Wireless Device Location Diagnostics via Timing Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods fail to accurately monitor and report device location in wireless networks, making it difficult to diagnose and resolve reliability issues and improve quality of service, as they lack location data which hinders a holistic view of network performance.
Innovation Solution
Systems and methods generate location-based diagnostics by using timing information and broadcast regions to approximate a device's location within a wireless network, allowing for the collection and analysis of location data to characterize network performance and identify issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional methods are used to monitor network performance, then the system remains simple, but location data is lost and holistic view of network performance cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless device itself performs location determination by collecting diagnostic data from multiple sectors and processing timing information locally. The device uses its own resources (processor, memory, antenna) to determine its location without requiring external infrastructure or complex network-wide tracking systems, thus avoiding information loss while keeping the system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approach where the wireless device acts as a mediator between the network and the user. The device collects diagnostic data from network sectors and processes timing information to determine location, serving as an intermediate that bridges network infrastructure and user experience monitoring without requiring direct complex interaction between network elements.
2Reliability
If location data is collected from multiple devices, then holistic view of network performance is generated, but data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data processing task by having each wireless device independently determine its own location using locally collected diagnostic data and timing information. Each device processes its own measurements separately rather than requiring centralized processing of all device data, thus achieving holistic network view while distributing processing complexity across multiple simple device-level operations.
3Measurement precision
If timing information from multiple sectors is used to determine location, then location accuracy is improved, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless device autonomously performs timing measurements by collecting diagnostic data from multiple sectors and processing the timing information locally using its own processor. The device determines its location based on these self-performed measurements without requiring complex external measurement systems or infrastructure, achieving improved location accuracy through distributed self-service measurement.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for locating wireless devices in a wireless network. A diagnostic client on a wireless device generates timing data based on clock data received from sectors of towers communicating with the device. The timing data can be used to generate probability bands that approximate the location of the device in the wireless network. The broadcast regions of the sectors and/or the probability bands can also be used to generate the probable location of a wireless device in a wireless network. The diagnostic data can then be binned in a grid based on the approximate location of the wireless device. The statistical contributions of multiple devices to the grid can be used to characterize the performance of the wireless network.