US 5,706,333 AGranted

Method and apparatus for analyzing cellular telephone network

AssigneeTeradyne, Inc.

InventorsJames W. Grenning, Robert L. Fawley

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Abstract

A cellular telephone network with the capability to detect faulty cellular telephones in use in the network. The network includes measurement units at some or all of the cell sites. The measurement units monitor the radio links between each cell site and specific cellular telephones. Measurements taken at all the cell sites are accumulated at a test system controller. The test system controller stores and processes the measurements to detect faulty cellular telephones. When a faulty cellular telephone is detected, a trouble manager notifies the subscriber of the fault so that it might be repaired before the fault affects cellular telephone service. The same measurement techniques are also used to detect fraudulent telephone usage and network problems.

Claims6

Dependent claims

In a cellular telephone network having a plurality of cell sites and at least one measurement unit capable of monitoring a predetermined number, which is at least two, of radio links between a cell site and a cellular telephone, a method of detecting faulty cellular telephones comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a list of cellular telephones which use the network and a priority for each cellular telephone on the list;
b) monitoring a control channel in the cellular telephone network to detect a call being initiated with a specific cellular telephone to determine the voice channel assigned for the call;
c) when less than the predetermined number of radio links is being monitored, monitoring the voice channel assigned for the call and taking a plurality of measurements on the radio link;
d) when the predetermined number of radio channels is being monitored, following a priority resolution procedure comprising the steps of:
i) determining the priority of the lowest priority cellular telephone being monitored;
ii) comparing the priority of the cellular telephone involved in the call being initiated to the priority of the lowest priority cellular telephone being monitored;
iii) when the priority of the cellular telephone involved in the call being initiated is higher than the priority of the lowest priority cellular telephone being monitored, preempting monitoring of the lowest priority call and monitoring the call being initiated and taking a plurality of measurements on the radio link;
and
e) processing the measurements made on a plurality of calls to detect faults in cellular telephones.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.