System and method for using augmented reality to visualize network service quality

A method performed by an augmented reality (AR)-capable device of a user, the method comprising:

• determining a first current location of the AR-capable device;
• measuring a bandwidth of a network at the first current location;
• transmitting to a database the first current location and the measured bandwidth of the network;
• determining a second current location and a viewing orientation of the AR-capable device;
• querying the database based on the determined second current location to retrieve crowd-sourced data describing the bandwidth of the network as a function of space in a real-world area in the viewing orientation of the AR-capable device;
• generating from the data a 3D visualization of the bandwidth of the network as a function of space registered to the real-world area;
• and
• displaying the 3D visualization as a graphical overlay on top of a camera view from the AR-capable device.

A device comprising:

• an augmented reality display;
• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions operative, when executed by the processor, to:
• determine a first current location of the AR-capable device;
• measure an attribute of a network at the first current location, the measured attribute of the network being selected from the group consisting of signal strength, bandwidth, service set identifier, and network service provider;
• transmit to a database the first current location and the measured attribute of the network;
• determine a second current location and a viewing orientation of the AR-capable device;
• query the database based on the determined second current location to retrieve data describing the network attribute as a function of space in a real-world area in the viewing orientation of the AR-capable device;
• generate from the data a 3D visualization of the network attribute as a function of space registered to the real-world area;
• and
• display the 3D visualization.

A method performed by an augmented reality (AR)-capable device of a user, the method comprising:

• determining a first current location of the AR-capable device;
• measuring a network attribute at the first current location of the AR-capable device;
• transmitting to a database the first current location and the measured network attribute as measured at the first current location;
• determining a second current location of the AR-capable device and a current orientation of the AR-capable device at the second current location;
• querying the database based at least on the determined second current location to retrieve data describing the network attribute as a function of space in a real-world area proximate to the second current location;
• determining that a portion of the real-world area is within a current field of view of the AR-capable device based at least in part on the current orientation of the AR-capable device;
• displaying a 3D visualization of the network attribute in the current field of view;
• measuring a change in the current orientation of the AR-capable device;
• regenerating the 3D visualization of the network attribute consistent with the change in the current orientation of the AR-capable device;
• and
• transmitting to the database a result of the AR-capable device performing a further network-level assessment at the second current location.