Big telematics data network communication fault identification device

• US 10,382,256 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GeoTab Incorporated
• Inventors: Cawse, Neil Charles, Dodgson, Daniel Michael, Zhao, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlino, David P.
• Application Number:
  US15/530,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0841 Registering performance data recording measured values G01D; information storage G11B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for identifying in real time unpredictable network communication faults based upon pre-processed raw telematics big data logs that may include GPS data and an indication of vehicle status data, and supplemental data that may further include location data and network data.

Claims

1. A system for communicating in a network having one or more network zones, the system comprising:

a remote device configured to monitor for faults in the one or more network zones; and

one or more mobile devices disposed in a network zone, each mobile device of the one or more mobile devices comprising;

an interface configured to communicate with a vehicle network associated with a vehicle;

at least one processor; and

at least one storage having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out a method comprising;

determining, via the interface, an ignition status indication for an ignition of the vehicle associated with the mobile device;

determining a device expected communication rate for the mobile device, wherein determining the device expected communication rate comprises;

determining whether the mobile device is in an active state or an inactive state, wherein determining whether the mobile device is in the active state or the inactive state comprises;

determining that the mobile device is in the active state when the ignition status indication indicates the ignition is on, and

determining that the mobile device is in the inactive state when the ignition status indication indicates the ignition is off;

in response to determining that the mobile device is in the active state based on the ignition status indication indicating the ignition is on, setting the device expected communication rate for the mobile device to a first rate; and

in response to determining that the mobile device is in the inactive state based on the ignition status indication indicating the ignition is off;

determining whether more than a threshold period of time has elapsed during which the ignition status indication indicates that the ignition is off;

in response to determining that less than the threshold period of time has elapsed, determining that the mobile device is in a first power saving mode and setting the device expected communication rate for the mobile device to a second rate lower than the first rate; and

in response to determining that at least the threshold period of time has elapsed, determining that the mobile device is in a second power saving mode and setting the device expected communication rate for the mobile device to a third rate lower than the second rate; and

communicating the ignition status indication and the device expected communication rate for the mobile device to said remote device,

wherein the remote device is configured to;

determine an expected communication rate for the network zone based on the device expected communication rate determined for each mobile device of the one or more mobile devices, and

determine whether the network zone is experiencing a communication fault based at least in part on the device expected communication rate for the network zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said inactive state includes a sleep state associated with the second rate.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said inactive state further includes a deep sleep state associated with the third rate.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second rate is at least one communication with said remote device in each of at least one period of 1800 seconds.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the third rate is at least one communication with said remote device in each of at least one period of 86,400 seconds.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said first rate is at least one communication with said remote device in each of at least one period of 100 seconds.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said mobile device further includes a positional device, said positional device configured to provide location data associated with the mobile device, the location data including a position indication of said mobile device,

said mobile device is configured to communicate the location data to said remote device, and

said remote device is configured to determine a location of the communication fault based at least in part on a last known position indication of said mobile device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is configured to determine whether the network zone is experiencing the communication fault at least in part by:

comparing for at least one time frame an actual communication rate for the network zone, reflecting communications from each mobile device disposed in the network zone, to said expected communication rate; and

indicating the communication fault in the network zone when said actual communication rate is not equal to said expected communication rate within said at least one time frame.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the expected communication rate relates to a total number of network connections expected to be established by the one or more mobile devices disposed within the network zone within a period of time;

the device expected communication rate relates to a total number of network connections expected to be established by the mobile device disposed within the network zone within the period of time; and

the actual communication rate relates to a total number of network connections established by the one or more mobile devices within the period of time.