Portable diagnostic device for trouble-shooting a wireless network and a method for trouble-shooting a wireless network

• US 9,042,239 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shand, Arthur, Hendricks, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US12/575,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20100027439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/245, 370/232, 370248-249, 370/250, 370/254, 370/352, 714/31, 714/46, 714/48, 345/107, 345/296, 345/419, 345/428
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A portable diagnostic device (PDD) for diagnosing packet-based wireless networks. the PDD comprises an input device configured to convert user input into electrical signals, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, an antenna, processing logic, a modem, and a display device. The processing logic is configured to execute a diagnostic software module that generates diagnostic commands for diagnosing a packet-based network and that interprets diagnostic information sent from the packet-based network to the PDD. The modem enables the PDD to wirelessly communicate via the RF transceiver and the antenna with a base transceiver station (BTS) that is in communication with the packet-based network. The display device displays diagnostic information received by the RF transceiver and processed by the processing logic. The diagnostic information displayed on the display device describes one or more attributes of the packet-based network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device from a user of the device, a request associated with an internet protocol address of an element of a packet-based wireless network, the device comprising a processor, a transceiver, an antenna, and a display;

performing, by the device, a trace route routine to collect internet protocol addresses of elements along a first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network;

communicating, by the device via the transceiver and the antenna, the request to a mobile communications network in communication with the packet-based wireless network;

collecting, by the device, the internet protocol addresses of the elements along the first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network;

obtaining, by the device, information relating to a type of data security employed by the packet-based wireless network;

causing, by the device, the internet protocol addresses of the elements along the first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network and the information relating to the type of data security employed by the packet-based wireless network to be displayed via the display;

receiving a session initiation protocol command;

sending the session initiation protocol command to an internet protocol multi-media subsystem network;

receiving a response to the session initiation protocol command, the response comprising a session initiation protocol header; and

examining the session initiation protocol header to determine a second route associated with the response.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing a timestamp associated with the session initiation protocol header to measure latency within the internet protocol multi-media subsystem network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

examining a body content of the response and session definition protocol content; and

causing information corresponding to the body content of the response and the session definition protocol content to be displayed via the display.

4. A device comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver;

an antenna;

a display; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving, from a user of the device, a request associated with an internet protocol address of an element of a packet-based wireless network,

performing a trace route routine to collect internet protocol addresses of elements along a first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network,

communicating, via the transceiver and the antenna, the request to a mobile communications network in communication with the packet-based wireless network,

collecting the internet protocol addresses of the elements along the first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network,

obtaining information relating to a type of data security employed by the packet-based wireless network,

causing the internet protocol addresses of the elements along the first route to the element of the packet-based wireless network and the information relating to the type of data security employed by the packet-based wireless network to be displayed via the display,

receiving a session initiation protocol command,

sending the session initiation protocol command to an internet protocol multi-media subsystem network,

receiving a response to the session initiation protocol command, the response comprising a session initiation protocol header, and

examining the session initiation protocol header to determine a second route associated with the response.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the display is a high-resolution color display screen.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the high-resolution color display screen displays an entire page of diagnostic information.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the packet-based wireless network is a general packet radio service network.

8. The device of claim 4, wherein the packet-based wireless network is a wireless application protocol network.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein the processor is one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, and a printed circuit board.

10. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise capturing a timestamp associated with the session initiation protocol header to measure latency within the internet protocol multi-media subsystem network.

11. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

examining a body content of the response and session definition protocol content; and

causing information corresponding to the body content of the response and the session definition protocol content to be displayed via the display.