Handover Frequency Topology Graph for Wireless Network Diagnostics
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large healthcare environments, accurately diagnosing issues in wireless networks supporting mobile medical devices is challenging due to the lack of up-to-date and accurate physical topology information of access points, which is prone to errors and labor-intensive to maintain, and physical topology is not optimal for network diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
A network diagnostic system that constructs a handover frequency network topology graph from handover events, providing a more informative and dynamic representation of network topology that accounts for directional and temporal dependencies of wireless coverage, allowing for automated and efficient fault localization without requiring physical maps of access points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If physical topology information is maintained manually, then network topology data is available, but it is labor-intensive and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically generates network topology graphs by analyzing handover events from network logs. The topology information is self-updated through automated processing of network data, eliminating manual maintenance requirements while ensuring accuracy and currency of the topology information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes (manual topology mapping and updates) with automated computational processes. Handover event data is automatically processed through algorithms that construct and update topology graphs, substituting human labor with machine-based automated generation and maintenance of network topology information.
2Measurement precision
If physical topology is used for network diagnosis, then network structure is represented, but it is not optimal for diagnosing wireless network issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the representation parameters from physical coordinates to handover frequency metrics. Instead of representing network topology based on physical location, the system uses handover event frequencies between access points as the defining parameters, creating a topology graph that reflects actual wireless connectivity patterns and performance characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than deriving topology from physical layout and then inferring connectivity, the patent inverts the approach by deriving topology directly from observed handover behavior. The topology graph is constructed bottom-up from actual network events, capturing wireless coverage characteristics that are invisible in physical topology representations.
3Productivity
If divide-and-conquer diagnostic strategy is implemented, then fault localization is systematic, but accurate physical topology is required for efficient implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The handover frequency-based topology graph automatically reflects the current network state by processing recent handover events. This self-updating mechanism ensures that the topology information remains accurate and current without manual intervention, providing reliable data for divide-and-conquer diagnostic strategies to function efficiently.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wireless network comprises access points (APs) implementing roaming by way of handover of wireless devices between APs. Handover events over an analysis time interval are extracted from a wireless network log of the wireless network. Each handover event comprises a source AP from which a wireless device disconnects and a destination AP to which the wireless device connects. At least one handover frequency (HF) network topology graph is constructed for the analysis time interval from the extracted handover events. The graph has nodes representing at least a subset of the APs of the extracted handover events and edges connecting pairs of nodes with each edge having a weight representing a count or frequency of handover events between the APs represented by the pair of nodes connected by the edge. A network diagnostic or visualization task is performed using the HF network topology graph.