Wireless network and method for suggesting corrective action based on performance and controlling access to location information

• US 10,701,517 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2020
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Traxcell Technologies II LLC
• Original Assignee: Traxcell Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Reed, Mark Jefferson, Palik, Stephen Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US16/779,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20200228921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 150 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02525 Gathering the radio frequency fingerprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

A mobile device, wireless network and their method of operation provide suggestion of corrective actions of the network based on performance evaluation of communications between a connected mobile device and the communications network. The communications network tracks location of mobile devices and stores performance data of connections between the mobile devices and the network. The performance data is referenced to expected performance data to determine whether a fault exists and a corrective action is suggested when the fault exists. Access to the location information by another computer is controlled by a preference flag set in response to a communication from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A wireless network including:

a radio tower adapted to receive radio frequency signals from, and transmit radio frequency signals to, at least one wireless device;

a system of computers programmed to perform steps of referencing performance of the at least one wireless device with wireless network known parameters and routinely storing performance data for the at least one wireless device, wherein the system of computers further receives the performance data and suggests at least one corrective action in conformity with a comparison of the performance data and the wireless network known parameters; and

another one or more computers other than the system of computers, wherein at least one of the another one or more computers is coupled in communication with the system of computers, wherein the system of computers is programmed to provide an indication of location of the at least one wireless device to the another one or more computers, and wherein the another one or more computers, responsive to a communication from the at least one wireless device, set a no access flag within a memory of at least one of the another one or more computers, and wherein the another one or more computers provides access to an indication of location of the at least one wireless device from the another one or more computers if the no access flag is reset and denies access to the indication of location of the at least one wireless device from the another one or more computers if the no access flag is set.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the system of computers consists of one computer.

3. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the system of computers comprises multiple computers.

4. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the system of computers further receives an error code from the radio tower, determines whether the error code indicates a performance issue with respect to the connection between the at least one wireless device and the radio tower, and wherein the system of computers determines the at least one corrective action in response to the error code.

5. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the system of computers further determines the at least one corrective action in conformity with a value of the error code.

6. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the system of computers selectively suggests the at least one corrective action as a corrective adjustment of the radio frequency signals of the radio tower in order to restrict processing of the radio frequency signals from the at least one wireless device based upon the error code, and, whereby the system of computers suggests the at least one corrective action in order to improve communication with the at least one of the at least two wireless devices.

7. The wireless network of claim 4, wherein the radio tower is a first radio tower, and further comprising a second radio tower, wherein the system of computers is programmed, based upon the error code, to suggest the at least one corrective action as an adjustment of the radio frequency signals of the second radio tower in order to direct processing of signals from the at least one wireless device based upon the error code, and, whereby the system of computers suggests a corrective action of the radio frequency signals of the first radio tower and the second radio tower in order to improve communication with the at least one wireless device based on the error code.

8. The wireless network of claim 7, wherein the system of computers is further programmed to perform a diagnostic routine on the error code, on the first radio tower, on the second radio tower, and generate a diagnostic analysis for adjusting radio frequency signal power parameters associated with the first radio tower and with the second radio tower.

9. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the system of computers determines the at least one corrective action in conformity with a comparison of the performance data and the wireless network known parameters.

10. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the system of computers routinely stores updated performance data of the at least one wireless device while the at least one wireless device is communicating with the radio tower.

11. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless device comprises at least two wireless devices, and wherein the system of computers is further programmed to:

receive the performance data from each of the at least two wireless devices;

identify another indication of location for each of the at least two wireless devices;

perform a diagnostic routine, in response to identifying the another indication of location;

generate a message identifying the another indication of location; and

suggest a correction for adjusting radio frequency signal power parameters.

12. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein, in response to performing the diagnostic routine, the system of computers is further programmed to adjust the radio frequency signal power parameters of the first radio tower and of the second radio tower, the radio frequency signal power parameters including power reception and power transmission of the respective radio tower.

13. The wireless network of claim 11, wherein the system of computers is further programmed to:

generate a status request; and

send the another indication of location of and the performance data for the at least one wireless device to another computer other than the system of computers in response to the status request.

14. The wireless network of claim 13, wherein the system of computers is programmed to identify the another computer and generate an authorization indicia therefrom.

15. A method of correcting performance and managing communications with at least one wireless device within a wireless network, the method comprising:

communicating via radio frequency signals with the at least one wireless device;

referencing performance of the at least one wireless device with wireless network known parameters;

routinely storing performance data for the at least one wireless device;

transmitting the radio frequency signals from a radio tower to the at least one wireless device;

transmitting the radio frequency signals from the at least one wireless device to the radio tower;

a system of computers receiving the performance data and suggesting at least one corrective action in conformity with a comparison of the performance data and the wireless network known parameters;

coupling another one or more computers with the system of computers;

responsive to a communication from the at least one wireless device, setting a no access flag within a memory within at least one of the another one or more computers;

providing access from the another one or more computers to the indication of location of the at least one wireless device to the another one or more computers if the no access flag is reset; and

denying access to the indication of location of the at least one wireless device to the another one or more computers if the no access flag is set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the system of computers consists of one computer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the system of computers comprises multiple computers.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an error code from the radio tower;

determining whether the error code indicates a performance issue with respect to the connection between the at least one wireless device and the radio tower; and

determining the at least one corrective action in response to the error code.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining the at least one corrective action in conformity with a value of the error code.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the selectively suggesting suggests the at least one corrective action as a corrective action of the radio frequency signals of the radio tower in order to restrict processing of the radio frequency signals from the at least one wireless device based upon the error code, and, whereby the selectively suggesting suggests the at least one corrective action in order to improve communication with the at least one wireless device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the radio tower is a first radio tower, and wherein the selectively suggesting further comprises suggesting a corrective adjustment of the radio frequency signals of a second radio tower in order to direct processing of signals from the at least one device based upon the error code, whereby the system of computers suggests corrective action of the radio frequency signals of the first radio tower and the second radio tower in order to improve communication with the at least one wireless device based on the error code.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein method further comprises:

performing a diagnostic routine on the error code, on the first radio tower, on the second radio tower; and

generating a diagnostic analysis for adjusting radio frequency signal power parameters associated with the first radio tower and with the second radio tower.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the suggesting the at least one corrective action determines the at least one corrective action in conformity with a comparison of the performance data and the wireless network known parameters.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising routinely storing updated performance data of the at least one of the at least two wireless devices while the at least one of the at least two mobile wireless devices is communicating with the radio tower.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one wireless device comprises at least two wireless devices, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the performance data from each of the at least two wireless devices;

identifying another indication of location for each of the at least two wireless devices;

performing a diagnostic routine, in response to identifying the indication of location and the performance data;

generating a message identifying the location and the performance data; and

suggesting a correction for adjusting radio frequency signal power parameters.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises, in response to performing the diagnostic routine, adjusting the radio frequency signal power parameters of the first radio tower and of the second radio tower, the radio frequency signal power parameters including power reception and power transmission of the respective radio tower.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

generating a status request; and

sending the another indication of location of and the performance data for the at least one wireless device to a remote computer in response to the status request.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

identifying the remote computer; and

generating an authorization indicia from a result of the identifying.

29. A wireless network including:

a radio tower adapted to receive radio frequency signals from, and transmit radio frequency signals to, at least one wireless device;

a system of computers programmed to perform steps of referencing performance of the at least one wireless device with wireless network known parameters and routinely storing performance data for the at least one wireless device, wherein the system of computers further receives the performance data and suggests at least one corrective action in conformity with a comparison of the performance data and the wireless network known parameters; and

another one or more computers other than the system of computers, wherein at least one of the another one or more computers is coupled in communication with the system of computers, wherein the system of computers is programmed to provide an indication of location of the at least one wireless device to the another one or more computers, and wherein the system of computers, responsive to a communication from the at least one wireless device, set a no access flag within a memory of the system of computers, and wherein the system of computers provides access to an indication of location of the at least one wireless device if the no access flag is reset and denies access to the indication of location of the at least one wireless device if the no access flag is set.