Utilizing devices nearby

• US 9,002,348 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aeris Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Yixiang, Sharma, Narendra Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/682,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20140141767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to network communications, and more particularly to detecting devices having communications issues on a network. The present invention provides for determining a communications performance status in relation to a device on a communications network experiencing a communications issue by identifying the device, locating reference devices in relation to the identified device, and determining where a performance deficiency may exist in relation to the identified device and the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for determining a communications performance status in relation to a device on a communications network, comprising the steps of:

identifying a device on the communications network to evaluate, wherein the step of identifying a device further includes searching the communications network for one or more devices having one or more failed communications events;

identifying a location associated with the identified device, wherein the step of identifying a location associated with the identified device further comprises determining location data to determine the location for the identified device, wherein the step of determining location data includes identifying location data from one or more of the identified device, a location database, a location reference characteristic, and data input from a source external to the communications network;

identifying one or more reference devices on the communications network, wherein the step of identifying one or more reference devices further includes searching the communications network for one or more devices having no failed communications events;

generating a performance event identifier identifying the communications performance status; and

identifying the one or more reference devices, having no failed communications events, which are within a predetermined location range associated with the identified device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a source of a communications issue in relation to the performance event identifier generated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a health status of the identified device on the communications network in association with the performance event identifier generated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a prior connectivity characteristic of the identified device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prior connectivity characteristic of the identified device includes connectivity information of the identified device occurring prior to the one or more failed communication events.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more failed communication events is a communications failure associated with either an operation of the identified device or an operation of the communications network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance event identifier generated includes information associated with one or more preferred processing characteristics including a reference device, a cell sector, and a switch location of the communications network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of identifying, in relation to the performance event identifier generated, whether the communications issue exists with one or more of the identified device, the communications network, or another source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the performance event identifier generated is indicative that the identified device has failed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the performance event identifier generated is indicative that the communications network associated with the identified device has failed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication performance status is determined to be failed for the identified device if the performance event identifier generated is indicative that the identified device has one or more failed communications events.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication performance status is determined to be failed for the communications network if the performance event identifier generated is indicative that the communications network has one or more failed communications operations associated with the identified device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the communications network is one or more of a cellular network, a M2M network, and a data network.

14. An apparatus for determining a communicators performance status of a target device on a communications network, comprising:

a portal capable of communications with a location web service and a server across the communications network having a location index, the location index being in communication with the target device and one or more other devices having preferred processing characteristics in relation to the target device,

processing logic to generate a mashup of location information of the target device and the one or more other devices in relation to data from the location index, and

processing logic to generate a display of the one or more other devices in relation to the target device, and a performance event identifier identifying the communications performance status;

wherein the server further includes an application module for generating the mashup and comparing the generated mashup to one or more communications performance criteria; and

issuing a notification of a source of a communications issue in relation to the target device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a target device health status is displayed via the portal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the application module further includes logic to determine whether the target device failed or whether the communications network associated with the target device failed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a map is displayed indicating a location of the target device and a location for each of the one or more other devices.

18. A non-transitory computer program product stored on a computer usable medium, comprising:

computer readable program means for causing a computer to control an execution of an application to perform a method for determining a communications performance status in relation to a device on a communications network, comprising the steps of;

identifying a device on the communications network to evaluate, wherein the step of identifying a device further includes searching the communications network for one or more devices having one or more failed communications events;

identifying a location associated with the identified device, wherein the step of identifying a location associated with the identified device further comprises determining location data to determine the location for the identified device, wherein the step of determining location data includes identifying location data from one or more of the identified device, a location database, a location reference characteristic, and data input from a source external to the communications network;

identifying one or more reference devices on the communications network, wherein the step of identifying one or more reference devices further includes searching the communications network for one or more devices having no failed communications events;

generating a performance event identifier identifying the communications performance status; and

identifying the one or more reference devices, having no failed communications events, which are within a predetermined location range associated with the identified device.

19. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein the step of identifying one or more reference devices further includes searching the communications network for one or more devices having one or more preferred processing characteristics.

20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19, further comprising the step of identifying, in relation to the performance event identifier generated, whether a communications issue exists with one or more of the identified device, the communications network, or another source, and generating a performance status in response to the performance event identifier.

21. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 20, wherein the communication performance status is determined to be either failed for the identified device, if the performance event identifier generated is indicative that the identified device has one or more failed communications events, or for the communications network, if the communications network has one or more failed communications events.

22. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 20, further comprising generating a map for displaying which is representative of location information of the identified device and the one or more reference devices.