System and method for locating wired networks using wireless data

• US 20050136941A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rios, Victor, Ray, Ratan, Parker, Joseph Robert, Asho, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and method is provided for using a wireless network to determine a device'"'"'s physical location and retrieve location specific settings based upon the device'"'"'s physical location. A device'"'"'s physical location is determined by matching the identifier of the wireless access point (WAP) to which the device is connected with a list of WAP identifiers and corresponding location identifiers. The retrieved location identifier is then used to retrieve location specific settings that are applied at the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a WAP identifier corresponding to a wireless access point to which a device is wirelessly connected;

identifying a physical location based upon the retrieved WAP identifier;

retrieving one or more location specific settings that correspond to the identified physical location; and

applying the location specific settings at the device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

requesting the location specific settings from a second device, wherein the device and the second device are interconnected via a computer network, wherein the request includes the WAP identifier;

retrieving, at the second device, the location specific settings from a nonvolatile data store using the WAP identifier that was included in the request; and

transmitting the retrieved location specific settings from the second device back to the device over the computer network.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

retrieving at the second device a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier included in the request, wherein the location identifier is stored in a first data store accessible from the second device; and

retrieving at the second device the location specific settings based upon the retrieved location identifier and a client identifier, wherein the location specific settings are stored in a second data store accessible from the second device and wherein the client identifier is included in the request and identifies the device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the device is connected to a computer network through both a wireless connection through the wireless access point and through a wired connection; and

performing the retrieval of the location specific settings in response to the determination.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving, from a first data store, a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier, wherein the location identifier corresponds to the physical location; and

retrieving, from a second data store, the location specific settings that correspond to retrieved location identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a change to one or more settings used by the device;

determining that the changed settings are location specific settings;

identifying the device'"'"'s physical location in response to the determination based upon the WAP identifier; and

associating the location specific settings with the identified physical location.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

retrieving a location identifier that corresponds to the identified physical location; and

storing the location identifier and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

sending the WAP identifier to a second device;

retrieving a location identifier that corresponds to the WAP identifier from a table; and

storing a unique identifier corresponding to the device, the location identifier, and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the second device.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the processors;

a wireless network interface for wirelessly connecting the apparatus to a computer network;

software stored in the memory and executed by the processors, the software effective to;

retrieve a WAP identifier corresponding to a wireless access point to which the apparatus is wirelessly connected through the wireless network interface;

identify a physical location based upon the retrieved WAP identifier;

retrieve one or more location specific settings that correspond to the identified physical location; and

apply the location specific settings at the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a second apparatus, wherein the apparatus and the second apparatus are interconnected via a computer network, wherein the software if further effective to;

request the location specific settings from the second apparatus, wherein the request includes the WAP identifier;

retrieve, at the second apparatus, the location specific settings from a nonvolatile data store using the WAP identifier that was included in the request; and

transmit the retrieved location specific settings from the second apparatus back to the apparatus over the computer network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the software is further effective to:

retrieve at the second apparatus a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier included in the request, wherein the location identifier is stored in a first data store accessible from the second apparatus; and

retrieve, at the second apparatus, the location specific settings based upon the retrieved location identifier and a client identifier, wherein the location specific settings are stored in a second data store accessible from the second apparatus and wherein the client identifier is included in the request and identifies the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising software effective to:

determine that the apparatus is connected to a computer network through both a wireless connection through the wireless access point and through a wired connection; and

perform the retrieval of the location specific settings in response to the determination.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising software effective to:

retrieve, from a first data store, a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier, wherein the location identifier corresponds to the physical location; and

retrieve, from a second data store, the location specific settings that correspond to retrieved location identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising software effective to:

detect a change to one or more settings used by the apparatus;

determine that the changed settings are location specific settings;

identify the apparatus'"'"' physical location in response to the determination based upon the WAP identifier; and

associate the location specific settings with the identified physical location.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising software effective to:

retrieve a location identifier that corresponds to the identified physical location; and

store the location identifier and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising software effective to:

send the WAP identifier to a second apparatus;

retrieve a location identifier that corresponds to the WAP identifier from a table; and

store a unique identifier corresponding to the apparatus, the location identifier, and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the second apparatus.

17. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media comprising software adapted to:

retrieve a WAP identifier corresponding to a wireless access point to which an apparatus is wirelessly connected through a wireless network interface;

identify a physical location based upon the retrieved WAP identifier;

retrieve one or more location specific settings that correspond to the identified physical location; and

apply the location specific settings at the apparatus.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the software is further adapted to:

request the location specific settings from a second apparatus, wherein the apparatus and the second apparatus are interconnected via a computer network, and wherein the request includes the WAP identifier;

retrieve, at the second apparatus, the location specific settings from a nonvolatile data store using the WAP identifier that was included in the request; and

transmit the retrieved location specific settings from the second apparatus back to the apparatus over the computer network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the software is further adapted to:

retrieve at the second apparatus a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier included in the request, wherein the location identifier is stored in a first data store accessible from the second apparatus; and

retrieve, at the second apparatus, the location specific settings based upon the retrieved location identifier and a client identifier, wherein the location specific settings are stored in a second data store accessible from the second apparatus and wherein the client identifier is included in the request and identifies the apparatus.

20. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the software is further adapted to:

determine that the apparatus is connected to a computer network through both a wireless connection through the wireless access point and through a wired connection; and

perform the retrieval of the location specific settings in response to the determination.

21. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the software is further adapted to:

retrieve, from a first data store, a location identifier based upon the WAP identifier, wherein the location identifier corresponds to the physical location; and

retrieve, from a second data store, the location specific settings that correspond to retrieved location identifier.

22. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the software is further adapted to:

detect a change to one or more settings used by the apparatus;

determine that the changed settings are location specific settings;

identify the apparatus'"'"' physical location in response to the determination based upon the WAP identifier; and

associate the location specific settings with the identified physical location.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the software is further adapted to:

retrieve a location identifier that corresponds to the identified physical location; and

store the location identifier and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the apparatus.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the software is further adapted to:

send the WAP identifier to a second apparatus;

retrieve a location identifier that corresponds to the WAP identifier from a table; and

store a unique identifier corresponding to the apparatus, the location identifier, and the location specific settings at a nonvolatile storage device accessible from the second apparatus.