Public wireless network performance management system with mobile device data collection agents

• US 9,262,370 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Holdings, Inc. (NetMotion Software, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netmotion Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Hofstaedter, Christian E., Canales, Reyes III, Goziker, Edward, Simpkins, James S., Garcia-Duarte, Fernando, Renouard, Julia, Savarese, Joseph T., Kimmerly, Mark V., Wang, Zhenwu, Dangov, John, Hoover, Paul L., Snyder, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US13/553,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20120284404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 455/435.1, 370/315, 725/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

Network auditing system and method for monitoring or auditing at least one communications network. The network auditing system includes an acquisition device to acquire, for locations throughout the at least one communications network, data related to at least one of: service coverage for the at least one communications network; service quality for the at least one communications network; and service usage for the at least one communications network, and a plotter to identify on an audit map the data acquired for the locations.

Claims

1. A network auditing system for monitoring data related to each of a number of different networks to which mobile terminal nodes, located in a mobile communications environment comprising a plurality of multiple different networks, are coupled, the network auditing system comprising:

a data collector, located at each mobile terminal node, comprising;

a location collector configured to collect current location data for a respective mobile terminal node; and

a number of network collectors corresponding to the number of different networks to which the respective mobile terminal node is coupled, wherein each network collector is coupled to a respective different network to collect network data related to at least one of;

service coverage for the respective different network;

service quality for the respective different network; and

service usage for the respective different network associated with a current location of the mobile terminal node;

a transmitter, located at each mobile terminal node, to transmit the location data and collected network data associated with the location data from each of the network collectors of a respective mobile terminal node over an active one of the plurality of multiple different networks;

an acquisition device to acquire, for locations throughout the mobile communications environment, the location data and the collected network data associated with the location data for each of network collectors of the mobile terminal node that is related to the at least one of;

service coverage for each respective different network;

service quality for each respective different network; and

service usage for each respective different network; and

a plotter to identify on an audit map the location data and the collected data associated with the location data for each of network collectors of the mobile terminal node acquired for the locations.

2. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the audit map includes a map of a geographical region in which the mobile communications environment is located.

3. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the data identified on the audit map comprises graphical data.

4. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile communications environment comprises at least one mobile network.

5. The network auditing system according to claim 4, wherein the mobile communications environment comprises at least one public and private mobile network.

6. The network auditing system according to claim 4, wherein the locations comprise attachment points to the at least one mobile network.

7. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein the data acquired by the acquisition device is accumulated over time, and the plotter identifies for the locations on the audit map the data acquired at a predetermined time or for a predetermined period.

8. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein when the acquired data relates to service quality, the plotter identifies for the locations on the audit map at least one of signal strength data and bit transmission rate data at a specified time of acquisition.

9. The network auditing system according to claim 1, wherein when the acquired data relates to service usage, the plotter identifies for the locations on the audit map a number of connected users at a specified time of acquisition.

10. A method for auditing each of a number of different networks to which mobile terminal nodes located in a mobile communications environment comprising a plurality of multiple different networks are coupled, the method comprising:

collecting, at each respective mobile terminal node, current location data and network data from a number of network collectors correspondin to the number of different networks to which the respective mobile terminal node is coupled, wherein each network collector is coupled to a respective different network to collect data related to at least one of;

service coverage for the respective different network;

service quality for the respective different network; and

service usage for the respective different network associated with a current location of the mobile terminal node;

transmitting from each mobile terminal node the location data and the collected network data associated with the location data from each of the network collectors of a respective mobile terminal node over an active one of the plurality of multiple different networks;

acquiring, for locations throughout the mobile communications environment, the location data and the collected data associated with the location data for each of network collectors of the mobile terminal node that is related to the at least one of;

service coverage for each respective different network;

service quality for each respective different network; and

service usage for each respective different network; and

plotting on an audit map the location data and the collected data associated with the location data for each of network collectors of the mobile terminal node acquired for the locations.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the audit map depicts a map of a geographical region in which the mobile communications environment is located.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data identified on the audit map is graphically presented.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the mobile communications environment comprises at least one mobile network.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the at least one mobile network comprises at least one public and private mobile network.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the locations comprise attachment points to the at least one mobile network.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the acquired data is accumulated over time, and the data for the locations on the audit map is acquired at a predetermined time or for a predetermined period.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the acquired data relates to service quality, the plotting includes plotting at least one of signal strength data and bit transmission rate data for the locations on the audit map at a specified time of acquisition.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein when the acquired data relates to service usage, the plotting includes plotting for the locations on the audit map a number of connected users at a specified time of acquisition.