Analyzing wireless network performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286409-A1
Application number	US-201514668549-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 25, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some aspects, a wireless monitoring system includes a sensor network, a data analysis system and a communication interface. The sensor network includes wireless sensor devices configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in a geographic region, and each wireless sensor device is configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device. The data analysis system is configured to analyze regional performance metrics of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the biosensor devices. In some instances, the communication interface is configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein analyzing the regional performance metric comprises computing, based on the local network-usage parameters, an observed value of the regional performance metric; and wherein the network performance report comprises the observed value of the regional performance metric, and an operator system associated with the wireless communication network comprises:
a feedback interface configured to receive the network performance report; and
a control system configured to:
analyze the observed value of the regional performance metric; and
generate a command to infrastructure equipment of the wireless communication network, the command being configured to improve performance of the wireless communication network.

5 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein the network performance report indicates:
a location in the geographic region where observed performance of the wireless communication network does not meet a performance criterion specified by the wireless communication network; and
a description of the observed performance based on the local network-usage parameters.

6 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein the network performance report includes a command to infrastructure equipment of the wireless communication network, the reporting interface is configured to generate the command based on the analysis of the regional performance metric, and the command is configured to improve performance of the wireless communication network.

7 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein the network performance report identifies modifications of the wireless communication network to improve performance of the wireless communication network, the modifications comprising at least one of:
modifying an operating frequency, channel, or band of the wireless communication network;
modifying a transmit power characteristic of the wireless communication network; or
modifying a modulation scheme, error correction, or spreading factor of the wireless communication network.

8 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein the network performance report identifies modifications of the wireless communication network to improve performance of the wireless communication network, the modifications comprising at least one of:
changing a radiation pattern of a base-station antenna;
changing a physical configuration of a sector; or
changing a maximum output power of a base-station transmitter.

9 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a sensor network comprising wireless sensor devices distributed over a geographic region, the sensor network configured to passively monitor radio frequency (RF) signals exchanged in a wireless communication network in the geographic region, each wireless sensor device configured to compute local network-usage parameters based on processing the RF signals detected by the wireless sensor device; a data analysis system configured to analyze a regional performance metric of the wireless communication network based on the local network-usage parameters computed by the wireless sensor devices distributed over the geographic region; and a reporting interface configured to transmit a network performance report to the wireless communication network based on the analysis of the regional performance metric; wherein the wireless communication network comprises a cellular network, and the wireless sensor devices are configured to passively monitor cellular network signals formatted according to any of multiple distinct cellular network standards.

10 . A wireless monitoring system comprising:
a se

Assignees

• Cognitive Systems Corp

Inventors

• Kravets Oleksiy
• Manku Tajinder

Classifications

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04W24/08

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

• H04B17/391

  Modelling the propagation channel · CPC title

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title