NETWORK DEVICE BASED PROXIMITY BEACON LOCATING

• US 20160050526A1
• Filed: 08/21/2014
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Extreme Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerohive Networks Incorporated (Extreme Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Changming, Scheers, Chris, Hoppin, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A proximity beacon signal transmitted by a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter is received at a network device. A RSSI reporting message is generated at the network device based on the proximity beacon signal. A position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the network device is determined using the RSSI reporting message. A location of the network device within a region is determined using the RSSI reporting message and network device map data for the region. The location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter in the region is determined based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the network device and the location of the network device within the region.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a proximity beacon signal from a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, wherein the proximity beacon signal is transmitted in accordance with an applicable lower power short range wireless communication protocol;

generating, at a first network device coupled to the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, a first RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the first network device within a region using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for the region;

mapping a location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device within the region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity beacon signal is received directly at the first network device from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity beacon signal is received at a proximity beacon transmitter hub coupled to the first network device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at a second network device and a third network device coupled to the network device coupled proximity beacon transmitter, a corresponding second and third RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device using the second RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the second network device within the region using the second RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the third network device using the third RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the third network device within the region using the third RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

mapping the location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the positions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device, the second network device, and the third network device and the location of the first network device, the location of the second network device, and the location of the third network device within the region.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the proximity beacon transmitter hub using the first RSSI reporting message;

determining a location of the proximity beacon transmitter hub within the region using the first RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

mapping the location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the positions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the proximity beacon transmitter hub and the location of the first network device and the location of the proximity beacon transmitter hub within the region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, from the first RSSI reporting message, a RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received;

determining the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining characteristics of obstructions in the region using the network device map data for the region;

determining the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal and the characteristics of the obstructions in the region.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

comparing the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received;

determining the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the comparison of the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a unique identification of the first network device;

determining the location of the first network device within the region by matching the unique identification with one of multiple position indicator coordinates, included as part of the network device map data of the region, of network devices within the region.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining environment conditions of an environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter from the proximity beacon signal, the environment conditions of the environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter determined from at least one sensor coupled to the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

adding environment data indicating the environment conditions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the first RSSI reporting message;

determining the environment conditions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter from the environment data included as part of the first RSSI reporting message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first RSSI reporting message includes an identification of the first network device and a received signal strength indication of the proximity beacon signal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an asset associated with the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

tracking a position of the asset in the region based on a location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter in the region.

13. A system comprising:

a first network device configured to;

receive a proximity beacon signal transmitted by a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, wherein the proximity beacon signal is transmitted in accordance with an applicable lower power short range wireless communication protocol;

generate a first RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

a proximity beacon location determination engine configured to;

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the first network device within a region using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for the region;

map a location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device within the region.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first network device receives the proximity beacon signal directly from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a proximity beacon transmitter hub coupled to the first network device, the proximity beacon transmitter hub configured to:

receive the proximity beacon signal directly from the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

send the proximity beacon signal to the first network device.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a second network device configured to;

receive the proximity beacon signal transmitted by the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

generate a second RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

a third network device configured to;

receive the proximity beacon signal transmitted by the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

generate a third RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

the proximity beacon location determination engine further configured to;

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the second network device using the second RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the second network device within the region using the second RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the third network device using the third RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the third network device within the region using the third RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

map the location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the positions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device, the second network device, and the third network device and the location of the first network device, the location of the second network device, and the location of the third network device within the region.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine is further configured to:

determine a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the proximity beacon transmitter hub using the first RSSI reporting message;

determine a location of the proximity beacon transmitter hub within the region using the first RSSI reporting message and the network device map data for the region;

map the location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the positions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the proximity beacon transmitter hub and the location of the first network device and the location of the proximity beacon transmitter hub within the region.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a RSSI determination engine configured to determine, from the first RSSI reporting message, a RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received;

the proximity beacon location determination engine further configured to determine the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine further configured to:

determine characteristics of obstructions in the region using the network device map data for the region;

determine the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal and the characteristics of the obstructions in the region.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the proximity beacon location determination engine is further configured to:

determine a transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

compare the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received;

determine the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device based on the comparison of the transmission power of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the RSSI of the proximity beacon signal, as received.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a coupled network device identification determination engine configured to determine a unique identification of the first network device;

the proximity based location determination engine configured to determine the location of the first network device within the region by matching the unique identification with one of multiple position indicator coordinates, included as part of the network device map data of the region, of network devices within the region.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

the first network device further configured to;

determine environment conditions of an environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter from the proximity beacon signal, the environment conditions of the environment surrounding the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter determined from at least one sensor coupled to the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

add environment data indicating the environment conditions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter to the first RSSI reporting message;

a proximity beacon environment determination engine configured to determine the environment conditions of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter from the environment data included as part of the first RSSI reporting message.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the first RSSI reporting message includes an identification of the first network device and a received signal strength indication of the proximity beacon signal.

24. The system of claim 13, further comprising an asset tracking engine 712 configured to:

determine an asset associated with the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter;

track a position of the asset in the region based on a location of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter in the region.

25. A system comprising:

means for receiving a proximity beacon signal transmitted by a network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, wherein the proximity beacon signal is transmitted in accordance with an applicable lower power short range wireless communication protocol;

means for generating, at a first network device coupled to the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter, a first RSSI reporting message based on the proximity beacon signal;

means for determining a position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device using the first RSSI reporting message;

means for determining a location of the first network device within a region using the first RSSI reporting message and network device map data for the region;

means for mapping a location, in the region, of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter based on the position of the network device-coupled proximity beacon transmitter with respect to the first network device and the location of the first network device within the region.