Using personal wireless devices for network testing

• US 8,868,063 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Peter S., Stern-Berkowitz, Janet A., Tamaki, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Suhail
• Application Number:
  US13/094,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20120108199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A personal wireless device is utilized to carry out measurements of one or more network-performance related metrics in response to a triggering event. The triggering event can be a message that is transmitted by a network element to the personal wireless device. The personal wireless device may be exemplified by a variety of personal devices such as, for example, a cellular phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The measurements may be used to derive network-performance related information such as cellular signal coverage areas, signal hole areas, and signal interference areas.

Claims

1. A device configured to:

receive configuration information for carrying out a measurement;

carry out the measurement of a network-performance related metric consistent with the configuration information, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) of the device is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed at; and

transmit a result of the measurement or an indication of an availability of the measurement to a network element, wherein the result or indication is transmitted when a cell or PLMN the device is connected to is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least one reporting place authorized for reporting the measurement.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the measurement is further carried out in response to a first triggering event.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the network-performance related metric comprises at least one of a downlink pilot signal strength, a signal power headroom, or a neighboring cell signal strength.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant device, or an internet-enabled wireless device.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the measurement is a logged-type measurement carried out when the device is in an idle mode of operation.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the device is configured to further carry out the logged-type measurement when the device is in a first cell coverage area and to further transmit the result of the logged-type measurement to the network element when the device is in a second cell coverage area.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the device is configured to transmit a location identification request message to the network element for obtaining geographic position information of the device.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the device is configured to activate the logged-type measurement after ensuring that the geographic position is under network coverage jurisdiction of a first network operator authorized to transmit the configuration information to the device or authorized for the measurement.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is further configured to accept the configuration information or first triggering event from a first network operator and explicitly reject additional configuration information or a second triggering event originated by a second network operator.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the device comprises a memory in which is stored an identity of the first network operator.

11. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device is further configured to negatively respond to the configuration information or first triggering event if the configuration information or first triggering event occurs when the device is engaged in servicing an emergency call.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information comprises a measurement validity time and a report validity time.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is further configured to stop carrying out the measurement of the network-performance related metric when the measurement validity time is over.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device is further configured to store the measurement of the network-performance related metric during the report validity time.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the device is further configured to delete the measurement of the network-performance related metric when the report validity time is over.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to receive new configuration information for carrying out the measurement;

and, upon receipt of the new configuration information, replace the configuration information previously received with the new configuration information and clear the measurement of the network-performance related metric carried out consistent with the configuration information previously received.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the indication is transmitted to the network entity in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to receive new configuration information for carrying out the measurement;

and, upon receipt of the new configuration information, replace the configuration information previously received with the new configuration information and clear the measurement of the network-performance related metric carried out consistent with the configuration information previously received.

19. A method comprising:

receiving at a personal wireless device, configuration information for carrying out a measurement;

carrying out, via the personal wireless device, a measurement of a network-performance related metric consistent with the configuration information, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) of the personal wireless device is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed at; and

transmitting, from the personal wireless device, a result of the measurement or an indication of an availability of the measurement to a network element, wherein the result or indication is transmitted when a cell or PLMN the personal wireless device is connected to is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least one reporting place authorized for reporting the measurement.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

using the personal wireless device to make a telephone call.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

using the personal wireless device to communicatively couple to the Internet and perform a data-related activity.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the measurement is carried out when the personal wireless device is in an idle mode of operation.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the personal wireless device is used to further carry out the measurement in response to a first triggering event.

24. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a location identification request message to the network element for obtaining geographic position information of the personal wireless device prior to carrying out the measurement.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the configuration information comprises a measurement validity time and a report validity time.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the measurement of the network-performance related metric is stopped being carried out when the measurement validity time is over.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising storing, in the personal wireless device, the measurement of the network-performance related metric during the report validity time.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising deleting, in the personal wireless device, the measurement of the network-performance related metric when the report validity time is over.

29. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, at the personal wireless device, new configuration information for carrying out the measurement; and

upon receipt of the new configuration information, replacing the configuration information previously received at the personal wireless device with the new configuration information and clearing the measurement of the network-performance related metric carried out consistent with the configuration information previously received at the personal wireless device.

30. The method according to claim 19, wherein the indication is transmitted to the network entity in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions comprising instructions for:

accessing measurement configuration information received in a message from a network element;

verifying that a personal wireless device is in an idle mode of operation;

carrying out, via the personal wireless device, a measurement of a network-performance related metric consistent with the configuration information, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) of the personal wireless device is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed at; and

transmitting, from the personal wireless device, a result of the measurement or an indication of an availability of the measurement to a network element, wherein the result or indication is transmitted a the cell PLMN of the personal wireless device is connected to is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least one reporting place authorized for reporting the measurement.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the personal wireless device is at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant device, or an internet-enabled wireless device.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the configuration information comprises a measurement validity time and a report validity time.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 33, wherein the measurement of the network-performance related metric is stopped being carried out when the measurement validity time is over.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 33, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for storing, in the personal wireless device, the measurement of the network-performance related metric during the report validity time.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 35, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for deleting, in the personal wireless device, the measurement of the network-performance related metric when the report validity time is over.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving new measurement configuration information for carrying out the measurement; and

upon receipt of the new measurement configuration information, replacing the measurement configuration information previously received with the new measurement configuration information and clearing the measurement of the network-performance related metric carried out consistent with the measurement configuration information previously received.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the indication is transmitted to the network entity in an RRCConnectionSetupComplete message.

39. A device configured to:

receive configuration information for carrying out a measurement, wherein the configuration information comprises a measurement validity time and a report validity time;

carry out the measurement of a network-performance related metric consistent with the configuration information, wherein the measurement is carried out when a cell or public land mobile network (PLMN) the device is connected to or located in is a cell or PLMN authorized for the measurement to be performed, and wherein the measurement is carried out until the measurement validity time is over;

store the measurement of the network-performance related metric during the report validity time;

transmit a result of the measurement or an indication of an availability of the measurement to a network element, wherein the result or indication is transmitted when the cell or PLMN the device is connected to is a cell or PLMN included in a list that includes at least one reporting places authorized for reporting the measurement; and

delete the measurement of the network-performance related metric when the report validity time is over.