SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DETECTION OF WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20100099410A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Shekhar, Rooks, Kelsyn D.S., Wilmoth, Mark, Sweeney, Jeffrey M., Dwyer, Kendra
• Granted Patent: US 8,554,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/435.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system and method for managing events associated with the detection of wireless devices. The disclosed embodiments utilize a residential wireless access point for detecting the signal transmitted by a wireless device. A user configures a wireless device detection program to perform specified events in response to the detection and/or absence of a wireless device. The disclosed embodiments may provide home automation functions, home security functions, and/or provide child monitoring features.

Claims

1. A method for performing an event comprising:

receiving data from one of a plurality of residential wireless access points, the plurality of residential wireless access points being located at different residential locations;

identifying from the data an identifier associated with a residential wireless access point;

identifying from the data a wireless device that is detected by the residential wireless access point;

determining whether the wireless device is registered with the residential wireless access point; and

responsive to the wireless device being registered with the residential wireless access point, performing a user-specified event associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the wireless device being unregistered with the residential wireless access point, performing an event associated with the wireless device being unregistered with the residential wireless access point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein performing an event associated with the wireless device being not registered with and detected by the residential wireless access point includes transmitting a message to a user associated with the residential wireless access point.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the wireless device being unregistered with the residential wireless access point, retrieving subscriber data for identifying a person associated with the wireless device; and

providing the subscriber data to a user associated with the residential wireless access point.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a condition state associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving subsequent data from the residential wireless access point;

determining if the condition state associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point has changed; and

responsive to the condition state having been changed, performing an event associated with a change in condition state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an event associated with the wireless device being detected by the wireless access point includes transmitting a message to a user associated with the residential wireless access point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an event associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point includes:

identifying from the data additional wireless devices that are detected by the residential wireless access point;

determining whether any of the additional wireless devices are registered with the residential wireless access point; and

responsive to a determination that one or more of the additional wireless devices are registered with the residential wireless access point, performing an event associated with a combination of the wireless device and the one or more additional wireless devices being detected by the residential wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a signal detection range of the residential wireless access point.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging the amount of time a signal of the wireless device is detected.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a data bus system;

memory coupled to the data bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code;

a network communication device coupled to the data bus for receiving data from a residential wireless access point over a network connection;

a processing unit coupled to the data bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to;

receive data from one of a plurality of residential wireless access points, the plurality of residential wireless access points being located at different residential locations;

identify from the data an identifier associated with a residential wireless access point;

identify from the data a wireless device that is detected by the residential wireless access point;

determine whether the wireless device is registered with the residential wireless access point; and

perform a user-specified event associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

perform an event associated with the wireless device being not registered with the residential wireless access point.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

store a condition state associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

receive subsequent data from the residential wireless access point;

determine if the condition state associated with the wireless device being detected by the residential wireless access point has changed; and

perform an event associated with a change in condition state.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

transmit a message to a user associated with the residential wireless access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

identify from the data additional wireless devices that are detected by the residential wireless access point;

determine whether any of the additional wireless devices are registered with the residential wireless access point; and

perform an event associated with a combination of the wireless device and one or more additional wireless devices being detected by the residential wireless access point.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the residential wireless access point is a femto cell.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the residential wireless access point detects cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

retrieve subscriber data for identifying a person associated with the wireless device; and

provide the subscriber data to a user associated with the residential wireless access point.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing unit further executes the computer usable program code to:

log the amount of time a signal of the wireless device is detected.