputting, storing or displaying said propagation delay information. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method for analyzing an actual communications network operating with a physical space, the method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database of computerized components representing different types of hardware devices, wherein the database comprises performance attributes associated with each of the hardware devices; receiving user inputs specifying different components from the plurality of computerized components that represent the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, and wherein at least some of the different components specified by the user represent hardware devices used in wireless communications; generating a computerized model of the communications network within a physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting a performance metric for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said identified locations of said different components, wherein the predicting factors in delays associated with multiple signal paths associated with the at least some of the different components specified by the user that represent hardware devices which are used in wireless communications; and outputting, storing or displaying said performance metric. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for analyzing an actual communications network operating with a physical space, the method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database of computerized components representing different types of hardware devices, wherein the database comprises performance attributes associated with each of the hardware devices; receiving user inputs specifying different components from the plurality of computerized components that represent the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, and wherein at least some of the different components specified by the user represent hardware devices used in wireless communications; generating a computerized model of the communications network within a physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting at least one of a round trip time and a bandwidth delay for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, wherein the predicting factors in delays associated with multiple signal paths associated with the at least some of the different components specified by the user that represent hardware devices which are used in wireless communications; and outputting, storing or displaying said at least one of round trip time and bandwidth delay product information.
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18. A method for analyzing an actual communications network operating with a physical space, the method comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a database of computerized components representing different types of hardware devices, wherein the database comprises performance attributes associated with each of the hardware devices; receiving user inputs specifying different components from the plurality of computerized components that represent the hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, and wherein at least some of the different components specified by the user represent hardware devices used in wireless communications; generating a computerized model of the communications network within a physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs and graphically displaying the specified locations of the hardware devices on a display; predicting throughput of network information for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is based upon the particular performance attributes and said identified locations of said different components associated with at least two of the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network; and outputting, storing or displaying said throughput of network information. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A system for analyzing an actual communications network operating within a physical space, the system comprising:
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an input configured to receive user inputs specifying different components from a plurality of computerized components that represent hardware devices used in the actual communications network, the user inputs also specifying locations of the hardware communications devices within the physical space, wherein at least some of the different components specified by the user represent hardware devices used in wireless communications, and wherein each of the plurality of computerized components is associated with performance attributes; a processor configured to generate a computerized model of the physical space using the different components specified by the user inputs, wherein the processor is further configured to predict a performance metric for said communications network using the computerized model, wherein said performance metric is predicted based upon the particular performance attributes associated with the computerized components representing the hardware devices used in the actual communications network and said specified locations of said different components within the physical space; and
wherein the performance metric is selected from the group consisting of propagation delay information, bit error rate, frame error rate, packet error rate, bandwidth delay product, quality of service and throughput of network; anda display configured to display said performance metric and the specified locations of the hardware devices. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for designing, deploying or optimizing a communications network, comprising the steps of:
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generating a computerized model of a space, said space having a plurality of different objects therein each of which may have attributes which impact performance of the communications network; modeling performance attributes of a plurality of different components which may be used in said communications network; specifying components from said plurality of different components to be used in said communications network; specifying locations within said physical space for the specified components in said computerized model; predicting one or more performance metrics for said communications network according to the generic form of the equation - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification