MANAGING NETWORK INTERACTION FOR DEVICES

• US 20130067044A1
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inpixon Co.
• Original Assignee: AirPatrol Corp.
• Inventors: Levy-Yurista, Guy, Madey, Daniel A., Pollutro, Dennis V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,742,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Signals from an unidentified device at a location related to a communications network are correlated with identification patterns of managed devices to identify whether or not the unidentified device corresponds to a managed or unmanaged device in the communications network. Both managed and unmanaged devices can be tracked, and network interaction can be managed for devices that are identified as managed devices.

Claims

1. A method of managing network interaction for devices in a communications network, comprising;

accessing first-device signals from a first device, the first-device signals including a first identifier for the first device;

determining a candidate list that includes one or more managed devices in the communications network, each managed device having network interaction that is managed through an interaction configuration assigned to that managed device;

determining whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list by comparing the first-device signals with identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list, the first identifier being mapped to a first managed-device identifier corresponding to the first managed device if the first device is identified from the candidate list, and the first device being identified as a first unmanaged device if the first device is not identified from the candidate list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier includes at least one of a permanent identifier for the first device, a temporary identifier that is dynamically assigned to the first device in a related network, or a soft identifier that is based on signal characteristics of signals transmitted by the first-device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each interaction configuration assigned to a managed device includes at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the candidate list includes:

accessing location values for the first device and for a plurality of managed devices; and

selecting the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list from the plurality of managed devices so that each selected managed device has location values that are within a threshold distance from the location values of the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more timing correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list includes:

sending an identification request for identification signals including the identification patterns to the one or more managed devices included in candidate list of managed devices, the information request including at least one specification for transmitting the identification signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a location of the first device by using the first-device signals to determine location values for the first device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the method further comprises:

using the first-device signals to detect that the first device is in a first network zone of the communications network; and

in response to detecting that the first device is in the first network zone, changing one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the method further comprises:

changing one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification; and

sending updated values for the first interaction configuration to the first device in response to changing the one or more values of the first interaction configuration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for managing network interaction for devices in a communications network, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

accessing first-device signals from a first device, the first-device signals including a first identifier for the first device;

determining a candidate list that includes one or more managed devices in the communications network, each managed device having network interaction that is managed through an interaction configuration assigned to that managed device; and

determining whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list by comparing the first-device signals with identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list, the first identifier being mapped to a first managed-device identifier corresponding to the first managed device if the first device is identified from the candidate list, and the first device being identified as a first unmanaged device if the first device is not identified from the candidate list.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first identifier includes at least one of a permanent identifier for the first device, a temporary identifier that is dynamically assigned to the first device in a related network, or a soft identifier that is based on signal characteristics of signals transmitted by the first-device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each interaction configuration assigned to a managed device includes at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining the candidate list includes:

accessing location values for the first device and for a plurality of managed devices; and

selecting the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list from the plurality of managed devices so that each selected managed device has location values that are within a threshold distance from the location values of the first device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more timing correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein determining whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list includes:

sending an identification request for identification signals including the identification patterns to the one or more managed devices included in candidate list of managed devices, the information request including at least one specification for transmitting the identification signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer program further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

tracking a location of the first device by using the first-device signals to determine location values for the first device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the computer program further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

using the first-device signals to detect that the first device is in a first network zone of the communications network; and

in response to detecting that the first device is in the first network zone, changing one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the computer program further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:

changing one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification; and

sending updated values for the first interaction configuration to the first device in response to changing the one or more values of the first interaction configuration.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first device is a mobile device.

23. An apparatus for managing network interaction for devices in a communications network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one computer configured to perform operations for computer-executable modules including;

a signal-access module that accesses first-device signals from a first device, the first-device signals including a first identifier for the first device;

a candidate-determination module that determines a candidate list that includes one or more managed devices in the communications network, each managed device having network interaction that is managed through an interaction configuration assigned to that managed device; and

an identification module that determines whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list by comparing the first-device signals with identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list, the first identifier being mapped to a first managed-device identifier corresponding to the first managed device if the first device is identified from the candidate list, and the first device being identified as a first unmanaged device if the first device is not identified from the candidate list.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein determining the candidate list includes:

accessing location values for the first device and for a plurality of managed devices; and

selecting the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list from the plurality of managed devices so that each selected managed device has location values that are within a threshold distance from the location values of the first device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein comparing the first-device signals with the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices included in the candidate list includes:

calculating one or more timing correlation values between the first-device signals and the identification patterns corresponding to the one or more managed devices.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein determining whether or not the first device is identified as a first managed device from the candidate list includes:

sending an identification request for identification signals including the identification patterns to the one or more managed devices included in candidate list of managed devices, the information request including at least one specification for transmitting the identification signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the computer-executable modules further include:

a location-tracking module that tracks a location of the first device by using the first-device signals to determine location values for the first device.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the computer-executable modules further include:

a location-tracking module that uses the first-device signals to detect that the first device is in a first network zone of the communications network; and

a configuration module that, in response to the detecting of the first device in the first network zone, changes one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first device is identified as the first managed device and the computer-executable modules further include a configuration module that performs operations including:

changing one or more values of a first interaction configuration assigned to the first device, the first interaction configuration including at least one specification for transmitting signals including a channel specification, a content specification, or a timing specification; and

sending updated values for the first interaction configuration to the first device in response to the changing of the one or more values of the first interaction configuration.