Predicting user experience on a communication network

#Modern communication service providers frequently offer a wide variety of communications services to users. For example, users often purchase, subscribe to, or otherwise obtain voice calling, text messaging, or high speed data access services from communication service providers. In addition, a service provider may claim a certain level of data transfer speed when marketing or branding a high speed data access service.

#A service provider making such a speed claim with regard to an offered high speed data service may desire verification of the actual experienced data rates of a user. While the service provider may monitor certain network conditions from the perspective of the communication network, such measurements merely provide a rough estimate of actual user experience. Unfortunately, existing methods to determine user experience, such as drive testing the network or providing customer satisfaction surveys, are not exhaustive enough to capture a significant data set that accurately represents the entire network.

#A method of monitoring a wireless communication service provided by a wireless communication network to wireless communication devices in a plurality of geographic areas comprises, in a first set of the wireless communication devices located in a first set of the geographic areas, receiving the wireless communication service and determining first performance data for the wireless communication service. In the wireless communication network, providing the wireless communication service to the first set of the wireless communication devices and determining first network data for the wireless communication service provided to the first set of the wireless communication devices. In a service monitoring system, processing the first performance data and the first network data to generate a wireless communication service model. In a second set of the wireless communication devices located in a second set of the geographic areas, receiving the wireless communication service and determining second performance data for the wireless communication service. In the wireless communication network, providing the wireless communication service to the second set of the wireless communication devices and determining second network data for the wireless communication service provided to the second set of the wireless communication devices. In the service monitoring system, processing the second network data with the wireless communication service model to generate model performance data for the wireless communication service provided to the second set of the wireless communication devices, and comparing the model performance data to the second performance data to validate the wireless communication service model. In the wireless communication network, providing the wireless communication service to a third set of the wireless communication devices located in a third set of the geographic areas and determining third network data for the wireless communication service provided to the third set of the wireless communication devices. In the service monitoring system, processing the third network data with the wireless communication service model to generate validated performance data for the wireless communication service provided to the third set of the wireless communication devices.

#Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. While several embodiments are described in connection with these drawings, the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a wireless communication system.

#FIG. 2A is a flow diagram that illustrates a method of operating the wireless communication system.

#The following description and associated drawings teach the best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects of the best mode may be simplified or omitted. The following claims specify the scope of the invention. Some aspects of the best mode may not fall within the scope of the invention as specified by the claims. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate variations from the best mode that fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the features described below can be combined in various ways to form multiple variations of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific examples described below, but only by the claims and their equivalents.

#FIG. 1 illustrates wireless communication system 100. Wireless communication system 100 comprises wireless communication network 110, and wireless communication devices 101-107 within respective geographic areas 120-122. Wireless communication network 110 comprises service monitoring system 109. Wireless communication devices 101-107 communicate with wireless communication network 110 over respective wireless communication links 111-117. Note that the number of wireless devices depicted in FIG. 1 would typically be greater, but only a limited number are shown herein for clarity.

#Geographic areas 120-122 comprise areas of land or water with approximate boundaries as indicated by the dotted lines on FIG. 1. Geographic area 120 comprises a first set of wireless communication devices 101-102, geographic area 121 comprises a second set of wireless communication devices 103-104, and geographic area 122 comprises a third set of wireless communication devices 105-107. As depicted in FIG. 1, the three sets of wireless communication devices 101-102, 103-104, and 105-107 within each respective geographic area 120-122 are in physically distinct locations. However, two or more wireless communication devices could be physically adjacent or located in the same city, county, or other governmental jurisdiction, yet still considered to have separate locations within separate geographic areas 120-122. Further, a geographic area could comprise multiple, non-contiguous areas of land or water and still be considered a single geographic area.