Wireless Network Quality Database for Informed Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Client devices lack access to historical network quality parameters, making wireless network selection inefficient as they can only determine available networks upon entering signal range, leading to poor decision-making and inefficient connectivity.

Innovation Solution

A system that collects and analyzes wireless network quality parameters over time, building a searchable database to provide informed network selection, using client devices to gather data on bit error rate, signal strength, latency, and throughput, and sharing this information with servers to support optimal network choice based on geographic location.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If client devices rely on real-time signal detection for network selection, then network selection simplicity is maintained, but network selection efficiency deteriorates due to lack of historical quality data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork selection efficiencyVSAvoidhistorical network quality parameters
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and storing network quality parameters (signal strength, bit error rate, latency, throughput) in advance before they are needed for decision-making. A server aggregates historical data from multiple client devices and makes it available for future network selection decisions, allowing devices to access pre-collected quality information without having to gather it in real-time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A server acts as an intermediary between client devices and the network quality data. The server collects, aggregates, and stores network quality parameters from multiple sources, then provides this consolidated information to client devices that need it for network selection decisions, eliminating the need for each device to independently collect and store historical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If client devices only detect networks within signal range, then device complexity is minimized, but network coverage awareness deteriorates as devices cannot identify networks outside current range

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork coverage awarenessVSAvoidnetwork detection capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server provides a universal network quality database that serves multiple client devices simultaneously, enabling each device to access information about networks beyond its immediate signal range. This multi-functional approach allows the system to extend coverage awareness across the entire network of devices without adding detection capabilities to individual devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary that aggregates network presence information from multiple devices and locations, then provides comprehensive network coverage data to individual devices. This allows a device to know about networks it cannot currently detect by receiving data from other devices that are within range of those networks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If real-time network quality measurement is performed by each device, then measurement accuracy is improved, but system resource consumption deteriorates due to redundant data collection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork quality parameter accuracyVSAvoidenergy for data collection
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the data collection function into a centralized server that aggregates network quality parameters from multiple client devices. Instead of each device independently measuring and storing quality data, the server consolidates these measurements, eliminating redundant collection efforts while maintaining measurement precision through continued device-level measurements for actual quality assessment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where client devices measure network quality parameters and report them to the server, which then provides aggregated quality information back to devices for network selection. This feedback mechanism allows devices to make informed decisions using collective data without each device needing to maintain its own complete historical dataset.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3158789B1Method for collecting and aggregating network quality data
Publication Date: 2020.10.14 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3158789B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3158789B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3158789B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and method are provided for collecting wireless network quality parameters. The wireless network quality parameters are collected from wireless networks by a client device in communication with the wireless network. The client device reports the wireless network quality parameters to a server. The server collects wireless network quality parameters from a plurality of client devices and analyses the wireless network quality parameters from the plurality of client devices to determine a network quality for the particular wireless networks. The network quality is stored in a network quality database maintained by the server. The server provides access to the network quality for devices with permission to access the wireless network quality database.