Method and system for network error detection

• US 9,973,953 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Icomera AB (ENGIE SA)
• Original Assignee: Icomera AB (ENGIE SA)
• Inventors: Karlsson, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US15/309,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 455423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method for identifying a source of error in a communication network including at least one client configured to be connected to a base station is disclosed. The at least one client is arranged on a vehicle repetitively moving in a predetermined area. The method includes the steps of: collecting signal quality data from the at least one client for an extended time period when moving in the area, the signal quality data including a plurality of data entries; determining a position in the area at which each of the data entries was collected and a time at which each of the data entries was collected; identifying an anomaly in the signal quality data, by comparing newly collected signal quality data with previously collected data. A source of error may be determined from the time and position when the signal quality data having an anomaly was collected.

Claims

1. Method for identifying a source of error in a communication network comprising at least one client configured to be connected to a base station, wherein said at least one client is arranged on a vehicle repetitively moving in a predetermined area comprising at least one base station, and wherein said vehicle is provided with at least one fixed external antenna through which the client and the base station communicates, said method comprising the steps of:

collecting signal quality data from said at least one client for an extended time period when moving in said area, said signal quality data being indicative of the signal quality between said at least one client and said at least one base station, said signal quality data comprising a plurality of data entries;

determining a position in said area at which each of said data entries was collected and a time at which each of said data entries was collected;

identifying an anomaly in said signal quality data, by comparing newly collected signal quality data with previously collected signal quality data; and

determining, for at least one identified anomaly, from the time and position when said signal quality data having an anomaly was collected, a source of error in said communication network.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining average signal quality data from the previously collected signal quality data, and comparing the newly collected signal quality data with the average signal quality data.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising determining said average signal quality from previously collected signal quality data collected from clients connected to base stations other than the base station connected to said at least one client when said newly collected data was collected corresponding to said anomaly.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting data from several clients.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a client identifier for identifying the client from which the corresponding signal quality data was collected.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal quality data comprises signal strength and/or signal-to-noise data.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a base station identifier for identifying said base station.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal quality data comprises data indicative of a connection technology, voice call quality indicator, channel frequency and bandwidth, network latency, and/or data throughput.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising interpolating said position from a real-time locating system.

10. System for identifying a source of error in a communication network comprising at least one client connected to a base station, wherein said at least one client is arranged on a vehicle repetitively moving in a predetermined area, wherein said vehicle is provided with at least one fixed external antenna through which said client and said base station communicates, said system comprising a central control unit configured to execute the steps according to claim 1, wherein said central control unit is configured to receive said signal quality data over said communication network.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a real-time locating system.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said real-time locating system is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit of said client.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for executing the steps of claim 1.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting data from several clients arranged on several vehicles repetitively moving in a predetermined area comprising at least one base station, and wherein each of said vehicles is provided with at least one fixed external antenna through which the respective client and the base station communicate.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal quality data comprises data indicative of a connection technology type and/or channel frequency.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client is an on-board router for providing communication between client terminals within the vehicle and at least one exterior wireless network.

17. the method according to claim 16, wherein the router is arranged to operate through a plurality of exterior networks that are simultaneously useable.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining median signal quality data from the previously collected signal quality data; and

comparing the newly collected signal quality data with the median signal quality data.