US5451839A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Portable real time cellular telephone and pager network system monitor
Assignee: Anite Finland Oy
•
Filing: 1993-01-12
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Granted: 1995-09-19
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Expires: 2013-01-12
Abstract
Abstract A portable real-time monitoring system for field testing and troubleshooting a cellular telephone network, paging network, or mobile radio system employs a user friendly interface between a user and a scanning radio receiver which displays, monitors and stores parameters related to real-time performance. A portable all-band radio receiver capable of receiving cellular and paging frequencies is connected to a computer, such as, for example, a lap-top computer suitable for mobile operation at remote sites, personal computer (PC) or workstation. An interface circuit is installed within the radio receiver which taps available signals within the receiver as well as allows the computer to control the receiver frequency selection, band designation and demodulation setting. The interface hardware and microcode cooperate to process and decode received signals according to cellular and paging network industry standards. An application running on the computer is provided which utilizes the processed signals to permit complete automated reception, display and storage of cellular, paging, and mobile radio data as well as the signal strength (RSSI) for each signal. All monitored activity is displayed on the PC screen and is written to a disk in an organized ASCII or HEX file for instant retrieval and analysis. Masks can also be specified by the user which allow only selected data to pass or not pass through the system. The masks may be used to trigger alarms and print data when selected data is detected.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore S. Rappaport
- 👤 Joseph G. Liberti
- 👤 Scott L. McCulley
- 👤 Michael D. Keitz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04W; H04W24/00; H04B; H04B17/00; H04B17/20; H04B17/201
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
230 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver; and an interface connected between said scanning radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message data; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
230 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver; and an interface connected between said scanning radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message data; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a trigger means connected to said serial port of said computer, said trigger means being activated when said computer monitors a user selected message over said radio communication system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 2 wherein said trigger means activates an updating means for updating a billboard.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said radio communication system is a cellular network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said radio communication system is a paging network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 5 wherein said bit stream of message data is decoded according a plurality of decoding standards to generate a plurality of messages, said computer displaying said plurality of messages on said display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system as recited in claim 1 wherein said radio communication system is mobile radio system.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
243 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver and for monitoring and recording predetermined parameters related to the monitored radio communication system; and an interface connected between said radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message dam; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
243 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver and for monitoring and recording predetermined parameters related to the monitored radio communication system; and an interface connected between said radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message dam; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
270 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver; and an interface connected between said radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-m-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message data; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message wherein said decoding includes at least one of: tracking cellular telephone traffic based upon predetermined indicia, and automatically decoding digital paging data transmitted in any of the protocol formats in a group of protocol formats consisting of: GOLAY; NEC, and POCSAG, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
270 words
A system for monitoring a radio communication system at remote sites within a service area in real time, comprising: a scanning radio receiver for receiving radio signals within a frequency range of said radio communication system, said radio signals including frequency shift keying (FSK) signals containing message data, and an automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a computer having a serial port and a display, said computer for controlling said scanning radio receiver; and an interface connected between said radio receiver and the serial port of said computer, said interface comprising: an analog-m-digital (A/D) converter for sampling said automatic gain control (AGC) signal and generating a digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal; a demodulator means for demodulating said frequency shift keying (FSK) signals and generating a bit stream of message data; and a microprocessor communicating with a memory, said memory storing a microprogram, said microprocessor receiving said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal and said bit stream of message data, said microprocessor executing said microprogram to convert said digitized automatic gain control (AGC) signal to a quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and decoding said bit stream of message data according to a decoding standard for said radio communication system to generate a message wherein said decoding includes at least one of: tracking cellular telephone traffic based upon predetermined indicia, and automatically decoding digital paging data transmitted in any of the protocol formats in a group of protocol formats consisting of: GOLAY; NEC, and POCSAG, said interface communicating with said computer through said serial port, said computer simultaneously displaying said quantitative received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value and said message.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for monitoring radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data for a radio communication system at remote sites throughout a service region, comprising the steps: controlling a scanning receiver to receive a radio signal of a particular frequency and producing an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal; monitoring and recording predetermined parameters related to the monitored radio communication system; digitizing said Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal and converting the digitized signal to a quantitative RSSI level for said radio signal; demodulating said radio signal to produce a message bit stream; decoding said message bit stream according to a decoding standard to produce a message; transmitting said quantitative RSSI level and said message to a computer; and displaying said quantitative RSSI level and said message on a display screen.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for monitoring radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data for a radio communication system at remote sites throughout a service region, comprising the steps: controlling a scanning receiver to receive a radio signal of a particular frequency and producing an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal; monitoring and recording predetermined parameters related to the monitored radio communication system; digitizing said Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal and converting the digitized signal to a quantitative RSSI level for said radio signal; demodulating said radio signal to produce a message bit stream; decoding said message bit stream according to a decoding standard to produce a message; transmitting said quantitative RSSI level and said message to a computer; and displaying said quantitative RSSI level and said message on a display screen.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method for monitoring radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data as recited in claim 10 wherein said radio communication system is a cellular network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method for monitoring a radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data as recited in claim 10 wherein said radio communication system is a paging network.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for monitoring radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data for a radio communication system at remote sites throughout a service region, comprising the steps: controlling a scanning receiver to receive a radio signal of a particular frequency and producing an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal; digitizing said Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal and converting the digitized signal to a quantitative RSSI level for said radio signal; demodulating said radio signal to produce a message bit stream; decoding said message bit stream according to a decoding standard to produce a message wherein said decoding step includes at least one of: (a) tracking cellular telephone traffic based upon predetermined indicia; and (b) automatically decoding digital paging data transmitted in any of the protocol formats in the group consisting of: GOLAY; NEC; and POCSAG; transmitting said quantitative RSSI level and said message to a computer; and displaying said quantitative RSSI level and said message on a display screen.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for monitoring radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data for a radio communication system at remote sites throughout a service region, comprising the steps: controlling a scanning receiver to receive a radio signal of a particular frequency and producing an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal; digitizing said Automatic Gain Control (AGC) signal and converting the digitized signal to a quantitative RSSI level for said radio signal; demodulating said radio signal to produce a message bit stream; decoding said message bit stream according to a decoding standard to produce a message wherein said decoding step includes at least one of: (a) tracking cellular telephone traffic based upon predetermined indicia; and (b) automatically decoding digital paging data transmitted in any of the protocol formats in the group consisting of: GOLAY; NEC; and POCSAG; transmitting said quantitative RSSI level and said message to a computer; and displaying said quantitative RSSI level and said message on a display screen.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method for monitoring a radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data of a radio communication system as recited in claim 13 wherein said radio communication system is a cellular network.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method for monitoring a radio message data and relative signal strength indicator (RSSI) data of a radio communication system as recited in claim 13 wherein said radio communication system is a paging network.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-09-18 | 1999-03-20 | 1999-09-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-09-18 | 2003-03-20 | 2003-09-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-09-18 | 2007-03-20 | 2007-09-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |