Wi-Fi access point characteristics database
First Claim
1. A method of retrieving an operating characteristic of a selected wireless access point having a unique media access control (MAC) address, the method comprising:
- sending a request signal from a mobile communication device to the selected access point;
transmitting a response signal from the selected access point to the mobile communication device in response to the request signal, wherein the response signal includes the MAC address of the selected access point;
sending the MAC address as a look-up value to an access point characteristics database having a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a characteristic value associated with a number of access points of the same make-and-model, and wherein each entry in the characteristics database comprises a range of MAC addresses corresponding to a group of access points estimated to have the same characteristic value; and
retrieving the characteristic value of the selected access point from the characteristics database in response to the MAC address, wherein the characteristic value comprises a processing delay time indicating a time delay between the selected access point receiving the request signal and the same selected access point transmitting the response signal.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining characteristics of an access point device are disclosed. The method includes determining, at a first device, a characteristic of the access point device. At the first device, a signal is received from the access point device. The retrieved signal is communicated to a first database. In response to the communication, characteristic information is received from the first database. The characteristic information includes an estimate of the characteristic of the access point device including manufacturing information of the access point device.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of retrieving an operating characteristic of a selected wireless access point having a unique media access control (MAC) address, the method comprising:
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sending a request signal from a mobile communication device to the selected access point; transmitting a response signal from the selected access point to the mobile communication device in response to the request signal, wherein the response signal includes the MAC address of the selected access point; sending the MAC address as a look-up value to an access point characteristics database having a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a characteristic value associated with a number of access points of the same make-and-model, and wherein each entry in the characteristics database comprises a range of MAC addresses corresponding to a group of access points estimated to have the same characteristic value; and retrieving the characteristic value of the selected access point from the characteristics database in response to the MAC address, wherein the characteristic value comprises a processing delay time indicating a time delay between the selected access point receiving the request signal and the same selected access point transmitting the response signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for retrieving an operating characteristic of a selected wireless access point having a unique media access control (MAC) address, the system comprising:
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means for sending a request signal from a mobile communication device to the selected access point; means for transmitting a response signal from the selected access point to the mobile communication device in response to the request signal, wherein the response signal includes the MAC address of the selected access point; means for sending the MAC address as a look-up value to an access point characteristics database having a plurality of entries, wherein each entry comprises a characteristic value associated with a number of access points of the same make-and-model, and wherein each entry in the characteristics database comprises a range of MAC addresses corresponding to a group of access points estimated to have the same characteristic value; and means for retrieving the characteristic value of the selected access point from the characteristics database in response to the MAC address, wherein the characteristic value comprises a processing delay time indicating a time delay between the selected access point receiving the request signal and the same selected access point transmitting the response signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An access point characteristics database accessible by a mobile communication device and including a plurality of entries for storing operating characteristics for a number of different make-and-models of wireless access points, wherein each entry comprises:
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a range of MAC addresses corresponding to a group of selected access points estimated to be of the same make-and-model; and a processing delay time indicating a time delay between the selected access point receiving a request signal from the mobile communication device and the same selected access point transmitting a response signal to the mobile communication device, wherein the access point characteristics database is to retrieve the processing delay time for at least one group of selected access points in response to a MAC address received from the mobile communication device. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification