Systems and methods for detecting service outages based on aggregate device signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9876674-B1
Application number	US-201414269113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 3, 2014
Priority date	May 3, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

Techniques for detecting localized changes in a distributed service based on aggregate device signals. Certain implementations may leverage a plurality of networked nodal devices to serve as an ad-hoc sensor network for detecting changes in a service provided to the nodal devices. For example, status changes at each nodal device indicative of a disruption in a service provided to the nodal device may be reported and utilized to diagnose regional or localized disruptions in a common service received by a large group of devices. In some implementations, the service provided to the nodal devices may be a distributed service, for example, electric power or Internet access. The device signals may include reports from or based on status changes of mobile devices or other network-enabled electronic devices, such as changes in battery-charging status or network-connectivity of the respective mobile device.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, from each respective network-connected device of a plurality of network-connected devices, a respective indication of a respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, each respective indication of the respective change in network connection status including timing data and location data associated with the respective change in network connection status, wherein:
the respective network-connected device has first and second network connection interfaces,
each respective change in network connection status is associated with the first network connection interface of the respective network-connected device, and
the respective indication of the respective change in network connection status is received, by the computing device, from the respective network-connected device through the second network connection interface of the respective network-connected device; and

responsive to receiving, from each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the respective indication of the respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, determining, by the computing device, and based on the timing data and the location data associated with the change in network-connection status of the plurality of network-connected devices, that a change in network connectivity in a geographic region has occurred, wherein basing the determination on the timing data includes determining that a number of indications of a change in network status received during a specified time period exceeds a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the change in network connection status comprises a loss of network connectivity through a predetermined network connection interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, the predetermined network connection interface is configured to provide terrestrial network connectivity.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an amount of devices, including the plurality of network-connected devices, currently configured to receive service from a service provider.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of network-connected devices is a first plurality of network-connected devices and a second plurality of network-connected devices includes a plurality of battery-operated devices that have switched to battery power within the specified time and while within the geographic region, the plurality of battery-operated devices not included in the first plurality of network-connected devices, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the computing device, from each respective battery-operated device from the plurality of battery-operated devices, a respective indication of a switch to battery-power at the respective the battery-operated device.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined network connection interface is configured to provide mobile-broadband network connectivity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the respective first network connection interface is configured to provide terrestrial network connectivity and the respective second network connection interface is configured to provide mobile-broadband network connectivity.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the respective timing data and the respective location data associated with the respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device comprises a timestamp and GPS data.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, from each respective network-connected device of a plurality of network-connected devices, an indication of a respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, wherein:
the respective change in network-connection status of the respective network-connected device is determined based on a change in a respective stateful data connection with the respective network-connected device; and

responsive to receiving, for each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the indication of the respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, determining, by the computing device, and based on timing data and location data associated with the change in network-connection status of the plurality of network-connected devices, the timing data and location data received from a web service provider, that a change in network connectivity in a geographic region has occurred, wherein basing the determination on the timing data includes determining that a number of indications of a change in network status received during a specified time period exceeds a threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, the respective change in network connection status comprises a loss of network connectivity.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein, the respective change in network connection status comprises a degradation, exceeding a predetermined threshold, of network performance.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein, for each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the respective timing data and respective location data associated with the respective change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device comprises a timestamp and GPS data.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein for each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the change in the respective stateful data connection with the respective network connected device is between the respective network connected device and the web service provider.

14. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, from each respective network-connected device of a plurality of network-connected devices, (i) a respective indication of a change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, and (ii) respective timing data and respective location data associated with the change in network-connection status wherein:
the respective network-connected device has first and second network connection interfaces,
the change in network connection status is associated with the first network connection interface, and
the respective indication of the change in network connection status is received, by the computing device, from the respective network-connected device through the second network connection interface; and

responsive to receiving, from each respective network-connected device of the plurality of network-connected devices, the respective indication of the change in network connection status of the respective network-connected device, determining, by the computing device, and based on the respective timing data and the respective location data associated with each network-connected device in the plurality of network-connected devices, that a network connectivity outage in a geographic region has occurred, wherein basing the determination on the respective timing data includes determining that a number of indications of a change in network status received during a specified time period exceeds a threshold.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, the first network connection interface is configured to provide terrestrial network connectivity.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein, the second network connection interface is co

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Murray Abraham
• Orwant Jon
• Wilson James Ronald

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04W64/003

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• H04L41/0677 Primary

  Localisation of faults · CPC title

• H04L41/065

  involving logical or physical relationship, e.g. grouping and hierarchies · CPC title

• H04W24/04 Primary

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title