Programmable agent for monitoring mobile communication in a wireless communication network

• US 8,565,746 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Iq
• Inventors: Hoffman, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fahnert, Marisol
• Application Number:
  US12/346,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/425, 455/466, 370/252, 370/241, 379/21, 379/10, 379/12, 379/22, 379/50, 709223-224, 709/182, 714/26, 714/37, 714/31
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

Systems and methods for collecting data related to events that occur in a wireless network. The method comprises receiving a data reporting profile which includes a series of executable commands which include a series of logical rules governing the manner in which reporting data should be generated and reported, compiling the executable commands of the data reporting profile into collection schema for collecting and reporting the reporting data according to the logical rules of the data reporting profile, creating a plurality of triggering criteria when reporting data should be generated based on the collection schema, creating a plurality of memory where the reporting data may be stored according to the collection schema, and scheduling the transfer of reporting data according to the collection schema.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data associated with a communications system from a wireless device of the communications system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the wireless device, a data reporting profile which includes a series of executable commands comprising a series of logical rules governing the manner of creation, organization, and transmission of reporting data;

compiling, by a first agent of the wireless device, the executable commands of the data reporting profile into a collection schema for creating, organizing, and reporting the reporting data according to the logical rules of the data reporting profile;

creating, by the first agent of the wireless device, one or more triggers which govern creation of reporting data by the first agent based on the collection schema, wherein the first agent is responsive to one or more of the triggers such that in response to occurrence of a trigger, the first agent creates the reporting data;

creating, by the first agent of the wireless device, one or more buffers on the wireless device configured to store the reporting data according to the collection schema;

creating, by the first agent of the wireless device, reporting data according to one of the triggers which describes the operating conditions of the wireless device, wherein the first agent of the wireless device is configured to trigger independently of another agent of the wireless device and create the reporting data;

organizing, by the first agent of the wireless device, the reporting data according to the collection schema;

scheduling, by the first agent of the wireless device, the transfer of reporting data to the communications system according to the collection schema;

providing, by the first agent, the reporting data to a second agent of the wireless device; and

processing, by the second agent, the reporting data received from the first agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more triggers comprise one or more of input of a key sequence, input of pressing a dedicated key, input of selection of an option from a menu, an erroneous data transfer, a prematurely terminated connection with the communications system, or an event not automatically recognized by the communications system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reporting data comprises any combination of contextual and environmental data about the wireless device, an application operating on the wireless device, a service utilized by the wireless device at or near the time of the occurrence of a trigger, and the communications system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein organizing the reporting data comprises using a plurality of filtering criteria of the collection schema to determine whether the reporting data should be stored in the one or more buffers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein organizing the reporting data comprises using a plurality of aggregating criteria of the collection schema to aggregate into a plurality of metrics packages.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a plurality of uploading criteria based on the collection schema which determines the manner in which the reporting data should be sent to the communications system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein executable commands of the data reporting profile comprise Forth computer programming commands.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless device in connection with which the method is performed comprises a telephone.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first agent is a slave agent, and the second agent is a master agent configured to communicate with the communications system.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data reporting profile is received by the first agent, and the method further comprises:

receiving, by the second agent, a data reporting file that is different from the data reporting file received by the first agent.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising one or both of:

sending the reporting data processed by the second agent to a data management system; and

receiving, at the second agent, data from the data management system.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising one or both of:

sending reporting data from the data management system to a network server; and

receiving, at the data management system, data from the network server.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending the reporting data processed by the second agent to a network server.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the network server is outside of the wireless network.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the network server is inside the wireless network.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the network server is an application server or a server for a third party reporting system.

17. In a wireless network that includes a wireless device, method for collecting data that can be used to analyze an event, the method comprising:

receiving, by a programmable agent of the wireless device, a data reporting profile which identifies one or more triggers whose occurrence causes creation of reporting data and which identifies the manner of organization and uploading of the reporting data to the wireless network;

sensing, by the programmable agent of the wireless device, a the occurrence of a trigger;

creating, by the programmable agent of the wireless device, reporting data in response to occurrence of one of the triggers, wherein the reporting data is associated with one of the triggers and describes operating conditions of the wireless device, wherein the programmable agent is configured to trigger independently of another component of the wireless device and create the reporting data;

performing, by the programmable agent of the wireless device, data analysis of the reporting data, wherein the data analysis includes filtering the reporting data to determine whether or not the reporting data should be stored in the wireless device;

preparing, by the programmable agent of the wireless device, a metrics package by organizing the reporting data according to the manner identified in the data reporting profile;

augmenting, by an additional programmable agent of the wireless device, the reporting data created by the programmable agent; and

forwarding, by the additional programmable agent, the metrics package to the wireless network according to the manner identified in the data reporting profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reporting data includes one or more of:

data describing conditions of the wireless network including signal strength, signal to noise ratio, neighbor list, or any combination thereof; and

data describing the wireless device including current application, wireless device settings, firmware version, user entered data, or any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the triggering event comprises input of a key sequence, input of pressing a dedicated key, input of selection of an option from a menu, an erroneous data transfer, a prematurely terminated connection with the wireless network, or an event not automatically recognized by the wireless network.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the reporting data in the metrics package comprises any combination of contextual and environmental data about the wireless device, an application operating on the wireless device, a service utilized by the wireless device at or near the time of the user-initiated triggering condition, and the wireless network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the reporting data includes data generated before the triggering event, data generated at a time of the triggering event, and/or data generated after the triggering event.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein organizing the reporting data comprises applying a plurality of filtering criteria on the reporting data according to the data reporting profile to determine whether the reporting data should be stored or discarded.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the reporting data determined to be stored is stored in a series of buffers or temporary memory of the wireless device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein organizing the reporting data comprises applying a plurality of aggregating criteria on the reporting data to aggregate the reporting data into a plurality of metrics packages.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein executable commands of the data reporting profile comprise Forth computer programming commands.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising annotating the reporting data with an annotation that includes information describing the triggering event.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing the metrics package at the wireless device and

transmitting the metrics package to the wireless network at a later time.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the reporting data represents a state of the wireless network and a location of the wireless device within the wireless network at a time of the triggering event.

29. In a wireless network that includes a wireless device, a method for collecting data that can be used to analyze an event, the method comprising:

receiving, by the wireless device, a data reporting profile which identifies a plurality of triggers whose occurrence causes creation of reporting data and which identifies the manner of organization and uploading of the reporting data to the wireless network;

sensing, by a slave agent of the wireless device, a trigger;

generating, by the slave agent of the wireless device, reporting data in response to occurrence of the trigger, wherein the reporting data is associated with the trigger and describes conditions of the wireless device;

filtering, by the slave agent of the wireless device, the reporting data so that only a portion of the reporting data is identified for storage in the wireless device;

storing, by the slave agent of the wireless device, the portion of the reporting data in the wireless device;

performing, by the slave agent of the wireless device, data analysis of the reporting data;

preparing, by the slave agent of the wireless device, a metrics package by organizing the stored reporting data according to the manner identified in the data reporting profile;

providing, by the slave agent, the metrics package to a master agent of the wireless device; and

forwarding, by the master agent of the wireless device, the metrics package to the wireless network according to the manner identified in the data reporting profile.