Mobile Signal Power Mapping for Network Coverage Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content distributors lack signal strength measurements at various locations within their network coverage areas, leading to uncertainty about which locations have sufficient signal quality to provide services.
Innovation Solution
Mobile devices autonomously collect signal power measurements and geolocation data, uploading them to a database for the distributor to inform subscribers about signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional fixed metering infrastructure is used, then signal strength measurements can be obtained at specific locations, but the coverage area and number of measurable locations are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Mobile devices perform self-service by autonomously capturing power measurements of broadcast network signals and uploading them to the distributor's server. The devices use their own antennas and processors to collect and transmit signal quality data, eliminating the need for dedicated fixed metering infrastructure at each measurement location.
Solution Approach 2:
Mobile devices serve multiple functions: they act as both communication devices for the user and as metering instruments for the broadcast network. The same antenna and processor used for general mobile communication are utilized to capture power measurements, making the device universal rather than requiring specialized equipment.
2Loss of information
If fixed metering infrastructure is deployed throughout the coverage area, then comprehensive signal strength data can be collected, but the cost and complexity of deployment increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying physical metering infrastructure throughout the coverage area, the system uses copies of mobile devices that users already possess. These mobile devices are distributed throughout the coverage area naturally, and their measurement capabilities are leveraged to create a comprehensive signal quality map without additional infrastructure deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
Mobile devices act as intermediaries between the broadcast network and the distributor's server. They receive signals from the broadcast network, measure power levels, and transmit this data to the server, serving as a intermediary that eliminates the need for direct fixed infrastructure between the network and measurement points.
3Measurement precision
If mobile devices are used to collect power measurements, then coverage area and measurement locations increase, but the need for autonomous data collection and upload mechanisms is required
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device autonomously performs the complete measurement and upload process without human intervention. The device's processor automatically captures power measurements from broadcast signals, tags them with location information, and uploads the data to the distributor's server, making the device self-sufficient in the metering task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having mobile devices continuously measure and upload power measurement data to the distributor's server. This creates a feedback loop where the distributor receives real-time signal quality information from throughout the coverage area, enabling dynamic network optimization and informed subscriber decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique is described for mobile metering of a communication network. As an example, a server may receive, from one or more mobile devices, one or more data packets and extract one or more power measurements, determine a distribution protocol associated with the one or more power measurements, identify a geolocation associated with the one or more power measurements, and determine signal quality data based on the geolocation and the one or more power measurements, and store the signal quality data at a server.