Method and apparatus for monitoring and adjusting multiple communication services at a venue

• US 9,668,151 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gandhi, Mehul, Tidwell, Ryan, Bolloju, Sreekanth, Dravid, Ravindra, Chakrabarty, Shoubha, Elliott, Shane Michael, Kaveeshwar, Amol
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US15/131,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, initiating first and second groups of communication sessions according to testing criteria where the first group of communication sessions is established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system and the second group of communication sessions is established via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system, and measuring performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A probe device, comprising:

a first wireless interface enabling communications via a first local area wireless access technology;

a second wireless interface enabling communications via a second radio access technology;

a processor coupled with the first and second wireless interfaces; and

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

receiving testing criteria and a testing schedule from a management portal server;

initiating first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria and testing schedule, the first group of communication sessions being established via the first local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system, and the second group of communication sessions being established via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;

measuring performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria;

providing the performance data to the management portal server to enable adjustment of the distributed antenna system;

receiving an upgrade command from the management portal server; and

adjusting the executable instructions according to the upgrade command to generate adjusted executable instructions, wherein the adjusted executable instructions, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of adjusted operations, comprising;

initiating a third group of communication sessions via the first local area wireless access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;

measuring adjusted performance data for the third group of communication sessions; and

providing the adjusted performance data to a network server to enable adjustment of the distributed antenna system, adjustment of a network providing communication services to a first location where the probe device is positioned, or a combination thereof.

2. The probe device of claim 1, wherein the first and second groups of communication sessions comprise one of a voice call, messaging, a data upload, a data download, or a combination thereof, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

3. The probe device of claim 2, wherein the testing schedule is uniformly periodic.

4. The probe device of claim 2, further comprising:

a single hardwire interface enabling the providing of the performance data to the network server, wherein the probe device receives power via the single hardwire interface, and wherein the operations further comprise;

receiving command signals via the single hardwire interface; and

adjusting operations of the probe device according to the command signals.

5. The probe device of claim 4, wherein the providing of the performance data to the network server enables adjustment of network parameters for a network providing communication services to a first location where the probe device is positioned.

6. The probe device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the first group of communication sessions overlap in time with at least some of the second group of communication sessions.

7. The probe device of claim 1, wherein the adjusted executable instructions, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of adjusted operations, comprising:

initiating a fourth group of communication sessions, the fourth group of communication sessions via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;

measuring adjusted performance data for the fourth group of communication sessions; and

providing the adjusted performance data to the network server to enable adjustment of the distributed antenna system, adjustment of the network providing communication services to a first location where the probe device is positioned, or a combination thereof.

8. The probe device of claim 1, further comprising a visual indicator that provides an indication representing an operational status of the probe device.

9. The probe device of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions comprises establishing a separate thread for each of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface.

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

receiving a power cycle reconfiguration command from the management portal server;

cycling power and rebooting the probe device; and

downloading a kernel and root file system.

11. The probe device of claim 10, wherein the probe device downloads the kernel and root file system from the management portal server.

12. The probe device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting an IP address associated with the probe device responsive to the power cycle reconfiguration command, wherein the rebooting is performed with the IP address;

and wherein the downloading is from a second probe device.

13. A method comprising:

providing, by a system including a processor, test scripts to a plurality of probe devices;

sending, by the system, commands to a first probe device in the plurality of probe devices to execute one or more test scripts of the test scripts provided to initiate first and second groups of data communication sessions, the first group of communication sessions being established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system, and the second group of communication sessions being established via a second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;

receiving, by the system, performance data from the first probe device collected during the first and second groups of data communication sessions, the performance data being measured according to testing criteria set forth in the one or more test scripts and the commands;

analyzing, by the system, the performance data; and

adjusting, by the system, the distributed antenna system, a network providing communication services to a location where the first probe device is positioned, or a combination thereof, wherein the adjusting is based on the analyzing of the performance data;

sending, by the system, a power cycle reconfiguration command to the plurality of probe devices, wherein the plurality of probe devices perform a power cycle and reboot; and

providing, by the system, a kernel and root file system for downloading by the plurality of probe devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second groups of data communication sessions comprise a data upload test, a data download test or a combination thereof, wherein the system includes a testing server, and wherein the testing server monitors activation of radio module identifications of the first probe device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data upload test comprises measuring a time to upload an image to Facebook, measuring ftp upload goodput, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the data download test comprises measuring http download throughput, http download goodput, ftp download goodput, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the first and second groups of data communication sessions overlap in time, wherein the testing criteria includes a testing schedule and types of tests to be performed by the probe device to obtain the performance data.

18. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a probe device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

initiating, by a first wireless interface of the probe device, a first group of data communication sessions according to testing criteria, the first group of data communication sessions being established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system;

initiating, by a second wireless interface of the probe device, a second group of data communication sessions according to the testing criteria, the second group of data communication sessions being established via a second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;

establishing a first thread for the first wireless interface and a second thread for the second wireless interface;

measuring first performance data for the first group of data communication sessions according to the testing criteria utilizing the first thread;

measuring second performance data for the second group of data communication sessions according to the testing criteria utilizing the second thread;

receiving commands from a management portal server during execution of the first thread and the second thread;

performing a command received during execution of the first thread and the second thread;

receiving a power cycle reconfiguration command from the management portal server;

cycling power and rebooting the probe device; and

downloading a kernel and root file system.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein performing the command comprises:

sending test results after each test execution is completed, stopping execution of the first or second threads, restarting execution of the first or second threads, rebooting an Android handset connected to the probe device, starting an application on the Android handset, power cycling the Android handset, posting a current status of the probe device, posting test results to a database server, or a combination thereof, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.