IP Library Granted Patent US 12,363,501
Granted Patent B2
US 12,363,501 · App. 18/973,725 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Location clustering and routing for 5G drive testing

Inventor: Nirmal Chandrasekaran (Hillsborough, NJ)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
H04W4/021G01C21/32G01C21/3461G01C21/3469G01C21/3867G01C21/3896H04W4/024H04W4/025H04W4/026H04W24/06H04W24/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,363,501
App. No.
18/973,725
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer system obtains information describing a geographical area segmented into multiple first clusters serviced by a telecommunications network. Multiple test locations are identified within the first clusters. Each test location is located within a grid of the geographical area. Each first cluster is recursively segmented into multiple second clusters until a difference between a number of test locations within each second cluster and a target number of test locations is less than a threshold number of test locations. A route is generated connecting test locations within each second cluster, using a routing application programming interface for performing drive testing of the telecommunications network. The computer system sends the route to one or more computer devices for performing the drive testing at the test locations in a sequence corresponding to the route.

Claims (60)

1. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor; and

at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the system to:

obtain, from a computer server, information describing a geographical area segmented into multiple grids, wherein the multiple grids include multiple test locations for drive testing of a telecommunications network;

grouping the multiple grids into a set of clusters, wherein a size of each cluster of the set of clusters is within a specified range of sizes;

obtain, from a street network, drivable road data for the set of clusters;

determine multiple road locations using the drivable road data, wherein each road location of the multiple road locations is located within a threshold distance from a test location;

generate a drivable route connecting the multiple road locations, using a routing application programming interface (API), for performing the drive testing; and

transmit, to one or more computer devices, the generated drivable route for performing the drive testing at the multiple road locations in a sequence corresponding to the route.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein performing the drive testing using a vehicle according to the route reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing a number of miles driven by the vehicle compared to performing the drive testing according to the multiple grids.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein performing the drive testing comprises determining network performance of the telecommunications network from a vehicle at the multiple road locations while the vehicle is moving.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein driving across the route for performing the drive testing is completable within a specified time period.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a road location of the multiple road locations is a first road location, and

wherein the instructions cause the system to:

responsive to determining that a second road location is blocked,

remove the second road location from the multiple road locations.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

responsive to determining an absence of a drivable road within a particular grid,

remove the particular grid from the multiple grids prior to generating the drivable route.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

responsive to determining that generating the drivable route using a particular road location located within a particular grid violates a routing constraint:

insert an intermediate road location within the particular grid to meet the routing constraint,

wherein the drivable route includes the intermediate road location.

8. A method comprising:

obtaining, from a computer server, information describing a geographical area segmented into multiple grids, wherein the multiple grids include multiple test locations for drive testing of a telecommunications network;

grouping the multiple grids into a set of clusters, wherein a size of each cluster of the set of clusters is within a specified range of sizes;

obtaining, from a street network, drivable road data for the set of clusters;

determining multiple road locations using the drivable road data, wherein each road location of the multiple road locations is located within a threshold distance from a test location;

generate a drivable route connecting the multiple road locations, using a routing application programming interface (API), for performing the drive testing; and

transmitting, to one or more computer devices, the generated drivable route for performing the drive testing at the multiple road locations in a sequence corresponding to the route.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein performing the drive testing using a vehicle according to the route reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing a number of miles driven by the vehicle compared to performing the drive testing according to the multiple grids.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein performing the drive testing comprises determining network performance of the telecommunications network from a vehicle at the multiple road locations while the vehicle is moving.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein driving across the route for performing the drive testing is completable within a specified time period.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein a road location of the multiple road locations is a first road location, the method comprising:

responsive to determining that a second road location is blocked,

removing the second road location from the multiple road locations.

13. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

responsive to determining an absence of a drivable road within a particular grid,

removing the particular grid from the multiple grids prior to generating the drivable route.

14. The method of claim 8 , comprising:

responsive to determining that generating the drivable route using a particular road location located within a particular grid violates a routing constraint:

inserting an intermediate road location within the particular grid to meet the routing constraint,

wherein the drivable route includes the intermediate road location.

15. At least one non-transitory memory storing instructions, which, when executed by at least one hardware processor of a system, cause the system to:

obtain, from a computer server, information describing a geographical area segmented into multiple grids, wherein the multiple grids include multiple test locations for drive testing of a telecommunications network;

group the multiple grids into a set of clusters, wherein a size of each cluster of the set of clusters is within a specified range of sizes;

obtain, from a street network, drivable road data for the set of clusters;

determine multiple road locations using the drivable road data, wherein each road location is located within a threshold distance from a test location;

generate a drivable route connecting the multiple road locations, using a routing application programming interface (API), for performing the drive testing; and

transmit, to one or more computer devices, the generated drivable route for performing the drive testing at the multiple road locations in a sequence corresponding to the route.

16. The at least one non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein performing the drive testing using a vehicle according to the route reduces greenhouse gas emissions by reducing a number of miles driven by the vehicle compared to performing the drive testing according to the multiple grids.

17. The at least one non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein performing the drive testing comprises determining network performance of the telecommunications network from a vehicle at the multiple road locations while the vehicle is moving.

18. The at least one non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein driving across the route for performing the drive testing is completable within a specified time period.

19. The at least one non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein a road location of the multiple road locations is a first road location, and

wherein the instructions cause the system to:

responsive to determining that a second road location is blocked,

remove the second road location from the multiple road locations.

20. The at least one non-transitory memory of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

responsive to determining an absence of a drivable road within a particular grid,

remove the particular grid from the multiple grids.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: CHANDRASEKARAN, NIRMAL
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 069572/0397 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 18308650 · Apr 27, 2023
Provisional Application 63498229 · Apr 25, 2023
Related Publication 20250106586A1 · Mar 27, 2025
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