Locating and mapping wireless network devices via wireless gateways
First Claim
1. A method of mapping a wireless network having one or more wireless gateways and one or more other network devices, wherein each wireless gateway is adapted for communication with at least one of the other wireless network devices, the method comprising:
- for each of the other wireless network devices, determining an estimated distance of that other wireless network device from one or more of the wireless gateways based on a received signal strength between that other wireless network device and each of the respective wireless gateways; and
for each of the other wireless network devices, determining an expected location of that other wireless network device based on the estimated distance of that other wireless network device from the wireless gateways, wherein the expected location is relative to a first network device and wherein the first network device is selected from the group consisting of the one or more wireless gateways and the one or more other network devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for locating a network device relative to other network devices are useful for the management of wireless computing networks. Signal strength in a wireless network is indicative of a distance between a transmitting device and a receiving device. Through use of triangulation of the received signals at multiple receiving devices, the relative location of the transmitting device can be determined. Methods of refining the estimation of the expected location of the transmitting device are further provided. Defining an absolute location for at least one of the devices will permit determining the absolute location of the remaining devices based on these relative locations. Locating network devices relative to each other facilitates identifying a closest available resource within the network.
87 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of mapping a wireless network having one or more wireless gateways and one or more other network devices, wherein each wireless gateway is adapted for communication with at least one of the other wireless network devices, the method comprising:
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for each of the other wireless network devices, determining an estimated distance of that other wireless network device from one or more of the wireless gateways based on a received signal strength between that other wireless network device and each of the respective wireless gateways; and
for each of the other wireless network devices, determining an expected location of that other wireless network device based on the estimated distance of that other wireless network device from the wireless gateways, wherein the expected location is relative to a first network device and wherein the first network device is selected from the group consisting of the one or more wireless gateways and the one or more other network devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 20)
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14. A method of locating, in a wireless network, a nearest wireless network device matching a criteria, the method comprising:
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determining expected locations of a plurality of wireless network devices relative to one another based on a signal strength received between each of the plurality of wireless network devices and one or more wireless gateways, wherein the plurality of wireless network devices and the one or more wireless gateways are part of the wireless network;
generating a data structure containing the expected locations associated with each of the plurality of wireless network devices, wherein the data structure further comprises supplemental information associated with each of the plurality of wireless network devices;
searching the data structure for each wireless network device matching the criteria, wherein the criteria is compared to at least the supplemental information;
identifying each wireless network device matching the criteria; and
identifying the wireless network device matching the criteria that is nearest a reference point. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon capable of causing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
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determining an estimated distance of one or more first network devices from a second network device based on a strength of a signal received between the one or more first network devices and the second network device;
determining an estimated distance of the one or more first network devices from a third network device based on a strength of a signal received between the one or more first network devices and the third network device;
determining an estimated distance of the one or more first network devices from a fourth network device based on a strength of a signal received between the one or more first network devices and the fourth network device; and
determining an expected location of each of the first network devices relative to each other based at least on the estimated distances of the first network devices from the second, third and fourth network devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification