METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRONIC GRAFFITI

• US 20080022115A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: HAYES, DAVID J., PERDOMO, JORGE L., MOCK, VON A.
• Application Number:
  US11/421,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20080022115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A system (100) and method (800) for electronic graffiti includes a plurality of graffiti nodes serving as a plurality of wireless access points 102, a server 103 coupled to the plurality of wireless access points, a mobile wireless device (101 or 700) having at least a local area transceiver (706) and a processor (702) operatively coupled to the local area transceiver. The processor can be programmed to associate (804) a user friendly name with a media access control (MAC) address, associate (806) the user friendly name and media access control address with a group affiliation and a location, and transmit (808) the user friendly name, MAC address, the group affiliation and the location to the server. The server can be further coupled to a central server. Note, the server stores a record for each graffiti node containing the MAC address, the user friendly name, and the group affiliation.

Claims

1. A method of forming graffiti nodes in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

associating a user friendly name with a media access control address;

associating the user friendly name and media access control address with a group affiliation; and

transmitting the user friendly name, media access control address, and the group affiliation to a central server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining if the media access control address has an existing user friendly name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of determining if the media access control address has an existing user friendly name associated with the group affiliation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of creating the user friendly name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of associating a time stamp with the step of associating the user friendly name with the media access control address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of creating a record for each graffiti node containing the media access control address, the user friendly name, the group affiliation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating with the group affiliation is confirmed using a password, personal identity number, or biometric information

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of forwarding information regarding a member having the group affiliation to other members having the group affiliation upon the member communicating with a graffiti node.

9. A mobile wireless device, comprising:

a local area transceiver; and

a processor coupled to the local area transceiver, wherein the processor is programmed to;

associate a user friendly name with a media access control address;

associate the user friendly name and media access control address with a group affiliation; and

transmit the user friendly name, media access control address, and the group affiliation to a central server.

10. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine if the media access control address has an existing user friendly name associated with the group affiliation.

11. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to create the user friendly name.

12. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to associate a time stamp with the user friendly name and the media access control address.

13. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein mobile wireless device further comprises a security device coupled to the processor and wherein the processor is further programmed confirm group affiliation by using a password, personal identity number, or biometric information

14. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to forward information regarding a member having the group affiliation to other members having the group affiliation upon the member communicating with a graffiti node.

15. The mobile wireless device of claim 9, wherein the mobile wireless device further comprises a wide area transceiver coupled to the processor.

16. The mobile wireless device of claim 15, wherein the local area transceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver or an IEEE 802.11 based transceiver or a personal area network transceiver or a peer-to-peer transceiver and the wide area transceiver is a cellular phone transceiver, a trunked two-way radio transceiver, a two-way data messaging transceiver, or an IEEE 801.16 based transceiver.

17. A communication system including a plurality of graffiti nodes, comprising:

a plurality of wireless access points forming the graffiti nodes;

a server coupled to the plurality of wireless access points;

a mobile wireless device having at least a local area transceiver; and

a processor operatively coupled to the local area transceiver, wherein the processor is programmed to;

associate a user friendly name with a media access control address;

associate the user friendly name and media access control address with a group affiliation and a location; and

transmit the user friendly name, media access control address, the group affiliation and the location to the server.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the server is further coupled to a central server.

19. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the server stores a record for each graffiti node containing the media access control address, the user friendly name, the group affiliation, a log or list of individuals affiliated with the graffiti nodes, and a log or list of locations where the graffiti nodes were located.

20. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the communication system comprises a plurality of mobile wireless devices and wherein each of the mobile wireless devices within a given group affiliation and the server have synchronized information with respect to the media access control address and the user friendly name.