Methods, Devices and Computer readable Media for Providing Quality of Service Indicators

• US 20090054074A1
• Filed: 08/23/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• 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: Aaron, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]

Abstract

Provided are exemplary embodiments including a methods, software and devices for providing Quality of Service (“QoS”) information the user of a mobile communications device while present at a geographic position. The embodiments include methods and devices for receiving a communication signal on a wireless communication device while located at the geographic location, measuring a characteristic of the communication signal pertinent to the proper operation of the wireless computing device in addition to signal strength; and providing a cognizable rendition of the quality of the characteristic to the user by the wireless communication device. The cognizable rendition may be a bar indicator or other audio, visual, vibratory, olfactory or tactile indicator.

Claims

1. A method for conveying quality of service information at a geographic location to a user, comprising:

receiving a communication signal on a wireless communication device while located at the geographic location;

measuring a characteristic of the communication signal pertinent to proper operation of the wireless computing device in addition to signal strength; and

providing a cognizable rendition of the quality of the characteristic to the user via the wireless communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the quality of service information is pertinent to a wireless computing application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring a characteristic of the communication signal is an active measurement.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cognizable rendition is a visual indicator value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically processing the characteristic.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein electronically processing the characteristic includes applying signal strength as a processing input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is a bar-level display.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein electronically processing the characteristic produces a relative indicator value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein two or more relative indicator values are cognizably rendered simultaneously.

10. A wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver to receive a communication signal;

a measurement sensor in communication with the transceiver, the measurement sensor to measure a characteristic of the communication signal, other than signal strength, pertinent to proper operation of a wireless computing application associated with the wireless communication device; and

a processor in communication with the measurement sensor, the processor to produce an indicator value describing the characteristic.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising a location determination system, wherein the location determination system provides the current geographic location of the wireless communication device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising a display to render an indicator specific to the wireless computing application the user, the indicator being representative of the indicator value describing the characteristic.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising a database resident within a memory device, the database storing time stamped, historical signal characteristic values.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising a suggestion generator in communication with the processor, the suggestion generator providing a set of logic rules to the processor.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 14 wherein the suggestion generator is also in communication with the database, the suggestion generator using the time stamped, historical characteristic values to generate the logic rules.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising multiple measurement sensors, each measurement sensor to measure a different characteristic of the communication signal.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 10 further comprising multiple processors, each processor to process a different characteristic of the communication signal and produce a different indicator value.

18. A computer readable medium within a mobile communication device containing instructions to:

receive a communication signal on a mobile communication device, while located at a geographic location;

measure a characteristic of the communication signal pertinent to the proper operation of the wireless computing device, the characteristic being other than signal strength; and

provide a cognizable rendition of the characteristic to the user via the mobile communication device via an indicator.

19. The computer readable medium within a mobile communication device of claim 18 further containing instructions to process the signal characteristic by a processor.

20. The computer readable medium within a mobile communication device of claim 18 containing instructions to store time-stamped, historical measured signal characteristic values within a database resident in a memory of the wireless communication device.