Estimating the location of a network client using a media access control address

• US 20040162896A1
• Filed: 02/14/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Agnihotri, Manoj, Cen, Shanwei, Lo, Steve C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided for estimating the location of a network client. In one embodiment, the present invention includes the network client establishing communication with a Local Area Network (LAN), the LAN including a plurality of infrastructure nodes each having a globally unique media access control (MAC) address. The network client then estimates the location of a network client using the MAC address of at least one of the plurality of infrastructure nodes or the MAC address of the network client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing communication with a Local Area Network (LAN), the LAN including a plurality of infrastructure nodes each having a globally unique media access control (MAC) address; and

estimating the location of a network client using a MAC address of at least one of the network client and the plurality of infrastructure nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network client comprises a mobile network client, and estimating the location of the network client uses the MAC address of a wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises the mobile network client querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the wireless access point containing a location and a communication range of the wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile network client comprises one of a laptop computer, a notebook PC, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing communication with the LAN comprises establishing a wired line connection with the LAN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein estimating the location of the network client uses the MAC address of a router.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the router comprises a default router.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the router containing a location and a range of an area served by the router.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises querying a LAN switch to identify a port associated with the (MAC) address of the network client, and querying a database for a record associated with the identified port containing a location of a network drop connected to the port.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the network client comprises one of a laptop computer, a notebook PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop computer, and a network peripheral device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating the location of the network client is performed by the network client.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the LAN comprises an Ethernet.

13. A network client comprising:

a network interface card (NIC) having a globally unique media access control (MAC) address to communicatively couple the network client to a Local Area Network (LAN), the LAN including a plurality of infrastructure nodes each having a globally unique media access control (MAC) address; and

a unit to estimate a location of the network client using the MAC address of at least one of the NIC and the plurality of infrastructure nodes.

14. The network client of claim 13, further comprising a wireless transceiver coupled to the NIC to communicate with the LAN, wherein the unit estimates the location of the network client using the MAC address of a wireless access point.

15. The network client of claim 14, wherein the unit estimates the location of the network client by querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the wireless access point containing a location and a communication range of the wireless access point.

16. The network client of claim 14, wherein the network client comprises one of a laptop computer, a notebook PC, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The network client of claim 13, wherein the NIC couples to the LAN using a wired line connection.

18. The network client of claim 17, wherein the unit estimates the location of the network client uses the MAC address of a router.

19. The network client of claim 18, wherein the router comprises a default router.

20. The network client of claim 18, wherein the unit estimates the location of the network client by querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the router containing a location and a range of an area served by the router.

21. The network client of claim 17, wherein the unit estimates the location of the network client by querying a LAN switch to identify a port associated with the (MAC) address of the network client, and querying a database for a record associated with the identified port containing a location a network drop connected to the port.

22. The network client of claim 17, wherein the network client comprises one of a laptop computer, a notebook PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop computer, and a network peripheral device.

23. The network client of claim 13, wherein the NIC comprises an Ethernet card and the LAN comprises an Ethernet.

24. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a network client, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing communication with a Local Area Network (LAN), the LAN including a plurality of infrastructure nodes each having a globally unique media access control (MAC) address; and

estimating the location of a network client using the MAC address of at least one of the network client and the plurality of infrastructure nodes.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the network client comprises a mobile network client, and estimating the location of the network client uses the MAC address of a wireless access point.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises the mobile network client querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the wireless access point containing a location and a communication range of the wireless access point.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 24, wherein establishing communication with the LAN comprises establishing a wired line connection with the LAN.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 27, wherein estimating the location of the network client uses the MAC address of a router.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises querying a database for a record associated with the MAC address of the router containing a location and a range of an area served by the router.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 29, wherein estimating the location of the network client comprises querying a LAN switch to identify a port associated with the (MAC) address of the network client, and querying a database for a record associated with the identified port containing a location of a network drop connected to the port.