Data processing system and method for determining a physical location of a client computer system

• US 6,397,249 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1998
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kilmer, Gregory W., Cromer, Daryl Carvis, Kern, Eric R., Ward, James Peter, Locker, Howard Jeffery, Ellison, Brandon Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/206,259
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 370/255,312,331,401,402,342 340/10.6,10.42,572.1,825 709/249,223,224,227,228,248,217 455/433 342/386 701/207
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A data processing system and method are described for determining a physical location of a client computer system. The client and server computer systems are coupled together to form a local area network. Identifying information is associated with a tag. The client computer system transmits a wireless query signal to a physical region. In response to the tag being located within the physical region, the tag receives the wireless query signal. In response to a receipt of the query signal by the tag, the tag transmits a reply signal. The reply signal includes the identifying information. In response to a receipt of the reply signal by the client computer system, the physical location of the client computer system is determined utilizing the identifying information.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system including a client computer system coupled to a server computer system to form a network for determining a physical location of said client computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

associating identifying information with a tag;

said client computer system transmitting a wireless query signal to a physical region;

in response to said tag being located within said physical region, said tag receiving said query signal and, in response, transmitting a wireless reply signal including said identifying information; and

in response to a receipt of said reply signal at said client computer system, determining a physical location of said client computer system utilizing said identifying information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of said client computer system determining said physical location utilizing said identifying information.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of said client computer system transmitting said identifying information to said server computer system.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of said server computer system determining a physical location of said client computer system utilizing said identifying information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of associating identifying information with a tag further comprises the steps of:

said client computer system initializing said tag by transmitting a wireless initialization signal including said identifying information; and

said tag storing said identifying information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of associating identifying information with a tag further comprises the step of associating an identification of said physical region with said tag.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of said client computer system transmitting said identifying information to said server computer system during said client computer system logging on to said network.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of associating identifying information with a tag further comprises the step of associating a physical location of a building in which said tag is located with said tag.

9. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of coupling said tag to a local area network (LAN) outlet utilized to physically couple said server computer system to said client computer system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of associating identifying information with a tag further comprises the step of associating an identification of said LAN outlet with said tag.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

coupling said client computer system to said LAN outlet utilizing a first cable; and

coupling said server computer system to said LAN outlet utilizing a second cable.

12. A data processing system including a client computer system coupled to a server computer system to form a network for determining a physical location of said client computer system, comprising:

a tag for storing for identifying information associated with said tag;

said client computer system executing code for transmitting a wireless query signal to a physical region;

said tag for receiving said query signal in response to said tag being located within said physical region, and said tag for transmitting a wireless reply signal to said client computer system including said identifying information; and

said data processing system executing code responsive to a receipt of said reply signal, for determining a physical location of said client computer system utilizing said identifying information.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising said client computer system executing code for determining said physical location utilizing said identifying information.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising said client computer system executing code for transmitting said identifying information to said server computer system.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising said server computer system executing code for determining a physical location of said client computer system utilizing said identifying information.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising:

said client computer system executing code for initializing said tag by transmitting a wireless initialization signal including said identifying information; and

said tag for storing said identifying information.

17. The system according to claim 15, further comprising said tag being associated within an identification of said physical region.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising said tag being associated with a physical location of a building in which said tag is located.

19. The system according to claim 15, further comprising said tag being coupled to a local area network (LAN) outlet utilized to physically couple said server computer system to said client computer system.

20. The system according to claim 19, said tag being associated with an identification of said LAN outlet.

21. The system according to claim 20, further comprising said client computer system executing code for transmitting said identifying information to said server computer system during said client computer system logging on to said network.

22. The system according to claim 21, further comprising:

said client computer system being coupled to said LAN outlet utilizing a first cable; and

said server computer system being coupled to said LAN outlet utilizing a second cable.

23. A data processing system including a client computer system coupled to a server computer system utilizing a network, comprising:

said client computer system being located within a physical region;

a tag including storage, said tag being located within said physical region;

said client computer system executing code for transmitting an initialization signal to said tag, said initialization signal including identifying information which identifies said physical region;

said identifying information being stored within said tag in response to said tag receiving said initialization signal;

said client computer system executing code for transmitting a query signal to said physical region;

said tag being capable of receiving said query signal;

in response to said tag receiving said query signal, said tag being capable of transmitting a reply signal to said physical region, said reply signal including said identifying information;

said client computer system being capable of receiving said reply signal;

said client computer system executing code for transmitting said identifying information received in said reply signal to said server computer system; and

in response to a receipt of said transmission by said client computer system, said server computer system executing code for determining a physical location of said client computer system, said server computer system utilizing said identifying information to determine said physical location, wherein said server computer system determines said client computer system is located within said physical region.