Relative location of a wireless node in a wireless network

• US 7,626,969 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, Brian Donald, Douglas, Bretton Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US11/542,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes computing a probability surface corresponding to the location probability of the wireless node within a physical region based on the received signal strength data associated with a wireless node and an RF model of the physical region; computing, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pin) of the wireless node being inside a perimeter defined with the physical region; computing, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pout) of the wireless node being outside the perimeter; computing a probability ratio of the aggregate probabilities Pin to Pout; and determining whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on a comparison of Pout and Pin.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed operable, to cause one or more processors to:

compute a probability surface corresponding to the location probability of a wireless node within a physical region based on a received signal strength data associated with the wireless node and a Radio Frequency (RF) model of the physical region;

compute, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pin) of the wireless node being inside a perimeter defined with the physical region;

compute, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pout) of the wireless node being outside the perimeter; and

determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on a comparison of Pout and Pin; and

output to a network access control node an indication of whether the wireless node has been determined to be inside or outside the perimeter.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on whether Pin or Pout is larger.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein, to determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter, the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to compute a probability ratio of the aggregate probabilities Pin to Pout.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to:

compute a probability ratio based on Pin and Pout; and

bias the probability ratio based on a predefined policy.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the predefined policy either increases the probability that a given wireless node is inside the perimeter or increases the probability that a given wireless node is outside the perimeter.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to bias the probability ratio globally to all wireless access points inside the perimeter.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to bias the probability ratio relative to a given wireless access point.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to exclude probabilities from bins within an exclusion region when computing the aggregate probabilities Pin and Pout.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the computer-executable instructions are further operable to cause the one or more processors to modify the size of the exclusion region to bias the probability ratio.

10. A method comprising:

computing, in a computing device, a probability surface corresponding to the location probability of a wireless node within a physical region based on the received signal strength data associated with the wireless node and a Radio Frequency (RF) model of the physical region;

computing, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pin) of the wireless node being inside a perimeter defined with the physical region;

computing, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pout) of the wireless node being outside the perimeter; and

determining whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on a comparison of Pout and Pin.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the determining is based on whether Pin or Pout is larger.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein, to determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter, the method further comprises computing a probability ratio of the aggregate probabilities Pin to Pout.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

computing a probability ratio based on Pin and Pout; and

biasing the probability ratio based on a predefined policy.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the predefined policy either increases the probability that a given wireless node is inside the perimeter or increases the probability that a given wireless node is outside the perimeter.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising biasing the probability ratio globally to all wireless access points inside the perimeter.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising biasing the probability ratio relative to a given wireless access point.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising excluding probabilities from bins within an exclusion region when computing the aggregate probabilities Pin and Pout.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising modifying the size of the exclusion region to bias the probability ratio.

19. A system comprising:

a location server operable to compute a probability surface corresponding to the location probability of a wireless node within a physical region based on the received signal strength data associated with the wireless node and a Radio Frequency (RF) model of the physical region;

compute, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pin) of the wireless node being inside a perimeter defined with the physical region;

compute, based on the probability surface, an aggregate probability (Pout) of the wireless node being outside the perimeter; and

determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on a comparison of Pout and Pin; and

a wireless access point operable to communicate with a wireless node.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the location server is further operable to determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter based on whether Pin or Pout is larger.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein, to determine whether the wireless node is inside or outside the perimeter, the location server is further operable to compute a probability ratio of the aggregate probabilities Pin to Pout.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the location server is further operable to:

compute a probability ratio based on Pin and Pout; and

bias the probability ratio based on a predefined policy.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the predefined policy either increases the probability that a given wireless node is inside the perimeter or increases the probability that a given wireless node is outside the perimeter.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the location server is further operable to bias the probability ratio globally to all wireless access points inside the perimeter.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the location server is further operable to bias the probability ratio relative to a given wireless access point.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the location server is further operable to exclude probabilities from bins within an exclusion region when computing the aggregate probabilities Pin and Pout.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the location server is further operable to modify the size of the exclusion region to bias the probability ratio.