Automatically populated display regions for discovered access points and stations in a user interface representing a wireless communication network deployed in a physical environment

• US 7,043,277 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Autocell Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Pfister, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/855,669
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 455/446, 455/67.11, 455/447, 455/423, 455/566, 455/422.1, 455/500, 455/507, 455/517, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 345/169, 345/156, 701/1, 701/29, 701/35, 715/700, 715/764, 715/781, 340/7.2, 340/825, 340/825.36
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/225 for indoor or short range network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A system for providing automatically populated display regions showing discovered access points and stations in a user interface representing a wireless communication network deployed in a physical environment. A generated user interface includes a first display region in which access point representations are displayed as corresponding access points are automatically discovered within the wireless network, and a second display region in which station representations are displayed as corresponding stations are automatically discovered within the wireless network. The first and second display regions are provided external to another display region, referred to as the “physical space” display region, in which is shown a representation of the physical space in which the wireless network is deployed. As the access point and station representations appear in the first display region and second display region, the user can manipulate them, for example by drag and drop operations using a computer mouse, in order to place them appropriately in the physical space display region. In response, the disclosed system superimposes the access point and station representations over the physical space representation. The access point and station representations can subsequently be similarly repositioned by the user within the physical space representation.

Claims

1. A method for providing automatically populated display regions showing representations of access point devices and wireless client station devices in a graphical user interface, comprising:

discovering at least one access point device in a wireless communication network;

discovering at least one wireless client station device in said wireless communication network;

generating a physical space display region, wherein said physical space display region includes a graphical representation of a physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed;

generating an access point display region visually external to said physical space display region;

generating a wireless client station display region visually external to said physical space display region;

generating, within said access point display region, at least one graphical access point representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network; and

generating, within said wireless client station display region, at least one graphical wireless client station representation corresponding to said at least one wireless client station device discovered in said wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving, responsive to a user input signal, said at least one graphical access point representation from said access point display region into said physical space display region, such that said graphical access point representation is displayed within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is displayed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a position of said at least one graphical access point representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to said user input signal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

moving, responsive to a user input signal, said at least one graphical wireless client station representation from said wireless client station display region into said physical space display region, such that said graphical wireless client station representation is displayed within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is displayed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a position of said at least one graphical wireless client station representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to said user input signal.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein a position of said at least one graphical wireless client station representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to a position of an access point representation of at least one access point device associated with at least one wireless client station device corresponding to said at least one graphical wireless client station representation.

7. A system for providing automatically populated display regions showing representations of access point devices and wireless client station devices in a graphical user interface, comprising:

access point discovery logic operable to discover at least one access point device in a wireless communication network;

wireless client station discovery logic operable to discover at least one wireless client station device in said wireless communication network;

physical space display logic operable to generate a physical space display region, wherein said physical space display region includes a graphical representation of a physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed;

access point display region display logic operable to generate an access point display region visually external to said physical space display region;

wireless client station display region display logic operable to generate a wireless client station display region visually external to said physical space display region;

access point display logic operable to generate, within said access point display region, at least one graphical access point representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network; and

wireless client station display logic operable to generate, within said wireless client station display region, at least one graphical wireless client station representation corresponding to said at least one wireless client station device discovered in said wireless communication network.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

graphical access point repositioning logic, operating to move, responsive to a user input signal, said at least one graphical access point representation from said access point display region into said physical space display region, such that said graphical access point representation is displayed within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is displayed.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a position of said at least one graphical access point representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to said user input signal.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

wireless client station repositioning logic operable to move, responsive to a user input signal, said at least one graphical wireless client station representation from said wireless client station display region into said physical space display region, such that said graphical wireless client station representation is displayed within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is displayed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a position of said at least one graphical wireless client station representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to said user input signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein a position of said at least one graphical wireless client station representation within said graphical representation of said physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed is determined responsive to a position of an access point representation of at least one access point device associated with at least one wireless client station device corresponding to said at least one graphical wireless client station representation.

13. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for providing automatically populated display regions showing representations of access point devices and wireless client station devices in a graphical user interface stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code for discovering at least one access point device in a wireless communication network;

program code for discovering at least one wireless client station device in said wireless communication network;

program code for generating a physical space display region, wherein said physical space display region includes a graphical representation of a physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed;

program code for generating an access point display region visually external to said physical space display region;

program code for generating a wireless client station display region, visually external to said physical space display region;

program code for generating, within said access point display region, at least one graphical access point representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network; and

program code for generating, within said wireless client station display region, at least one graphical wireless client station representation corresponding to said at least one wireless client station device discovered in said wireless communication network.

14. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal including at least one computer program for providing automatically populated display regions showing representations of access point devices and wireless client station devices in a graphical user interface stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code for discovering at least one access point device in a wireless communication network;

program code for discover at least one wireless client station device in said wireless communication network;

program code for generating a physical space display region, wherein said physical space display region includes a graphical representation of a physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed;

program code for generating an access point display region visually external to said physical space display region;

program code generating a wireless client station display region visually external to said physical space display region;

program code for generating, within said access point display region at least one graphical access point representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network; and

program code for generating, within said wireless client station display region, at least one graphical wireless client station representation corresponding to said at least one wireless client station device discovered in said wireless communication network.

15. A system for providing automatically populated display regions showing representations of access point devices and wireless client station devices in a graphical user interface, comprising:

means for discovering at least one access point device in a wireless communication network;

means for discovering at least one wireless client station device in said wireless communication network;

means for generating a physical space display region, wherein said physical space display region includes a graphical representation of a physical space in which said wireless communication network is deployed;

means for generating an access point display region visually external to said physical space display region;

means for generating a wireless client station display region visually external to said physical space display region;

means for generating, within said access point display region, at least one graphical access point representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network; and

means for generating, within said wireless client station display region, at least one graphical wireless client station representation corresponding to said at least one access point device discovered in said wireless communication network.