Method of identifying a device by GPS coordinates

• US 7,894,827 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Stuart, Steven B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyche; Myron
• Application Number:
  US11/551,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20080146225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/561, 455/446, 370/338, 370/349
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals

Abstract

A method of identifying a device based on GPS coordinates is provided. In one embodiment a device is identified by determining earth coordinates for the device. Once the earth coordinates are determined a unique device identifier is created based at least in part on the earth coordinates of the device. After the unique device identifier has been created, the unique device identifier is communicated to at least one other device.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a device comprising:

receiving an IP address at a first device;

determining earth coordinates for the first device;

creating a device identifier, separate from the IP address and based at least in part on the earth coordinates of the first device;

communicating the device identifier to at least one other device using the IP address and the device identifier of the first device; and

provisioning services for the first device on the at least one other device based on the device identifier from the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the device identifier further comprises:

announcing the first device to the at least one other device by sending the device identifier from the first device to the at least one other device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the device identifier further comprises:

polling a sub-net-work with the at least one other device to discover the device identifier of the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining based on the earth coordinates from the device identifier whether to provide services to the first device with the at least one other device.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein provisioning services for the first device on the at least one other device comprises provisioning services prior to receiving the device identifier from the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the device identifier further comprises formatting the earth coordinates into a hostname.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

fixing the first device in a permanent location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the elevation of the first device; and

incorporating the elevation of the first device into the device identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the earth coordinates further comprises:

determining the latitude and longitude of the first device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining earth coordinates further comprises:

using a GPS device to obtain earth coordinates.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

running the earth coordinates through an algorithm to determine the region in which the first device is located.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein creating a device identifier further comprises:

incorporating a region in which the first device is located into the device identifier.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the incorporating the device identifier into a region is performed by the first device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the incorporating the device identifier into a region is performed by the at least one other device.

15. A method of provisioning services to a device comprising:

receiving a device identifier from a first device using an IP address separately assigned to the first device;

obtaining an earth location of the first device from the device identifier;

determining based on the earth location whether the first device is to receive services; and

provisioning services, based on the earth location, to the first device if the first device is to receive services.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining the earth location further comprises obtaining the latitude and longitude coordinates of the first device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining the earth location further comprises obtaining a region in which the first device is located.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising provisioning services for the first device on the receiving device prior to the step of receiving the device identifier.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining the earth location further comprises translating the device identifier to enable extraction of the earth location.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining the earth location further comprises obtaining the elevation of the first device.

21. A system for identifying a device by earth coordinates, the system comprising:

one or more devices having a device identifier that incorporates the earth coordinates of the device, each of the one or more devices further having a separately assigned IP address associated with the one or more devices;

a management system configured to provision services to select of the one or more devices based on the device identifiers of those devices;

a network connected to the one or more devices and the management system operable to transfer data between the one or more devices and the management system; and

wherein each of the one or more devices communicates its device identifier over the network using its IP address and its device identifier to at least one other of the one or more devices.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a global positioning system receiver in communication with the one or more devices.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the GPS receiver is integral with the one or more devices.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the network transfers data using Internet Protocol.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more devices is a modem.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more devices is a base transceiver station.

27. A device having an identifier based on the location of the device, the device comprising:

a GPS receiver;

a processor in communication with the GPS receiver and operable to incorporate GPS coordinates from the GPS receiver into a device identifier;

an output unit in communication with the processor and operable to transmit the device identifier to another device using an IP address separately assigned to the device; and

wherein the device provides services provisioned to the device and wherein the provisioned services are based on the device identifier.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the output is an RJ-45 output.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the output is a coaxial cable jack.