Event tagging for mobile networks

• US 9,094,929 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fix, Jeremy, Martinez, Francisco, Meredith, Sheldon Kent
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US13/494,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20130331131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 4554561-457
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/30 Map- or contour-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/185 by embedding added-value information into content, e.g. geo-tagging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• 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

Abstract

Providing for improved network event tagging for mobile communications is described herein. By way of example, a mobile network can be configured to take periodic geographic positions of a mobile terminal operating within the mobile network. Network events occurring between the periodic geographic positions, otherwise partially unknown in position, can be estimated by referencing topographical information and estimating a route of travel of the mobile device. Estimated speed of the mobile device can be utilized to place the mobile device on a road network, cycling route, pedestrian walkway, or the like, and refine the estimated position of the mobile device at the time of the network event. Such estimates can be refined from traffic information or other real-time travel data. An estimated position of the mobile device can be output as an approximation of the network event to facilitate event modeling for the mobile network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system including a processor, a first data input indicative of a first geographic location of a mobile device at a first instance in time;

receiving, by the system, a second data input indicative of a second geographic location of the mobile device at a second instance in time;

estimating, by the system, a speed of the mobile device based at least in part on the first geographic location, the first instance in time, the second geographic location and the second instance in time;

receiving, by the system, a network event pertaining to the mobile device at a third instance in time that occurs between the first instance in time and the second instance in time;

determining, by the system, a location of the mobile device at the third instance in time based at least on the speed of the mobile device, the first data input and the second data input; and

associating, by the system, the location of the mobile device with the network event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing, by the system, topographical information in a vicinity of the first geographic location or the second geographic location at least in part for determining the location of the mobile device at the third instance in time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the utilizing the topographical information comprises employing road network information about a road of a road network for determining the location of the mobile device at the third instance in time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the location of the mobile device comprises employing speed limit data pertaining to the road of the road network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the speed of the mobile device is estimated at least in part with the speed limit data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the system, whether the mobile device is moving at a motor vehicle rate based on the speed of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to determining the mobile device is not moving at the motor vehicle rate, the determining the location of the mobile device comprises utilizing pedestrian travel topography information to determine the location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to determining the mobile device is moving at the motor vehicle rate, the determining the location of the mobile device comprises referencing road network topography information.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining, by the system, a route of travel for the mobile device utilizing the speed of the mobile device, the first geographic location, the second geographic location and topography information pertaining to a mode of travel and a route of travel.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the system, current traffic input data pertinent to the first time or the second time and, in response to determining the mobile device is moving at the motor vehicle rate, utilizing the current traffic input data in conjunction with the estimating the speed of the mobile device, and in determining the location of the mobile device.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one communication interface that sends and receives information pertaining to a wireless network with a set of components of the wireless network;

at least one memory that stores executable instructions; and

at least one processor, coupled to the at least one memory and the at least one communication interface, that facilitates execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving location data comprising location information pertaining to a mobile device for at least two points in time, wherein the location data is obtained via the at least one communication interface;

determining a speed of the mobile device;

receiving a notification of a network event pertaining to the mobile device and a time of the network event;

estimating a position of the mobile device at the time of the network event utilizing the location information and the speed of the mobile device, the at least two points in time, and the time of the network event; and

outputting the position of the mobile device to be associated with a geographic area of the network event, in response to receipt of the notification of the network event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise at least one of:

interpolating the estimated position of the mobile device in response to the time of the network event occurring between the at least two points in time;

or

extrapolating the estimated position of the mobile device in response to the time of the network event occurring after a later one of the at least two points in time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving topographical data in a vicinity of the location information for identifying routes of travel within the vicinity of the location information, and identifying a route of travel of the mobile device from the routes of travel and the speed of the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the topographical data comprises a topographical map of the vicinity of the location information, and the operations further comprise identifying the route of travel with respect to the topographical map.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise at least one of:

employing an automotive route map as the topographical map in response to the speed of the mobile device satisfying a first function that models vehicular speed for the vicinity of the location information;

employing a cycling route map as the topographical map in response to the speed of the mobile device satisfying a second function that models a cycling speed;

or

employing a pedestrian map as the topographical map in response to the speed of the mobile device satisfying a third function that models a pedestrian speed.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring traffic information for the vicinity of the location information that satisfies a first function that models a set of modes of travel associated with the mobile device; and

modifying speed of the mobile device in response to concurrent traffic speeds derived from the traffic information deviating from a predetermined speed limit for the mode of travel at the vicinity of the location information.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring mobile device-submitted location information pertaining to the network event; and

refining the estimated position of the mobile device during the time of the network event as a function of the mobile device-submitted location information.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, in response to execution facilitated by a processor, cause a system including the processor to perform operations, comprising:

employing a set of known geographic locations for a mobile device and associated respective times and a speed of the mobile device to determine another location of the mobile device at a time of occurrence of a network event associated with the mobile device, wherein the set of known geographic locations for the mobile device excludes the other location determined from the set of known geographic locations and associated respective times of the mobile device; and

outputting the other location of the mobile device determined from the set of known geographic locations and associated respective times as an estimated position of the network event for the time of occurrence.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a mode of travel for the mobile device at least in part from the speed of the mobile device;

identifying routes of travel within a pre-determined vicinity of the set of known geographic locations that satisfy a first pre-defined function with respect to the mode of travel; and

fitting the known geographic locations to the routes of travel and determining a best fit route of travel for the mobile device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring traffic speed information relevant to the best fit route of travel at the time coinciding with the network event;

wherein employing the known geographic locations to extrapolate the additional position of the mobile device comprises;

determining a position of the mobile device along the best fit route of travel at the time coinciding with the network event; and

updating the position of the mobile device along the best fit route of travel at least in part from the traffic speed information relevant to the best fit route of travel.