Automatic switch-mapping and client device location detection
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- querying, by a computer server via a computer network, a first switch of the computer network to determine which ports of the first switch are connected to other switches;
recursively querying, by the computer server, each of the other switches via the computer network to determine which ports of the other switches are connected to further switches;
storing a corresponding switch-mapping in a storage device, the switch-mapping indicating how the ports of the switches are interconnected;
receiving, by the computer server, first network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a first client device, wherein the first network traffic includes an indication of a known location within an establishment from where first network traffic was transmitted;
querying one or more of the switches of the computer network according to the switch-mapping in order to follow an address of the first client device included in the first network traffic and thereby determine a source access-node of the computer network from which the first network traffic originated, wherein the source access-node is a port of a particular switch from which the first network traffic originated that is not connected to any other switch;
storing a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device;
receiving, by the computer server, second network traffic transmitted on the computer network, wherein the second network traffic is transmitted by a second client device and does not include any indication of the known location;
querying the one or more of the switches of the computer network in order to follow an address of the second client device included in the second network traffic according to the switch-mapping and thereby determine that the second network traffic also originated from the source access-node; and
automatically determining the second client device to be at the known location within the establishment according to the mapping in the storage device;
wherein the computer server does not receive any indication of the known location from the second client device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for automatic client device location detection includes a controller module configured to receive first network traffic transmitted on a computer network of a hospitality establishment from a known location within the hospitality establishment. The controller module is further configured to query one or more network components of the computer network to determine a source access-node from which the first network traffic originated, and store a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device. The controller module is further configured to receive second network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a client device at the hospitality establishment, query the one or more network components of the computer network to determine that the second network traffic originated from the source access-node, and automatically determine the client device to be at the known location according to the mapping in the storage device.
17 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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querying, by a computer server via a computer network, a first switch of the computer network to determine which ports of the first switch are connected to other switches; recursively querying, by the computer server, each of the other switches via the computer network to determine which ports of the other switches are connected to further switches; storing a corresponding switch-mapping in a storage device, the switch-mapping indicating how the ports of the switches are interconnected; receiving, by the computer server, first network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a first client device, wherein the first network traffic includes an indication of a known location within an establishment from where first network traffic was transmitted; querying one or more of the switches of the computer network according to the switch-mapping in order to follow an address of the first client device included in the first network traffic and thereby determine a source access-node of the computer network from which the first network traffic originated, wherein the source access-node is a port of a particular switch from which the first network traffic originated that is not connected to any other switch; storing a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device; receiving, by the computer server, second network traffic transmitted on the computer network, wherein the second network traffic is transmitted by a second client device and does not include any indication of the known location; querying the one or more of the switches of the computer network in order to follow an address of the second client device included in the second network traffic according to the switch-mapping and thereby determine that the second network traffic also originated from the source access-node; and automatically determining the second client device to be at the known location within the establishment according to the mapping in the storage device;
wherein the computer server does not receive any indication of the known location from the second client device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface coupled to a computer network of an establishment; a storage device; and one or more processors coupled to the network interface and the storage device; wherein the one or more processors are operable to; query via the network interface a first switch of the computer network to determine which ports of the first switch are connected to other switches; recursively query each of the other switches via the network interface to determine which ports of the other switches are connected to further switches; store a corresponding switch-mapping in the storage device, the switch-mapping indicating how the ports of the switches are interconnected; receive via the network interface first network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a first client device, wherein the first network traffic includes an indication of a known location within the establishment from where first network traffic was transmitted; query via the network interface one or more of the switches of the computer network according to the switch-mapping in order to follow an address of the first client device included in the first network traffic and thereby determine a source access-node of the computer network from which the first network traffic originated, wherein the source access-node is a port of a particular switch from which the first network traffic originated that is not connected to any other switch; store a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device; receive via the network interface second network traffic transmitted on the computer network, wherein the second network traffic is transmitted by a second client device and does not include any indication of the known location; query via the network interface the one or more of the switches of the computer network in order to follow an address of the second client device included in the second network traffic according to the switch-mapping and thereby determine that the second network traffic also originated from the source access-node; and automatically determine the second client device to be at the known location within the establishment according to the mapping in the storage device;
wherein the computer server does not receive any indication of the known location from the second client device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface coupled to a computer network of an establishment; a storage device; and one or more processors coupled to the network interface and the storage device; wherein the one or more processors are operable to; query via the network interface a first switch of the computer network to determine which ports of the first switch are connected to other switches; recursively query each of the other switches via the network interface to determine which ports of the other switches are connected to further switches; store a corresponding switch-mapping in the storage device, the switch-mapping indicating how the ports of the switches are interconnected; receive via the network interface first network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a first client device, determine a known location within the establishment from where first network traffic was transmitted; query via the network interface one or more of the switches of the computer network according to the switch-mapping in order to follow an address of the first client device included in the first network traffic and thereby determine a source access-node of the computer network from which the first network traffic originated, wherein the source access-node is a port of a particular switch from which the first network traffic originated that is not connected to any other switch; store a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device; receive via the network interface second network traffic transmitted on the computer network, wherein the second network traffic is transmitted by a second client device and does not include any indication of the known location; query via the network interface the one or more of the switches of the computer network in order to follow an address of the second client device included in the second network traffic according to the switch-mapping and thereby determine that the second network traffic also originated from the source access-node; and automatically determine the second client device to be at the known location within the establishment according to the mapping in the storage device;
wherein the computer server does not receive any indication of the known location from the second client device.
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Specification