System and method for visualizing user equipment in a wireless communication network

Abstract

Disclosed is a method (500) for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network (100). The method includes receiving (502) data associated with a plurality of UEs, wherein the data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs. The method further includes determining (504) whether a first attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes. Further, the method includes performing (506) a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. Furthermore, the method includes visualizing (508) the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) (204) based on the performed search operation.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VISUALIZING USER EQUIPMENT INAWIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of wireless communication networks. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The subject matter disclosed in the background section should not be assumed or construed to be prior art merely due to its mention in the background section. Similarly, any problem statement mentioned in the background section or its association with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed or construed to have been previously recognized in the prior art.

[0003] With recent advancements in telecommunication networks, there is a massive increase in number of User Equipment (UEs) latched to a communication network. The increase in the number of the UEs increases the needs and demands of end users for getting improved service. Network operators continue to provide various network services to end users and improve the service provided to the end users. As the number of end users increase, the network operators face challenges in maintaining a user database comprising information about the end users.

[0004] In recent times, raw data or crowd-sourced data are utilized by the network operators to obtain information about a UE latched to the network. The obtained information includes one or more attributes associated with the UE. The one or more attributes are geolocated sample measurements of the UE, which are used by the network operators for network planning and deployment, network optimization, and network troubleshooting.

[0005] In conventional methods, the network operators utilize the data to obtain the information of the UE. However, when certain attributes are not reported by the data, the network operators fail to retrieve information of the UE using those attributes that are not reported by the data.

[0006] Also, in conventional methods, a format of retrieving and displaying the information related to the UE is difficult due to enormous amount of the end users in the network. For instance, if a network administrator wants to retrieve information related to the UE in the network, the information is provided in a text or tabular format. The text or tabular format is not an easy-to-understand format due to the huge volume of the information. As the information includes various attributes related to the UE, presenting the information in an intuitive format is difficult. Additionally, the information of the UE includes geolocated sample measurements comprising geographical data of the UE. This leads to increased data storage and processing requirements.

[0007] In light of the aforementioned challenges and considerations, there is a need for an improved system and method for visualizing the UE in a wireless communication network in a more intuitive and easy-to-understand format.SUMMARY

[0008] The following embodiments present a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed invention. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key / critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0009] In an embodiment, a method for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a reception module, data associated with a plurality of UEs. The data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs. The method furtherincludes determining, by a determination module, whether a first attribute tagged to the UE is present in the plurality of attributes. Further, the method includes performing, by a processing module, a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. Thereafter, the method includes visualizing, by a display control module, the UE on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) based on the performed search operation.

[0010] In some aspects of the present disclosure, for performing the search operation on the map layer, the method includes searching, by the processing module, information of the UE in a database using the first attribute tagged to the UE to locate the UE on the UI.

[0011] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes determining, by the determination module, whether a second attribute tagged to the UE is present in the plurality of attributes. Further, the method includes performing, by the processing module, the search operation on the map layer based on the second attribute if the second attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. The search operation comprises searching information of the UE in a database using the second attribute tagged to the UE to locate the UE on the UI. The method further includes visualizing, by the display control module, the UE on the map layer displayed on the UI based on the performed search operation.

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of attributes includes at least one of a customer Identity (ID) of the UE, a unique device ID of the UE, a route identifier of the UE, a section identifier of the UE, or an equipment marker of the UE.

[0013] In another embodiment, a system for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network is disclosed. The system includes a reception module configured to receive data associated with a plurality of UEs. The data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs. The system further includes a determination module configured to determine whether a first attribute tagged to the UE is present in the plurality of attributes. Further, the systemincludes a processing module configured to perform a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. Thereafter, the system includes a display control module configured to visualize the UE on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) based on the performed search operation.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Various embodiments disclosed herein will become better understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings constitute a part of the present disclosure and illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments of inventive concepts disclosed herein. Further, components and elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. For the purpose of consistency and ease of understanding, similar components and elements are annotated by reference numerals in the exemplary drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of one or more modules of the processor of the system, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for searching the UE using one or more attributes in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method for visualizing the UE in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing system for visualizing the UE in the wireless communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Inventive concepts of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of one or more embodiments of inventive concepts are shown. Inventive concepts may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Further, the one or more embodiments disclosed herein are provided to describe the inventive concept thoroughly and completely, and to fully convey the scope of each of the present inventive concepts to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive concepts. Accordingly, one or more components from one embodiment may be tacitly assumed to be present or used in any other embodiment.

[0022] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examples and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the illustrative implementations, drawings, and techniques illustrated below, including the exemplary design and implementation illustrated and described herein, but may be modified, omitted, or expanded upon without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0023] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same ordifferent embodiments. The term “some” as used herein is defined as “one, or more than one, or all.” Accordingly, the terms “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would all fall under the definition of “some.” In view of the same, the terms, for example, “in an embodiment” refers to one embodiment and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments.”

[0024] The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to;” it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion in the so-described one or more listed features, elements in a combination, unless otherwise stated with limiting language. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “includes,” “has,” “have,” “contains,” and other similar words are used in either the detailed description, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.”

[0025] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0026] The description provided herein discloses exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing any of the exemplary embodiments. Specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it may be understood by one of the ordinary skilled in the art that the embodiments disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details.

[0027] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As usedherein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the disclosure indicates otherwise.

[0028] The terminology and structure employed herein are for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and do not limit, restrict, or reduce the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, unless otherwise defined, all terms, and especially any technical and / or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0029] The various aspects including the example aspects are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the various aspects of the disclosure are shown. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and fully conveys the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0030] Various aspects of the present disclosure to provide a system and a method for visualizing a User equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network.

[0031] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the system and the method visualize location of the UE on a User Interface (UI) with the help of advanced search functionality.

[0032] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the system and the method display information of the UE in a more intuitive and easy-to-understand format.

[0033] In the present disclosure, various embodiments are described using terms such as extensible radio access network (xRAN), and open-radio access network (0-RAN)) that are commonly used in communication standards (e.g., 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP), but these are merely examples for description. Variousembodiments of the disclosure may also be easily modified and applied to other communication systems.

[0034] Several key terms used in the description play pivotal roles in facilitating the system functionality. In order to facilitate an understanding of the description, the key terms are defined below.

[0035] A “Network Management System (NMS)” in the present disclosure may represent a system that enables operators to monitor and configure communication networks. The NMS identifies, configures, monitors, updates, and troubleshoots network devices in the communication network.

[0036] An “International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI)” in the present disclosure may be a unique number allocated to each mobile station equipment for identifying the equipment in a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). IMEI may serve as a unique identifier for mobile devices, encompassing details such as the device's manufacturer, model, and serial number.

[0037] An “International Mobile Subscription Identity (IMSI)” in the present disclosure may be a unique number allocated to each mobile subscriber in the network. The IMSI may focus on subscriber identification within mobile networks.

[0038] A “crowdsourced data” in the present disclosure may refer to a collection of network performance information from a large number of users. The data may be gathered through various applications to provide insights into real-world user experience and network behavior across different locations and times.

[0039] The present disclosure relates to the system and the method for visualizing the UE in the wireless communication network. The present disclosure is directed towards the system and the method to visualize location of the UE on the UI, for instance, map layers with the help of advanced search functionality. The present disclosure may utilize crowd-sourced or raw data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) to obtain information related to the location the UE latched to the wirelesscommunication network. A network operator may obtain the data from trace ports of the UE while running various applications running in the background. For instance, while a speed test application is running on the UE, the network operator may obtain the data as attributes associated with the UE. The attributes may be geolocated sample measurements of the UE comprising geographical data of the UE, device or equipment information of the UE, customer information of the UE, or other information associated with the UE.

[0040] In the conventional techniques, when the network operator wants to locate the UE, a search may be performed based on a single attribute of the UE. However, challenges may arise when certain attributes about the UE are not reported by the data. The network operator may not be able to search for the UE based on the nonreported attributes. Also, the network operators may not be able to visualize and search the UE that requires urgent service. When search options are restricted to a single attribute, the visualization of the UE may be hindered if the attribute is missing in the data. To overcome this, the present disclosure may utilize advanced search options to visualize the UE through different associated attributes, thereby enhancing flexibility in searching and visualization, even when certain attributes are missing in the data.

[0041] The present disclosure may enable end users to search for the UE through various attributes tagged to the UE, thereby providing a comprehensive and flexible approach to locating and visualizing the UE. The UE may be associated with multiple attributes to allow greater flexibility in searching and visualizing the UE, even in cases where certain attributes are missing in the data. Also, the present disclosure may enhance the visualization process by streamlining the search for the UE, improving the overall efficiency and accuracy of locating the UE on the map layers.

[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram depicting an environment of a wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The wireless communication network 100 includes coverage regions 106-1 to 106-N (hereinafter cumulatively referred to as the coverage region 106). The coverage region 106 is served by one or more Base Stations (BSs) 102-1 to 102-N. Each base station among the BSs 102-1 to 102-N may have same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “BS 102” or “node 102”. The BSs 102- 1 to 102-N serves one or more User Equipment (UEs) 104-1 to 104-N in the coverage region 106. Each user equipment among the UEs 104-1 to 104-N may have same or similar configuration and may also be referred to as “UE 104”. The BSs 102-1 to 102-N are connected to a network 108 to provide one or more services to the UEs 104-1 to 104-N. The wireless communication network 100 further includes a server 110 connected to the network 108. The server 110 is configured to execute data processing and data storing operations to perform search for obtaining the location of the UE 104 and visualizing the UE 104 in the wireless communication network 100.

[0044] The BS 102 may be at least one relay, and at least one Distributed Unit (DU). Typically, the BS 102 may be a network infrastructure that provides wireless access to one or more terminals. The BS 102 has coverage defined to be a predetermined geographic area based on the distance over which a signal may be transmitted. The BS 102 may be referred to as, in addition to “base station”, “access point (AP)”, “evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB)”, “5G node (5th generation node)”, “next generation NodeB (gNB)”, “wireless point”, “transmission / reception point (TRP)”, “Radio Access Network (RAN)” or other terms having equivalent technical meanings.

[0045] The UE 104 may be, at least one Mobile Termination (MT) unit, and at least one relay. Typically, the term “user equipment” or “UE” can refer to any component such as “mobile station”, “subscriber station”, “remote terminal”, “wireless terminal”, “receive point”, or “end user device”.

[0046] The network 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communicationchannels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the wireless communication network 100. Each network port may correspond to a virtual address (or a physical machine address) for transmission and reception of the communication data. For example, the virtual address may be an Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) (or an IPV6 address) and the physical address may be a Media Access Control (MAC) address. The network 108 may be associated with an application layer for implementation of communication protocols based on one or more communication requests from the various entities of the wireless communication network 100.

[0047] The communication data may be transmitted or received via the communication protocols. Examples of the communication protocols may include, but are not limited to, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), Domain Network System (DNS) protocol, Common Management Interface Protocol (CMIP), Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the communication data may be transmitted or received via at least one communication channel of several communication channels in the network 108. The communication channels may include, but are not limited to, a wireless channel, a wired channel, a combination of wireless and wired channel thereof. The wireless or wired channel may be associated with a data standard which may be defined by one of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Personal Area Network (PAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), Wireless Area Network (WAN), Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a satellite network, the Internet, an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared (IR) network, a radio frequency (RF) network, and a combination thereof. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of communication channel, including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies.

[0048] The server 110 may be a network of computers, a software framework, or a combination thereof, that may provide a generalized approach to create a server implementation. Examples of the server 110 may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, laptops, mini -computers, mainframe computers, any nontransient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, cloudbased servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The server 110 may be realized through various web-based technologies or any webapplication framework. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the server 110 may be configured to execute one or more data processing and / or storage operations to perform search for obtaining the location of the UE 104 and visualizing the UE 104 in the wireless communication network 100.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 for visualizing the UE 104 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 200 may include a network 108, a group of user equipment (UEs) 104-1 to 104-N (collectively referred to as UE 104) connected to the network 108 via the group of nodes 102 (not shown), the server 110 connected to the network 108, an external database 216 (hereinafter referred to as database 216), and a Network Management System (NMS) 218.

[0050] The server 110 includes an Input / Output (I / O) interface 202 comprising a User Interface (UI) (204), a communication interface 206, a processor 208, a memory 212 coupled to the processor 208 and a server database 214. The processor 208 may also be referred to as a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The processor 208 may include one or more modules 210 (hereinafter also referred to as the “modules 210”). The memory 212 may provide instructions and data to the processor 208 for performing functions of the server 110. The memory 212 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read-Only Memory (ROM) and a portion of the memory 212 may also include Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM). The processor 208 may perform logical and arithmetic operations based on instructions stored within the memory 212. The communication interface 206 may allow transmission and reception of data between the server 110 and the network 108. Thecommunication interface 206 may include a transmitter, a receiver, and a single or multiple transmitting antennas electrically coupled to the transmitter and the receiver of the communication interface 206.

[0051] The I / O interface 202 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or codes that may be configured to receive input(s) and present (or display) output(s) on the server 110. For example, the I / O interface 202 may have an input interface and an output interface. The input interface may be configured to enable a user to provide input(s) to trigger (or configure) the server 110 to perform various operations such as but not limited to, providing input(s) to initiate fetching of the communication data from the data or from the UE 104, configure the server 110 to fetch the communication data periodically, etc. Examples of the input interface may include, but are not limited to, a touch interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a motion recognition unit, a gesture recognition unit, a voice recognition unit, or the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the input interface including known, related art, and / or later developed technologies without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. The output interface may be configured to display (or present) output(s) by the server 110. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the output interface may provide the output(s) based on an instruction provided via the UI 204. Examples of the output interface of the VO interface 202 may include, but are not limited to, a digital display, an analog display, a touch screen display, an appearance of a desktop, and / or illuminated characters.

[0052] The communication interface 206 may be configured to enable the server 110 to communicate with various entities of the system 200 via the network 108. Examples of the communication interface 206 may include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network interface such as an Ethernet card, a communication port, and / or a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, an antenna, a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, a coder-decoder (CODEC) chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, and a local buffer circuit. It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the communication interface206 may include any device and / or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the server 110 and various other entities of the system 200.

[0053] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the server 110 may be coupled to the database 216 that provides data storage space to the server 110. The database 214 and the database 216 may store information related to configuration parameters, details related to the UE 104 and other relevant information needed for the operation of the server 110. The database 214 and the database 216 may be accessed and updated by the server 110 as part of searching and visualizing the UE 104. The database 216 may correspond to a centralized database system configured to store and manage structured data, such as network-related data and configurations. The database 216 may be a relational database organizing related data such as in a table, or a non-relational database organizing graphical and time series data.

[0054] The processor 208 may include one or more general purpose processors and / or one or more special purpose processors, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a microcontroller, a state machine, or ay any type of programmable logic array. The processor 208 may include may include an intelligent hardware device including a general -purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), an Application Processor (AP), a dedicated processor, or the like, a graphics- only processing unit such as a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a microcontroller, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a programmable logic device, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof.

[0055] The memory 212 may further include, but not limited to, non-transitory machine-readable storage devices such as hard drives, magnetic tape, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-Only Memories (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, such as ROMs, RAMS, programmable read-only memories PROMs), erasable PROMs (EPROMs), electrically erasable PROMs (EEPROMs), flash memory, magnetic or optical cards,or other type of media / machine-readable medium suitable for storing electronic instructions.

[0056] In addition, the memory may, in some examples, be considered a non- transitory storage medium. The "non-transitory" storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or a propagated signal. However, the term "non-transitory" should not be interpreted as the memory is non-movable. In some examples, the memory may be configured to store larger amounts of information. In certain examples, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that can, over time, change (e.g., in Random Access Memory (RAM) or cache). The memory may be an internal storage unit or an external storage unit of the server, cloud storage, or any other type of external storage.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a group of UE 104 to simplify the illustration as each user equipment among the UEs 104-1 to 104-N have same or similar configuration.

[0058] Although FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate one example of the system 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. For example, the system 200 may include any number of user devices in any suitable arrangement. Further, in another example, the server 110 may include any number of components in addition to the components shown in FIG. 2. Further, various components in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0059] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the server 110 may be configured to receive the data comprising a set of attributes associated with the UE 104. The server 110 may identify whether at least one attribute tagged to the UE 104 is present in the data. The server 110 may utilize advanced search options to locate the UE 104 after identifying the at least one attribute associated with the UE 104 in the data. The server 110 may visualize the UE 104 on the map layers of the UI 204.

[0060] FIG. 3 illustrates a functional block diagram 300 of one or more modules 210 of the processor 208 of the system 200, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. The one or more modules 210 may comprise a reception module 302, a determination module 304, a processing module 306, and a display control module 308. In an embodiment, the one or more modules 210 may be combined to a single module or each module of the one or more modules 210 may be further subdivided into different modules with divided responsibilities.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the reception module 302 may receive the data from the UE 104. The data may comprise one or more attributes / plurality of attributes associated or tagged with the UE 104. The one or more attributes may include (not limited to) a customer Identity (ID) of the UE 104, a unique device ID of the UE 104, a route identifier of the UE 104, a section identifier of the UE 104, or an equipment marker of the UE 104. The application installed in the UE 104 may send network-based measurements as data to the server 110 along with one or more attributes associated with the UE 104. The determination module 304 may determine whether the data comprises at least one attribute of the one or more attributes tagged to the UE 104. The processing module 306 may perform a search operation based on the at least one attribute by querying the database 216 through the UI 204. The display control module 308 may receive the location of the UE 104 from the database 216 to visualize the UE 104.

[0062] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the determination module 304 may determine whether a first attribute among the plurality of attributes tagged to the UE 104 is present in the plurality of attributes received from the UE 104. The processing module 306 may perform, a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. The processing module 306 may search information of the UE 104 in the database 216 using the first attribute tagged to the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 on the UI 204. The display control module 308 may visualize the UE 104 on the map layer displayed on the UI 204 based on the performed search operation. In a non-limiting example, the first attribute may be the unique device ID of the UE 104. The unique device ID of the UE 104 may comprise a 15-digit alpha numeric characters to uniquely identify the UE 104 from the data received.

[0063] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the determination module 304 may determine whether a second attribute tagged to the UE 104 is present in the plurality of attributes received from the UE 104. The first attribute may be one of the unique device ID, the customer ID, the route identifier, the section identifier, or the equipment marker. The second attribute may be one of the attributes which is not selected as the first attribute. The processing module 306 may perform the search operation on the map layer based on the second attribute if the second attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. The search operation may comprise searching information of the UE 104 in the database 216 using the second attribute tagged to the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 on the UI 204. The display control module 308 may visualize the UE 104 on the map layer displayed on the UI 204 based on the performed search operation. In a non-limiting example, the second attribute may be the customer ID of the UE 104.

[0064] In some aspects of the present disclosure, when the network operator wants to locate the UE 104 using a type of routing in a particular geographical area, the network operator may determine the attributes related to the type of routing and the attributes related to the geographical area. The type of routing may use the route identifier of the UE 104. The route identifier may be used to identify a specific path for data traffic within the network 108. The route identifier may specify the overall path from the UE 104 to the server 110, perhaps identifying the specific sequence of BS 102 and other network elements involved. The section identifier may refine the route by identifying a specific part or segment of the overall route. The geographical area may be identified using the section identifier of the UE 104. The determination module 304 of the processor 208 may determine whether the route identifier of the UE 104 and / or the section identifier of the UE 104 are present in the data.

[0065] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the network operator may wish to locate the UE 104 based on an equipment information comprising the equipment marker of the UE 104. The determination module 304 of the processor 208 may determine whether the equipment marker of the UE 104 is present in the data. Insome aspects of the present disclosure, the processing module 306 may enable realtime searching of the location of the UE 104 in the database 216. The processing module 306 may search the information related to the UE 104 using the at least one attribute tagged to the UE 104.

[0066] In a non-limiting example, the network operator wishes to obtain the location of the UE 104 based on any of the available attribute tagged to the UE 104. The determination module 304 may determine the first attribute as the unique device ID of the UE 104 present in the data. The processing module 306 may use the unique device ID of the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 by utilizing advanced searching options. The database 216 may comprise all information related to the UE 104. Therefore, with the available attribute, for instance, the unique device ID of the UE 104, the processing module 306 may locate the UE 104. The unique device ID may comprise a 15-digit identifier assigned to each UE 104 registered in the network 108. The unique device ID may be assigned based on the IMEI of the UE 104. The processing module 306 may use the unique device ID to search the UE 104 and visualize in the UE 104 on the UI 204. The processing module 306 may obtain latitude-longitude coordinates of the UE 104 displayed on the map layer and obtains the location of the UE 104.

[0067] In a non-limiting example, the network operator wishes to obtain the location of the UE 104 based on any of the available attribute tagged to the UE 104. The determination module 304 may determine the second attribute as the customer ID of the UE 104 present in the data. The processing module 306 may use the customer ID of the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 by utilizing advanced searching options. The database 216 may comprise all information related to a subscriber of UE 104. Therefore, with the available attribute, for instance, the customer ID of the UE 104, the processing module 306 may locate the UE 104. The customer ID may comprise a 15-digit identifier assigned to each subscriber of UE 104 registered in the network 108 using a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The customer ID may be assigned based on the IMSI of the subscriber of the UE 104. The processing module 306 may use the customer ID to search the UE 104 and visualize in the UE104 on the UI 204. The advance search operations may facilitate the network operator to view the performance, properties, and cell mapping of the UE 104 based on the customer ID.

[0068] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the UI 204 may comprise the map layer in which the UE 104 may be represented as an icon. The processing module 306 may dynamically query the database 216 to produce an updated map. The database 216 may process the query from the processing module 306 and may produce graphical images in the form of the maps of the geographical area. The display control module 308 may acquire the map from the database 216. The graphical images retrieved from the database 216 may be simple images of maps of the area. The map layer may display different types of geospatial data on the map, such as roads, buildings, or points of interest. For example, the image of the geographical area may be an image file of the area. The database 216 may save the maps at different levels of granularity. For example, the database 216 may store the map of the geographical area along with neighboring streets, lanes, localities and cities.

[0069] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the UE 104 may be represented graphically on the map layers. For example, the UE 104 at a certain geographical area may be represented graphically on the map layer via axial coordinates referenced to a point of origin on the map layer. The display control module 308 may be configured to display the UE 104 on the map layer at varying degrees of resolution, such as by world, continent, country, state, city, neighborhood, and the like. The location of the UE 104 may be obtained by latitude-longitude coordinates.

[0070] In a non-limiting example, the data may comprise speed test results run by the one or more UEs 104-1 to 104-N. The UE 104 may perform the speed test by accessing a speed test application installed in the UE 104 or by accessing a web page to run the speed test. The application or the web page may be configured to send results of the speed test performed by the one or more UEs 104-1 to 104-N to the server 110 along with a time stamp and other related information. Further, theapplication may be configured to share at least one of the one or more attributes associated with the UE 104, such as the customer ID of the UE 104, the unique device ID of the UE 104, the route identifier of the UE 104, the section identifier of the UE 104, or the equipment marker of the UE 104. The web page may also fetch one or more attributes of the UE 104 such as the route identifier of the UE 104 and the section identifier of the UE 104, and additionally IP address of the UE 104. If a particular UE 104 has a low speed or a poor network coverage, the server 110 may take corrective measures for improving the speed of the network 108. In order to identify the particular UE 104 from the received data, the server 110 may use one or more attributes associated with the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 and visualize the UE 104 on the map layer of the UI 204.

[0071] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are provided with respect to the types of routes and the equipment information of the UE 104, the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to merely locating the UE 104 based on the types of routing or the equipment information relating to the wireless communication network 100.

[0072] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart 400 for searching the UE 104 using one or more attributes in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flowchart 400 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 402 through 408. The flowchart 400 starts at block 402.

[0073] At block 402, the server 110 may receive data from the UE 104. The data may comprise one or more attributes associated with the UE 104. The one or more attributes may include (not limited to) a Customer Identity (ID) of the UE 104 and a unique device ID of the UE 104.

[0074] At block 404, the server 110 may determine whether the first attribute among the one or more attributes tagged to the UE 104 is present in the data.

[0075] At block 406, the server 110 may determine whether the second attribute among the one or more attributes tagged to the UE 104 is present in the data.

[0076] The server 110 may repeat the method 400 in blocks 404 and 406 till the determination of at least one attribute among the one or more attributes tagged to the UE 104 is present in the data. If a result of the determination at blocks 404 and 406 is no, then the flow of the method 400 may end. If a result of the determination at blocks 404 and 406 is yes, then the flow of the method 400 proceeds to block 408.

[0077] At block 408, the server 110 may perform advance search mechanisms using the at least one attribute present in the data. The server 110 may visualize the UE 104 on the UI of the end user device based on a result of the determination that the at least one attribute tagged to the UE 104 is present in the data.

[0078] The UI 204 may comprise a map layer, in which the UE 104 may be present as an icon. Location of the UE 104 may be obtained by latitude -longitude coordinates from the map layer.

[0079] FIG. 5 illustrates a process flow diagram depicting a method 500 for visualizing the UE 104 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 508.

[0080] At block 502, the processor 208 may be configured to receive data associated with the plurality of UEs (104-1 to 104-N). The data may comprise the plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs (104-1 to 104-N)

[0081] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of attributes associated with the UE 104 may include (not limited to) the customer ID of the UE 104, the unique device ID of the UE 104, the route identifier of the UE 104, the section identifier of the UE 104, or the equipment marker of the UE 104.

[0082] At block 504, the processor 208 may be configured to determine whether the first attribute tagged to the UE 104 is present in the plurality of attributes.

[0083] At block 506, the processor 208 may be configured to perform the search operation on the map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes.

[0084] In some aspects of the present disclosure, for performing the search operation on the map layer, the processor 208 may be configured to search information of the UE 104 in the database 216 using the first attribute tagged to the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 on the UI 204.

[0085] At block 508, the processor 208 may be configured to visualize the UE 104 the map layer displayed on the UI 204 based on the performed search operation.

[0086] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processor 208 may be configured to determine whether the second attribute tagged to the UE 104 is present in the plurality of attributes. The processor 208 may be configured to perform the search operation on the map layer based on the second attribute if the second attribute is present in the plurality of attributes. The search operation may comprise searching the information of the UE 104 in the database 216 using the second attribute tagged to the UE 104 to locate the UE 104 on the UI 204. The processor 208 may be configured to visualize the UE 104 on the map layer displayed on the UI 204 based on the performed search operation.

[0087] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic block diagram of a computing system 600 for visualizing the UE 104 in the wireless communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] The computing system 600 includes a network 602, a network interface 604, a processor 606 (similar in functionality to the processor 208 of FIG. 2), an Input / Output (EO) interface 608 (similar in functionality to the I / O interface 202 of FIG. 2), and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium 610 (hereinafter may also be referred to as the “storage medium 610” or the “storage media 610”). The network interface 604 includes wireless network interfaces such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS), or Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) or wired network interfaces such as Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), or Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-854 (IEEE-854).

[0089] The processor 606 may include various processing circuitry / modules and communicate with the storage medium 610 and the I / O interface 608. The processor 606 is configured to execute instructions stored in the storage medium 610 and to perform various processes. The processor 606 may include an intelligent hardware device including a general -purpose processor, such as, for example, and without limitation, the CPU, the AP, the dedicated processor, or the like, the graphics-only processing unit such as the GPU, the microcontroller, the FPGA, the programmable logic device, the discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof. The processor 606 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions 610-1 stored in the storage medium 610 to cause the system 200 to perform various functions disclosed throughput the disclosure.

[0090] The storage medium 610 stores a set of instructions i.e., computer program instructions 610-1 (hereinafter may also be referred to as instructions 610-1) required by the processor 606 for controlling its overall operations. The storage media 610 may include an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, a quantum storage medium, or the like. For example, the storage media 610 may include, but are not limited to, hard drives, floppy diskettes, optical disks, ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, flash memory, magnetic or optical cards, solid-state memory devices, or other types of physical media suitable for storing electronic instructions. In one or more embodiments, the storage media 610 includes a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), a Compact Disk- Read / Write (CD-R / W), and / or a Digital Video Disc (DVD). In one or more implementations, the storage medium 610 stores computer program code configured to cause the computing system 600 to perform at least a portion of the processes and / or methods disclosed herein throughput the disclosure.

[0091] Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the disclosure, and / or procedures, algorithms, steps, operations, formulae, or other computational depictions, which may also be implemented as computer program products. In this regard, each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks (and / or steps) in the flowchart, as well as any procedure, algorithm, step, operation, formula, or computational depiction can be implemented by various means, such as hardware, firmware, and / or software including one or more computer program instructions embodied in computer-readable program code. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions may be executed by one or more computer processors, including without limitation a general-purpose computer or special purpose computer, or other programmable processing apparatus to perform a group of operations comprising the operations or blocks described in connection with the disclosed method.

[0092] Further, these computer program instructions, such as embodied in computer-readable program code, may also be stored in one or more computer- readable memory or memory devices (for example, the memory 212 or the storage medium 610) that can direct a computer processor or other programmable processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions 610-1 stored in the computer-readable memory or memory devices produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function specified in the block(s) of the flowchart(s).

[0093] It will further be appreciated that the term “computer program instructions” as used herein refer to one or more instructions that can be executed by the one or more processors (for example, the processor 208 or the processor 606) to perform one or more functions as described herein. The instructions 610-1 may also be stored remotely such as on a server, or all or a portion of the instructions can be stored locally and remotely.

[0094] Referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by above disclosed system and method may visualize location of the UE on the UI with the help of advanced search functionality even in the absence of some missing attributes associated with the UE. Another potential advantage of the one or more embodiments may include flexibility and redundancy. Even if some attributes are not reported in the data, the UE is located and visualized on the UI using advanced search options by leveraging other available attributes associated with the device, thereby enhancing flexibility in searching and visualization. Also, the system and the method may display the UE in a more intuitive and easy-to-understand format by visualizing the UE on the UI such as the map layer.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methodology described herein in the present disclosure may be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth herein in the above disclosed embodiments without departing from essential characteristics and features of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0096] The drawings and the forgoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, orders of processes described herein may be changed and are not limited to the manner described herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0097] In the present disclosure, each of the embodiments has been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from embodiment to embodiment. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments disclosed herein may reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others may, byapplying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be comprehended within the meaning of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and is not limited in scope.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0098] The following list is provided for convenience and in support of the drawing figures and as part of the text of the specification, which describe innovations by reference to multiple items. Items not listed here may nonetheless be part of a given embodiment. For better legibility of the text, a given reference number is recited near some, but not all, recitations of the referenced item in the text. The same reference number may be used with reference to different examples or different instances of a given item. The list of reference numerals is:100 - Wireless communication network102 / 102-1 to 102 -N - One or more Base Station (BSs)104 / 104-1 to 104-N -One or more User Equipment (UEs)106-1 to 106-N - Coverage region108 - Network110 - Server200 - System for visualizing the UE 104202 - Input / Output interface204 - User Interface (UI)206 - Communication interface208 - Processor210 - One or more modules212 - Memory214 - Server database216 - External database218 - Network Management System (NMS)300 - Functional block diagram of one or more modules 210302 - Reception module304 - Determination module 306 - Processing module308 - Display Control module400 - Flowchart for searching the UE 104 using one or more attributes 402-408 - Operation steps of the flowchart 400500 - Method for visualizing the UE 104 502-508 - Operation steps of the method 500500 - Block diagram of a computing system602 - Network604 - Network interface606 - Processor 608 - Input / Output (I / O) interface610 - Non-transitory computer readable storage medium610-1 - Set of instructions

Claims

We Claim:

1. A method (500) for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving (502), by a reception module (302), data associated with a plurality of UEs, wherein the data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs; determining (504), by a determination module (304), whether a first attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes; performing (506), by a processing module (306), a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes; and visualizing (508), by a display control module (308), the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) (204) based on the performed search operation.

2. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, for performing the search operation on the map layer, the method comprises: searching, by the processing module (306), information of the UE (104) in a database (216) using the first attribute tagged to the UE (104) to locate the UE (104) on the UI (204).

3. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, further comprises: determining, by the determination module (304), whether a second attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes; performing, by the processing module (306), the search operation on the map layer based on the second attribute if the second attribute is present in the plurality of attributes, wherein the search operation comprises searching information of the UE in a database (216) using the second attribute tagged to the UE (104) to locate the UE (104) on the UI (204); andvisualizing, by the display control module, the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on the UI (204) based on the performed search operation.

4. The method (500) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of attributes includes at least one of a customer Identity (ID) of the UE (104), a unique device ID of the UE (104), a route identifier of the UE (104), a section identifier of the UE (104), or an equipment marker of the UE (104).

5. A system (200) for visualizing a User Equipment (UE) (104) in a wireless communication network (100), the system comprising: a reception module (302) configured to receive data associated with a plurality of UEs, wherein the data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs; a determination module (304) configured to determine whether a first attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes; a processing module (306) configured to perform a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes; and a display control module (308) configured to visualize the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) (204) based on the performed search operation.

6. The system (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein, for performing the search operation on the map layer, the processing module (306) is further configured to search information of the UE (104) in a database (216) using the first attribute tagged to the UE (104) to locate the UE (104) on the UI (204) of the system.

7. The system (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the determination module (304) is further configured to determine whether a second attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes;the processing module (306) is further configured to perform the search operation on the map layer based on the second attribute if the second attribute is present in the plurality of attributes, wherein the search operation comprises searching information of the UE (104) in a database (216) using the second attribute tagged to the UE (104) to locate the UE (104) on the UI (204); and the display control module is further configured to visualize the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on the UI (204) based on the performed search operation.

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the plurality of attributes includes at least one of a customer Identity (ID) of the UE (104), a unique device ID of the UE (104), a route identifier of the UE (104), a section identifier of the UE (104), or an equipment marker of the UE (104).

9. A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions that are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and that, when executed by at least one processor performs operations comprising: receiving data associated with a plurality of User Equipment (UEs), wherein the data comprises a plurality of attributes associated with the plurality of UEs; determining whether a first attribute tagged to the UE (104) is present in the plurality of attributes; performing a search operation on a map layer based on the first attribute if the first attribute is present in the plurality of attributes; and visualizing the UE (104) on the map layer displayed on a User Interface (UI) (204) based on the performed search operation.

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