Location architecture for large scale networks

• US 8,045,532 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomson, Allan, Stephenson, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHANG, XIANG
• Application Number:
  US11/558,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/436, 455/438, 455/439, 455/440, 455/445, 455/448, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/12 between location registers or mobility servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receive a connection event message including information identifying a wireless node, wherein the identifying information comprises a wireless node identifier and an area code associated with the wireless node; determine, based on the area code, whether the wireless node is connected to its home wireless network region; add the identifying information to a location services table; and if the wireless node is not connected to its home network region, transmit a remote connection event message to a home area code authority server corresponding to the wireless node.

Claims

1. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive a connection event message including information identifying a wireless node, wherein the identifying information comprises a wireless node identifier and an area code associated with the wireless node;

determine, based on the area code, whether the wireless node is connected to its home wireless network region;

add the identifying information to a location services table, wherein if the connection event message is flagged as being a remote connection event message, an identifier of a remote area code authority server is added to the location services table in association with the identifying information of the wireless node; and

if the wireless node is not connected to its home network region, transmit a remote connection event message to a home area code authority server corresponding to the wireless node;

receive, at a home area code authority server for the wireless node, a location query from a requesting node, wherein the location query requests location information for the wireless node;

determine whether the wireless node is currently connected within at least one area serviced by the home area code authority server;

if the wireless node is currently connected within the at least one area, identify a location server that is assigned to the area code corresponding to the wireless node and query the location server for the location information;

return the requested location information for the wireless node received from the location server to the requesting node; and

if the wireless node is currently connected outside the at least one area, identify a remote area code authority server corresponding to the area within which the wireless node is currently located and redirect the location query to the remote area code authority server.

2. The logic of claim 1 wherein the identifying information comprises at least one or more of an identifier of the wireless node, an area code of the wireless node, or a location of the wireless node.

3. The logic of claim 2 wherein the wireless node provides the area code.

4. The logic of claim 2 wherein an authentication server provides the area code.

5. The logic of claim 1 wherein, to determine whether the wireless node is remote, the logic is further operable to compare an area code of the wireless node to one or more local area codes.

6. The logic of claim 1 wherein the table comprises one or more of the media access control (MAC) addresses, the area code of the wireless node associated with the wireless node, a flag indicating whether the wireless node is remote, hardware serial number, Internet protocol address, one or more certificates, device identity, and user identity.

7. The logic of claim 1 wherein the logic is further operable to:

determine the location of the wireless node; and

store the location in the table.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a connection event message including information identifying a wireless node, wherein the identifying information comprises a wireless node identifier and an area code associated with the wireless node;

determining, based on the area code, whether the wireless node is connected to its home wireless network region;

adding the identifying information to a location services table, wherein if the connection event message is flagged as being a remote connection event message, an identifier of a remote area code authority server is added to the location services table in association with the identifying information of the wireless node; and

if the wireless node is not connected to its home wireless network region, transmitting a remote connection event message to a home area code authority server corresponding to the wireless node;

receiving, at a home area code authority server for the wireless node, a location query from a requesting node, wherein the location query requests location information for the wireless node;

determining whether the wireless node is currently connected within at least one area serviced by the home area code authority server;

if the wireless node is currently connected within the at least one area, identifying, by the home area code authority server for the wireless node, a location server that is assigned to the area code corresponding to the wireless node and querying the location server for the location information;

returning the requested location information for the wireless node received from the location server to the requesting node; and

if the wireless node is currently connected outside the at least one area, identifying, by the home area code authority server for the wireless node, a remote area code authority server corresponding to the area within which the wireless node is currently located and redirecting the location query to the remote area code authority server.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the identifying information comprises at least one or more of an identifier of the wireless node, an area code of the wireless node, or a location of the wireless node.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the wireless node provides the area code.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein an authentication server provides the area code.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising comparing an area code of the wireless node to one or more local area codes.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the table comprises one or more of the media access control (MAC) addresses, the area code of the wireless node associated with the wireless node, a flag indicating whether the wireless node is remote, hardware serial number, Internet protocol address, one or more certificates, device identity, or user identity.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining the location of the wireless node; and

storing the location in the location services table.

15. A system comprising:

a wireless network infrastructure node operable to receive a connection event message including information identifying a wireless node, wherein the identifying information comprises a wireless node identifier and an area code associated with the wireless node;

determine, based on the area code, whether the wireless node is connected to its home wireless network region;

add the identifying information to a location services table, wherein if the connection event message is flagged as being a remote connection event message, an identifier of a remote area code authority server is added to the location services table in association with the identifying information of the wireless node; and

if the wireless node is not connected to its home network region, transmit a remote connection event message to a home area code authority server corresponding to the wireless node;

receive a location query from a requesting node, wherein the location query requests location information for the wireless node;

determine whether the wireless node is currently connected within at least one area serviced by a home area code authority server;

if the wireless node is currently connected within the at least one area, identify a location server that is assigned to the area code corresponding to the wireless node, query the location server for the location information, and return the requested location information for the wireless node received from the location server to the requesting node; and

if the wireless node is currently connected outside the at least one area, identify a remote area code authority server corresponding to the area within which the wireless node is currently located and redirect the location query to the remote area code server; and

a wireless node operable to connect with the wireless network infrastructure node.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the identifying information comprises at least one or more of an identifier of the wireless node, an area code of the wireless node, or a location of the wireless node.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein, to determine whether the wireless node is remote, the wireless network infrastructure node is further operable to compare an area code of the wireless node to one or more local area codes.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the table comprises one or more of the media access control (MAC) addresses, the area code of the wireless node associated with the wireless node, a flag indicating whether the wireless node is remote, hardware serial number, Internet protocol address, one or more certificates, device identity, and user identity.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the wireless network infrastructure node is further operable to:

determine the location of the wireless node; and

store the location in the location services table.

20. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to:

receive, at a home area code authority server for a wireless node, a location query from a requesting node, wherein the location query requests location information for the wireless node;

determine whether the wireless node is currently connected within at least one area serviced by the home area code authority server;

if the wireless node is currently connected within the at least one area, identify a location server that is assigned to the area code corresponding to the wireless node, and query the location server for the location information;

return the requested location information for the wireless node received from the location server to the requesting node; and

if the wireless node is currently connected outside the at least one area, identify a remote area code authority server corresponding to the area within which the wireless node is currently located and redirect the location query to the remote area code server.

21. The logic of claim 20 wherein, to return the requested location to the requesting node, the logic is further operable to retrieve the location information from a table.

22. The logic of claim 20 wherein the location query may include a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless node.

23. The logic of claim 20 wherein the logic is further operable to provide directory services that enable a user obtain information associated with the wireless node.

24. A method comprising:

receiving a location query from a requesting node, wherein the location query requests location information for the wireless node;

determining whether the wireless node is currently connected within at least one area serviced by a home area code server;

if the wireless node is currently connected within the at least one area, identifying a location server that is assigned to the area code corresponding to the wireless node, and querying the location server for the location information;

returning the requested location information for the wireless node received from the location server to the requesting node; and

if the wireless node is currently connected outside the at least one area, identifying a remote area code server corresponding to the area within which the wireless node is currently located and redirecting the location query to the remote area code authority server.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising retrieving the location information from a table.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the location query may include a media access control (MAC) address of the wireless node.

27. The method of claim 24 further comprising providing directory services that enable a user obtain information associated with the wireless node.