Clearinghouse System, Method, and Process for Inventorying and Acquiring Infrastructure, Monitoring and Controlling Network Performance for Enhancement, and Providing Localized Content in Communication Networks

• US 20120244835A1
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Original Assignee: Theodore S. Rappaport
• Inventors: Rappaport, Theodore S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A computerized system, method and process allows telecommunications carriers to find, evaluate and select locations for equipment through direct access to end users, while providing citizens the opportunity to offer the use of their dwelling or other assets to carriers. The system and method further provides a computerized mechanism for (a) creating an inventory and marketplace for available properties for use in telecommunications networks, (b) providing quality and/or performance monitoring and control for wireless communication systems based on data in the clearinghouse, and (c) providing localized content over wireless networks using the clearinghouse.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method for providing a clearinghouse system for communications networks, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more computers which interface with a database, said database including

records pertaining to one or more telecommunications carriers which identify infrastructure for one or more telecommunications carriers in terms of one or more of (i) types of equipment and performance characteristics for said types of equipment, (ii) location information including one or more of geographical areas, and (iii) business terms for telecommunications services or for provision of said infrastructure, and

records pertaining one or more end users which identify one or more of (i) telecommunications assets or devices or equipment owned or controlled by one or more of said end users, (ii) property assets owned or controlled by one or more of said end users, (iii) locations or types of devices or equipment used by one or more of said end users, (iv) performance, quality of service, or perceived value experienced or desired by one or more of said end users at one or more locations, and (v) desired business terms or preferences for use of said telecommunications assets, said devices, said equipment or said property assets by one or more of said end users;

permitting, using said one or more electronic interfaces to said one or more computers, said one or more telecommunications carriers or one or more of said end users or one or more third parties to selectively use, view, collect, or catalog information about one or more of (a) available telecommunications assets or properties and locations thereof, (b) locations or types of equipment or devices or property assets used by one or more of said end users (c) the owners or tenants of said available telecommunications assets or properties, (d) infrastructure needs of one or more telecommunications carriers, (e) proposed business terms for fulfilling said infrastructure needs with said telecommunications assets or said property assets, and (f) performance of quality of service experienced by one or more of said end users; and

either or both providing access to information associated with said records in said clearinghouse system or providing a notification to either or all of;

one or more of said end users,

one or more of said one or more telecommunications carriers;

one or more of said third parties who are not end users or a telecommunications carrier,

wherein notification is performed when one or more of the following events occur;

(1) one or more of said end users, or one or more of said one or more telecommunications carriers, or one or more of said third parties who are not end users or a telecommunications carrier request information associated with records in said clearinghouse system pertaining to either one or more telecommunications carriers or one or more of said end users,

(2) suitable available telecommunications assets or properties for said infrastructure needs of said one or more telecommunications carriers at one or more locations are identified

(3) performance, quality of service, or perceived value of delivered telecommunications service for one or more of said end users, or said one or more telecommunications carriers, becomes worse or better than a specified tolerance or desired performance level as specified by one or more of said end users,

(4) performance, quality of service, or perceived value of delivered telecommunications service for one or more of said end users, or said one or more of said one or more telecommunications carriers, becomes worse or better than a specified tolerance or desired performance level as specified by one or more of said telecommunications carriers, and

(5) performance, quality of service, or perceived value of delivered telecommunications service for one or more of said end users, or said one or more telecommunications carriers, becomes worse or better than a specified tolerance or desired performance level as specified by one or more of said third parties.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said database includes

public records which include, for a plurality of geographic locations, one or more of maps, location coordinates, or mapping information for said geographic locations, zoning information for said geographic locations, local ordinances for said geographic locations, contact information for government officials for said geographic locations, and information about one or more carriers, serving said geographic locations.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of permitting, using said one or more electronic interfaces, one or more public users, who are not telecommunications carriers or end users, to selectively view or catalog information about said available telecommunications assets or properties and locations thereof, and said infrastructure needs of one or more telecommunications carriers for one or more locations.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein said one or more electronic interfaces includes one or more of an Internet interface, a telephone, a speech, handwriting or fingerprint recognition device, electronic mail interface, a facsimile, voicemail, a webserver, a computer, a mouse, a keyboard, VoIP, a wireless or portable computing or communications device, or a digital recorder.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of allowing for communications between at least one of said one or more electronic interfaces and the world wide web, and wherein said records for one or more telecommunications carriers and said records for one or more end users can be viewed using a browser and can be retrieved or obtained.

38. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of providing a security application which protects the identity and infrastructure needs of said one or more telecommunications carriers.

39. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of using a security application and a billing application operating on one of said one or more computers to charge or allow for payment to made to one or more of said one or more telecommunications carriers, or said one or more end users, or said one or more third parties, for use of said clearinghouse system.

40. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of using a communications application operating on at least one of said one or more computers to permit secure negotiation and acceptance of business and legal terms between at least two parties including one or more telecommunications carriers, one or more third parties, and one or more end users, for use of said one or more telecommunications assets or one or more property assets.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said property assets are selected from a building, a roof top, a billboard, a tower, a light pole, and a lot or acreage.

42. The method of claim 33 wherein said database includes performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information for specific locations or specific end users.

43. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of updating, either automatically or manually, by one or more end users, one or more fixed or mobile devices, one or more of one or more telecommunications carriers, or one or more third parties using said one of said one or more electronic interfaces, said performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said step of updating is performed by said one or more electronic interfaces providing performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information to or from one or more mobile or fixed devices that are located in or will be located in said specific locations.

45. The method of claim 44 where updating is performed manually.

46. The method of claim 44 where updating is performed automatically using one or more programs or applications or devices.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein said step of updating is performed by said one or more end users, said one or more fixed or mobile devices, said one or more telecommunications carriers, or said one or more third parties that are not end users or telecommunications carriers providing performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information to the clearinghouse system.

48. The method of claim 47 where updating is performed manually.

49. The method of claim 47 where updating is performed automatically using one or more programs or applications or devices.

50. The method of claim 43 wherein said performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information includes information from one or more of multiple bands, multiple carriers, multiple mobile or fixed devices, or multiple end users from multiple bands or carriers.

51. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of providing localized content to one or more mobile or fixed devices in a specific location using one or more local ad servers in communication with said one or more electronic interfaces.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein one or more base stations are in communication with said one or more electronic interfaces.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein said local ad servers provide web page view and usage statistics to said database through said one or more electronic interfaces.

54. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of identifying optimum or prioritized locations for said infrastructure needs based on said records of said one or more end users using a computation application which interfaces with at least one of said one or more computers.

55. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of identifying optimum or prioritized locations for said infrastructure needs based on both said records of said one or more end users and said public records using a computation application which interfaces with at least one of said one or more computers.

56. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of submitting location, performance, quality of service, or perceived quality or value information, experienced or desired, from at least one of said one or more telecommunications carriers, one or more fixed or mobile devices, and at least one of said one or more end users, using an application program which operates on at least one of said one or more computers or which is accessible to at least one of said one or more computers through an electronic interface.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said step of submitting is performed manually by one or more end users or by one or more carriers or by a third party.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein said of submitting is performed automatically by one or programs or applications associated with a device of said one or more end users or by one or more carriers or by a third party.

59. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of querying or updating the clearinghouse system by one or more of an Internet interface, a telephone, a speech, handwriting or fingerprint recognition device, electronic mail interface, a facsimile, voicemail, a webserver, VoIP, a wireless or portable computing or communications device, or a digital recorder.

60. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of forming binding agreements between at least one of said one or more telecommunications carriers and at least one of said one or more end users using an application program which operates on at least one of said one or more computers, or which is accessible to at least one of said one or more computers through an electronic interface.

61. A method for providing a clearinghouse for communications networks, comprising:

providing one or more computers which interface with a database, the database including performance, quality of service, or perceived communications service quality or value information for one or more locations, and one or more of

records pertaining to one or more telecommunications carriers which identify infrastructure type and/or location information for one or more locations, and

public records which include, for a plurality of geographic locations, one or more of maps, location coordinates, or mapping information for said geographic locations, zoning information for said geographic locations, local ordinances for said geographic locations, contact information for government officials for said geographic locations, and information about one or more carriers serving said geographic locations;

updating in said database either automatically or manually, using one or more electronic interfaces to said one or more computers, performance, quality of service, or perceived telecommunications service value information, experienced or desired, obtained from one or more mobile or fixed devices; and

permitting at least one of said one or more telecommunications carriers or one or more end users of said one or more telecommunications carriers, or one or more parties which are not telecommunications carriers or end users to review, catalog, store, view, use, or sort information in said database.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein said database includes one or more of records for said one or more end users which identify one or more of equipment, devices, telecommunications assets, and property assets owned, controlled or used by said one or more end users.

63. The method of claim 61 further comprising the steps of obtaining and providing said performance or quality of service or perceived telecommunications service quality or value information, experienced or desired, to said one or more electronic interfaces using one or more applications operable with said one or more mobile or fixed devices or said one or more computers.

64. The method of claim 61 wherein said one or, more electronic interfaces provides performance or quality of service information to one or more mobile or fixed devices or one or more end user devices that are located in or will be located in said locations.

65. The method of claim 61 wherein said performance or quality of service information or perceived communications service quality or value information includes information from one or more of multiple bands, multiple carriers, multiple fixed or mobile devices, or multiple end users from multiple bands or carriers.

66. The method of claim 61 further comprising the step of sending instructions from one of said one or more electronic interfaces to one or more wireless devices for configuring or reconfiguring said one or more wireless devices based on one or more of:

ranking of performance, enhanced spectrum usage, control of interference, or requests of an end user.

67. The method of claim 61 further comprising the step of sending a rank ordering of available telecommunications services or frequencies from one of said one or more electronic interfaces to one or more wireless devices.

68. The method of claim 61 further comprising the step of monitoring radio operating conditions of one or more wireless devices, and using monitored radio operating conditions to update performance or quality of service information or perceived communications service quality or value information in said database.

69. The method of claim 61 further comprising the step of using one or more wireless devices to provide said performance or quality of service information or perceived quality or value information to one of said one or more of said electronic interfaces.

70. A method of providing selected content to one or more mobile or fixed devices located in specific locations, comprising the steps of:

providing a clearinghouse system for communications networks, said clearinghouse system including

one or more computers which interface with a database, said database including one or more of

performance or quality of service or perceived telecommunications service quality or value information, experienced or desired, for one or more locations,

records for one or more telecommunications carriers which identify infrastructure information for one or more locations,

records for one or more end users which identify equipment, devices, telecommunications assets or property assets owned, used, or controlled by said one or more end users, and

public records which include, for a plurality of geographic locations, one or more of maps, location coordinates, or mapping information for said geographic locations, zoning information for said geographic locations, local ordinances for said geographic locations, contact information for government officials for said geographic locations, and information about carriers serving said geographic locations;

permitting one or more mobile or fixed devices to be in communication with said clearinghouse system using one or more electronic interfaces to said one or more computers to perform one or more of

updating, either automatically or manually, performance or quality of service or perceived telecommunications service value information obtained from said one or more mobile or fixed devices that are located in one of said one or more locations into said database, and

at least one of said one or more telecommunications carriers or said one or more end users or one or more parties which are not telecommunications carriers or end users reviewing, cataloging, viewing, storing, using, or sorting information in said database;

identifying a geographic location of one or more mobile or fixed devices; and

providing localized content to said one or more mobile or fixed devices using said geographic location and one or more local ad servers in communication with said one or more electronic interfaces of said clearinghouse system.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein one or more base stations are in communication with said one or more electronic interfaces of said clearinghouse system.

72. The method of claim 70 further comprising the step of said local ad servers providing web page view and usage statistics to said database of said clearinghouse system through said one or more electronic interfaces.

73. The method of claim 70 wherein the step of identifying a geographic location is performed using a GPS associated with one or more of said one or more mobile or fixed devices.