# US 2018/0324612 A1 · Mobile device protocol health monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0324612 A1 - Document ID: US20180324612A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/030,492 - Filed: 2018-07-09 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-30 - Assignees: Geotab Inc. - Applicants: Geotab Inc. - Inventors: Anthonios Partheniou; Paul Philip Ciolek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180324612A1 ## CPC - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04L 41/0604: using filtering, e.g. reduction of information by using priority, element types, position or time - H04L 43/0817: by checking functioning - H04L 43/0894: Packet rate - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 43/0823: Errors, e.g. transmission errors - H04L 2012/40215: {Controller Area Network CAN} - H04L 2012/40273: {the transportation system being a vehicle} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method and apparatus for use in a mobile device telemetry system is disclosed. The method and apparatus relate to aspects in a mobile device protocol health monitoring system. The method and apparatus provide a system to monitor and assess protocol health, log protocol health data and communicate the logs of protocol health data to a remote system. The system may also take corrective actions based upon specific indications of protocol health. The method and apparatus also provides protocol health indications and corrective actions based upon monitoring the message transmission rate. The method and apparatus also provides protocol health indications and corrective actions based upon monitoring for a line disconnect ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: monitoring protocol health in a mobile device network, the protocol health indicating an ability of devices to communicate via the mobile device network and/or a level of interference in the mobile device network, the monitoring comprising monitoring a message transmission rate in the mobile device network, wherein monitoring the message transmission rate comprises: determining a message transmission rate threshold for the mobile device network, wherein determining the message transmission rate threshold comprises: iteratively selecting devices in the mobile device network and monitoring each selected device until a device is identified that is communicating via the mobile device network at more than a threshold rate, in response to identifying a device communicating at more than the threshold rate, setting the identified device as a monitored device and setting a transmission rate of the monitored device as the message transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 further comprising: in response to determining that the protocol health at a time satisfies one or more criteria associated with unacceptable protocol health, providing an indication of unacceptable protocol health and triggering performance of at least one corrective action regarding at least one device communicating with said mobile device network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as in claim 2 wherein said triggering performance of the at least one corrective action comprises precluding one or more of said at least one device from communicating via said mobile device network and/or triggering one or more of said at least one device to enter a safe mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 further comprising: communicating a protocol health log to a remote system, wherein said remote system is configured to, in response to receiving said protocol health log, generate an indication of the protocol health in the mobile device network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method as in claim 4 further comprising: generating, with said remote system, the indication of the protocol health, wherein generating said indication of said protocol health comprises generating an indicator including at least one protocol health indications from a group consisting of a good protocol health, a poor protocol health, a better protocol health, an increasing protocol health, a decreasing protocol health, an acceptable protocol health, an unacceptable protocol health, or a severe protocol health. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein: monitoring the protocol health in the mobile device network comprises monitoring a protocol health for each of a plurality of protocols; determining the message transmission rate threshold comprises determining a message transmission rate threshold for each of the plurality of protocols; and determining the message transmission rate threshold for each of the plurality of protocols comprises, for each protocol, repeating the iteratively selecting devices, the monitoring each selected device, the setting the identified device as a monitored device, and setting the transmission rate of the monitored device as the message transmission rate threshold, for each protocol of the plurality of protocols, to determine a monitored device and a message transmission rate threshold for each protocol. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method as in claim 6 wherein determining the message transmission rate threshold comprises determining the message transmission rate threshold after a period of time following a start of exchange of communications via said mobile device network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A method as in claim 6 further comprising: determining a threshold rate, for use in selecting a monitored device, for each protocol. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method as in claim 8, wherein determining the threshold rate for each protocol comprises selecting, for each protocol and based on the protocol, between a first threshold rate or a second threshold rate, the first threshold rate being faster than the second threshold rate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein monitoring said message transmission rate comprises, following setting of the message transmission rate threshold: monitoring a message transmission rate of the monitored device on said mobile device network, comparing a range of said message transmission rate to the message transmission rate threshold, and logging a protocol health indication based on a result of the comparing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10 wherein logging the protocol health indication comprises, when a result of the comparing indicates said range is above a first threshold, indicating that a notification should be sent regarding the protocol health. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as in claim 11 wherein said first threshold is between 51% and 60% of said transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10 wherein logging the protocol health indication comprises, when a result of the comparing indicates said range is below the first threshold and above a second threshold, indicating that a warning should be sent regarding the protocol health. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13 wherein said second threshold is between 40% and 50% of said transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10 wherein logging the protocol health indication comprises, when a result of the comparing indicates said range is below a third threshold, indicating that a notification of severe protocol health should be sent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method of monitoring protocol health in a mobile device network as in claim 15 wherein said third threshold is less than 40% of said transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A method as in claim 15 further comprising, in response to determining that a repeated result of the comparing over time indicates said range is repeatedly below the third threshold, triggering performance of a corrective action regarding at least one device communicating with the mobile device network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method as in claim 17 wherein determining that a repeated result of the comparing over time indicates said range is repeatedly below the third threshold comprises determining that a result of the comparing has determined that the range is below the third threshold greater than 50 times. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A method as in claim 17 wherein triggering performance of said corrective action comprises triggering disconnection of a device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 further comprising: monitoring communication errors in the mobile device network over time, wherein monitoring the communication errors comprises monitoring for oscillation in occurrence of errors in the mobile device network. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method as in claim 20 wherein monitoring for oscillation comprises: incrementing an oscillating error indicator in response to detecting that a number of communication errors in the mobile device network oscillates with respect to an error threshold. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A method as in claim 21 wherein monitoring communication errors further comprises in response to determining that the oscillating error indicator has reached an oscillation threshold, triggering performance of at least one corrective action. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method as in claim 22 wherein triggering performance of at least one corrective action comprises setting one or more devices to a communication safe mode. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) A method as in claim 21 wherein said error threshold is 128. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) A method as in claim 22 wherein said oscillation threshold is 10. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein monitoring the protocol health further comprises: comparing, over time, a message transmission rate of the monitored device to the message transmission rate threshold; and maintaining a protocol health log indicating results of the comparing over time. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) A method as in claim 26 wherein said protocol health log includes protocol health data. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A method as in claim 27 wherein said protocol health log includes at least one of message transmission rate data, maximum transmission rate data, number of oscillations or maximum number of oscillations. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) A method as claim 1 wherein said protocol health log includes protocol health indications. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein iteratively selecting devices comprises initially selecting a selected address associated with a high priority. ### Claim 31 A method comprising: monitoring protocol health in a mobile device network, the protocol health indicating an ability of devices to communicate via the mobile device network and/or a level of interference in the mobile device network, the monitoring comprising monitoring a message transmission rate in the mobile device network, wherein monitoring the message transmission rate comprises: selecting a monitored device and setting a transmission rate of the monitored device as a message transmission rate threshold, wherein the selecting and setting comprises repeating acts of monitoring a message transmission rate associated with a selected address, and, in response to determining that the message transmission rate is below a threshold rate, selecting another address, until the message transmission rate associated with the selected address is determined to be above the threshold rate, setting a device associated with the selected address as the monitored device, and setting the message transmission rate associated with said selected address as the message transmission rate threshold; comparing a range of said message transmission rate for the monitored device to the message transmission rate threshold; and logging a protocol health condition based on a result of the comparing of said message transmission rate threshold to said range. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A method as in claim 31 wherein logging the protocol health condition comprises, when said range is above a first threshold, logging that a notification should be sent regarding the protocol health. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) A method as in claim 32 wherein said first threshold is between 51% and 60% of said message transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) A method as in claim 32 wherein logging the protocol health condition comprises, when said range is below the first threshold and above a second threshold, logging that a warning should be sent regarding the protocol health. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) A method as in claim 34 wherein said second threshold is between 40% and 50% of said message transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) A method as in claim 34 wherein logging the protocol health condition comprises, when said range is below a third threshold, logging that a notification of severe protocol health should be sent. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) A method as in claim 36 wherein said third threshold is less than 40% of said message transmission rate threshold. ### Claim 38 A method as in 36 further comprising, in response to determining that a severe protocol health condition is met, triggering performance of at least one corrective action. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) A method as in claim 38 wherein determining that the severe protocol health condition is met comprises determining that the range has been determining to be below the third threshold more than a number of times. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) A method as in claim 31 wherein: monitoring the protocol health in the mobile device network comprises monitoring a protocol health for each of a plurality of protocols; setting the message transmission rate threshold comprises setting a message transmission rate threshold for each of the plurality of protocols; and setting the message transmission rate threshold for each of the plurality of protocols comprises repeating, for each protocol, the acts of repeating acts of monitoring and setting, the act of setting the message transmission rate as the message transmission rate threshold, and setting the device as the monitored device, for each protocol of the plurality of protocols, so as to determine a monitored device and a message transmission rate threshold for each protocol. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) A method as in claim 40 wherein setting the message transmission rate threshold comprises setting the message transmission rate threshold after a period of time following a start of exchange of communications via the mobile device network. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) A method as in claim 40 further comprising: determining a threshold rate, for use in selecting a monitored device, for each protocol. ### Claim 43 (depends on 31) A method as in claim 31 wherein determining the threshold rate for each protocol comprises selecting, for each protocol and based on the protocol, between a first threshold rate or a second threshold rate, the first threshold rate being faster than the second threshold rate. ### Claim 44 (depends on 31) A method as in claim 31 wherein repeating the acts of monitoring and selecting comprises initially selecting an address associated with a high priority.