Automatic allocation of physical facilities for maximum collaboration

• US 10,296,851 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2015
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Craig Arthur, Harp, Gregory O., Sineath, Joseph Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/684,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,501 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

Physical space is allocated to members of a group to maximize collaborative efforts. Each member of the group is determined based on presence or detection of a wireless device. As the members of the group are wirelessly detected, physical space may be assigned based on historical usage, calendar entries, physical needs, and infrastructure traits. Desks, office space, conference rooms, and other facilities may thus be dynamically reserved to maximize collaboration and yet efficiently utilize existing physical spaces.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving access notifications sent from wireless routers, the access notifications describing wireless devices requesting a wireless access to wireless local area networks;

retrieving historical network access associated with the wireless devices;

determining from the historical network access that all the wireless devices have simultaneously accessed one of the wireless local area networks at a common date and time;

identifying a service set identifier associated with the one of the wireless local area networks simultaneously accessed by all the wireless devices at the common date and time;

identifying a physical space associated with the service set identifier; and

assigning the physical space to users associated with the wireless devices, the physical space served by the one of the wireless local area networks that is simultaneously accessed by the wireless devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving electronic calendars associated with the wireless devices.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise determining an electronic calendar entry that is common to the electronic calendars associated with the wireless devices.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a project collaboration that is common to the wireless devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving cellular identifiers in the packets of data.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise determining the cellular identifiers are commonly associated as members of a group.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating an electronic reservation for the physical space served by the one of the wireless local area networks.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, packets of data identifying a cellular identifier associated with a wireless device, the wireless device requesting an access to a wireless local area network;

querying, by the server, an electronic database for the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device, the electronic database electronically associating cellular identifiers and groups;

identifying, by the server, a group of the groups in the electronic database that is electronically associated with the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device;

identifying, by the server, a service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network;

querying, by the server, another electronic database for the service set identifier, the another electronic database electronically associating physical spaces and service set identifiers including the service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network;

identifying, by the server, a physical space of the physical spaces in the another electronic database that is electronically associated with the service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network; and

generating, by the server, an electronic reservation that reserves the physical space served by the wireless local area network for the group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining a count of wireless devices associated with the group, the wireless devices simultaneously registered with the wireless local area network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising reserving the physical space based on the count of the wireless devices.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising retrieving a spatial requirement per member of the group.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining a size of the physical space based on the count of the wireless devices and the spatial requirement.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a listing of the cellular identifiers associated with the group.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising assigning an office to the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device requesting the access to the wireless local area network.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving packets of data identifying a cellular identifier associated with a wireless device requesting an access to a wireless local area network;

querying an electronic database for the cellular identifier, the electronic database electronically associating cellular identifiers and groups including the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device requesting the access to the wireless local area network;

determining a group of the groups in the electronic database that is electronically associated with the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device requesting the access to the wireless local area network;

identifying a service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network;

querying another electronic database for the service set identifier, the another electronic database electronically associating physical spaces and service set identifiers including the service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network;

identifying a physical space of the physical spaces in the another electronic database that is electronically associated with the service set identifier associated with the wireless local area network; and

reserving the physical space for a user associated with the wireless device, the physical space wirelessly served by the wireless local area network.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise determining a count of wireless devices associated with the group, the wireless devices all requesting the access to the wireless local area network.

17. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise reserving the physical space to the group based on the count of the wireless devices all requesting the access to the wireless local area network.

18. The memory device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise generating an electronic reservation for the physical space based on the count of the wireless devices all requesting the access to the wireless local area network.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating a listing of wireless devices associated with the group, each one of the wireless devices requesting the access to the wireless local area network.

20. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise generating a listing of the cellular identifiers associated with the group.