System and method for locating mobile devices

• US 20070178907A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Rengarajan, Varadachari, Gopalan, Janakiraman
• Application Number:
  US11/345,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070178907A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events

Abstract

A system, device and method for receiving location information for one of a wireless infrastructure device (“WID”) and a mobile device, wherein the WID is a parent of the mobile device and the mobile device is a child of the WID. Data corresponding to the other one of the WID and the mobile device is retrieved and the data is updated to include the location information for the one of the WID and the mobile device when the data does not include a known location information for the other one of the WID and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving location information for one of a wireless infrastructure device (“

WID”

) and a mobile device, wherein the WID is a parent of the mobile device and the mobile device is a child of the WID;

retrieving data corresponding to the other one of the WID and the mobile device; and

updating the data, when the data does not include a known location information for the other one of the WID and the mobile device, to include the location information for the one of the WID and the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing, when the data includes the known location information, the known location to the location information; and

generating an error message when the known location is different from the location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when WID is the one of the WID and the mobile device, repeating the retrieving and updating steps for all child mobile devices of the WID.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information includes a current location and an assigned location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the known location includes a current location and an assigned location.

6. A method, comprising:

storing information corresponding to an assigned site and a current site for a plurality of devices, wherein unknown is valid information for the assigned site and the current site;

receiving a triggering event for one of the devices; and

propagating the assigned site and the current site for the one of the devices to at least one of the other devices.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the devices include one of a mobile device and a wireless infrastructure device (“

WID”

).

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering without a site name.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name equal to the assigned site.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name equal to the current site.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name not equal to the current site and the assigned site.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the triggering event is a user of the one of the devices updating a site name.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the other devices assigned site and current site are unknown prior to the propagating step.

14. A network management device, comprising:

storage means for storing information corresponding to an assigned site and a current site for a plurality of devices, wherein unknown is valid information for the assigned site and the current site;

receiving means for receiving a triggering event for one of the devices; and

processing means for propagating the assigned site and the current site for the one of the devices to at least one of the other devices.

15. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the devices include one of a mobile device and a wireless infrastructure device (“

WID”

).

16. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering without a site name.

17. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name equal to the assigned site.

18. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name equal to the current site.

19. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is the one of the devices registering with a site name not equal to the current site and the assigned site.

20. The network management device of claim 14, wherein the triggering event is a user of the one of the devices updating a site name.