IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,167,445
Granted Patent B2
US 9,167,445 · App. 13/753,964 · Granted Oct 20, 2015

Systems and methods for measuring available bandwidth in mobile telecommunications networks

Inventors: Anders Hedlund (Skellefteå, SE); David Degerfeldt (Skellefteå, SE)
Assignee: Ascom Network Testing AB
H04W24/02H04L41/0823H04L43/0852H04L43/0876H04L43/0882H04L43/10H04L43/106H04L43/16H04L47/12H04L47/30H04L47/365H04W4/00H04W24/00H04W24/08H04W28/0236H04W72/00H04L43/0888H04L47/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,167,445
App. No.
13/753,964
Granted
Oct 20, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A network device receives probe packets communicated by a user equipment device. The network device communicates response packets back to the user equipment device, including timestamps, and/or other information. The user equipment device may be configured to test the performance of different portions of a wireless network (i.e., determine an available bandwidth measurement throughput (ABMT) of the wireless network) by accessing different network devices (or information associated with different network devices).

Claims (244)

1. A method for performing an available bandwidth measurement in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with a packet train transmitted between a user equipment device and a network device operating within the wireless network;

determining bits in the packet train (BPT);

determining an available bandwidth measurement throughput (ABMT) of the wireless network based on the equation:

A

⁢

⁢

B

⁢

⁢

M

⁢

⁢

T

=

B

⁢

⁢

P

⁢

⁢

T

CTTI

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

,

wherein CTTI is an integer number representing the ceiling of the number of TTIs (transmission time intervals) needed per packet train.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining BPT further comprises:

determining BPT based on the packet size associated with the packet train and a number of packets in the packet train.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein CTTI is determined based on the physical layer load per packet train.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a maximum available bandwidth measurement throughput (MAX:ABMT) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

A

⁢

⁢

B

⁢

⁢

M

⁢

⁢

T

=

B

⁢

⁢

P

⁢

⁢

T

TTIs

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

train

-

1

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining a maximum available bandwidth measurement error percentage (MAX:ABME %) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABME

⁢

%

=

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABMT

-

LinkCapacityAL

LinkCapacityAL

*

100

,

wherein LinkCapacity AL is a link capacity for an application layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ABMT is determined for an uplink direction and a downlink direction.

7. A system for performing an available bandwidth measurement in a wireless network, the system comprising:

a processing device comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive information associated with a packet train transmitted between a user equipment device and a network device operating within the wireless network;

determine bits in the packet train (BPT);

determine an available bandwidth measurement throughput (ABMT) of the wireless network based on the equation:

ABMT

=

BPT

CTTI

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

,

wherein CTTI is an integer number representing the ceiling of the number of TTIs (transmission time intervals) needed per packet train.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors configured to determine BPT are further configured to:

determine BPT based on the packet size associated with the packet train and a number of packets in the packet train.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein CTTI is determined based on the physical layer load per packet train.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a maximum available bandwidth measurement throughput (MAX:ABMT) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABMT

=

BPT

TTIs

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

train

-

1

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine a maximum available bandwidth measurement error percentage (MAX:ABME %) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABME

⁢

%

=

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABMT

-

LinkCapacityAL

LinkCapacityAL

*

100

,

wherein LinkCapacity AL is a link capacity for an application layer.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the ABMT is determined for an uplink direction and a downlink direction.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having one or more computer-readable instructions thereon which when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive information associated with a packet train transmitted between a user equipment device and a network device operating within a wireless network;

determine bits in the packet train (BPT);

determine an available bandwidth measurement throughput (ABMT) of the wireless network based on the equation:

ABMT

=

BPT

CTTI

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

,

wherein CTTI is an integer number representing the ceiling of the number of TTIs (transmission time intervals) needed per packet train.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions causing the one or more processors to determine BPT are further configured to:

determine BPT based on the packet size associated with the packet train and a number of packets in the packet train.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein CTTI is determined based on the physical layer load per packet train.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a maximum available bandwidth measurement throughput (MAX:ABMT) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABMT

=

BPT

TTIs

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

train

-

1

*

TTI

⁢

⁢

per

⁢

⁢

second

.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a maximum available bandwidth measurement error percentage (MAX:ABME %) based on the equation:

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABME

⁢

%

=

MAX

⁢

:

⁢

ABMT

-

LinkCapacityAL

LinkCapacityAL

*

100

,

wherein LinkCapacity AL is a link capacity for an application layer.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the ABMT is determined for an uplink direction and a downlink direction.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 26, 2018
From: ASCOM NETWORK TESTING AB
To: INFOVISTA SAS
Reel/Frame 047580/0887 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2013
From: HEDLUND, ANDERS; DEGERFELDT, DAVID
To: ASCOM NETWORK TESTING AB
Reel/Frame 031356/0820 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61692748 · Aug 24, 2012
Provisional Application 61751358 · Jan 11, 2013
Related Publication 20140056158A1 · Feb 27, 2014