Generating and dynamically updating databases of WIFI hotspots locations and performance metrics via location mappers

• US 20070167173A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kirkland, Dustin, Halcrow, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• 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 48/14 using user query or user detection

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for efficiently generating a substantially accurate list of available hotspots in geographic locations. A computer system configured with a hotspot location utility operates as a Provider. The Provider receives from a mobile device a hotspot operability/ayailability transmission (HOT), which includes an identification of a currently operating and available hotspot. The Provider concurrently receives a current GPS coordinate of the device transmitting the HOT. Then, the provider stores the HOT and associated GPS coordinate within a hotspot locator database. When the Provider later receives a request from a user searching for hotpots within a particular geographic location, the Provider determines which acceptable entries of the multiple entries are in geographic locations in proximity to the particular geographic location and then provides an output of the acceptable entries to the user.

Claims

1. In a data processing system, a method comprising:

receiving from a remote device a hotspot operability/availability transmission (HOT), which includes an identification (ID) of a currently operating and available hotspot, substantially current operating parameters and performance metrics of the hotspot, and a GPS (global positional signal) coordinate of the hotspot;

storing the HOT as an entry within a hotspot locating database (HLD) comprising multiple entries of HOTs accessible by received user queries.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving comprises:

receiving said HOT as a dual transmission with a first transmission comprising the hotspot'"'"'s ID and operating parameters and performance metrics and a second transmission comprising the GPS location of the hotspot.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of storing comprises:

determining geographic location parameters corresponding to the received GPS coordinate, said geographic location parameters comprising at least a physical address;

correlating the HOT with the geographic location parameters; and

storing the HOT with the geographic location parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user searching for hotpots within a particular geographic location;

determining which acceptable entries of the multiple entries within the HLD have geographic location parameters in proximity to the particular geographic location; and

providing an output of the acceptable entries to the user.

5. The method of claim 4, said determining step further comprising:

parsing the request for specific performance metrics desired by the user to be available within hotspots returned in response to the request, said specific performance metrics provided by the user within the request;

comparing the specific performance metrics to the performance characteristics provided within the each entry of the HLD that are in proximity to the particular geographical location; and

identifying those entries meeting the metrics desired and existing within proximity to the particular geographical location as the acceptable entries.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the operating parameters and performance metrics comprise a plurality characteristics from among:

identification (ID) of the hotspot;

name of the hotspot service provider/vendor;

cost associated with accessing the hotspot;

availability of the hotspot, including general total uptime and periods of availability for access;

bandwidth of the wireless link to the hotspot;

estimated bandwidth of the link from the hotspot to the background network;

average time to establish a connection to the hotspot, guaranteed minimum download speed and minimum upload speed;

maximum, minimum and average latency added by the hotspot link;

accessibility range of the hotspot;

wireless signal attenuation characteristics exhibited by the hotspot;

overall quality of service (QoS) of the hotspot, determined utilizing parameters that define the quality, strength, and usability of the hotspot;

overall historical and current user rating of the hotspot.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

enabling a first user interface within which a user may enter said request, said user interface accessible via an Internet connection to the data processing system;

wherein said receiving of the request occurs when the user enters and submits the request within the user interface; and

wherein said providing provides said output via a graphical display associated with said user interface, and wherein for each presented hotspot, said output comprises one or more of a street address, driving directions from an origination point entered by the user within the request, and, when graphics output is support by the user interface, a map of the location of the hotspot.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second user interface within which a user may subscribe to become a HOT location mapper; and

registering said user with a user account within which a number of hotspots mapped and provided by the user via the user device is recorded, wherein said number is tracked and compared to pre-set threshold numbers linked to predetermined incentives provided to the user when the user'"'"'s number reaches the particular pre-set threshold numbers.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program code on said computer readable medium that when executed by a processor are configured to perform the following functions;

receiving from a remote device a hotspot operability/availability transmission (HOT), which includes an identification (ID) of a currently operating and available hotspot, substantially current operating parameters and performance metrics of the hotspot, and a GPS (global positional signal) coordinate of the hotspot; and

storing the HOT as an entry within a hotspot locating database (HLD) comprising multiple entries of HOTs accessible by received user queries.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said program code for implementing the function of receiving comprises code for:

receiving said HOT as a dual transmission with a first transmission comprising the hotspot'"'"'s ID and operating parameters and performance metrics and a second transmission comprising the GPS location of the hotspot.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein said program code for implementing the function of storing comprises code for:

determining geographic location parameters corresponding to the received GPS coordinate, said geographic location parameters comprising at least a physical address;

correlating the HOT with the geographic location parameters; and

storing the HOT with the geographic location parameters.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

receiving a request from a user searching for hotpots within a particular geographic location;

determining which acceptable entries of the multiple entries within the HLD have geographic location parameters in proximity to the particular geographic location; and

providing an output of the acceptable entries to the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, said program code for implementing the function of determining further comprising code for:

parsing the request for specific performance metrics desired by the user to be available within hotspots returned in response to the request, said specific performance metrics provided by the user within the request;

comparing the specific performance metrics to the performance characteristics provided within the each entry of the HLD that are in proximity to the particular geographical location; and

identifying those entries meeting the metrics desired and existing within proximity to the particular geographical location as the acceptable entries.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the operating parameters and performance metrics comprise a plurality characteristics from among:

identification (ID) of the hotspot;

name of the hotspot service provider/vendor;

cost associated with accessing the hotspot;

availability of the hotspot, including general total uptime and periods of availability for access;

bandwidth of the wireless link to the hotspot;

estimated bandwidth of the link from the hotspot to the background network;

average time to establish a connection to the hotspot, guaranteed minimum download speed and minimum upload speed;

maximum, minimum and average latency added by the hotspot link;

accessibility range of the hotspot;

wireless signal attenuation characteristics exhibited by the hotspot;

overall quality of service (QoS) of the hotspot, determined utilizing parameters that define the quality, strength, and usability of the hotspot;

overall historical and current user rating of the hotspot.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

enabling a first user interface within which a user may enter said request, said user interface accessible via an Internet connection to the data processing system;

wherein said receiving of the request occurs when the user enters and submits the request within the user interface; and

wherein said providing provides said output via a graphical display associated with said user interface, and wherein for each presented hotspot, said output comprises one or more of a street address, driving directions from an origination point entered by the user within the request, and, when graphics output is support by the user interface, a map of the location of the hotspot.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

providing a second user interface within which a user may subscribe to become a HOT location mapper; and

registering said user with a user account within which a number of hotspots mapped and provided by the user via the user device is recorded, wherein said number is tracked and compared to pre-set threshold numbers linked to predetermined incentives provided to the user when the user'"'"'s number reaches the particular pre-set threshold numbers.

17. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a storage facility; and

program code executable by the processor to provide the following functions;

receiving from a remote device a hotspot operability/availability transmission (HOT), which includes an identification (ID) of a currently operating and available hotspot, substantially current operating parameters and performance metrics of the hotspot, and a GPS (global positional signal) coordinate of the hotspot; and

storing the HOT as an entry within a hotspot locating database (HLD) comprising multiple entries of HOTs accessible by received user queries.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

receiving a request from a user searching for hotpots within a particular geographic location;

parsing the request for specific performance metrics desired by the user to be available within hotspots returned in response to the request, said specific performance metrics provided by the user within the request;

wherein the operating parameters and performance metrics comprise a plurality characteristics from among;

identification (ID) of the hotspot;

name of the hotspot service provider/vendor;

cost associated with accessing the hotspot;

availability of the hotspot, including general total uptime and periods of availability for access;

bandwidth of the wireless link to the hotspot;

estimated bandwidth of the link from the hotspot to the background network;

average time to establish a connection to the hotspot, guaranteed minimum download speed and minimum upload speed;

maximum, minimum and average latency added by the hotspot link;

accessibility range of the hotspot;

wireless signal attenuation characteristics exhibited by the hotspot;

overall quality of service (QoS) of the hotspot, determined utilizing parameters that define the quality, strength, and usability of the hotspot;

overall historical and current user rating of the hotspot. determining which acceptable entries of the multiple entries within the HLD have geographic location parameters in proximity to the particular geographic location;

comparing the specific performance metrics to the performance characteristics provided within the each entry of the HLD that are in proximity to the particular geographical location;

identifying those entries meeting the metrics desired and existing within proximity to the particular geographical location as the acceptable entries; and

providing an output of the acceptable entries to the user.

19. The data processing system of claim 17, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

enabling a first user interface within which a user may enter said request, said user interface accessible via an Internet connection to the data processing system;

wherein said receiving of the request occurs when the user enters and submits the request within the user interface; and

wherein said providing provides said output via a graphical display associated with said user interface, and wherein for each presented hotspot, said output comprises one or more of a street address, driving directions from an origination point entered by the user within the request, and, when graphics output is support by the user interface, a map of the location of the hotspot.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, further comprising program code that when executed performs the functions of:

providing a second user interface within which a user may subscribe to become a HOT location mapper;

registering said user with a user account within which a number of hotspots mapped and provided by the user via the user device is recorded, wherein said number is tracked and compared to pre-set threshold numbers linked to predetermined incentives provided to the user when the user'"'"'s number reaches the particular pre-set threshold numbers; and

providing incentives to particular users who meet the pre-set threshold numbers.