Public wireless network performance management system with mobile device data collection agents
A controller coupled to plural mobile devices through a mobile communications environment including multiple available networks at a location remote from the plural mobile devices. The plural mobile devices are simultaneously connected to plural networks and collecting network data for each simultaneously connected plural multiple networks. The controller includes a receiver receiving from each mobile device the collected network data, where each mobile device is connected to the receiver via an active one of the simultaneously connected plural multiple networks for transmitting the collected network data; a processor configured to evaluate the collected network data from each mobile device and, based upon respective rules established for each mobile device, to produce respective sets of operating parameters for the plural mobile devices; and a transmitter to transmit to each mobile device the respective sets of operating parameters.
1. A method of remotely controlling a plurality of mobile devices through a mobile communications environment comprising multiple available networks, wherein each of the plurality of mobile devices is simultaneously connected to a plurality of the multiple available networks and collects network data for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks, the method comprising:
receiving from each of the plurality of mobile devices the collected network data for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks, wherein one of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks of each of the plurality of mobile devices is active for transmitting the collected network data;
evaluating the collected network data received from each of the plurality of mobile devices based upon respective rules for each of the plurality of mobile devices and producing respective sets of operating parameters for the plurality of mobile devices; and
transmitting to each of the plurality of mobile devices the respective sets of operating parameters,
wherein the respective sets of operating parameters are stored in a correlated data model for creating at least one of business intelligence reports or geographical maps, and the method further comprises:
analyzing productivity of each of the plurality of mobile devices;
creating geographical maps with overlays of data from the respective sets of operating parameters; and
providing overlays of locations of each of the plurality of mobile devices over time with reported signal strength of the plurality of multiple networks simultaneously connected to the plurality of mobile devices.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, with the at least one of the business intelligence reports or the geographical maps, monitoring at least one of actual and predicted cost of public network use by each of the plurality of devices.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the collected network data from each of the plurality of mobile devices is, for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks, correlated with location data over time;
wherein the evaluating of the collected network data comprises evaluating the collected network data correlated with location data over time based upon the respective rules for each of the plurality of mobile devices.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving further includes receiving from each of the plurality of mobile devices usage time data comprising an amount of usage time for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks, and
wherein the evaluating further includes aggregating the amount of usage time for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks of each of the plurality of mobile devices, and
wherein the respective rules established for each of the plurality of mobile devices further include per user limits of usage time per connected network.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to notify a user of one of the plurality of mobile devices of a projected exceeding of a respective per user limit of usage time.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving further includes receiving from each of the plurality of mobile devices time stamps of occurrences of usage time data for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks, and
wherein the evaluating further includes aggregating the amount of usage time for each of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks of each of the plurality of mobile devices according to the time stamps and monitoring a plurality of time periods, in which each of the time stamps are associated with one of the plurality of time periods, and each of the plurality of time periods is associated with a usage time billing rate, and
wherein the respective rules established for each of the plurality of mobile devices further include per user limits of cost per connected network.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to notify a user of one of the plurality of mobile devices to change networks to avoid exceeding cost limits on one of the simultaneously connected plurality of multiple available networks.