System and method for identifying devices using passive data capturing

Abstract

Disclosed is a system (200) and a method (600) for identifying devices (106) in a communication network (100) using passive data capturing technique. The method (600) comprises acquiring device data from the devices (106) available in a communication network (100). The device data may comprise, but are not limited to, device identifier (ID), device make and model, baseband, build number. The device data is acquired based on user events, such as device activity on / off, airplane mode on / off, and charger connect / disconnect, etc. The device data is then stored in a database (206) in the form of a table. Further, the method (600) comprises segregating the devices (106) based on user technology wise, device make and / or model numbers and identifying top-ranked device(s) (106) in the communication network (100) based on the segregation. The identification and segregation enable decision making for events / activities, such as, but not limited to, planning of a software release.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING DEVICES USING PASSIVEDATA CAPTURINGTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communication networks and systems. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system and a method identifying devices using passive data capturing.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 the advent of technological advancement in the field of telecommunications, several wireless technologies have been developed to meet the growing number of network devices. As mobile and cellular communication networks experience growing data demands, there is a strong emphasis on identifying trending network devices.

[0004] In absence of identification of the network devices, an organization struggles in planning their software upgrades and network changes. In addition, a group of users suffers from any changes to the network, hardware, or software in absence of identification of the network devices.

[0005] In light of the aforementioned challenges, there is a need for a solution that can address the issue of identification of network devices.SUMMARY

[0006] 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.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for identifying devices in a communication network is disclosed. The method includes detecting, by a detection engine, one or more user events at each device of a plurality of devices in the communication network by monitoring one or more user activities across one or more applications installed on each device of the plurality of devices. The method further includes acquiring, by a data acquisition engine, device data from each device of the plurality of devices based on the one or more user events at each device among the plurality of devices. Furthermore, the method includes storing, by the data acquisition engine, the device data in a database. Furthermore, the method includes tagging, by a tagging engine, each record of a corresponding device of the plurality of devices in the stored device data using a device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device. Furthermore, the method includes segregating, by a data classification engine, the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device. Furthermore, the method includes identifying, by an identification engine from the plurality of devices, one or more top-ranked devices in the communication network based on the segregated device data.

[0008] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device data is stored in the database in a form of a table. Moreover, the device data comprises at least a manufacturer ID, a device model, a baseband version, a build number, and the device ID of each device of the plurality of devices. Furthermore, the device data is segregated into the one or more groups by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and a technology type of the corresponding device based on the tagged record of the corresponding device.

[0009] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes determining, by a data processing engine, a total count of unique devices associated with each combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model of the plurality of devices in the segregated device data. Moreover, the method includes ranking, by the data processing engine, the combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model for each technology type based on the total count of unique devices. The one or more top-ranked devices are identified based on the ranking.

[0010] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the method further includes generating, by the data processing engine, a report including details of each device of the plurality of devices grouped by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and the technology type. Moreover, the method includes periodically exporting, by a planning engine, the report to a network management device for analysis and network planning.

[0011] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the report indicates a usage wise ranking of the one or more top-ranked devices across each technology type.

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the one or more user events comprise at least one of a user activity on each device, a screen on / off status, an application launch, an airplane mode activation or deactivation, location on / off, a charger connect / disconnect, a signal strength threshold crossing, and network switching events. Moreover, the one or more user events are detected using a development tool kit integrated with the one or more applications installed on each device of the plurality of devices.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a system to identify devices in a communication network is disclosed. The system includes a detection engine, a data acquisition engine, a tagging engine, a data classification engine, and an identification engine communicatively coupled to each other. The detection engine is configured to detect one or more user events at each device of a plurality of devices in the communication network by monitoring one or more user activities across one or more applications installed on each device of the pluralityof devices. The data acquisition engine is configured to acquire device data from each device of the plurality of devices based on the one or more user events at each device among the plurality of devices and store the device data in a database. The tagging engine is configured to tag each record of a corresponding device of the plurality of devices in the stored device data using a device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device. The data classification engine is configured to segregate the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device. The identification engine is configured to identify one or more top-ranked devices in the communication network based on the segregated device data.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. 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.FIG. 1 presents a block diagram depicting an operational environment of a communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system to identify devices in the communication network, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates exemplary components of a subsystem for identifying the devices in the communication network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 4 illustrates a data flow diagram of a process for capturing events, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 5 illustrates a dataflow diagram of a process for generating reports that indicate network usage, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for identifying devices in the communication network, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0015] 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 as follows:100 - Communication network102 - Core network104 - Nodes106 - Devices108 - Server200 - System for Identifying Devices in the Communication Network202 - Event Manager204 - Processing Modules206 - Database302 - Communication Interface303 - First Communication Bus304 - Detection Engine306 - Data Acquisition Engine308 - Tagging Engine310 - Data Classification Engine312 - Identification Engine314 - Data Processing Engine316 - Planning Engine318 - Second Communication Bus320 - Instructions Repository322 - Device Data Repository400 - Process for Capturing Events402-414 - Operational blocks of the process 400500 - Process for Generating Reports502-516 - Operational steps of the process 500600 - Method for Identifying Devices in the Communication Network 602-614 - Operational blocks of the method 600DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] 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.

[0017] The following description presents various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein are presented as teaching examplesand 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.

[0018] The following description contains specific information pertaining to embodiments in the present disclosure. The detailed description uses the phrases “in some embodiments” or “some implementations” which may each refer to one or more or all of the same or different embodiments or implementations. 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” or “in an implementation” refers to one embodiment or one implementation and the term, for example, “in one or more embodiments” refers to “at least one embodiment, or more than one embodiment, or all embodiments ”. Further, the term, for example, “in one or more implementations” refers to “at least one implementation, or more than one implementation, or all implementations.

[0019] 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.”

[0020] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, various specific details are set forth in order 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 specificdetails. Several features described hereafter can each be used independently of one another or with any combination of other features.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein the description, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural forms unless the context of the invention indicates otherwise.

[0023] 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.

[0024] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 through FIG. 6, discussed below, and the one or more embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged system or device.

[0025] FIG. 1 presents a block diagram depicting an operational environment of a communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication network 100 includes a core network 102. The core network 102 (hereinafter interchangeably referred to and designated as ‘network 102’) may be coupled with a plurality of Base Stations (BS) or a plurality of nodes including Node 104-1 through Node 104-N and is configured to facilitate a secured communication among the plurality of nodes (collectively referred to as the “Nodes 104”, and individually referred to as the “Node 104”, hereinafter). The communication network 100 further includes a server 108 connected to the network 102. The server 108 is configured to execute data processing and data storing operations to optimize the network coverage in the communication network 100.

[0026] In an embodiment, each node may be coupled with one or more devices 106 (e.g., one or more network devices and / or one or more User Equipment ( Es)) (presented by way of first through Nth device 106-1 to 106-N) (collectively referred to as the “devices 106”, and individually referred to as the “device 106”, hereinafter). For example, the network 102 may establish a secured communication between the device 106-2 and the device 106-N with equal effectiveness, where the device 106-2 is coupled with the Node 104-1 and the device 106-N is coupled with the Node 104-N.

[0027] In one embodiment, the network 102 may establish a secured communication between the devices 106 associated with the plurality of nodes 104. In another embodiment, the network 102 may establish a secured communication between the devices 106 associated with the same node 104. For example, the network 102 may effectively establish a secured communication between the device 106-1 and the device 106-2, where the device 106-1 and the device 106-2 both are coupled with the Node 104-1.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the network 102 may be configured as an application server and may be communicably operational or may be integrated witha device 106 via a network coupled with a server. In another exemplary embodiment, the device 106 may be a wireless device. The wireless device may be a mobile device that may include, for example, cellular telephone, such as a feature phone or smartphone and other devices. The device 106 may not be limited to the above-mentioned devices but may include any type of device capable of providing wireless communication, such as a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Personal Computer (PC), a laptop computer, a media center, a workstation, and other such devices.

[0029] The network 102 may pertain to 5G service-based architecture and may be configured to interconnect distinct networks associated with the architecture. Therefore, the network 102 may provide a path for the exchange of information between one or more of the networks, and corresponding subnetworks. Further, as the backbone, the network may tie together diverse networks, say Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), etc. which may be there within the same building, in different buildings, in a campus environment, or remotely located over wide areas. The system may also boost the network performance by continuously coordinating with other network functions.

[0030] In an example embodiment, the network 102 may pertain to at least one of a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination thereof. The network may be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as Intranet, LAN, WAN, Internet, and the like. Further, the network may either be a dedicated network or a shared network. The shared network may represent an association of the different types of networks that may use variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), and the like. In an embodiment, the network may pertain to, for example a 5G network that may be facilitated through, for example, Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) network; a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Radio Access Network (GERAN),an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a Wi-Fi or other LAN access network, or a satellite or terrestrial wide-area access network such as a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network. Various other types of communication network or service may be possible.

[0031] In an example, the network 102 may utilize different sort of air interface, such as a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), or Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), air interface and other implementation. In an example embodiment, the wire-line user device may use wired access networks, exclusively or in combination with wireless access networks, for example, including Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and other network technologies configured to transport Internet Protocol (IP) packets. Further, the network 102 may include a proprietary IP network, Internet, or other data network.

[0032] The network 102 may receive device data (i.e., passive data) of each device 106 through a corresponding node 104. For example, the network 102 may receive the device data of the devices 106-1 and 106-2 through the node 104-1, the device data of the devices 106-3 and 106-4 through the node 104-2, and the device data of the devices 106-(N-l) and 106 N through the node 104-N. The device data may include, but are not limited to, device make and model, device ID, baseband, and build number. The device data of the devices 106 may be utilized by the network 102 to identify the device 106. In addition, the network 102 may decide which model is highly utilized for which technology.

[0033] The server 108 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 108 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, cloud-based servers, distributed server networks, or a network of computer systems. The server 108 may be realized through various web-based technologies or any webapplication framework. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the server 108 may be configured to execute one or more data processing and / or storage operations in the communication network 100.

[0034] For obtaining the device data from the devices 106, an application using a Software Development Kit (SDK) may be integrated in the network devices. In the present disclosure, the SDK may be a set of software-building tools for a specific platform. In another aspect, the SDK may be a collection of tools, libraries, and instructions that help developers in developing software applications. In a nonlimiting example, the SDK may be a third-party application that monitors the device 106. The device data may be encrypted to ensure security of the device data. The SDK may capture the device data at a specified event, such as device screen ON / OFF, application launch, GPS ON / OFF, airplane mode, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) threshold, no coverage, LTE / NR to Wi-Fi switch, and WiFi to LTE / NR switch. Along with the events, the device data, such as make, model, build ID, baseband, and other details are also captured. The device data of each device 106 may be tagged with a unique device ID for identification purpose. The device data along with events may be obtained by the network 102. The obtained device data may be used to segregate the device 106 technology wise, device ID wise, and model wise. The above-mentioned details may be captured into a readable format, such as excel sheet.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 to identify devices 106 in the communication network 106, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The embodiment of the system 200 shown in FIG. 2 is for illustration only. Other embodiments of the system 200 may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0036] The system 200 may include various components such as the devices 106 (e.g., network devices), the server 108, an event manager 202, processing modules 204, and a database 206.

[0037] The server 108 may include a proprietary Internet Protocol (IP) network, Internet, or other data network. In some embodiments, the at least one Node 104 (e.g., Base Station) may communicate with each other and with the at least one device 106 using a communication technique, such as a 5th Generation 5G / New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE- A), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), or other wireless communication techniques. The server 108 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and interfaces that may be configured to provide several network ports and several communication channels for transmission and reception of data related to operations of various entities of the communication network 100.

[0038] The event manager 202 may comprise the SDK to capture the device data at a specified event, such as device screen ON / OFF, application launch, GPS ON / OFF, airplane mode, Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) threshold, no coverage, LTE / NR to Wi-Fi switch, and Wi-Fi to LTE / NR switch.

[0039] The processing modules 204 may comprise Central Processing Units (CPU) and / or Graphics Processing Units (GPU) for performing computations and handling data processing tasks. The CPU may also be referred to as processor. The processor 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. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processing modules 204 may include multiple processing engines configured to provide data processing operations pertaining to the operations of the system to identify the devices in the communication network 100.

[0040] The database 206 may store data received from network components of the communication network 100. For example, the database 206 may store the device data collected from the device 106 and / or instructions for the processing module 204 pertaining to operations for identification of the devices in the communication network 100.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates exemplary components of a subsystem 300 for identifying the devices 106 in the communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The subsystem 300 includes the processing modules 204, the database 206, and a communication interface 302 coupled to each other through a first communication bus 303.

[0042] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the processing module 204 includes multiple engines (such as processors) configured to perform a variety of operations for identifying the devices in the communication network 100. In an exemplary use-case (embodiment), the processing module 204 may be configured to identify leading Wi-Fi service providers in various geographical regions of the communication network 100. In other use-cases the processing module 204 may be configured to perform operations for identifying device(s) on other bases, such as but not limited to, utilization of technology (Wi- Fi / LTE / 5G / 6G), level of update for optimization of technology. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include, or otherwise cover, identification of the device(s) based on any factor(s) that may result in identifying technology-wise trending device(s) and analyzing technological advantages and / or drawbacks of each device to facilitate a user for an informed decision about selection of device(s) to be deployed in the communication network 100.

[0043] The processing modules 204 may include a detection engine 304, a data acquisition engine 306, a tagging engine 308, a data classification engine 310, an identification engine 312, a data processing engine 314, and a planning engine 316.Various engines in the processing module 204 may be coupled to each other through a second communication bus 318.

[0044] The detection engine 304 may be configured to monitor user activities across one or more computer-implemented applications (hereinafter interchangeably referred to as ‘applications”) installed on each device 106. Based on the activities of the applications, the detection engine 304 may be configured to detect user events at each device 106. Examples of the user events may include, but are not limited to, device screen ON / OFF, application launch, GPS ON / OFF, airplane mode ON / OFF, RSRP threshold, no coverage, LTE / NR to Wi-Fi switch, and Wi-Fi to LTE / NR switch. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the user events may include at least one of a user activity on each device 106, a screen on / off status, an application launch, an airplane mode activation or deactivation, location on / off, a charger connect / disconnect, a signal strength threshold crossing, and network switching events. The user events may be detected using a development tool kit integrated with the application(s) installed on each device 106.

[0045] The data acquisition engine 306 may be configured to acquire device data from the devices 106 based on the user events detected for each device 106. The device data may include, but are not limited to, device make and model, device ID, baseband, and build number. For obtaining the device data from the devices 106, an application developed using a Software Development Kit (SDK) may be integrated in the devices 106. In the present disclosure, the SDK may be a set of softwarebuilding tools for a specific platform. In another aspect, the SDK may be a collection of tools, libraries, and instructions that help developers in developing software applications. In a non-limiting example, the SDK may be a third-party computer- implemented application configured to monitor activities of the devices 106. The device data may be encrypted to ensure security of the device data. The data acquisition engine 306 may further be configured to store the device data in the database 206. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device data for each device 106 may be stored in the database 206 in the form of a table (e.g., a look-uptable). Preferably, the device data for each device 106 may include data-elements such as, but not limited to, a manufacturer ID, a device model, a baseband version, a build number, and the device ID of the device 106. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device data may be stored in form of a HBase table. The table is exported in an excel sheet to accumulate the device data.

[0046] The tagging engine 308 may be configured to tag each record of a corresponding device 106 in a data entry of the database 206 storing the device data of the device 106 using a device Identifier (ID) of the device 106. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device ID may be pre-stored in the database 206 (preferably when a device is installed / deployed in the communication network 100) for each device 106 in the communication network 100. In some aspects of the present disclosure, tagging the record corresponding to the device data with the device ID provides a structure to the records of the devices 106.

[0047] The data classification engine 310 may be configured to segregate the device 106 into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device 106. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device data may be segregated into the one or more groups by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and a technology type of the corresponding device 106 based on the tagged record of the corresponding device 106. The above-mentioned details may be captured into a readable format, such as excel sheet and may be stored in the database 206.

[0048] The identification engine 312 may be configured to identify top ranked device(s) 106 from the devices 106 in the communication network based on the segregated device data. The data processing engine 314 may be configured to determine a total count of unique devices associated with each combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model of the devices 106 in the segregated device data. Moreover, the data processing engine 314 may be configured to rank the combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model for each technology type based on the total count of unique devices. The identification engine 312 may triggerthe data processing engine 314 to perform operations related to ranking of the devices 106 and in response receive the ranking of each device 106 to identify the top-ranked device(s) based on their individual ranking. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ranking may be a score determined for each device 106 based on the technology -wise trends, advantages, and / or drawbacks of the devices 106 in the communication network 100.

[0049] The data processing engine 314 may also be configured to generate a report including details of each device 106 grouped by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and the technology type. The report may further include details of the top-ranked devices 106 amongst the multiple devices 106 in the communication network 100. The planning engine 316 may be configured to periodically export the report to a network management device (e.g., the event manager 202) for analysis and network planning (i.e., planning of deployment and / or operations of the devices 106 in the communication network 100). According to an exemplary use-case, the report indicates a usage-wise ranking of the top-ranked device(s) 106 across each technology type utilized in the communication network 100.

[0050] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the report may facilitate the network management device to evaluate capabilities and / or performance of the devices 106 in the communication network 100 and take an informed decision based on operational requirements of deployment of a sub-network in the communication network 100. This enables an organization to plan their software upgrade and network changes as per available devices in the market, thus ensuring large volume of user not suffering from any changes at network, hardware or at software level changes.

[0051] Various engines of the processing modules 204 are presented to illustrate the functionality driven by the system. It will be apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art that various engines in the processing modules 204 are for illustrativepurposes and not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and / or software

[0052] The database 206 may be configured to store data corresponding to various components of the subsystem 300. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the database 206 may be segregated into multiple repositories that may be configured to store a specific type of data. In the exemplary embodiment as presented through FIG. 2, the database 206 may be configured to store the instructions for the various engines in the processing modules 204 of the as instruction object(s) in an instruction repository 320, and the device data of the various devices 106 in the communication network 100 in the form of data objects in a device data repository 322.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the instructions repository 320 is configured to store computer program instructions and / or codes for operation(s) of various components of the processing modules 204. For example, the instructions repository 320 may be configured to store computer program instructions corresponding to the operation(s) performed by the processing modules 204 for identifying the devices 106 in the communication network, as presented through the various engines in the processing modules 204. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions repository 320 may be configured as a non- transitory storage medium. Examples of the instructions repository 320 configured as the non-transitory storage medium includes hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives, Compact Disk (CD), Digital Video Disk (DVD), and the like. Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of non- transitory storage medium as the instructions repository 320, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. As will be appreciated, any such computer program instructions stored in the instructions repository 320 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 produce a machine, such that the computer program instructions which executeon the computer processor(s) or other programmable processing apparatus create means for implementing the function(s) specified.

[0054] The communication interface 302 may be configured to enable the various components of the subsystem 300 to communicate with various other entities of the system 200. Examples of the communication interface 302 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, amplifier(s), a tuner, oscillator(s), a digital signal processor, a coderdecoder (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 interface 302 may include any device and / or apparatus capable of providing wireless or wired communications between the subsystem 300 and various other entities of the system 200.

[0055] Although FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the subsystem 300 that includes critical components of the system 200, various changes may be made to FIG. 3, without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, the subsystem 300 may include any number of components in addition to those shown in FIG.3 without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Further, various components in FIG. 3 may be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and additional components may be added according to particular needs.

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates a data flow diagram of a process 400 for capturing events, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the SDK may capture the device data at one or more events 402-1, 402-2, 402-3, and 402 -N, at block 404. The device data may include, but is not limited to, device make and model, device ID, baseband, and build number. The captured device data may be stored in the network device, at block 406. For example, the device data of a mobile phone may be stored locally at the memory of the mobile phone.

[0057] The device data may be synced to the network device, at block 408. The synchronization of the device data may be performed at the server 108. In synchronization process, the device data may be associated with a unique tag. At block 410, the device data may be processed by the server 108. The device data of the devices 106 may be utilized by the server 108 to identify the device 106. In addition, the server 108 may decide which model is highly utilized for which technology.

[0058] In an example, the devices 106 may be segregated on the basis of unique user count for LTE and make and model of the devices 106, at block 412-1. In another example, the devices 106 may be segregated on the basis of unique user count for Wi-Fi and make and model of the network device, at block 412-2. In yet another example, the devices 106 may be segregated on the basis of unique user count for 5G and make and model of the devices 106, at block 412-3. In still another example, the devices 106 may be segregated on the basis of unique user count for 6G and make and model of the devices 106, at block 412-N. Further, the server 108 may identify a rank of the devices 106 based on the segregation, at blocks 414-1 to 414-N.

[0059] FIG. 5 illustrates a dataflow diagram of a process 500 for generating reports that indicate network usage, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process 500 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 502 through 516. The process 500 starts at block 502.

[0060] At block 502, the device data may be captured and stored in a mobile application (i.e., computer-implemented application) on T days. The mobile application may be any third-party application integrated in the network device. At block 504, when the user launches the application, the device data gets synchronized to the backend. If the device data is not captured on the launch of the application,the device data may be fetched on the next launch or event, at block 506. Data in backend gets synchronized in the encrypted format.

[0061] The device data is processed in backend in the batch process which takes place after every 2mins interval, at block 508. The processed device data is then transmitted to an event streaming platform, at block 510. At the event streaming platform, the device data gets stored in an unstructured format in an unstructured data pool. In an implementation, the network data may be stored in KAFKA in the unstructured format. KAFKA is an open-source distributed platform designed for high-throughput, fault-tolerant, distributed data storage, and scalable data processing. Further, the device data may be stored in a structured data pool, at block 512. In an implementation, the device data may be stored in Hbase in structured manner column wise. The structured data pool generally categorizes the network data as quantitative data that is organized and decipherable by machine learning algorithms. Further, the device data may be processed to obtain maximum used device in terms of technology wise, at block 514. The final result may be recorded into a report, at block 514. An example of the data recorded into the readable format is presented below.

[0062] The device data for each device 106 may be collected on (not limited to) an hourly basis, daily basis, weekly basis, and monthly basis. The server 108 may generate a device profile for each device 106 based on the device data recorded in the database 206. In some aspects of the present disclosure, a device profile for each device 106 (or multiple devices 106 segregated into a group) may be generated by the server 108. The device profile may be utilized for analyzing a trend or pattern(s) from the device data for the devices 106 stored in the database 206. Upon storing (or recording) the device data for the devices 106 in the database 206, the server 108 may segregate the device data on bases, such as but not limited to, utilization of technology (Wi-Fi / LTE / 5G / 6G), performance (or throughput), and level of updatefor optimization of technology, etc. In some other aspects of the present disclosure, the server 108 may segregate the device data on the basis of factors such as, but not limited to, service providers (e.g., Wi-Fi service providers), geographical region(s) of operation, and / or timeframe of operation.

[0063] For time-wise segregation of the device data, the server 108 may temporally segregate the device data (corresponding to the events of the devices 106) into time frames based on corresponding communication technology utilized e.g., LTE network, the 5G network, and the Wi-Fi network. The server 108 may analyze the device data to identify a device data to identify a trend of event(s) or activities for each hour, or a definite period of a day. In a non -limiting example, the server 108 may analyze the device data to identify a trend of event(s) or activities of the device 106 during peak hours of the day (e.g., every day during morning and / or evening). The server 108 may further analyze the device data to identify a trend of event(s) or activities of the device 106 during non-peak hours of the day, (e.g., every day during noon and / or nighttime). Similarly, the server 108 may also analyze the device data to trend of event(s) corresponding to the device(s) 106 in specific geographical region(s).

[0064] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 600 for identifying devices 106 (e.g., leading Wi-Fi service providers in each geographical region) in the communication network 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 comprises a series of operation steps indicated by blocks 602 through 614. The method 600 starts at block 602.

[0065] At block 602, the processing modules 204 may detect user events at each device 106 in the communication network 100 by monitoring the user activities across the application(s) installed on each device 106. Examples of user events for each device 106 may include, but are not limited to, the user activity on each device 106, the screen on / off status, the status of application(s) launch, the status of airplane mode activation or deactivation, the status of location on / off, the status of chargerconnect / disconnect, the signal strength threshold crossing, and the network switching events. Preferably, the user events are detected using the development tool kit integrated with the one or more applications installed on each device 106.

[0066] At block 604, the processing modules 204 may acquire the device data from each device 106 based on the user events at each device 106. The device data of each device 106 may comprise at least the manufacturer ID, the device model, the baseband version, the build number, and the device ID of the corresponding device 106.

[0067] At block 606, the processing modules 204 may store the device data in the database 206. Preferably, the device data is stored in the database in a form of a table.

[0068] At block 608, the processing modules 204 may tag each record of each device 106 in the stored device data using the device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device 106.

[0069] At block 610, the processing modules 204 may segregate the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the device data is segregated into geography wise devices and technology wise devices based on the table.

[0070] At block 612, the processing modules 204 may identify the top-ranked devices 106 in the communication network based on the segregation of the device data. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processing modules 204 may determine the total count of unique devices associated with each combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model of the devices 106 in the segregated device data. Moreover, the processing modules 204 may rank the combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model for each technology type based on the total count of unique device. The top-ranked devices are identified by the processing modules 204 based on the determined ranking of each device 106.

[0071] At block 614, the processing modules 204 may generate the report including details of each device 106 grouped by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and the technology type. Moreover, the processing modules 204 may periodically export the report to the network management device (e.g., the event manager 202) for analysis and network planning. In an exemplary use-case, the report indicates a usage wise ranking of the top-ranked devices 106 across each technology type.

[0072] Now, referring to the technical abilities and advantageous effect of the present disclosure, operational advantages that may be provided by embodiments disclosed herein may provide a unique approach to capture device ID based passive data. Such data includes device details, for example, make, model, baseband, and build number of a network device. The disclosure suggests backend process to segregate data technology wise, unique device ID along with make and model of the network device. In addition, the disclosure enables an organization to identify broad geographical level maximum used device in terms of technology.

[0073] 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 invention. The above-described embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive.

[0074] 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 mannerdescribed herein. Any combination of the above features and functionalities may be used in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0075] 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, by applying 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.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method (600) for identifying devices (106) in a communication network (100), the method (600) comprising: detecting, by a detection engine (304), one or more user events at each device (106) of a plurality of devices (106) in the communication network (100) by monitoring one or more user activities across one or more applications installed on each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106); acquiring, by a data acquisition engine (306), device data from each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) based on the one or more user events at each device (106) among the plurality of devices (106); storing, by the data acquisition engine (306), the device data in a database (206); tagging, by a tagging engine (308), each record of a corresponding device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) in the stored device data using a device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device (106); segregating, by a data classification engine (310), the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device (106); and identifying, by an identification engine (312) from the plurality of devices (106), one or more top-ranked devices (106) in the communication network (100) based on the segregated device data.

2. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device data is stored in the database (206) in a form of a table, the device data comprises at least a manufacturer ID, a device model, a baseband version, a build number, and the device ID of each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106), and the device data is segregated into the one or more groups by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and a technology type of the corresponding device (106) based on the tagged record of the corresponding device (106).

3. The method (600) as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:determining, by a data processing engine (314), a total count of unique devices (106) associated with each combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model of the plurality of devices (106) in the segregated device data; and ranking, by the data processing engine (314), the combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model for each technology type based on the total count of unique devices (106), wherein the one or more top-ranked devices (106) are identified based on the ranking.

4. The method (600) as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: generating, by the data processing engine (314), a report including details of each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) grouped by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and the technology type; and periodically exporting, by a planning engine (316), the report to a network management device for analysis and network planning.

5. The method (600) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the report indicates a usage wise ranking of the one or more top-ranked devices (106) across each technology type.

6. The method (600) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more user events comprise at least one of a user activity on each device (106), a screen on / off status, an application launch, an airplane mode activation or deactivation, location on / off, a charger connect / disconnect, a signal strength threshold crossing, and network switching events, and the one or more user events are detected using a development tool kit integrated with the one or more applications installed on each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106).

7. A system (200) to identify devices (106) in a communication network (100), the system (200) comprising:a detection engine (304) configured to detect one or more user events at each device (106) of a plurality of devices (106) in the communication network (100) by monitoring one or more user activities across one or more applications installed on each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106); a data acquisition engine (306) configured to: acquire device data from each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) based on the one or more user events at each device (106) among the plurality of devices (106); and store the device data in a database (206); a tagging engine (308) configured to tag each record of a corresponding device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) in the stored device data using a device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device (106); a data classification engine (310) configured to segregate the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device (106); and an identification engine (312) configured to identify one or more top-ranked devices (106) in the communication network (100) based on the segregated device data.

8. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the device data is stored in the database (206) in a form of a table, the device data comprises at least a manufacturer ID, a device model, a baseband version, a build number, and the device ID of each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106), and the device data is segregated into the one or more groups by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and a technology type of the corresponding device (106) based on the tagged record of the corresponding device (106).

9. The system (200) as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a data processing engine (314) configured to:determine a total count of unique devices (106) associated with each combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model of the plurality of devices (106) in the segregated device data; and rank the combination of the manufacturer ID and the device model for each technology type based on the total count of unique devices (106), wherein the one or more top-ranked devices (106) are identified based on the ranking.

10. The system (200) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the data processing engine (314) is further configured to: generate a report including details of each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) grouped by the device model, the manufacturer ID, and the technology type, wherein the system (200) further comprises a planning engine (316) configured to periodically export the report to a network management device for analysis and network planning.

11. The system (200) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the report indicates a usage wise ranking of the one or more top-ranked devices (106) across each technology type.

12. The system (200) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the one or more user events comprise at least one of a user activity on each device (106), a screen on / off status, an application launch, an airplane mode activation or deactivation, location on / off, a charger connect / disconnect, a signal strength threshold crossing, and network switching events, and the one or more user events are detected using a development tool kit integrated with the one or more applications installed on each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106).

13. A computer program product for identifying devices (106) in a communication network (100), the 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: detecting one or more user events at each device (106) of a plurality of devices (106) in the communication network (100) by monitoring one or more user activities across one or more applications installed on each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106); acquiring device data from each device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) based on the one or more user events at each device (106) among the plurality of devices (106); storing the device data in a database (206); tagging each record of a corresponding device (106) of the plurality of devices (106) in the stored device data using a device Identifier (ID) of the corresponding device (106); segregating the device data into one or more groups based on the tagged record of the corresponding device (106); and identifying, from the plurality of devices (106), one or more top-ranked devices (106) in the communication network (100) based on the segregated device data.

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