Granted Patent B2

US 12,537,735 · App. 18/353,227 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Inventors: Patrick Leask (Dalgety Bay, GB); Sebastien Prieur (Montreal, CA)

Assignee: TC France S.A.S.

H04L41/065H04L51/23

Abstract

Claims (40)

1 . A method implemented by a cloud service for mobile network synchronization domain anomaly identification and correlation, the method comprising steps of:

receiving, at the cloud service, measurements from a synchronization domain reflecting performance of synchronization across a mobile network;

identifying synchronization domain anomalies in the measurements from the synchronization domain, wherein an anomaly is an event in the mobile network causing any of network outages, disruptions, and poor quality;

performing an automated cross-domain correlation via a cloud-based cross-domain correlation system, the automated cross-domain correlation correlating the synchronization domain anomalies against anomalies from other domains of the mobile network via the cloud service, wherein the anomalies from the other domains are detected from performance data collected from components of each respective domain; and

based on the correlation (1) identifying root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, (2) identifying associated impact on services and/or subscribers of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, and (3) identifying remedial actions for the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains;

wherein the correlating of the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains includes a transport network domain of a transport network, where anomalies associated with the transport network domain are determined based on any of resource utilization, port utilization, dropped packets, packet loss, latency, and jitter, and wherein identifying the root causes includes determining by detecting anomalies independently prior to the correlating wherein correlating the anomalies associated with the transport network domain with the synchronization domain anomalies indicates where the transport network has not been able to successfully deliver Precision Time Protocol (PTP) timing messages between a plurality of clocks.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the other domains include one or more of a radio access network (RAN) domain, the transport domain, and a mobile core domain.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization domain includes

receivers in the mobile network configured to calculate a reference time from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS); and

a plurality of clocks configured to measure transmission delays, calculate the reference time, and communicate to one another via precision time protocol (PTP) messages.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurements are synchronization metrics from the synchronization domain taken at each end point where time and phase synchronization is required and include any of a maximum time error (TE), a constant time error (cTE), and a dynamic time error (dTE), each synchronization metric being determined at a mobile network location defining a point in the mobile network.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synchronization domain anomalies are further correlated with anomalies from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) domain, and based thereon, a root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies is determined to be due to an accuracy of a received time reference based on any of average signal strengths of all satellites in use, Time Dilution of Precision (TDOP), Position of Dilution of Precision (PDOP), and mean accuracy associated with the GNSS domain.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlating of the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains further includes a radio access network (RAN) domain and a mobile core domain, and wherein the anomalies from the other domains are based on any of failures, Data radio bearer (DRB) Accessibility, Quality of service (QOS) Flow Retainability, DRB Retainability, and Handover Success Rate.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains are defined by time values, severity, impact, and a dimensional signature.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlating the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains of the mobile network further includes

analyzing measurements from the synchronization domain and measurements from the other domains, collectively forming measurements data on several dimensions associated with an event.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the analyzing includes determining precision time protocol (PTP) messages are being dropped or delayed, determining a root cause of the synchronization domain anomalies is a transport domain issue.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the analyzing includes determining a correlation between the synchronization domain anomalies and a mobile core anomaly, determining a root cause of the mobile core anomaly is a synchronization domain issue.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the analyzing includes determining a correlation between the synchronization domain anomalies and a radio access network (RAN) anomaly, determining a root cause of the RAN anomaly is a synchronization domain issue.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, for mobile network synchronization domain anomaly identification and correlation, that, when executed, cause one or more processors associated with a cloud service to:

receive, at the cloud service, measurements from a synchronization domain reflecting performance of synchronization across a mobile network;

identifying synchronization domain anomalies in the measurements from the synchronization domain, wherein an anomaly is an event in the mobile network causing any of network outages, disruptions, and poor quality;

performing an automated cross-domain correlation via a cloud-based cross-domain correlation system, the automated cross-domain correlation correlates the synchronization domain anomalies against anomalies from other domains of the mobile network via the cloud service, wherein the anomalies from the other domains are detected from performance data collected from components of each respective domain; and

based on the correlation (1) identify root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, (2) identify associated impact on services and/or subscribers of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, and (3) identify remedial actions for the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains;

wherein the correlating of the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains includes a transport network domain of a transport network, where anomalies associated with the transport network domain are determined based on any of resource utilization, port utilization, dropped packets, packet loss, latency, and jitter, and wherein identifying the root causes includes determining by detecting anomalies independently prior to the correlating wherein correlating the anomalies associated with the transport network domain with the synchronization domain anomalies indicates where the transport network has not been able to successfully deliver Precision Time Protocol (PTP) timing messages between a plurality of clocks.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the other domains include one or more of a radio access network (RAN) domain, the transport domain, and a mobile core domain.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the synchronization domain includes

receivers in the mobile network configured to calculate a reference time from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS); and

a plurality of clocks configured to measure transmission delays, calculate the reference time, and communicate to one another via precision time protocol (PTP) messages.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the measurements from the synchronization domain include any of a maximum time error (TE), a constant time error (cTE), and a dynamic time error (dTE), each being determined at a point in the mobile network.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the synchronization domain anomalies are further correlated with anomalies from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) domain, and based thereon, a root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies is determined to be due to an accuracy of a received time reference based on any of average signal strengths of all satellites in use, Time Dilution of Precision (TDOP), Position of Dilution of Precision (PDOP), and mean accuracy associated with the GNSS domain.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the correlating of the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains includes a radio access network (RAN) domain and a mobile core domain, and wherein the anomalies from the other domains are based on any of failures, Data radio bearer (DRB) Accessibility, Quality of service (QOS) Flow Retainability, DRB Retainability, and Handover Success Rate.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the correlating the synchronization domain anomalies against the anomalies from the other domains of the mobile network further includes

analyzing measurements from the synchronization domain and measurements from the other domains, collectively forming measurements data on several dimensions associated with an event.

19 . A method implemented by a cloud service for mobile network synchronization domain anomaly identification and correlation, the method comprising steps of:

receiving, at the cloud service, measurements from a synchronization domain reflecting performance of synchronization across a mobile network;

identifying synchronization domain anomalies in the measurements from the synchronization domain, wherein an anomaly is an event in the mobile network causing any of network outages, disruptions, and poor quality;

performing an automated cross-domain correlation via a cloud-based cross-domain correlation system, the automated cross-domain correlation correlating the synchronization domain anomalies against anomalies from other domains of the mobile network via the cloud service, wherein the anomalies from the other domains are detected from performance data collected from components of each respective domain; and

based on the correlation (1) identifying root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, (2) identifying associated impact on services and/or subscribers of the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains, and (3) identifying remedial actions for the synchronization domain anomalies and the anomalies from the other domains;

wherein the synchronization domain anomalies are correlated with anomalies from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) domain, and based thereon, the root causes of the synchronization domain anomalies is determined to be due to an accuracy of a received time reference based on any of average signal strengths of all satellites in use, Time Dilution of Precision (TDOP), Position of Dilution of Precision (PDOP), and mean accuracy associated with the GNSS domain.

Assignments (7)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (50)