Wireless network access point configuration

• US 6,956,527 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rogers, Christopher B., Wood, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US10/178,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 342/463, 342/464, 342457-458, 342/450, 455/456.1, 455/456.5, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 342/458
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/016 between areas within a building
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0242 Determining the position of transmitters to be subsequently used in positioning G01S5/0289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/06 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A wireless network having wireless network access devices may determine the location of newly added wireless network access devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a wireless network access point device wireless signals transmitted from a plurality of known locations;

determining distances between the plurality of known locations and the wireless network access point device from the transmitted wireless signals; and

resolving, within the wireless network access point device, a location of the wireless network access point device from the distances;

wherein a transmitter is moved to the plurality of known locations to transmit the wireless signals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving wireless signals comprises receiving electromagnetic pulses.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said determining distances comprises measuring a time-of-arrival of pulses received at the wireless network access point device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said determining distances comprises measuring an angle-of-arrival of pulses received at the wireless network access point device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said receiving, said determining, and said resolving for each of a plurality of wireless network access point devices.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating said receiving, determining, and resolving multiple times to obtain multiple values for the location;

and

treating the multiple values statistically to obtain a final value for the location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of known locations correspond to known locations in a building.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of known locations correspond to known geographical locations.

9. An article comprising

a machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a processing platform, cause said processing platform to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a wireless network device, wireless signals transmitted from a plurality of known locations from a transmitter moved to the plurality of known locations;

determining distances between the plurality of known locations and the wireless network device from characteristics of the received wireless signals; and

resolving, within the wireless network device, a location of the wireless network device from the distances.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the characteristics of the received wireless signals comprise time-of-arrival information.

11. The article of claim 9 wherein the characteristics of the received wireless signals comprise angle-of-arrival information.

12. A method, comprising:

communicating wireless signals between a network node and a plurality of wireless network devices, wherein locations of the plurality of wireless network devices relative to each other is known and the network node is located at a key point within a particular boundary;

determining distances from the network node to each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

solving, within the network node, for a location of the network node relative to the plurality of wireless network devices;

repeating said communicating, determining, and solving for other key points within the particular boundary; and

determining locations of the plurality of wireless network devices relative to the particular boundary;

wherein a same network node is used at each of the key points.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular boundary defines a floor plan.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the key points correspond approximately to corners of the floor plan.

15. An article comprising

a machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a processing platform, cause said processing platform to perform operations comprising:

communicating wireless signals between a network node and a plurality of wireless network devices, wherein locations of the plurality of wireless network devices relative to each other is known and the network node is at a key point within a particular boundary;

determining distances from the network node to each of the plurality of wireless network devices;

solving, within the network node, for a location of the network node relative to the plurality of wireless network devices;

repeating said communicating, determining, and solving for other key points within the particular boundary; and

determining locations of the plurality of wireless network devices relative to the particular boundary;

wherein a same network node is used at each of the key points.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the particular boundary defines a floor plan.

17. The article of claim 16, wherein the key points correspond approximately to corners of the floor plan.