1. In a wireless communications network having a plurality of base stations for communication with a plurality of mobile devices, a method of managing the collection and maintenance of performance data for the wireless communications network comprising:
(a) collecting configuration data for the wireless communications network;
(b) encoding the collected configuration data and storing the data in a first database;
(c) collecting signals by at least one base station, the signals being transmitted by the mobile device;
(d) measuring at least one parameter of the collected signal;
(e) encoding the at least one parameter and storing in a second database; and
(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for a plurality of configurations,
wherein encoding the parameter includes associating with a temporal parameter.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(g) receiving a request for at least one measured parameter for a specified network configuration; and
(h) accessing the at least one measured parameter for the time period during which the specified network configuration existed.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
(i) if the specified network configuration does not exist in the first database:
(1) accessing the at least one parameter of a network substantially similar to the specified configuration; and
(2) modifying the accessed data to correspond to the specified configuration.
4. In a wireless communication network having a configuration of communication elements for communicating with a mobile device, a method of collecting performance information related to the configuration of the network elements comprising:
(a) collecting performance data for a first configuration of network elements;
(b) encoding the collected performance data for the first configuration and storing in a database;
(c) collecting performance data by at least one base station for a second configuration of network elements;
(d) encoding the collected performance data for the second configuration and storing in a database; and
(e) predicting the performance data for a third configuration as a function of the performance data for the first and second configurations, wherein the first, second and third configurations are not the same configurations,
wherein encoding the parameter includes associating with a temporal parameter.
5. In a wireless communications network having a plurality of base stations for communication with a plurality of mobile devices, a method of managing the collection and maintenance of performance data for the wireless communications network comprising:
(a) collecting configuration data for the wireless communications network;
(b) encoding the collected configuration data and storing the data in a database;
(c) collecting signals by at least one mobile device, the signals being transmitted by at least one base station;
(d) measuring at least one parameter of the collected signal;
(e) encoding the at least one parameter and storing in a database; and
(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for a plurality of configurations,
wherein encoding the parameter includes associating with a temporal parameter.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:
(g) receiving a request for at least one measured parameter for a specified network configuration; and
(h) accessing the at least one measured parameter for the time period during which the specified network configuration existed.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:
(i) if the specified network configuration does not exist in the data base:
(1) accessing the at least one parameter of a network substantially similar to the specified configuration; and
(2) modifying the accessed data to correspond to the specified configuration.
8. A method for evaluating the performance of a wireless communications network having a plurality of base stations for communicating with a plurality of mobile devices, comprising:
(a) collecting configuration data for the wireless communications network and storing in a database;
(b) measuring by at least one mobile device at least one parameter of the communication signals transmitted in the wireless communications network and storing in the database;
(c) receiving a request for the at least one measured parameter for a specified network configuration; and
(d) providing the requested at least one parameter that is valid for the specified network configuration,
wherein the collected configuration data and the measured at least one parameter are time stamped.
9. The method of claim 2 further comprising identifying the at least one measured parameter which is not valid for the specified network configuration.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
(g) estimating the network configuration as a function of a specified time; and
(h) providing at least one measured parameter valid for the estimated network configuration.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
(g) receiving a request for at least one measured parameter for a specified time interval;
(h) identifying the requested at least one parameter for the specified time interval;
(i) identifying the network configurations associated with identified requested at least one parameter for the specified time interval; and
(j) identifying the identified requested at least one parameter which may have been affected by a network configuration change during the specified time interval.
12. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of prediction the performance of the third configuration includes:
(i) extrapolating the performance data associated with the first network configuration;
(ii) extrapolating the performance data associated with the second network configuration; and
(iii) predicting the performance data for third network configuration by extrapolating the extrapolated performance data associated with the first and second network configurations.
13. The method of claim 4 wherein the collection of performance data is selected from the group consisting of: continuous collection, periodic collection, intermittent collection, event-driven collection, and combinations thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An insulation displacement terminal for mounting within a terminal receiving slot in a housing of an insulation displacement interconnection system, the housing having opposed spaced end walls, the insulation displacement terminal comprising:
a base portion having first and second opposing sides;
a termination extending from the first side of the base portion for making electrical contact with the insulation displacement terminal; and
opposed fingers each extending from the second side of the base portion to a distal end, the opposed fingers having a length and having outer edges and opposed inner edges spaced from one another so as to make electrical contact with a wire disposed between the opposed inner edges, the outer edges of each finger including a first abutment section proximal to the base portion and a second abutment section adjacent the distal end of the finger respectively, the first and second abutment sections configured to abut an adjacent end wall of the terminal receiving slot when the insulation displacement terminal is disposed within the housing to constrain the outer edge of the respective finger against outward movement at the respective abutment sections, each finger having a resilient spring-like mid-section along at least a portion of the length of the finger between the first and second abutment sections to permit outward deformation of the inner edge of the finger upon disposal of a wire between the opposed spaced fingers adjacent the finger mid-sections.
2. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein a portion of the outer edge between the first and second abutment sections in inwardly recessed toward the inner edge such that each finger has a width that is narrower in the mid-section to provide a thinned resilient spring-like mid-section.
3. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein each finger includes at least one opening within the mid-section to provide the resilient spring-like mid-section.
4. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein the fingers have smooth corners along at least a wire contact area of the inner edges.
5. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein the inner edges of opposed fingers are generally planar along at least a portion of the length of the fingers.
6. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein the inner edges of each one of the opposed fingers includes a scraper member adjacent the end of the respective finger distal from the base portion, the scraper members having inner edges spaced apart by a distance slightly less than a diameter of a wire intended for use with the insulation displacement terminal.
7. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein the first abutment sections includes an outwardly extending barb configured to engage the end walls of the slot to retain the terminal within the housing when the insulation displacement terminal is disposed therein.
8. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 1 wherein the base portion includes flanges extending outwardly of the fingers, the flanges having a lower edge configured to abut a ledge within the housing to define an insertion depth of the terminal when the terminal is inserted within the housing.
9. An insulation displacement connector comprising:
a housing having a terminal receiving slot extending into the housing from an open end of the housing, the terminal receiving slot having first opposed end walls spaced apart by a first distance; and
an insulation displacement terminal disposed with the terminal receiving slot of the housing, the insulation displacement terminal including:
a base portion having first and second opposing sides;
a termination extending from the first side of the base portion; and
a pair of opposed spaced fingers, each extending from the second side of the base portion to a distal end, the opposed fingers having a length and having outer edges and opposed inner edges spaced from one another so as to make electrical contact with a wire disposed between the opposed inner edges, the outer edges of each finger including a first abutment section proximal to the base portion and a second abutment section adjacent the distal end of the finger respectively, the first and second abutment sections configured to abut an adjacent one of the first opposed end walls when the insulation displacement terminal is disposed within the terminal receiving slot to constrain the outer edge of the respective finger against outward movement at the respective abutment sections, each finger having a resilient spring-like mid-section along at least a portion of the length of the finger between the first and second abutment sections to permit outward deformation of the inner edge of the finger upon disposal of a wire between the opposed spaced fingers adjacent the finger mid-sections.
10. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 wherein a portion of the outer edge between the first and second abutment sections in inwardly recessed toward the inner edge such that each finger has a width that is narrower in the mid-section to provide a thinned resilient spring-like mid-section.
11. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 wherein each finger includes at least one opening within the mid-section to provide the resilient spring-like mid-section.
12. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 wherein the fingers have smooth corners along the inner edges.
13. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 where the inner edges of the opposed fingers are substantially planar along a wire contact area.
14. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 wherein the inner edges of opposed fingers each include a scraper member adjacent an end of the respective finger distal from the base portion, the scraper members having inner edges spaced from one another by a distance slightly less than a diameter of a wire to be disposed between the fingers.
15. The insulation displacement connector of claim 9 wherein the first abutment sections includes an outwardly extending barb engaging the end walls of the slot to retain the insulation displacement terminal within the housing.
16. The insulation displacement terminal of claim 9 wherein the terminal receiving slot includes opposed second end walls adjacent the open end, the second end walls spaced by a second distance greater that the first distance and outboard of the first end walls, the housing including a ledge extending between the first end walls and the adjacent second end wall;
the base portion including flanges extending outwardly of the fingers, the flanges each including a surface that abuts one of the ledges within the housing to limit an insertion depth of the insulation displacement terminal within the housing.