Congestion detection in mobile networks and delivery of content in non-congested conditions
First Claim
1. A method for determining congestion status of a channel to end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the method operable in a computer, the method comprising:
- a. receiving information from a plurality of mobile devices, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of each mobile device, and radio cell in a mobile network that each mobile device is currently connected to;
b. synchronous to the receipt of the information in (a);
(i) selecting a radio cell from amongst a plurality of radio cells;
(ii) identifying a set of mobile devices that are currently connected to the selected radio cell, based on the received information;
(iii) selecting a subset of the set of mobile devices for congestion measurement;
(iv) with respect to the set of mobile devices, testing for congestion only between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset;
c. assigning a congestion status to the selected radio cell, based on the results of the congestion testing between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for detecting congestion in a mobile network and for determining those end-user mobile devices that are affected. In one embodiment, a server communicates with a set of mobile devices, on which have been installed a suitable client application. At certain times, the server initiates a congestion detection routine. The server may request the mobile devices to report on their current wireless attachment point to the mobile network. The server can then test for congestion by performing a data transfer between itself and the mobile clients, which may be in either direction. The server can use the results to determine whether a given attachment point is congested. In one embodiment, a dynamically selected, random subset of mobile devices for a current attachment point are tested, and the result is imputed to all mobile devices similarly situated.
48 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for determining congestion status of a channel to end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the method operable in a computer, the method comprising:
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a. receiving information from a plurality of mobile devices, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of each mobile device, and radio cell in a mobile network that each mobile device is currently connected to;b. synchronous to the receipt of the information in (a); (i) selecting a radio cell from amongst a plurality of radio cells; (ii) identifying a set of mobile devices that are currently connected to the selected radio cell, based on the received information; (iii) selecting a subset of the set of mobile devices for congestion measurement; (iv) with respect to the set of mobile devices, testing for congestion only between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset; c. assigning a congestion status to the selected radio cell, based on the results of the congestion testing between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for determining congestion status of a channel to end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the system comprising:
a computer having a microprocessor and memory storing computer readable instructions executable on the microprocessor to cause the computer to; a. receive information from a plurality of mobile devices, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of each mobile device, and radio cell in a mobile network that each mobile device is currently connected to;b. synchronous to the receipt of the information in (a); (i) select a radio cell from amongst a plurality of radio cells; (ii) identify a set of mobile devices that are currently connected to the selected radio cell, based on the received information; (iii) select a subset of the set of mobile devices for congestion measurement; (iv) with respect to the set of mobile devices, testing for congestion only between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset; c. assign a congestion status to the selected radio cell, based on the results of the congestion testing between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method for determining the congestion status of end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the method operable at a computer, the method comprising:
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identifying a set of mobile devices; selecting, from the set, a subset of mobile devices for congestion testing; at a particular time, requesting and receiving information from each of the mobile devices in the subset, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of particular mobile device, and which radio tower in a mobile network a particular mobile device is currently connected to;at the particular time; (i) selecting a radio cell from amongst a plurality of radio cells; (ii) identifying those mobile devices in the subset that are currently connected to the selected radio cell, based on the received information; (iii) testing for congestion from the computer to those mobile devices identified in step (ii); assigning a congestion status to the selected radio tower, based on the results of the congestion testing to those mobile devices identified in step (ii). - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for determining congestion status of end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the system comprising:
a computer having a microprocessor and memory storing computer readable instructions executable on the microprocessor to cause the computer to; identify a set of mobile devices; select, from the set, a subset of mobile devices for congestion testing; at a particular time, request and receive information from each of the mobile devices in the subset, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of particular mobile device, and which radio tower in a mobile network a particular mobile device is currently connected to;at the particular time; (i) select a radio cell from amongst a plurality of radio cells; (ii) identify those mobile devices in the subset that are currently connected to the selected radio cell, based on the received information; (iii) test for congestion to those mobile devices identified in step (ii); assign a congestion status to the selected radio tower, based on the results of the congestion testing to those mobile devices identified in step (ii). - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A system for determining congestion status of a channel to end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the system comprising:
a computer having a microprocessor and memory storing computer readable instructions executable on the microprocessor to cause the computer to; a. receive information from a plurality of mobile devices, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of each mobile device, and base station in a mobile network that each mobile device is currently connected to;b. synchronous to the receipt of the information in (a); (i) select a base station from amongst a plurality of base stations; (ii) identify a set of mobile devices that are currently connected to the selected base station, based on the received information; (iii) select a subset of the set of mobile devices for congestion measurement; (iv) with respect to the set of mobile devices, testing for congestion only between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset; c. assign a congestion status to the selected base station, based on the results of the congestion testing between the computer and each of those mobile devices in the subset.
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18. A system for determining congestion status of end-user mobile devices in a mobile network, the system comprising:
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a computer having a microprocessor and memory storing computer readable instructions executable on the microprocessor to cause the computer to; identify a set of mobile devices; select, from the set, a subset of mobile devices for congestion testing; at a particular time, request and receive information from each of the mobile devices in the subset, the information indicating at least one of;
current geographical location of particular mobile device, and which radio tower in a mobile network a particular mobile device is currently connected to;at the particular time; (i) select a base station from amongst a plurality of base stations; (ii) identify those mobile devices in the subset that are currently connected to the selected base station, based on the received information; (iii) test for congestion to those mobile devices identified in step (ii); assign a congestion status to the selected radio tower, based on the results of the congestion testing to those mobile devices identified in step (ii).
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Specification