Device-driven intelligence and feedback for performance optimization and planning of a service network

• US 9,549,029 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Austin, Mark, Bates, Michael, Dennisson, Joseph, Kelly, Stephen, Meredith, Sheldon, Ryan, Lawrence, Salmon, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Obayanju, Omoniyi
• Application Number:
  US14/324,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 370/216
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A subscriber device reports network operation conditions, such as network performance incidents, to receive feedback from the network related to the incident and available or possibly available solutions, and to produce network intelligence suitable for network planning and network performance enhancement. Reporting of network performance incidents can be characterized by location and time of occurrence, wherein this intelligence is provided by the user device. Feedback provided by the network is based on the network performance data received as part of reporting an incident. The reporting described herein enables a network operator to generate network planning intelligence based on actual network performance as experienced at the subscriber level.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

facilitating, by a user equipment comprising a processor, a display of prompt data that requests input for classifying a geographical location of the user equipment, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the display in response to determining that information, usable to provide incident data associated with a network performance incident, has been rendered;

as a function of the facilitating, receiving, by the user equipment, gesture data from an input interface of the user equipment, wherein the gesture data selects the geographical location from a first location that is inside a building and a second location that is outside the building; and

in response to determining, based on the gesture data, that the first location has been selected, directing, by the user equipment, the incident data and the gesture data to a network device of a network to facilitate a determination of performance data associated with a utilization of the network by the user equipment at the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing, by the user equipment, signal strength data to the network device to facilitate the determination of the performance data, wherein the signal strength data represents a strength of a signal received by the user equipment from an access point device of the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating comprises facilitating the display via a graphical interface of the user equipment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a selection of a portion of the prompt data rendered via the graphical interface, and wherein the prompt data comprises categories associated with the geographical location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the directing, receiving, by the user equipment, feedback data related to the performance data; and

initiating, by the user equipment, a rendering of the feedback data via a graphical interface of the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the feedback data comprises receiving timing data indicative of an estimated time period during which a network performance issue associated with the network performance incident is to be resolved.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving the feedback data comprises receiving network capacity augmentation data indicative of an augmentation action relating to an augmentation of a network capacity associated with the network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving authorization data that allows an execution of a diagnostic test associated with a performance of the user equipment, determining, by the user equipment, result data indicative of a result of the diagnostic test; and

directing, by the user equipment, the result data to the network device to facilitate the determination of the performance data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the gesture data to the network device to facilitate characteristic data being determined that represents an in-building propagation loss associated with a signal received from an access point device of the network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing comprises directing the gesture data to the network device via a text message.

11. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

in response to determining that incident data associated with a network performance incident associated with a network is to be reported to a network device of the network, facilitating a rendering of category data that represents categories associated with a geographical area in which the user equipment is determined to be located, wherein the categories comprise a first category indicative of a first location inside a structure and a second category indicative of a second location outside the structure, wherein the network performance incident is monitored by the user equipment;

in response to receiving gesture data that selects the first category from the categories, determining report data indicative of the user equipment being located indoors, and

initiating a transmission of the report data to the network device, wherein the report data is employable to facilitate a determination of performance data associated with a utilization of the network by the user equipment at the first location.

12. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the transmission is a first transmission, wherein the operations further comprise:

initiating a second transmission of signal strength data to the network device to facilitate the determination of the performance data, and wherein the signal strength data represents a strength of a signal received by the user equipment from an access point device of the network.

13. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the report data is employable to calibrate a signal propagation process that acquires a strength of a signal at the second location.

14. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the transmission, receiving action data related to the performance data, and wherein the action data is indicative of an action associated with resolution of an issue determined to be related to the incident data.

15. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the initiating the transmission comprises initiating the transmission via a text message.

16. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the facilitating the rendering comprises facilitating the rendering via a graphical interface of the user equipment.

17. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

in response to determining that incident data associated with a network performance incident that was observed via the user equipment is to be reported to a network device of network devices of a communication network, facilitating a presentation of prompt data that requests input associated with a classification of a geographical location of the user equipment;

based on the facilitating, receiving, via an input interface of the user equipment, gesture data that selects a location category for the user equipment from a first category that represents that the user equipment is inside a building and a second category that represents that the user equipment is outside the building; and

in response to determining, based on the gesture data, that the first category has been selected, initiating a determination of performance data associated with a utilization of the communication network by the user equipment, wherein the performance data represents a performance of the network devices of the communication network.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the geographical location is a first geographical location, and wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the determining that the first category has been selected, initiating a calibration of a signal propagation tool that determines a strength of a signal at a second geographical location that is classified to be of the second category.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the performance data comprises action data indicative of an action that is to be performed to facilitate a resolution of an issue determined to be related to the incident data.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

facilitating a transmission of the input data to the network device via a text message.