System and method for location-based configuration of an information handling system

• US 7,813,308 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Kilpatrick, Jason, Reddy, Sridhar, Tiritilli, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Blanche
• Application Number:
  US12/038,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.06, 379/207.12, 455/440
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0843 based on generic templates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system and method for location-based configuration of an information handling system are disclosed. A method may include detecting an available network for communication with the information handling system. Based on at least the detected available network, a current location of the information handling system may be determined. Based on the determined current location of the information handling system, one or more parameters of the information handling system associated with the determined current location may be automatically configured.

Claims

1. A method for location-based automatic configuration of an information handling system, comprising:

detecting an available network for communication with the information handling system;

reading a location profile file having one or more location profiles, each location profile associated with a configured location and including one or more configuration parameters associated with its respective configured location;

based on at least the detected available network, determining a current location of the information handling system, wherein determining the current location of the information handling system comprises determining, from the location profile file, if the detected available network is associated with a configured location having a location profile; and

based on the determined current location of the information handling system, automatically configuring one or more parameters of the information handling system associated with the determined current location.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the current location of the information handling system based on at least the detected available network comprises accessing one or more user predefined associations between one or more networks and one or more locations to identify a location associated with the determined available network.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the one or more parameters of the information handling system associated with the determined current location comprises:

from the location profile file, determining the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location; and

automatically configuring the information handling system with the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a second network other than the detected network has a higher priority at the determined current location;

in response to determining that the second network has higher priority than the detected network, setting the second network as active; and

in response to determining that the second network has lower priority than the detected network, setting the detected network as active.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of:

a network configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, a printer configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, an Internet configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, a virtual private network parameter associated with the determined current location, a Bluetooth parameter associated with the determined current location, a global positioning system parameter associated with the determined current location, an Ultra-Wide Band parameter associated with the determined current location, a mapped network drive parameter associated with the determined current location, a shared folder parameter associated with the determined current location, a security parameter associated with the determined current location, and an application parameter associated with the determined current location.

6. An information handling system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;

a network interface communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon;

a location profile file having one or more location profiles, each location profile associated with a configured location and including one or more configuration parameters associated with its respective configured location; and

a program of instructions operable to, when executed;

detect an available network communicatively coupled to the network interface;

based on at least the detected available network, determine a current location of the information handling system by determining, from the location profile file, if the detected available network is associated with a configured location having a location profile; and

based on the current location of the information handling system, automatically configure one or more parameters of the information handling system associated with the determined current location.

7. An information handling system according to claim 6, the program of instructions further operable to determine the current location of the information handling system based on at least the detected available network by accessing one or more user predefined associations between one or more networks and one or more locations to identify a location associated with the determined available network.

8. An information handling system according to claim 6, the program of instructions further operable to automatically configure the at least one parameter of the information handling system associated with the determined current location by:

from the location profile file, determining the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location; and

automatically configuring the information handling system with the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location.

9. An information handling system according to claim 6, the program of instructions further operable to:

determine whether a second network other than the detected network has a higher priority at the determined current location;

in response to determining that the second network has higher priority than the detected network, set the second network as active; and

in response to determining that the second network has lower priority than the detected network, set the detected network as active.

10. An information handling system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more parameters includes at least one of:

a network configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, a printer configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, an Internet configuration parameter associated with the determined current location, a virtual private network parameter associated with the determined current location, a Bluetooth parameter associated with the determined current location, a global positioning system parameter associated with the determined current location, an Ultra-Wide Band parameter associated with the determined current location, a mapped network drive parameter associated with the determined current location, a shared folder parameter associated with the determined current location, a security parameter associated with the determined current location, and an application parameter associated with the determined current location.

11. A program of instruction embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program of instruction operable to, when executed:

detect an available network communicatively coupled to an information handling system;

read a location profile file having one or more location profiles, each location profile associated with a configured location and including one or more configuration parameters associated with its respective configured location;

based on at least the detected available network, determine a current location of the information handling system by determining, from the location profile file, if the detected available network is associated with a configured location having a location profile; and

based on the determined current location of the information handling system, automatically configure one or more parameters of the information handling system associated with the determined current location.

12. A program of instructions according to claim 11, the program of instructions further operable to determine the current location of the information handling system based on at least the detected available network by accessing one or more user predefined associations between one or more networks and one or more locations to identify a location associated with the determined available network.

13. A program of instructions according to claim 11, further operable to automatically configure the at least one parameter of the information handling system associated with the determined current location comprises:

from the location profile file, determining the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location; and

automatically configuring the information handling system with the one or more configuration parameters associated with the determined current location.

14. A program of instructions according to claim 11, further operable to:

determine whether a second network other than the detected network has a higher priority at the determined current location;

in response to determining that the second network has higher priority than the detected network, set the second network as active; and

in response to determining that the second network has lower priority than the detected network, set the detected network as active.