Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, supports clients in many aspects of wireless intellectual property (IP) monetization and strategy. Testing mobile devices and network systems in live wireless networks is an ultimate approach to demonstrate the applicability of the patents in commercial, operational network settings.
Wireless 3GPP standards have evolved from 3G to 4G, 5G, and soon, will evolve to 6G wireless standards generations through steps according to multiple standards releases. Each release introduces incremental capabilities, some mandatory, some optional. In the current networks deployed in the US, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all support 5G NR Rel 16.
As we explained in our previously published paper Applying Testing Tools to Establish Evidence of Use for Wireless Patents, mobile devices and network systems might claim conformance to current/new wireless standards, but it is up to network operators to activate the standards features on their networks. Even though the systems deployed in the field might implement recent standards features, mobile network operators might choose to delay turning on certain capabilities based on business reasons; for example, if a business does not see sufficient consumer demand justifying additional investment in their services offerings, they may opt out of implementation. Similarly, some operators might more aggressively transition to advanced standards and turn off features of the older standards entirely. Mobile device manufacturers also make such decisions and often take devices off the market which are considered “obsolete” and, instead, market new devices with the most advanced connectivity features.
The knowledge of the deployment of current features versus future, and implementation of such features on mobile devices supported by networks is a valuable insight into the assessment of the applicability and future relevance of our clients’ IP.
Our new paper explores the role of live network testing to gain insights into network capabilities, the deployment status of 5G features on US networks, and provides useful insights into the worldwide network deployments. Whether it is to confirm use of an essential feature of a standard, an optional feature of the standard, an implementation specific feature related to the standard, or another non- standardized feature, we have a wide range of capabilities for testing those features in a lab environment and in live commercial networks. During live testing in a mobile operator network, off-the-shelf terminals are connected via an air interface to network vendor equipment that is currently deployed and configured by a mobile service provider. This type of setup offers valuable information into commercial use of patented features in commercial deployments. We investigate functions both on the terminal side and on the base station side. Over the years we have gained much knowledge on deployment of standard features in cellular networks in the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, and China.
To discuss this topic further, please contact Scott Demarest at [email protected] or Marek Wernik at [email protected].
