System and method for determining a location for a device in a communication network

• US 9,420,396 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Oerton, Kevin John, Montemurro, Michael Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myers, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/193,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/310, 370328-334, 370/338, 370343-344, 370/431, 370/433, 370436-437, 370449-453, 370/457, 370464-465, 370/468, 370/478, 370480-482, 370/496, 709/208, 709/211, 709217-219, 709223-230, 709/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The disclosure recites a system and method of identifying location data for a server device managing communications for a wireless network. The method comprises: obtaining location data for the server device; identifying a location for the server device by analyzing at least the location data; updating data in the server device with the location; identifying a communication transmission range for the location for the server device; and configuring communications generated by the server device to conform to the communication transmission range.

Claims

1. A method of identifying location data for an access point in order to initiate communications for a wireless network, the method comprising:

retrieving, at the access point, from a server in a network different from the wireless network, primer location data comprising an approximate location of the access point, the primer location data further comprising a placeholder for incomplete location information, the approximate location of the access point comprising one of postal code data, time zone data or city data associated with the access point, the access point comprising a fixed device; and

, after both retrieving the primer location data, and when a triggering event occurs, the triggering event comprising at least one of a powering-up of the access point, resetting of communication parameters of the access point or detection that the access point has been located to a new network transmission area;

initiating the wireless network by sending, from the access point to communication devices of the wireless network, a beacon signal to initiate communications with the communication devices of the wireless network, the access point acting as the master of the wireless network, the communication devices comprising portable communication devices;

requesting first location data from the communication devices of the wireless network, and obtaining the first location data from a communication device in the wireless network in a first transmission received by the access point; and

comparing a parameter of the first transmission against a threshold and when the parameter exceeds the threshold;

determining a location for the access point by updating the primer location data using the first location data, the first location data being more geographically precise than initial primer location data;

identifying a communication transmission range that conforms with regulations of a spectrum management body administrating transmissions for the location of the access point;

configuring communications generated by the access point to utilize the communication transmission range and to conform to the regulations.

2. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

extracting second location data from a second transmission received from the wireless network when a trigger condition is detected;

identifying the location by analyzing at least the second location data; and

updating data in the access point with the location.

3. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the trigger condition is a loss of communication between one or more of the server and the communication device in the wireless network and the access point.

4. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first location data represents a location of the communication device in the wireless network.

5. The method of identifying location data for an access pointaccess point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first location data is provided to the communication device in the wireless network from a second network.

6. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the regulations define impermissible transmission frequencies for the access point for the location.

7. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the regulations define an open communication transmission band for the location in a television broadcast band for the access point; and

the communications generated by the access point utilize the open communication transmission band.

8. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the parameter is a signal strength of the first transmission.

9. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining second location data for the access point from a second transmission received from a second communication device in the wireless network; and

comparing the signal strength of the first transmission against a signal strength of the second transmission to determine which of the communication device and second communication device is closer to the access point and identifying the location for the access point using the location data provided in the transmission of a closer of the communication device and the second communication device.

10. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the wireless network is an 802.11-class network;

the first transmission is encoded in a reply to an access network query protocol (ANQP) query for location information for the access point; and

a second transmission is sent to the access point via a Bluetooth network from a location station device, the second transmission comprising the first location data.

11. The method of identifying location data for a an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first location data is based on GPS data stored by the communication device in the wireless network.

12. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the parameter is a match of the first location data against most frequently cited locations identified to the access point.

13. The method of identifying location data for an access point as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the parameter relates to a reliability score for location data provided by the communication device in the wireless network.

14. A method of identifying location data for an access point device managing communications for an 802.11 wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining first location data for the access point by retrieving, at the access point device, from a server in a network different from the 802.11 wireless network, the first location data comprising an approximate location of the access point device, the first location data further comprising a placeholder for incomplete location information, the approximate location of the access point device comprising one of postal code data, time zone data or city data associated with the access point device, the access point device comprising a fixed device; and

, after both retrieving the first location data, and when a triggering event occurs, the triggering event comprising at least one of a powering-up of the access point device, resetting of communication parameters of the access point or detection that the access point device has been located to a new network transmission area;

identifying a location for the access point device by analyzing the first location data and second location data extracted from a transmission received from either the 802.11 network or a Bluetooth network from a Bluetooth client device and by filtering the first and the second location data based on at least one of time or signal parameters or based on signal strength parameters of signals received by the access point device from a 802.11 client device, the second location data being more geographically precise than the first location data;

updating data in the access point device with the location;

identifying a communication transmission range for the access point device based on the location; and

configuring communications generated by the access point device to conform to the communication transmission range.

15. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the location is identified when a trigger event is detected by the access point device.

16. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the trigger event is any of powering of the access point device, resetting of communication parameters of the access point device, passage of a set amount of time since a last location update for the access point device or detection of connection change for a 802.11 device with the access point device.

17. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 15 wherein:

the trigger event is detection of a loss of a connection for the 802.11 device with the access point device); and

upon detection of the loss of the connection the access point device increases a cadence of transmissions of its probe or beacon signals or tears down a connection to the 802.11 network.

18. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the location is in a European country and the communications are configured to use transmission bands that do not interfere with RADAR transmissions.

19. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the communication transmission range defines impermissible transmission frequencies for the access point device while associated with the location.

20. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the parameter relates to a reliability score for location data provided by one or more of the server and the device in the wireless network.

21. The method of identifying location data for a wireless access point device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

the communications are configured to use an open transmission band in a television broadcast band.

22. An access point for processing communications from a plurality of wireless devices to establish a wireless network, the access point comprising:

a processor and a memory device, the processor configured to;

retrieve, at the access point, from a server in a network different from the wireless network, primer location data comprising an approximate location of the access point, the primer location data further comprising a placeholder for incomplete location information, the approximate location of the access point comprising one of postal code data, time zone data or city data associated with the access point, the access point comprising a fixed device; and

, after both retrieving the primer location data, and when a triggering event occurs, the triggering event comprising at least one of a powering-up of the access point, resetting of communication parameters of the access point or detection that the access point has been located to a new network transmission area;

initiate the wireless network by sending, from the access point to communication devices of the wireless network, a beacon signal to initiate communications with the communication devices of the wireless network, the access point acting as the master of the wireless network, the communication devices comprising portable communication devices;

request first location data from the communication devices of the wireless network, and obtain the first location data from a communication device in the wireless network in a first transmission received by the access point; and

comparing a parameter of the first transmission against a threshold and when the parameter exceeds the threshold;

determine a location of the access point by updating the primer location data using the first location data,

the first location data being more geographically precise than initial primer location data;

identify a communication transmission range that conforms with regulations of a spectrum management body administrating transmissions for the location for the access point; and

configure communications generated by the access point to utilize the communication transmission range and to conform to the regulations.

23. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the wireless network is an 802.11 network.

24. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the parameter is a signal strength of the transmission.

25. The access point as claimed in claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain second location data for the access point from a second transmission received from a second communication device in the wireless network; and

compare the signal strength of the first transmission against a signal strength of the second transmission to determine which of the communication device and second communication device is closer to the access point and identify the location for the access point using the location data provided in the transmission of the closer of the communication device and the second communication device.

26. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to one or more of:

obtain the first location data in a reply to an access network query protocol (ANQP) query for location information for the access point; and

extract the first location data from a second transmission received by the access point via a Bluetooth network from a location station device having the first location data.

27. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the location data is based on GPS data stored by the communication device in the wireless network.

28. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the parameter is a match of the location data against most frequently cited locations identified to the access point.

29. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

the parameter relates to a reliability score for location data provided by the communication device in the wireless network.

30. The access point as claimed in claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon determining that a connection to the communication device is lost, change at least one of communication transmission parameters or communication protocols of the access point.

31. The access point as claimed in claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon determining that communications between the access point and the communication device are lost, tear down connections between the access point and the wireless network, the wireless network comprising an 802.11-class network.

32. The access point as claimed in claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon determining that the connection to the communication device is lost, change a cadence of transmission of beacon signals to the wireless network.