IP Library Granted Patent US 12,429,342
Granted Patent B2
US 12,429,342 · App. 18/535,018 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Systems and methods for identifying an optimal route for network performance testing

Inventors: Ammara Essa (Los Angeles, CA); Timothy E. Coyle (Chicopee, MA); Hector Alejandro Garcia Crespo (N Richland Hills, TX); Matthew Kapala (North Billerica, MA)
Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
G01C21/3407H04B17/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,429,342
App. No.
18/535,018
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device may receive user criteria associated with a route for network performance testing of a network, network data associated with the network, and cartographic data associated with a location of the network. The device may calculate network spatial data based on the user criteria and the network data, and may perform feature extraction of the network spatial data to calculate network statistics and to extract network event locations. The device may generate waypoint criteria based on the network statistics and the network event locations, and may map the network spatial data to valid roadways identified in the cartographic data to generate mapped data. The device may identify a list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria, and may process the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with a clustering model, to generate the route.

Claims (85)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, user criteria associated with a route for network performance testing of a network;

receiving, by the device, network data associated with the network and cartographic data associated with a location of the network;

calculating, by the device, network spatial data based on the user criteria and the network data;

performing, by the device and based on the user criteria, feature extraction of the network spatial data to calculate network statistics and to extract network event locations;

generating, by the device, waypoint criteria based on the network statistics and the network event locations;

mapping, by the device, the network spatial data to valid roadways identified in the cartographic data to generate mapped data;

identifying, by the device, a list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria; and

processing, by the device, the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with a clustering model, to generate the route for the network performance testing,

wherein the route is associated with a particular radio frequency of the network.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing one or more actions based on the route.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises one or more of:

providing the route to a user device;

storing the route in a data structure; or

providing driving instructions for the route to a user device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the one or more actions comprises one or more of:

receiving a user input associated with the route and generating a modified route based on the user input;

receiving network performance testing results associated with the route; or

retraining the clustering model based on the route.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network statistics include one or more of reference signal received powers associated with the network, signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios associated with the network, intra-cell handovers associated with the network, or inter-cell handovers associated with the network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network event locations include one or more of intra-cell handover boundaries associated with the network or inter-cell handover boundaries associated with the network.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria comprises:

determining whether the mapped data satisfies the waypoint criteria; and

including, in the list of viable waypoints, waypoints associated with the mapped data that satisfies the waypoint criteria.

8. A device, comprising:

one or more processors configured to:

receive user criteria associated with a route for network performance testing of a network;

receive network data associated with the network and cartographic data associated with a location of the network;

calculate network spatial data based on the user criteria and the network data;

perform, based on the user criteria, feature extraction of the network spatial data to calculate network statistics and to extract network event locations;

generate waypoint criteria based on the network statistics and the network event locations;

map the network spatial data to valid roadways identified in the cartographic data to generate mapped data;

identify a list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria;

process the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with a clustering model, to generate the route for the network performance testing; and

perform one or more actions based on the route.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the waypoint criteria identify waypoints that are accessible by a vehicle and/or an autonomous device.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, to process the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with the clustering model, to generate the route for the network performance testing, are configured to:

extract centroids for the network data;

map the centroids for the network data to a nearest road identified in the cartographic data; and

generate the route for the network performance testing based on mapping the centroids for the network data to the nearest road.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors, to generate the route for the network performance testing, are configured to:

utilize a shortest-path-based route optimization to generate the route for the network performance testing.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

cause the route to be utilized to identify an area of the network with network performance issues.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to one or more of:

cause the route to be utilized to validate quality of service requirements of the network; or

cause the route to be utilized to validate a coverage area of the network.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to one or more of:

cause the route to be utilized to test a new cell activation in the network; or

provide the route to a third party for network performance testing of the network.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:

receive user criteria associated with a route for network performance testing of a network;

receive network data associated with the network and cartographic data associated with a location of the network;

calculate network spatial data based on the user criteria and the network data;

perform, based on the user criteria, feature extraction of the network spatial data to calculate network statistics and to extract network event locations;

generate waypoint criteria based on the network statistics and the network event locations,

wherein the waypoint criteria identify waypoints that are accessible by a vehicle;

map the network spatial data to valid roadways identified in the cartographic data to generate mapped data;

identify a list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria;

process the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with a clustering model, to generate the route for the network performance testing; and

perform one or more actions based on the route.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to one or more of:

cause the route to be utilized to identify an area of the network with network performance issues;

cause the route to be utilized to validate quality of service requirements of the network;

cause the route to be utilized to validate a coverage area of the network;

cause the route to be utilized to test a new cell activation in the network; or

provide the route to a third party for network performance testing of the network.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to perform the one or more actions, cause the device to one or more of:

provide the route to a user device;

store the route in a data structure;

provide driving instructions for the route to a user device;

receive a user input about the route and generate a modified route based on the user input;

receive network performance testing results associated with the route; or

retrain the clustering model based on the route.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to identify the list of viable waypoints based on comparing the mapped data and the waypoint criteria, cause the device to:

determine whether the mapped data satisfies the waypoint criteria; and

include, in the list of viable waypoints, waypoints associated with the mapped data that satisfies the waypoint criteria.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to process the list of viable waypoints, the network data, and the cartographic data, with the clustering model, to generate the route for the network performance testing, cause the device to:

extract centroids for the network data;

map the centroids for the network data to a nearest road identified in the cartographic data; and

generate the route for the network performance testing based on mapping the centroids for the network data to the nearest road.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the device to generate the route for the network performance testing, cause the device to:

utilize a shortest-path-based route optimization to generate the route for the network performance testing.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2023
From: ESSA, AMMARA; COYLE, TIMOTHY E.; GARCIA CRESPO, HECTOR A.; KAPALA, MATTHEW
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 065838/0177 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250189322A1 · Jun 12, 2025
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