Integration of wired information and wireless information to locate a wireless device

• US 9,479,899 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, David, Sybesma, Eric W., Ressler, Kevin Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRA, INDER P
• Application Number:
  US14/568,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150099541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/352, 370/310.2, 370/328, 370/395.52, 370/401, 455/406, 455/411, 455/410, 455/435.1, 455/456.1, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

One embodiment described herein includes a method of determining the location of a wireless device. The method includes capturing wired information about wired components in a network. Capturing wired information includes one or more of: reading information from a storage device associated with a connector of a wired communication media, or communicating a signal over an out-of-band conductor included in a cable in addition to the in-band conductors. The method also includes capturing wireless information about a wireless device communicatively coupled to the network, and integrating at least some of the wired information and the wireless information. The integrated wired information and wireless information is used to locate the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of determining the location of a wireless device, the method comprising:

capturing wired information about wired components in a network, wherein capturing wired information includes one or more of;

reading information from a storage device integrated into or on a connector of a wired communication media;

or

communicating a signal over an out-of-band conductor included in a cable in addition to the in-band conductors;

capturing wireless information about a wireless device communicatively coupled to the network;

integrating at least some of the wired information and the wireless information; and

using the integrated wired information and wireless information to locate the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reading information from the storage device includes reading information via first conductors coupled to a reader, wherein the first conductors contact second conductors on the connector of the wired communication media, wherein the storage device is coupled to the second conductors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reading information from the storage device includes receiving a wireless signal from a radiating component coupled to the storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing wireless information includes capturing information that identifies the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying physical layer connections between devices in the network based on the wired information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the integrated wired information and wireless information to locate the wireless device includes determining a location of a wireless access point with which the wireless device is communicating and using the location of the wireless access point to determine the location of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein capturing wired information includes capturing information about layer one and layer two used by the wired components.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

identifying a port of a switch or patch panel that provides a logical communication path to the wireless device; and

identifying a lower-level association from the port to another device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining a location of a wireless access point includes identifying a physical communication path from the port of the switch or patch panel to the wireless access point to identify the wireless access point associated with the port.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless information includes information about the transmit power or coverage area of a wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the wired information includes information about the location of wall plate device to which a wireless access point is connected.

12. A network system comprising:

a plurality of network devices including at least one wireless access point coupled to an aggregation point through a patch panel;

a plurality of wired communication mediums coupling the plurality of network devices together, wherein at least some of the plurality of wired communication mediums include one of a storage device integrated into or on a connector, the storage device having identifying information stored therein, or an out-of-band conductor for out-of-band signaling in addition to in-band conductors;

wherein one or more of the plurality of network devices are configured to capture wired information about wired components in a network, wherein capture wired information includes one or more of;

read information from a storage device of at least one of the wired communication mediums;

or

communicate a signal over an out-of-band conductor of at least one of the wired communication mediums;

wherein one or more of the plurality of network devices are configured to capture wireless information about a wireless device communicatively coupled to the at least one wireless access point; and

wherein the aggregation point is configured to integrate at least some of the wired information and the wireless information and use the integrated wired information and wireless information to locate the wireless device.

13. The network system of claim 12, wherein read information from the storage device includes read information via first conductors coupled to a reader, wherein the first conductors contact second conductors on the connector of the wired communication media, wherein the storage device is coupled to the second conductors.

14. The network system of claim 12, wherein read information from the storage device includes receive a wireless signal from a radiating component coupled to the storage device.

15. The network system of claim 12, wherein capture wireless information includes capture information that identifies the wireless device.

16. The network system of claim 12, wherein the aggregation point is configured to identify physical layer connections between devices in the network based on the wired information.

17. The network system of claim 12, wherein using the integrated wired information and wireless information to locate a wireless device includes determining a location of the at least one wireless access point with which the wireless device is communicating and using the location of the at least one wireless access point to determine the location of the wireless device.

18. The network system of claim 17, wherein the aggregation point is configured to:

identify a port of a switch or patch panel that provides a logical communication path to the wireless device; and

identify a lower-level association from the port to another device.

19. The network system of claim 18, wherein determine a location of the at least one wireless access point includes identifying a physical communication path from the port of the switch or patch panel to the at least one wireless access point to identify the at least one wireless access point associated with the port.

20. A method of determining a location of a wireless device, the method comprising:

capturing wired information about physical layer connections of devices in a network by doing at least one of;

reading such information from a storage device integrated into or on a connector of a wired communication media or communicating a signal over an out-of-band conductor included in a cable in addition to the in-band conductors;

capturing wireless information about a wireless device communicatively coupled to the network;

integrating the wired information and the wireless information;

identifying physical layer connections in a physical communication path between the wireless device and a patch panel;

determining a location of a wireless access point with which the wireless device is communicating based on the physical communication path between the wireless device and the patch panel; and

using the location of the wireless access point to determine the location of the wireless device.