Conditional QoE Questionnaire Forwarding via Network Parameter Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for evaluating Quality of Experience (QoE) in telecommunications services lead to an excessive exchange of data between servers and user devices, wasting network resources and resulting in potentially useless user feedback due to user boredom and irrelevant questioning, especially when network performance is good.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an agent on user devices that collects rough measurement data, processes it to derive relevant metrics, and only sends these to a server to determine if specific conditions are met before sending a questionnaire to the user, optimizing data exchange and focusing on relevant feedback collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If instant polls are unconditionally forwarded to users after service fruition, then QoE data collection is comprehensive, but network resources are wasted and user feedback becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of questionnaire forwarding from unconditional to conditional based on network performance parameters. The server evaluates rough measurement data (bandwidth, signal strength, packet loss) and only forwards questionnaires when specific parameter thresholds indicate degraded service quality, making the forwarding decision dynamic and adaptive to network conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary evaluation of network performance by collecting and analyzing rough measurement data before deciding whether to forward the questionnaire. This preliminary action filters out cases with good network performance, preventing unnecessary questionnaire forwarding and reducing network resource waste while maintaining feedback reliability.
2Loss of information
If questionnaires are sent after every service instance, then QoE evaluation coverage is maximized, but data exchange volume increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential rough measurement data (bandwidth, signal strength, packet loss) that is necessary for evaluating QoE, and sends only this minimal required data to the server. The detailed questionnaire is then conditionally forwarded based on this extracted information, significantly reducing data exchange volume while preserving evaluation coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by sending questionnaires only in cases where network performance degradation is detected, rather than excessively sending questionnaires after every service instance. This partial forwarding strategy reduces unnecessary data exchange while maintaining sufficient QoE evaluation coverage.
3Reliability
If users are frequently queried about service quality, then QoE data collection is thorough, but user experience deteriorates due to boredom
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the frequency parameter of questionnaire forwarding from fixed (after every service) to variable and conditional (only when network performance parameters indicate degradation). This dynamic parameter adjustment reduces the number of times users are queried, improving user experience while maintaining data quality by focusing on relevant cases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of frequent questioning (user boredom) into a benefit by using network performance parameters as a filter. Questionnaires are strategically forwarded only when network issues are detected, making the user experience better while the collected data remains highly relevant and reliable for identifying actual QoE problems.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method is disclosed for collecting data for evaluating the quality of experience of a service provided to a user over a communications network. The method comprises: providing an agent on a user device; by the agent, collecting rough measurement data indicative of parameters related to an operation of the device during an instance of service fruition, providing derived measurement data from the rough data and sending them to a server; at the server, determining an ending of the instance and checking, on the basis of the derived data, forwarding conditions indicating at least one condition to be satisfied in order for the server to send a questionnaire to the user device, comprising questions related to the instance of service fruition; after the ending of the instance, in case the conditions are satisfied, sending the questionnaire from the server to the device; and collecting by the agent a user feedback.