Network device based proximity beacon locating

• US 10,123,168 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2018
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Changming, Hoppin, William, Scheers, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Mapa, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/976,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20180262872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 180 Days
• Field of Search: 4554042, 4554142, 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A proximity beacon signal transmitted by a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter is received at a network device. A RSSI reporting message is generated at the network device based on the proximity beacon signal. A position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the network device is determined using the RSSI reporting message. A location of the network device within a region is determined using the RSSI reporting message and network device map data for the region. The location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter in the region is determined based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the network device and the location of the network device within the region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a proximity beacon signal from a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter located on a floor of a building;

generating, at a first network device configured to transmit data to and from a backhaul of a network for a client device in providing the client device access to network services, a first received signal strength indication (RSSI) reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using dimensions and characteristics of interior walls on the floor of the building and the first RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for one or more floors of the building;

determining a location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity beacon signal is received directly at the first network device from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity beacon signal is received at a proximity beacon transmitter hub coupled to the first network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at a second network device configured to transmit data to and from the backhaul of the network, a second RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device using dimensions and characteristics of interior walls on the floor of the building and the second RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the second network device using the second RSSI reporting message and the network device map data, wherein the location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter on the floor of the building is determined also based on the position of the network device coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device and the location of the second network device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device is determined based at least on an RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal indicated by the first RSSI reporting message.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

comparing the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to an RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal, wherein the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device is determined based at least on the comparison of the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining environment conditions of an environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on environment data included in the proximity beacon signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a temperature condition at or around the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on temperature data included in the proximity beacon signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a movable object associated with the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

tracking a position of the movable object on the floor of the building based on the location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter on the floor of the building.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a movable object associated with the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

tracking a position of the movable object on the floor of the building based on the location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter on the floor of the building;

displaying the tracked position of the movable object on the floor of the building in a floor map of the floor of the building.

11. A system comprising:

a first network device configured to;

receive a proximity beacon signal transmitted by a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter located on a floor of a building;

generate a first received signal strength indication (RSSI) reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

a proximity beacon location determination engine configured to;

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using dimensions and characteristics of interior walls on the floor of the building and the first RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for one or more floors of the building;

determine a location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first network device receives the proximity beacon signal directly from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a proximity beacon transmitter hub coupled to the first network device, the proximity beacon transmitter hub configured to:

receive the proximity beacon signal directly from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

send the proximity beacon signal to the first network device.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second network device configured to receive the proximity beacon signal transmitted by the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, and generate a second RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal,

wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine is further configured to:

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device using dimensions and characteristics of interior walls on the floor of the building and the second RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the second network device using the second RSSI reporting message and the network-device map data;

determine the location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter on the floor of the building also based on the position of the network device coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device and the location of the second network device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine determines the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based at least on an RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal indicated by the first RSSI reporting message.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine is further configured to:

determine a transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

compare the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to an RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal;

determine the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based at least on the comparison of the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI value of the proximity beacon signal.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first network device is further configured to determine environment conditions of an environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on environment data included in the proximity beacon signal.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first network device is further configured to determine a temperature condition at or around the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on temperature data included in the proximity beacon signal.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising an asset tracking engine configured to:

determine a movable object associated with the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

track a position of the movable object on the floor of the building based on the location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter on the floor of the building.

20. A system comprising:

a means for receiving a proximity beacon signal from a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter located on a floor of a building;

a means for generating, at a first network device configured to transmit data to and from a backhaul of a network for a client device in providing the client device access to network services, a first received signal strength indication (RSSI) reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

a means for determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using dimensions and characteristics of interior walls on the floor of the building and the first RSSI reporting message;

a means for determining a location of the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for one or more floors of the building;

a means for determining a location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device.