Automated Wireless Device Market Data Collection via Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for collecting market share data for wireless telecommunication devices are time-consuming, expensive, and prone to errors, requiring manual customer surveys that often result in non-response and inaccurate information, making it difficult for manufacturers to determine changes in market share effectively.
Innovation Solution
An automated system that selects a random panel of numbers within a defined market, generates signaling messages to access databases like HLR and EIR, and processes responses to determine market information, including manufacturer, model, and unsold device data, without subscriber participation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual customer surveys are used to collect market share data, then data can be gathered from customers, but the process becomes time-consuming, expensive, and prone to errors with non-response issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service data collection by having wireless devices automatically report their own manufacturer and model information to the database without requiring customer participation or manual surveying. This eliminates the time-consuming and error-prone manual survey process while maintaining data accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual survey process with an automated electronic system that uses databases and automated messaging to collect market share data. This substitution eliminates human error, non-response issues, and significantly reduces data collection time while maintaining or improving data accuracy.
2Loss of information
If manual surveys are conducted to gather competitive performance data, then market share information can be obtained, but the cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal database approach where a single database stores manufacturer and model information for all wireless devices. This multi-functional database serves multiple purposes: tracking market share, monitoring device lifecycle, and providing competitive intelligence, thereby reducing overall system complexity while ensuring complete market information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary between wireless devices and market analysts. This intermediary automatically stores and retrieves device information, eliminating the need for complex manual data collection systems while ensuring complete and accurate market information is always available.
3Productivity
If automated signaling messages are sent to wireless devices to collect data, then data collection becomes faster and more accurate, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-populating the database with manufacturer and model information for all wireless devices before data collection begins. This allows automated messaging systems to quickly retrieve and verify device information without complex real-time processing, thereby improving productivity while keeping system complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of measuring wireless telecommunication market information for wireless devices. The method includes selecting a panel of numbers, generating signaling messages for the selected panel, sending the generated signaling messages, receiving a response from plurality of databases and processing the received response to determine market information. In one embodiment, the response is an electronic serial number (ESN) of a wireless device. Processing the ESN may determine the manufacturer of the wireless device, the model of the wireless device and its corresponding serial number. As such; the market-share of manufacturer of the device, its corresponding market-share for a given model, and the number of unsold wireless devices may be determined. Tracking the selected panel of numbers may determine the lifespan of a device and the relationship between providers and replacing or acquiring devices. It is appreciated that identifiers other than ESN may be used (e.g., IMEI in GSM technology).