Logical boundaries in communications networks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving wireless signals at a plurality of network access point devices including time-of-arrival information and a network authentication request from an asset tag associated with a tracked asset;
determining a location of the tracked asset from attributes of the wireless signals transmitted between the asset tag and the network access point devices;
determining if the location of the tracked asset is within a logical boundary;
providing authentication if the location of the tracked asset is within the logical boundary;
comparing the location of the tracked asset to the logical boundary; and
raising an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical boundary.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network may determine the location of network nodes and tracked assets and make location-based decisions.
105 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving wireless signals at a plurality of network access point devices including time-of-arrival information and a network authentication request from an asset tag associated with a tracked asset; determining a location of the tracked asset from attributes of the wireless signals transmitted between the asset tag and the network access point devices; determining if the location of the tracked asset is within a logical boundary; providing authentication if the location of the tracked asset is within the logical boundary; comparing the location of the tracked asset to the logical boundary; and raising an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical boundary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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receiving time-of-arrival information from a plurality of network access point devices describing a pulse-based wireless signal originating from an asset tag associated with a tracked asset; receiving a network location-based authentication request originating from the asset tag; determining if the tracked asset is within a logical network boundary from the time-of-arrival information; refusing location-based authentication if the node is not within the logical network boundary; and raising an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical network boundary. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An apparatus comprising a network configured to:
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receive an electromagnetic pulse from a plurality of network access point devices transmitted from an asset tag associated with a tracked asset; determine a location of the tracked asset from attributes describing the electromagnetic pulse including a time-of-arrival of the electromagnetic pulse; determine if the location of the tracked asset is within a logical boundary; provide authentication if the location of the tracked asset is within the logical boundary; compare the location of the tracked asset to the logical boundary; and raise an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical boundary. - View Dependent Claims (11, 19)
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12. A network comprising:
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a plurality of network access point devices, each of the plurality of network access point devices including a receiver to receive wireless signals including a network authentication request from an asset tag associated with a tracked asset, and including a transmitter to transmit attributes of the wireless signals including a time-of-arrival of the wireless signals; and a server coupled to the plurality of network access point devices to receive the attributes of the wireless signals and the network authentication request, to determine a location of the tracked asset from the attributes including the time-of-arrival, to compare the location of the tracked asset to a logical boundary, to provide authentication if the location of the tracked asset is within the logical boundary, and to raise an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical boundary. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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20. A network server comprising at least one port to couple the network server to a plurality of wireless network access point devices, the network server being configured to receive wireless signal attributes including a time-of-arrival of wireless signals and a network authentication request from the plurality of wireless network access point devices, to determine a location of an asset tag associated with a tracked asset from the wireless signal attributes including the time-of-arrival, and to conditionally perform an action based on the location of the tracked asset;
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wherein the network server is configured to; determine if the location of the tracked asset is within a logical boundary; compare the location of the tracked asset to the logical boundary; provide authentication if the location of the tracked asset is within the logical boundary; and raise an alert when the tracked asset is outside the logical boundary. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification