Method and apparatus for monitoring and adjusting multiple communication services at a venue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016234705-A1
Application number	US-201615131132-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, initiating first and second groups of communication sessions according to testing criteria where the first group of communication sessions is established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system and the second group of communication sessions is established via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system, and measuring performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A probe device, comprising:
a first wireless interface enabling communications via a first local area wireless access technology; a second wireless interface enabling communications via a second radio access technology; a processor coupled with the first and second wireless interfaces; and a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
receiving testing criteria and a testing schedule from a management portal server;
initiating first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria and testing schedule, the first group of communication sessions being established via the first local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system, and the second group of communication sessions being established via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system;
measuring performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions according to the testing criteria; and
providing the performance data to the management portal server to enable adjustment of the distributed antenna system.

2 . The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of communication sessions comprise one of a voice call, messaging, a data upload, a data download, or a combination thereof, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

3 . The probe device of claim 2 , wherein the testing schedule is uniformly periodic.

4 . The probe device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a single hardwire interface enabling the providing of the performance data to a network server, wherein the probe device receives power via the single hardwire interface, and wherein the operations further comprise: receiving command signals via the single hardwire interface; and adjusting operations of the probe device according to the command signals.

5 . The probe device of claim 4 , wherein the providing of the performance data to the network server enables adjustment of network parameters for a network providing communication services to a first location where the probe device is positioned.

6 . The probe device of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the first group of communication sessions overlap in time with at least some of the second group of communication sessions.

7 . The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving an upgrade command from the management portal server; and adjusting the executable instructions according to the upgrade command to generate adjusted executable instructions.

8 . The probe device of claim 7 , wherein the adjusted executable instructions, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of adjusted operations, comprising:
initiating fourth and fifth groups of communication sessions, the fourth group of communication sessions via the first local area wireless access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system, and the fifth group of communication sessions via the second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system; measuring adjusted performance data for the fourth and fifth groups of communication sessions; and providing the adjusted performance data to a network server to enable adjustment of the distributed antenna system, adjustment of a network providing communication services to a first location where the probe device is positioned, or a combination thereof.

9 . The probe device of claim 1 , further comprising a visual indicator that provides an indication representing an operational status of the probe device.

10 . The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the performance data for the first and second groups of communication sessions comprises establishing a separate thread for each of the first wireless interface and the second wireless interface.

11 . The probe device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a power cycle reconfiguration command from the management portal server; cycling power and rebooting the probe device; and downloading a kernel and root file system.

12 . The probe device of claim 11 , wherein the probe device downloads the kernel and root file system from the management portal server.

13 . The probe device of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise adjusting an IP address associated with the probe device responsive to the power cycle reconfiguration command, wherein the rebooting is performed with the IP address; and wherein the downloading is from a second probe device.

14 . A method comprising:
providing, by a system including a processor, test scripts to a plurality of probe devices; sending, by the system, commands to a first probe device in the plurality of probe devices to execute one or more test scripts of the test scripts provided to initiate first and second groups of data communication sessions, the first group of communication sessions being established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system, and the second group of communication sessions being established via a second radio access technology utilizing the distributed antenna system; receiving, by the system, performance data from a first probe device collected during the first and second groups of data communication sessions, the performance data being measured according to testing criteria set forth in the one or more test scripts and the commands; analyzing, by the system, the performance data; and adjusting, by the system, the distributed antenna system, a network providing communication services to a location where the first probe device is positioned, or a combination thereof, wherein the adjusting is based on the analyzing of the performance data.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and second groups of data communication sessions comprise a data upload test, a data download test or a combination thereof, wherein the system includes a testing server, and wherein the testing server monitors activation of radio module identifications of the first probe device.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the data upload test comprises measuring a time to upload an image to Facebook, measuring ftp upload goodput, or a combination thereof.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the data download test comprises measuring http download throughput, http download goodput, ftp download goodput, or a combination thereof.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the first and second groups of data communication sessions overlap in time, wherein the testing criteria includes a testing schedule and types of tests to be performed by the probe device to obtain the performance data.

19 . A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a probe device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
initiating, by a first wireless interface of the probe device, a first group of data communication sessions according to testing criteria, the first group of data communication sessions being established via a local area wireless access technology utilizing a distributed antenna system; initiating, by a second wireless interface of the probe device, a second group of data communication sessions according to the testing criteria, the second group of data communication sessions being established via a second radio ac

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Elliott Shane Michael
• Gandhi Mehul
• Tidwell Ryan
• Bolloju Sreekanth
• Dravid Ravindra
• Chakrabarty Shoubha
• Kaveeshwar Amol

Classifications

• H04W76/15

  Setup of multiple wireless link connections · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W24/04

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title