Location of unprotected access points through protected access points
First Claim
1. A method for operating a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection, the method comprising:
- maintaining a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally;
receiving a request to access the network from a mobile station within a transmission range of the wireless network access point;
denying the access to the network to the mobile station;
returning the indication of the geographical position of one or more of the set of unprotected access points to the mobile station in response to the denial of the access to the network;
responsive to receiving a further location structure from a further access point within the transmission range of the wireless network access point, the further location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of further unprotected access points in proximity of the further access point, updating the location structure according to each further unprotected access point;
responsive to detecting each one of a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and determining an indication of a geographical position of each still further unprotected access point, updating the location structure according to each still further unprotected access point;
updating the location structure according to a comparison among an indication of a distance of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point from the wireless network access point and an indication of a distance of each unprotected access point from the wireless network access point; and
updating the location structure according to a comparison among a hop counter of a further unprotected access point or a still further unprotected access point and a hop counter of each unprotected access point, the hop counter of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a value thereof in a further location structure and the hop counter of the still further unprotected access point being set to a null value.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A solution for locating unprotected access points is provided. Particularly, a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection maintains a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the access point, each unprotected access point providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally. A mobile station submits a request to access the network to the access point when the mobile station is within a transmission range thereof, receives the indication of the geographical position of at least part of the unprotected access points in response to a denial of the access from the access point, and outputs directions towards one of the unprotected access points according to the corresponding geographical position.
19 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method for operating a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection, the method comprising:
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maintaining a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally; receiving a request to access the network from a mobile station within a transmission range of the wireless network access point; denying the access to the network to the mobile station; returning the indication of the geographical position of one or more of the set of unprotected access points to the mobile station in response to the denial of the access to the network; responsive to receiving a further location structure from a further access point within the transmission range of the wireless network access point, the further location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of further unprotected access points in proximity of the further access point, updating the location structure according to each further unprotected access point; responsive to detecting each one of a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and determining an indication of a geographical position of each still further unprotected access point, updating the location structure according to each still further unprotected access point; updating the location structure according to a comparison among an indication of a distance of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point from the wireless network access point and an indication of a distance of each unprotected access point from the wireless network access point; and updating the location structure according to a comparison among a hop counter of a further unprotected access point or a still further unprotected access point and a hop counter of each unprotected access point, the hop counter of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a value thereof in a further location structure and the hop counter of the still further unprotected access point being set to a null value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for operating a mobile station, the method comprising:
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submitting a request to access a network to a wireless network access point providing an access to the network over a wireless connection when the mobile station is within a transmission range of the wireless network access point; receiving an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the wireless network access point in response to a denial of the access from the wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally, wherein the set of unprotected access points includes a set of further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point; and outputting directions towards a plurality of unprotected access points in the set of unprotected access points according to a corresponding geographical position, wherein outputting the directions towards the plurality of unprotected access points comprises;
outputting an indication of a distance of each of the plurality unprotected access points from the mobile station and outputting a hop counter value from each of the plurality unprotected access points to the mobile station, wherein the distances and hop counts are retrieved from a location structure that identifies a comparison between the indication of the geographical position of each unprotected access point and the indication of the geographical position of the mobile station as the distance of each of the plurality unprotected access points from the mobile station and that identifies a comparison among a hop counter value of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point and a hop counter value of each unprotected access point as the hop counter value as the hop counter value from each of the plurality unprotected access points to the mobile station, the hop counter value of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a hop counter value thereof in the further location structure and the hop counter value of the still further unprotected access point being set to a null value. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
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maintain a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of a wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to a network at least partially unconditionally; receive a request to access the network from a mobile station within a transmission range of the wireless network access point; deny the access to the network to the mobile station; return the indication of the geographical position of one or more of the set of unprotected access points to the mobile station in response to the denial of the access to the network; responsive to receiving a further location structure from a further access point within the transmission range of the wireless network access point, the further location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of further unprotected access points in proximity of the further access point, update the location structure according to each further unprotected access point; responsive to detecting one of a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and determining an indication of a geographical position of each still further unprotected access point, update the location structure according to each still further unprotected access point; update the location structure according to a comparison among an indication of a distance of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point from the wireless network access point and an indication of a distance of each unprotected access point from the wireless network access point; and update the location structure according to a comparison among a hop counter of a further unprotected access point or a still further unprotected access point and a hop counter of each unprotected access point, the hop counter of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a value thereof in a further location structure and the hop counter of the still, further unprotected access point being set to a null value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; maintain a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of a wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to a network at least partially unconditionally; receive a request to access the network from a mobile station within a transmission range of the wireless network access point; deny the access to the network to the mobile station; return the indication of the geographical position of one or more of the set of unprotected access points to the mobile station in response to the denial of the access to the network; responsive to receiving a further location structure from a further access point within the transmmission range of the wireless network access point, the further location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of further unprotected access points in proximity of the further access point, update the location structure according to each further unprotected access point; responsive to detecting each one of a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and determining an indication of a geographical position of each still further unprotected access point, update the location structure according to each still further unprotected access point; update the location structure according to a comparison among an indication of a distance of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point from the wireless network access point and an indication of a distance of each unprotected access point from the wireless network access point; and update the location structure according to a comparison among a hop counter of a further unprotected access point or a still further unprotected access point and a hop counter of each unprotected access point, the hop counter of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a value thereof in a further location structure and the hop counter of the still further unprotected access point being set to a null value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification