Methods and apparatus for determining a location of a device

• US 20040157625A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify Inc. (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Beyda, William Joseph, Gheorghiu, Florin
• Granted Patent: US 7,248,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for determining a location of a device connected to a network. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a device, such as an IP enabled or compliant telephone, may receive, detect, or otherwise actively or passively determine a location identifier. The location identifier may be associated with a geographic location of the device. The device may then provide data indicative of the location identifier to another device, such as a network manager device, server, computer, etc. In some embodiments, the device may determine its geographic location after receiving a request for data indicative of its geographic location. In other embodiments, the device may provide data indicative of its geographic location each time it receives, detects or otherwise determines its geographic location. Alternatively, the device may provide data indicative of its geographic location only upon request or when it detects, receives or otherwise determines a new location identifier.

Claims

1. A method for determining a location of a device that is part of a communication network, said method comprising steps of:

wirelessly receiving at said device data indicative of a location identifier, said data indicative of said location identifier transmitted by a transponder device; and

providing said data indicative of said location identifier via said communication network to a server of said communication network to associate said location identifier with said device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of wirelessly transmitting data indicative of a request for said location identifier to said transponder device, said wirelessly transmitting step performed by said device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of receiving from said server via said communication network data indicative of said request for said location identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of wirelessly transmitting data indicative of a request for said location identifier;

and

wherein said wirelessly receiving step occurs periodically.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said wirelessly receiving step includes steps of receiving first data transmitted from a first transponder device indicative of a first location identifier and receiving second data transmitted from a second transponder device indicative of a second location identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

determining which of said first data and said second data better represents said location of said device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

selecting said first data as said data indicative of said location identifier; and

wherein said providing step includes providing said first data to said server via said communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said location identifier includes data indicative of said transponder device transmitting said data indicative of said location identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is an IP compliant communication network.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said device is a IP enabled device.

11. A method for determining a location of a device that is part of a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

sending a first request to a transponder device to broadcast a location identifier associated with said transponder device;

receiving data from said device indicative of a detection by said device of said location identifier associated with said transponder device; and

associating said location identifier with said device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing said location identifier to said transponder device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a geographic location associated with said location identifier.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

sending via said communication network a second request to said device to determine said location identifier; and

wherein said associating step includes the step of transmitting said location identifier to a server on said communication network.

15. A system for determining a location of a device that is part of a communication network, comprising:

a first transponder device adapted to wirelessly transmit data indicative of a location identifier associated with a geographic area of said first transponder device;

said device connected to said communication network, said device adapted to receive said data indicative of said location identifier transmitted by said first device, wherein said device comprises an IP compliant client device; and

a server of said communication network; and

wherein said device is further adapted to send data indicative of said location identifier to said server via said communication network and wherein said server associates said location identifier with said device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said server is adapted to send data to said device indicative of a request for said device to provide said location identifier to said server.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said device is adapted to send data to said transponder device indicative of said request for said transponder device to transmit said location identifier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said communication network comprises an IP compliant network and said device comprises an IP enabled telephony client device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said transponder device is connected to said communication network and said server is adapted to send data via said communication network to said transponder device indicative of a request for said transponder device to transmit said location identifier.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for determining a location of a device on a communication network, comprising:

first instructions for transmitting data indicative of a request for a location identifier;

second instructions for obtaining data indicative of said location identifier sent from a transponder device; and

third instructions for sending data indicative of said location identifier via a communication network to a server.

21. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for determining a location of a device on a communication network, comprising:

first instructions for determining a location identifier associated with a transponder device;

second instructions for providing, via a communication network, a request to said device to determine a location identifier; and

third instructions for obtaining, via said communication network, data from said device indicative of said location identifier associated with said transponder device.