Systems and Methods for Locating Mobile Computer Users in a Wireless Network
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a server having memory;
a user database stored in the memory of the server, the user database containing a user field for storing a user name of a mobile computer user, and a last known location field for storing a most recent location of a computer user identified in a corresponding user field;
a wireless access point of a wireless local area network configured to receive RF network transmissions from one or more mobile computers;
a mobile computer having memory and a wireless network interface for RF communication with the wireless access point of the wireless local area network;
a location tracking system in the mobile computer memory configured to determine, based on a beacon packet'"'"'s signal strength received from the wireless access point and using a previously established radio map, a location of the mobile computer;
a location manager in the mobile computer memory configured to periodically transmit the location of the mobile computer and the user name of a mobile computer user to the server via the wireless network interface; and
a computing unit having a computing unit location manager configured to search the user database of the server to determine information regarding the location of a mobile user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System and methods for locating a computer user are described wherein the computer either periodically updates a network server with its location, or updates the network server when asked by the server to do so. The network server can be a mobile computer. The user'"'"'s computer determines its physical location using a location tracker service and then transmits this location information to the server, which stores it in its memory. The information stored includes the physical location of the computer, the time when the location was identified, a name identifying the user of the computer, and an indicator, which indicates whether or not the user was active on the computer during a specified time interval prior to the transmission. The location of the user is deemed to be the last known location of the computer used by the user. If the user is logged onto more than one computer, the location of the user is deemed to be the last known location of the computer that indicates the user as being active.
42 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a server having memory;
a user database stored in the memory of the server, the user database containing a user field for storing a user name of a mobile computer user, and a last known location field for storing a most recent location of a computer user identified in a corresponding user field;
a wireless access point of a wireless local area network configured to receive RF network transmissions from one or more mobile computers;
a mobile computer having memory and a wireless network interface for RF communication with the wireless access point of the wireless local area network;
a location tracking system in the mobile computer memory configured to determine, based on a beacon packet'"'"'s signal strength received from the wireless access point and using a previously established radio map, a location of the mobile computer;
a location manager in the mobile computer memory configured to periodically transmit the location of the mobile computer and the user name of a mobile computer user to the server via the wireless network interface; and
a computing unit having a computing unit location manager configured to search the user database of the server to determine information regarding the location of a mobile user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for locating a mobile computer user in a wireless network, comprising:
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periodically identifying a location of a mobile computer that is used by a mobile user and associating a time stamp with the location indicating a time at which the location was identified, wherein the periodically identifying a location of a mobile computer further comprises identifying the location of the mobile user by measuring relative strengths of radio frequency transmissions emitted from a plurality of base stations;
transmitting the location of the mobile computer to a network server together with the time stamp and a name of the mobile user;
storing the transmitted information on the network server;
receiving a request from a computing unit for the location of the mobile user;
determining the last known location of the mobile computer by accessing the network server and finding the location having a most recent time stamp; and
recognizing the last known location of the mobile computer as the location of the mobile user. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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receiving, at a server of a wireless local area network and from a mobile computer within the wireless local area network, multiple locations of the mobile computer, each of the multiple locations received at recurring time periods and determined using RF signals received from a plurality of RF beacons;
time-stamping each of the multiple locations based on the recurring time periods at which each of the multiple locations is received;
receiving, at the server, a request from a computing unit for a current location of a mobile computer user;
determining that the mobile computer user is identified with the mobile computer;
determining which of the multiple locations has a most-recent time-stamp; and
transmitting the location having the most-recent time-stamp to the computing unit. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification