Prioritizing network failure tickets using mobile location data

• US 8,923,134 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon, Pastore, John, Sanders, Douglas T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/219,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20130051239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/252, 370/331, 370/348, 370/242, 455/456.1, 455/423, 455/403
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Providing for network repair prioritization as a function of impact on network services is described herein. By way of example, impact of a given service outage on surrounding network infrastructure and associated terminals can be analyzed and estimated. The impact can be characterized at least in part by changes in loading to surrounding network equipment, as well as related quality and performance metrics. Network impact estimates and loading changes can be derived through mobile device position data for an impacted area and identifying overlapping coverage areas, and signal characteristics of the surrounding network infrastructure. Measured or predicted changes in network performance can be scored to provide relative priorities for allocating limited service personnel in repairing base station errors. Personnel resources can therefore be deployed in a manner that more accurately reflects customer service goals of a network provider.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

initiating storage of terminal device density information determined at least in part from sub-sector location data for a population of terminal devices associated with a base station device of a wireless network; and

generating estimate data representing an estimate of defined network impact in response to a service error related to the base station device being determined to have occurred, wherein the estimate of defined network impact is determined at least in part from the terminal device density information, the sub-sector location data and changes to a set of network performance metrics for the base station device and a second base station device associated with the base station device in response to the service error; and

estimating an impact on a second set of network performance metrics for the second base station device caused by the service error at the base station device, wherein the estimating the impact comprises;

estimating a percentage of the population of terminal devices that will receive coverage from the second base station device in response to the service error, and assigning a priority score to the percentage;

estimating a first change in voice quality to the population of terminal devices in response to the service error;

assigning a second priority score to the first change in voice quality;

estimating a second change in data throughput to the population of terminal devices in response to the service error;

assigning a third priority score to the second change in data throughput;

estimating a third change in loading at the second base station device in response to the service error; and

assigning a fourth priority score to the third change in loading.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining priority data representing a repair priority for the base station device based at least in part on the estimate data; and

generating score data representing a repair score for the base station device based on the priority data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving notification data representing a notification of error pertaining to the base station device; and

outputting the score data representing the repair score to a maintenance server device in response to the receiving the notification data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

issuing repair ticket data representing a repair ticket for the base station device comprising a repair score that indicates a relative priority for servicing the base station device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining the sub-sector location data for the population of terminal devices at least in part with a timed fingerprint location grid mapped at least for the base station device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the population of terminal devices includes a location-aware terminal device and a non location-aware terminal device; and

the operations further comprise determining sub-sector location data for the non location-aware terminal device at least in part from signal timing results of the location-aware terminal device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second base station device is further associated with a coverage area at least in part overlapping a coverage area of the base station device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second base station device is further associated with a terminal load that is impacted in response to the service error.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal density information relates to sub-sector location information for respective terminal devices of the population of terminal devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

storing historical terminal device density information for the population of terminal devices as a function of time; and

updating stored historical terminal device density information with subsequent information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimating the impact is at least in part based on signal strength and coverage overlap for the base station device and the second base station device, and historical sub-sector location information of the population of terminal devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the estimating the impact further comprises weighting and combining the priority score, the second priority score, the third priority score and the fourth priority score.

13. A method, comprising:

accessing, by a system comprising a processor, profile data representing a mobile terminal device density profile derived from historical position information for mobile terminal devices operating on an interoperable set of wireless network devices of a wireless network;

analyzing, by the system, a signal characteristic and coverage overlap for a base station device of a set of base station devices of the wireless network;

determining, by the system, resource information for at least the base station device of the set of base station devices, and predicting a loss of service event at the base station device of the set of base station devices in response to the resource information;

determining, by the system, impact data estimating an impact to mobile terminal device service in response to predicting the loss of service event at the base station device of the set of base station devices;

determining, by the system, importance data representing an importance of repairing the base station device of the set of base station devices at least in part on the impact data;

determining, by the system, sub-sector location data for the mobile terminal devices at least in part with a timed fingerprint location (TFL) grid, comprising a minimum grid size that represents a geographic area of substantially 500 meters or less, mapped at least for the base station device of the set of base station devices; and

determining, by the system, sub-sector location data for a non location-aware mobile terminal device of the mobile terminal devices at least in part from signal timing results of a location-aware mobile terminal device of the mobile terminal devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the impact data further comprises predicting changes in existing cell populations based on the profile data representing the mobile terminal device density profile and a set of signal characteristics and coverage overlap for the set of base station devices.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the impact data further comprises:

predicting condition changes in quality of service, data throughput, cell loading and loss of service at least in part from the changes in existing cell populations;

determining importance data representing an importance of repairing the base station device of the set of base station devices further comprises ranking the condition changes in degree of severity resulting in respective rankings; and

combining the respective rankings.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating, by the system, score data representing a repair score for the base station device from the importance data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, by the system, notification data representing a notification of error pertaining to the base station device, and outputting the score data representing the repair score to a maintenance server device in response to the receiving the notification data.

17. A system, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

accessing density profile data representing a density profile derived from historical position information for mobile terminal devices operating on a wireless network or a network device related to the wireless network;

processing respective signal characteristics and coverage overlap for a set of base station devices and, using the density profile data, determining impact data representing an impact to a mobile terminal device service in response to a communication failure of a base station device of the set of base station devices being determined to have occurred;

determining importance data representing an importance of repairing the base station device associated with the communication failure at least in part on the impact data representing the impact to the mobile terminal device;

determining sub-sector location data for the mobile terminal devices at least in part with a timed fingerprint location (TFL) grid, comprising a minimum grid size that represents a geographic area of substantially 500 meters or less, mapped at least for the base station device of the base station devices; and

determining sub-sector location data for a non location-aware mobile terminal device of the mobile terminal devices at least in part from signal timing results of a location-aware mobile terminal device of the mobile terminal devices.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise generating estimate data representing an estimate of defined network impact in response to a service error related to the base station device being determined to have occurred, wherein the estimate of defined network impact is determined at least in part from density profile data, the sub-sector location data and changes to a set of network performance metrics for the base station device and a second base station device associated with the base station device in response to the service error.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise estimating an impact on a second set of network performance metrics for the second base station device caused by the service error at the base station device.