Apparatus and method for the use of position information in wireless applications

• US 20040203846A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Caronni, Germano, Nystrom, Ann Sofie
• Granted Patent: US 6,920,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• 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 8/02 Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed at gathering position information of mobile and stationary entities and using the position information in a wide variety of applications. Various embodiments use a plurality of signal transmitting devices and/or a plurality of signal gathering devices to gather position information. In one embodiment, the signal transmitting device is an existing mobile electronic device. In another embodiment, the signal transmitting device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to an entity. In another embodiment, the signal gathering device is a collection of wall mounted antennas. The entity location is calculated by gathering the phase difference or other timing information of signal generated by the signal transmitting device on the entity. This location information is then given to end user applications. One embodiment is a network security application using gathered location information of wireless ethernet cards. Another embodiment is a network resource locator application.

Claims

1. A method for using position information in wireless applications comprising:

emitting a query signal from a signal gathering device;

using a signal transmitting device to generate a response signal to said query signal;

using said signal gathering device to gather said response signal; and

calculating position information of said signal transmitting device by using said response signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal transmitting device is an existing mobile electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said existing mobile electronic device emits infrared emanation.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said existing mobile electronic device emits radio signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of using signal transmitting device further comprises attaching said signal transmitting device to an entity.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal transmitting device is a RFID transceiver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal gathering device is a collection of flat wall mounted antennas.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said collection of flat wall mounted antennas contains at least three flat wall mounted antennas.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein each of said flat wall mounted antennas gathers the phase difference and timing information of said response signal to calculate the distance of said transmitting device from itself.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said phase and timing information from said flat wall mounted antennas are sent to a central processing device whereby location information is calculated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said flat wall mounted antennas are RFID transceivers connected to said central processing device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said RFID transceivers are connected by Bluetooth™

interfaces to said central processing device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said RFID transceivers are connected by ethernet to said central processing device.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein a mobile electronic device calculates its location by querying said RFID transceivers.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein said collection of flat wall mounted antennas are connected by electric circuitry.

16. The method of claim 7 wherein each of said flat wall mounted antennas is equipped with a precise clock to timestamp incoming signal.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said signal gathering device is a collection of direction-finding antennas.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprises using said location information in a wireless network security application.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprises using said location information in a wireless network resource locator application.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprises using said location information in a security application to deter movement of an entity attached to said signal transmitting device to an unsecured area.

21. A method of enforcing network security comprising:

attaching a RFID strip to a wireless ethernet network card;

mounting a plurality of antennas in a space;

connecting said antennas to a location server;

using said antennas to obtain location information of said RFID strip;

sending said location information to said location server; and

using said location information to grant or deny network access requests generated by said wireless ethernet network card.

22. The method of 21 wherein said step of using said location information further comprises:

using said location server to store ethernet address of said ethernet card; and

matching said ethernet address to said location information of said RFID strip.

23. A method of locating network resources comprising:

attaching RFID strips to a plurality of network resources;

attaching a RFID strip to a wireless ethernet network card used by a resource requester;

mounting a plurality of antennas in a space;

connecting said antennas to a location server;

taking a resource request from said resource requester;

using said antennas to obtain location information of each of said plurality of network resources; and

using said location information to locate a resource nearest to said resource requester.

24. A method of deterring unwanted displacement of an entity comprising:

attaching a RFID strip to said entity;

mounting a plurality of antennas in a space;

connecting said antennas to a location server;

defining a secured area and an unsecured area in said location server;

using said antennas to monitor movement of said entity; and

using said location server to issue an alert when said entity moves into said unsecured area.

25. An apparatus for using position information in wireless applications comprising:

a signal gathering device that emits a query signal; and

a signal transmitting device that generates a response signal to said query signal whereby said signal gathering device gathers said response signal and calculates position information of said signal transmitting device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said signal transmitting device is an existing mobile electronic device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said existing mobile electronic device emits infrared emanation.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said existing mobile electronic device emits radio signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said signal transmitting device is attached to an entity.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said signal transmitting device is a RFID transceiver.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said signal gathering device is a collection of flat wall mounted antennas.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said collection of flat wall mounted antennas contains at least three flat wall mounted antennas.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein each of said flat wall mounted antennas gathers the phase difference and timing information of said response signal to calculate the distance of said transmitting device from itself.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said phase and timing information from said flat wall mounted antennas are sent to a central processing device whereby location information is calculated.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said flat wall mounted antennas are RFID transceivers connected to said central processing device.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said RFID transceivers are connected by Bluetooth™

interfaces to said central processing device.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said RFID transceivers are connected by ethernet to said central processing device.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein a mobile electronic device calculates its location by querying said RFID transceivers.

39. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said collection of flat wall mounted antennas are connected by electric circuitry.

40. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein each of said flat wall mounted antennas is equipped with a precise clock to timestamp incoming signal.

41. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said signal gathering device is a collection of direction-finding antennas.

42. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprises a wireless network security application whereby said location information is used.

43. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprises a wireless network resource locator application whereby said location information is used.

44. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprises a security application whereby an entity attached to said signal transmitting device is deterred from moving to an unsecured area.

45. An apparatus for enforcing network security comprising:

a RFID strip attached to a wireless ethernet network card;

a plurality of antennas mounted in a space; and

a location server connected to said plurality of antennas whereby said antennas are used to obtain location information of said RFID strip and said location information is used by said location server to grant or deny network access requests generated by said wireless ethernet network card.

46. The apparatus of 45 wherein said location server stores ethernet address of said ethernet card and matches said ethernet address to said location information of said RFID strip.

47. An apparatus for locating network resources comprising:

a plurality of RFID strips attached to a plurality of network resources;

a RFID strip attached to a wireless ethernet network card used by a resource requester;

a plurality of antennas mounted in a space; and

a location server connected to said plurality of antennas whereby said location server takes a resource request from said resource requester and uses said antennas to obtain location information of each of said plurality of network resources and locate a resource nearest to said resource requester.

48. An apparatus for deterring unwanted displacement of an entity comprising:

a RFID strip attached to said entity;

a plurality of antennas mounted in a space; and

a location server connected to said plurality of antennas whereby said location server contains definition of a secured area and unsecured area and uses said antennas to monitor movement of said entity and issue an alert when said entity moves into said unsecured area.