Systems, methods, and computer readable media for utilizing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct performance testing in a wireless communications network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016150427-A1
Application number	US-201414549520-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one aspect, the disclosed subject matter describes herein a method that includes navigating, by a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a service coverage area associated with a wireless communications network, wherein the service coverage area includes a plurality of wireless access points and assigning, by at least one of the UAVs, wireless access points to one or more of the UAVs for wireless traffic testing. The method further includes executing, for each of the wireless access points, a wireless traffic test including test traffic data communicated between at least one of the UAVs and a tested wireless access point and determining, for each of the wireless access points to be tested, performance metric information associated with traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the tested wireless access point and the at least one of the UAVs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for testing wireless access points associated with a wireless communications network, the system comprising:
a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to navigate within a service coverage area associated with a plurality of wireless access points belonging to a wireless communications network, wherein each of the UAVs includes:
a coordination module configured to assign each of the wireless access points to one or more of the UAVs for wireless traffic testing;
a device emulation module configured to execute a wireless traffic test that includes test traffic data communicated between at least one of the UAVs and a tested wireless access point belonging to the plurality of wireless access points; and
a performance metrics module configured to determine, for each of the wireless access points to be tested, performance metric information associated with the test traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the tested wireless access point and at least one of the UAVs.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the device emulation module is further configured to emulate multiple client devices that are wirelessly connected to a tested wireless access point via multiple wireless connections, wherein the emulated client devices generate emulated test traffic that is communicated to the tested wireless access point via the multiple wireless connections.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the performance metrics module is further configured to determine performance metric information associated with traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the tested wireless access point and at least one of the emulated client devices.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein each of the UAVs includes a communication module that is configured to establish a Wi-Fi communications link with each of the other UAVs.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein each of the UAVs is configured to navigate within the service coverage area using global positioning system (GPS) coordinates via an onboard GPS navigation module.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein each of the UAVs utilizes the GPS navigation module to autonomously navigate to a wireless charging area station in the event a power level of an onboard power supply falls below a predefined threshold.

7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the test traffic data is communicated, via the tested wireless access point, between two of the UAVs respectively functioning as a client entity and a server entity.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein the test traffic data is communicated, via the tested wireless access point, between two of the UAVs functioning as peer controllers.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein each of the UAVs includes at least one real client device that comprises a client application configured to establish a wireless connection with the tested wireless access point and to communicate simulated test traffic data to the wireless access point via the established wireless connection.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the performance metrics module is further configured to determine performance metric information associated with the simulated test traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the wireless access point and the at least one real client device.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the device emulation module is further configured to emulate multiple server devices that are wirelessly connected to a tested wireless access point via multiple wireless connections, wherein the emulated server devices generate emulated test traffic that is communicated to the tested wireless access point via the multiple wireless connections.

12 . A method for testing wireless access points associated with a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
navigating, by a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a service coverage area associated with a wireless communications network, wherein the service coverage area includes a plurality of wireless access points; assigning, by at least one of the UAVs, wireless access points to one or more of the UAVs for wireless traffic testing; executing, for each of the wireless access points, a wireless traffic test including test traffic data communicated between at least one of the UAVs and a tested wireless access point; and determining, for each of the wireless access points to be tested, performance metric information associated with traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the tested wireless access point and the at least one of the UAVs.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein executing a wireless traffic test includes emulating, by the at least one of the UAVs, multiple client devices that are wirelessly connected to the tested wireless access point via multiple wireless connections, wherein the emulated client devices generate emulated test traffic that is communicated to the tested wireless access point via the multiple wireless connections.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein determining performance metric information includes determining performance metric information associated with traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the tested access point and at least one of the emulated client devices.

15 . The method of claim 12 wherein communication among the UAVs is conducted via established Wi-Fi links.

16 . The method of claim 12 wherein each of the UAVs is configured to navigate within the service coverage area using global positioning system (GPS) coordinates.

17 . The method of claim 12 wherein each of the UAVs is configured to autonomously navigate to a wireless charging area station in the event a power level of an onboard power supply falls below a predefined threshold.

18 . The method of claim 12 wherein the test traffic data is communicated, via the tested wireless access point, between two of the UAVs respectively functioning as a client entity and a server entity.

19 . The method of claim 12 establishing, by at least one real client device included in the at least one of the UAVs, a wireless connection with the tested wireless access point and communicating simulated test traffic data generated by the real client device to the wireless access point via the established wireless connection.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein determining performance metric information further includes determining performance metric information associated with the simulated test traffic data being wirelessly communicated between the wireless access point and the at least one real client device.

21 . The method of claim 12 wherein executing a wireless traffic test includes emulating, by the at least one of the UAVs, multiple server devices that are wirelessly connected to a tested wireless access point via multiple wireless connections, wherein the emulated server devices generate emulated test traffic that is communicated to the tested wireless access point via the multiple wireless connections.

22 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:
navigating, by a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a service coverage area associated with a wireless communications network, wherein the service coverage area includes a plurality of wireless access points; assigning, by at least one of the UAVs, wireless access points to one or more of the UAVs for w

Assignees

• Ixia

Inventors

• Ramanath Avinash

Classifications

• H04W24/06 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using simulated traffic · CPC title

• H04L43/50

  Testing arrangements · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title