Wireless cell tower performance analysis system and method

• US 9,432,865 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Jadunandan, Kevin, Lobo, Shane A., Shinholster, Drew A. Jr., Stamborski, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahsan, Umair
• Application Number:
  US14/135,574
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/069 using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications
• 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 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system for managing a cellular wireless communication network in near real time is disclosed. The system comprises a data store storing performance metrics in near real time and segmented according to base transceiver stations and record time. The system also comprises a computer and an application that receives a selection of a geographic area and a time period and identifies a predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations nearest the geographic area. The application also retrieves metrics associated with each of the identified base transceiver during the time period from the data store and retrieves the metrics most recently recorded for each identified base transceiver station. The application analyzes the metrics associated with each base transceiver station and compares the metrics associated with each base transceiver station with the most recently recorded metrics in order to identify that a value of a metric of a base transceiver station is outside a range.

Claims

1. A system for managing a cellular wireless communication network in near real time, comprising:

a data store associated with cellular wireless communication performance, the data store comprising performance metrics stored in non-transitory memory, wherein the performance metrics in the data store are segmented according to base transceiver stations and the time the performance metrics were recorded, and wherein the performance metrics comprise at least two of;

voice call block metrics, voice call drop metrics, data call set-up fail metrics, or data call drop metrics; and

a server computer at a communication provider that is coupled to the data store, the server computer comprising;

a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory memory, and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory of the server computer that, upon execution by at least the processor, configures the server computer to;

receive a selection of a geographic area that includes an area frequented within the cellular wireless communication network by a customer corresponding to a mobile communication device,

receive a time period selection,

identify a predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations that approximate the area frequented by the customer, wherein the predetermined quantity excludes at least some base transceiver stations nearest the geographic area,

retrieve performance metrics corresponding to the time period selection and associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations from the data store,

determine near real time metrics at each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, wherein the near real time metrics correspond to a time lag and comprise the metrics most recently recorded at the base transceiver station before being stored in the data store,

generate performance metric averages corresponding to the time period selection and a range of normal performance for each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations based on analysis of the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations,

analyze and compare the near real time metrics corresponding to the time lag with the performance metric averages corresponding to the time period selection,

determine that at least one base station transceiver is performing abnormally based on the analysis identifying that at least one of the determined near real time metrics associated with the at least one base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations is outside the range of normal performance, wherein being outside of the range of normal performance is based on a value of the at least one near real time metric exceeding a threshold associated with the range of normal performance during the time period selection,

build a presentation that identifies the at least one base station transceiver that is performing abnormally, the value of the at least one near real time metric outside of the range of normal performance, the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, and the near real time metrics, and

transmit the presentation to a display and initiate an action comprising opening and assigning a network trouble ticket for the at least one base station transceiver that is performing abnormally a display.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an events data store coupled to the server computer and having non-transitory memory that stores events comprising at least one of an environmental event, a sports event, or a public event, wherein the events are recorded in near real time and associated with a time of an event occurrence and an event geographic area.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to retrieve the at least one event, wherein the at least one event is associated with at least a time within the time selection or the time of the most recently recorded metrics based on the time of the event occurrence, and wherein the at least one event is associated with the geographic area based on the event geographic area.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to build the presentation based on the time the performance metrics were recorded and the time of the event occurrence.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to identify the at least one event in the presentation, and associate the at least one event with the recorded near real time metric in the presentation based on the time of the event occurrence.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance metrics comprise call drop rates, call block rates, evolution data only (EV-DO) failure rates, and network fault alarms.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the call drop rates and the call block rates are represented as a percentage relative to call attempts.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the network fault alarms are stored in the cellular wireless communication performance data store as a number of network fault alarms per thousand subscribers.

9. A method of managing a cellular wireless communication network in near real time, comprising:

receiving, by executing an application stored in non-transitory memory that configures a processor of a server at a communication service provider, a selection of a geographic area that includes an area frequented within the cellular wireless communication network by a customer corresponding to a mobile communication device;

receiving, by the server configured by executing the application, a time period selection;

identifying, by the server configured by executing the application, a predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations that approximate the area frequented by the customer, wherein the predetermined quantity excludes at least some base transceiver stations nearest the geographic area;

retrieving, by the server configured by executing the application, performance metrics corresponding to the time period selection and associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations from a data store remote from each base transceiver station;

determining, by the server configured by executing the application, near real time metrics at each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, wherein the near real time metrics correspond to a time lag and comprise metrics most recently recorded at the base transceiver station before being stored in the data store;

generating performance metric averages corresponding to the time period selection and a range of normal performance for each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations based on analysis of the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations;

analyzing and comparing, by the server configured by executing the application, the near real time metrics corresponding to the time lag with the performance metric averages corresponding to the time period selection;

determining, by the server configured by executing the application, that at least one base station transceiver is performing abnormally based on the analysis identifying that at least one of the determined near real time metrics associated with the at least one base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations is outside the range of normal performance, wherein being outside the range of normal performance is based on a value of the at least one near real time metric exceeding a threshold associated with the range of normal performance during the time period selection;

building, by the server configured by executing the application, a presentation that identifies the at least one base station transceiver that is performing abnormally, the value of the at least one near real time metric outside the range of normal performance, the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, and the near real time metrics; and

transmitting, by the server configured by executing the application, the presentation to a display and initiating an action comprising opening and assigning a network trouble ticket for the at least one base station transceiver that is performing abnormally, whereby a customer care agent may view the presentation in the display and provide assistance to a wireless communication service subscriber based on the presentation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the performance metrics of the base transceiver stations comprise statistics of short message service (SMS) communication.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the performance metrics of the base transceiver stations comprise a blocked call rate and a dropped call rate.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one near real time metric corresponds with the time lag that is at most an hour delay from actual real time.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

retrieving, by the server configured by executing the application, at least one event from non-transitory memory of an event data store coupled to the server,

wherein the at least one event is associated with an event geographic area and at least a time within the time selection or the time of the most recently recorded metrics at the base transceiver station before being stored in the data store based on the time of the event occurrence,

wherein the at least one event is associated with the geographic area based on the event geographic area,

wherein the at least one event comprises at least one of an environmental event, a sports event, or a public event, and

wherein the at least one event corresponds to the time lag and is associated with the time of the event occurrence and the event geographic area.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the cellular wireless communication network is based on at least one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless protocol, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) wireless protocol, a long term evolution (LTE) wireless protocol, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) wireless protocol, or an iDEN wireless protocol.

15. A system for managing a cellular wireless communication network in near real time, comprising:

a data store associated with cellular wireless communication performance, the data store comprising performance metrics stored in non-transitory memory, wherein the performance metrics are segmented according to base transceiver stations and the time the performance metrics were recorded; and

a server computer at a communication provider that is coupled to the data store, the server computer comprising;

a processor communicatively coupled to a non-transitory memory, and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory that, upon execution by at least the processor, configures the server computer to;

receive a selection of a geographic area that includes an area frequented within the cellular wireless communication network by a customer corresponding to a mobile communication device,

receive a time period selection,

identify a predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations that approximate the area frequented by the customer, wherein the predetermined quantity excludes at least some base transceiver stations nearest the geographic area,

retrieve performance metrics corresponding to the time period selection and associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations from the data store,

determine near real time metrics at each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, wherein the near real time metrics correspond to a time lag and comprise metrics most recently recorded at the base transceiver station before being stored in the data store,

generate performance metric averages and a range of normal performance for each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations corresponding to the time period selection and based on analysis of the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations,

analyze and compare the near real time metrics corresponding to the time lag with the performance metric averages corresponding to the time period selection,

determine that at least one base station transceiver is performing abnormally based on the analysis identifying that at least one of the near real time metrics associated with the at least one base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations is outside the range of normal performance, wherein being outside the range of normal performance is based on a value of the at least one near real time metric exceeding a threshold associated with the range of normal performance during the time period selection,

build a presentation that identifies the at least one base station transceiver that is performing abnormally, the value of the at least one near real time metric that is outside the range of normal performance, the performance metrics associated with each base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations, and the near real time metrics,

transmit the presentation to a display, wherein an allocation is made to repair of the at least one base transceiver station based on the presentation in the display,

receive a viewing selection corresponding to at least one metrics value associated with at least one base transceiver station of the predetermined quantity of base transceiver stations of a selection time within the time selection, and

update the presentation to display the at least one metrics value based on the viewing selection.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising an events data store coupled to the server computer and having non-transitory memory that stores events, wherein the events comprise at least one of an environmental event, a sports event, or a public event, wherein the events are recorded in near real time and associated with a time of an event occurrence and an event geographic area corresponding to the cellular wireless communication network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to retrieve the at least one event, wherein the at least one event is associated with at least a time within the time selection or the time of the most recently recorded metrics based on the time of the event occurrence, and wherein the at least one event is associated with the geographic area based on the event geographic area.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to build the presentation identifying the at least one event and associating the at least one event with the recorded metrics based on the time the performance metrics were recorded and the time of the event occurrence.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the server computer is configured by the application to build the presentation identifying the at least one event and associating the at least one event with the recorded near real time metrics based on the time of the event occurrence.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein based on the presentation, the server computer is configured by the application to allocate a parameter associated with a budget for the at least one base transceiver station, assign a trouble ticket in a trouble ticket data store to the at least one base transceiver station, or generate a script of talking points that is displayed on a computer.