Network diagnostic applications

• US 9,838,888 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Lihosit, Christopher August, Axdorff, Tyler Blair
• Primary Examiner(s): VIANA DI PRISCO, GERMAN
• Application Number:
  US14/802,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Systems and methods for network diagnostics are provided. Various embodiments allow for a diagnostic application to be automatically pushed to one or more mobile devices on a network. A diagnostic platform can select one or more mobile devices to perform a set of tests (e.g., Wi-Fi connections, cellular connections, download speeds, initiate phone calls, etc.) to evaluate the network performance. The diagnostic application can then be accessed (or installed) by the diagnostic platform. Messages that include the captured data about the network performance can be sent from each of the mobile devices to the diagnostic platform. Various analytics can then be generated about the network and performance of specific device configurations.

Claims

1. A method for performing a remote network diagnostic using multiple wireless mobile devices, the method comprising:

selecting one or more mobile devices to perform a set of tests to evaluate performance of a wireless network;

installing, using remote command and control instructions from a diagnostic

platform, a diagnostic application on the one or more mobile devices,

wherein the diagnostic application, once installed, performs the set of tests to evaluate the network performance; and

receiving, at the diagnostic platform, messages from the diagnostic application that include captured data,

wherein the captured data includes device specific information identifying hardware and software configurations of the one or more mobile devices, and

wherein the captured data includes data about the network performance in response to the set of tests used by the diagnostic application to evaluate the network performance as the mobile device moves about a geographic region;

generating analytics based on the captured data, wherein the analytics identify

optimal hardware configurations, wherein the optimal hardware configurations include a best performance while minimizing rice for a mobile device'"'"'s chipset in light of the network performance of the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more mobile devices to perform the set of tests to evaluate network performance further comprises:

receiving a notice from a user of a first mobile device of the one or more mobile devices that the first mobile device is experiencing poor performance of the wireless network,

wherein the notice from the user identifies a geographic area where the poor performance of the wireless network was experienced, and

wherein selecting the one or more mobile devices to perform the set of tests to evaluate network performance includes automatically identifying additional mobile devices that are likely to be in the geographic area; and

receiving permission from the user of the first mobile device to install the diagnostic application on the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more mobile devices to perform the set of tests to evaluate network performance further comprises:

receiving a notice from a user of a first mobile device of the one or more mobile devices that the first mobile device is experiencing poor performance of the wireless network; and

receiving permission from the user of the first mobile device to install the diagnostic application on the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more mobile devices to perform the set of tests to evaluate network performance includes selecting one or more mobile devices of employees affiliated with a business organization that controls the wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tests to evaluate network performance include a data connection test, a voice connection test, a Wi-Fi calling test, a short message service (SMS) test, or a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) test, and wherein the method further comprises generating, based on the messages from the diagnostic application, a map of actual data speeds to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device specific information identifying hardware or software configurations of the one or more mobile devices includes a make of the one or more mobile devices, a model of the one or more mobile devices, and a type allocation code from the one or more mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of tests are schedule to be repeated multiple times at a nominal frequency, and the method further comprising:

decreasing the nominal frequency when the set of tests indicate the network performance is above a desired threshold; and

increasing the nominal frequency when the set of tests indicate the network performance is below the desired threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating analytics further comprises generating analytics based on the captured data and based on third party data, wherein the analytics identify areas where additional wireless telecommunications infrastructure would improve the wireless network, and wherein the third-party data includes Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data to identify buildings going up at a location, to thereby assist in designing network infrastructure or improve user experiences.

9. A diagnostic platform comprising:

a memory storing processor-implementable instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory;

wherein the processor-implementable instructions stored in the memory perform a method to

randomly identify multiple mobile devices to evaluate network performance using a diagnostic application;

apply a set of tests and a location where each test in the set of tests should be performed,

wherein the set of tests includes a test of a data connection

receive data regarding the network performance from the multiple mobile devices;

generate a network performance analysis by analyzing the data regarding the network performance;

automatically identify, based on the network performance analysis, one or more locations that need additional refinement or a retest;

request selection of additional mobile devices, based on current geographic location, to perform the additional refinement or retest; and

generate a recommendation based on results of analyzing the data regarding the network performance, wherein the recommendation can indicate a geographic area in which additional wireless telecommunications infrastructure may be needed; and

based on the data regarding the network performance, generate a map of actual data speeds, to thereby comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.

10. The diagnostic platform of claim 9 wherein:

the method determines a frequency at which each test in the set of tests should be performed; and

wherein the set of tests include tests of a voice connection, Wi-Fi calling, short message service (SMS), or voice over long term evolution (VoLTE).

11. The diagnostic platform of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises determining a frequency at which each test in the set of tests should be performed.

12. The diagnostic platform of claim 9, further comprising:

a customer database having stored thereon a customer profile associated with each of the multiple mobile devices; and

wherein the method further comprises selecting one or more rewards to offer each customer associated with the multiple mobile devices in exchange for allowing the diagnostic application to evaluate the network performance, wherein the one or more rewards are selected, based at least in part, on an estimated amount of resources the diagnostic application will utilize on the multiple mobile devices.

13. The diagnostic platform of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving additional data about network performance not collected via the diagnostic application; and

analyzing the additional data about the network performance not collected by the diagnostic application.

14. The diagnostic platform of claim 9, further comprising retrieving additional data about network performance not collected via the diagnostic application.

15. The diagnostic platform of claim 9, further comprising sending remote commands to the multiple mobile devices to install the diagnostic application.

16. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing computer-executable instructions to perform a remote network diagnostic method using multiple wireless mobile devices, the method comprising:

selecting one or more mobile devices to perform a set of tests to evaluate performance of a wireless network;

installing, using remote command and control instructions from a diagnostic platform, a diagnostic application on the one or more mobile devices, wherein the diagnostic application, once installed, performs the set of tests to evaluate the network performance; and

receiving, at the diagnostic platform, messages from the diagnostic application that include captured data,

wherein the captured data includes device specific information identifying hardware and software configurations of the one or more mobile devices, and

wherein the captured data includes data about the network performance in response to the set of tests used by the diagnostic application to evaluate the network performance as the mobile device moves about a geographic region;

generating analytics based on the captured data, wherein the analytics identify optimal hardware configurations, wherein the optimal hardware configurations include a best performance while minimizing price for a mobile device'"'"'s chipset in light of the network performance of the wireless network.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein selecting the one or more mobile devices to perform the set of tests to evaluate network performance includes selecting one or more mobile devices of employees affiliated with a business organization that controls the wireless network.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of tests to evaluate network performance include a data connection test, a voice connection test, a Wi-Fi calling test, a short message service (SMS) test, or a voice over long term evolution (VoLTE) test, and wherein the method further comprises generating, based on the messages from the diagnostic application, a map of actual data speeds to comply with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device specific information identifying hardware or software configurations of the one or more mobile devices includes a make of the one or more mobile devices, a model of the one or more mobile devices, and a type allocation code from the one or more mobile devices.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein generating analytics further comprises generating analytics based on the captured data and based on third party data, wherein the analytics identify areas where additional wireless telecommunications infrastructure would improve the wireless network, and wherein the third-party data includes Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data to identify buildings going up at a location, to thereby assist in designing network infrastructure or improve user experiences.