Location-based access point module control

• US 9,717,067 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2014
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vivint Incorporated (NRG Energy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arool Emmanuel, Cyril Arokiaraj, Skelton, Tim, Kalkunte, Venkat
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US14/481,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/16 for PBS [Private Base Station] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Apparatus and method relating to wireless communication access points are described. In one embodiment an apparatus including one or more antennas to function as an access point for wireless communication is described. In some cases the apparatus or methods may include determining location information and/or one or more operating characteristics of one or more wireless communication access points.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

two or more antennas of a first wireless communication access point;

a chassis that supports at least one of the two or more antennas;

a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver mounted to the chassis to determine a location of at least one of the two or more antennas;

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

determine location information of the first wireless communication access point;

determine an operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on an operating characteristic of the two or more antennas of the first wireless communication access point;

determine a distance between at least two of the two or more antennas of the first wireless communication access point and a second wireless communication access point;

determine an interference value associated with the two or more antennas based at least in part on the distance, the interference value indicating whether the second wireless communication access point interferes with the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point;

deactivate the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on the second wireless communication access point interfering with the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point;

adjust the operating characteristic of the two or more antennas to maintain the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on the interference value and the deactivation; and

reactivate the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on the adjustment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

receive at least one of location information of the second wireless communication access point and one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point,

wherein the first wireless communication access point and the second wireless communication access point is different.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

correlate the location information of the first wireless communication access point with the at least one of location information of the second wireless communication access point and one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access points.

4. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein at least one of the two or more antennas receive the location information of the second wireless communication access point and the one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point, and

wherein the memory stores the location information and the one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes to illuminate based at least in part on correlating the location information of the first wireless communication access point with the location information of the second wireless communication access point.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes to illuminate based at least in part on correlating the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point with the one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes to illuminate based at least in part on correlating the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point with the location information of the second wireless communication access points.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

correlate the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point with at least one of location information of the second wireless communication access point and one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

determine the location information of the first wireless communication access point at one or more locations; and

determine the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point at the one or more locations.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

adjust the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on determining that the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point at the one or more locations and one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

correlate the location information of the first wireless communication access point at the one or more locations with location information of the second wireless communication access point at one or more locations; and

correlate the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point at the one or more locations with the location information of the second wireless communication access point at the one or more locations.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point include at least one of a signal strength, a signal frequency, a signal sensitivity, or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein correlating the location information of the first wireless communication access point with the location information of the second wireless communication access point comprises using the location information of the first wireless communication access point and the location information of the second wireless communication access point to determine a proximity value.

14. The apparatus of claim 3, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

correlate the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point with the one or more operating characteristics of the second wireless communication access point.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

determine a height difference between the first wireless communication access point and the second wireless communication access point.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, the instructions stored in the memory further being executable by the processor to:

automatically adjust the operating characteristic of the two or more antennas to maintain the operating characteristic of the first wireless communication access point based at least in part on the interference value.