Proximity detection using wireless signal strengths
First Claim
1. At a proximity management computer system in a wireless network environment in which signal strengths data can be detected, a method for returning a sorted list of nearby resources of a specified type to a client, the method comprising:
- receiving registration data from a user'"'"'s client device in the wireless network environment, the registration data including registration data identifying the user'"'"'s client device and identifying at least one non-networked resource, wherein the non-networked resource includes at least one of a room, a non-electronic device and an electronic device without wireless networking capabilities, the registration data for the non-networked resource being sent on behalf of the non-networked resource, the registration data being configured to include a client device wireless network environment signature for identifying the non-networked device'"'"'s location in relation to the user'"'"'s client device;
generating a globally unique identifier based on the user'"'"'s registration data, such that transmissions from the user are associated with the user, regardless of which client device the user uses;
returning a globally unique identifier to the client device in response to receiving the registration data;
receiving a client device wireless network environment signature from and for the user, the client device wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the returned globally unique identifier with a MAC address and a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment;
receiving a non-networked resource wireless network environment signature from the user, the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the user'"'"'s globally unique identifier with the corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment, such that the user'"'"'s client device can report on the non-networked resource'"'"'s behalf;
storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in a database;
receiving a query from the user for a specified type of resource subsequent to storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in the database;
accessing resource wireless network environment signatures and non-networked resource wireless network environment signatures for resources of the specified type from the database, each resource wireless network environment signature associating a globally unique identifier for a resource with a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each detected base station associated with the resource;
determining the similarity of each accessed resource wireless network environment signature to both the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature;
generating a list of resources of the specified type of resource in response to the received query, the list of resources sorted by physical distance from the client device, wherein resources having wireless network environment signatures with increased similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically closer to the client device and wherein resources having a wireless network environment signature with reduced similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically further from the client device; and
returning the generated list of resources to the client device to indicate resources of the specified type that are available for use by the client device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Described is a system and method in a wireless (Wi-Fi) network comprising a server, clients and various mechanisms that compute lists of other clients and resources that are physically nearby. Clients report Wi-Fi access points'"'"' signal strengths to a server, which uses that data to compute the proximity of resources to one another, including an estimate the distance between resources. The data may be returned to the client as a list of resources within short range proximity, or resources within long-range proximity, with an approximate time to that resource based on previous clients'"'"' reporting. Because proximity is used rather than absolute location, only minimal setup is needed. As the number of clients and resources that use the system increases, the server knowledge also increases with respect to the number of resources that can be found and in the physical range over which other people and places can be found.
239 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. At a proximity management computer system in a wireless network environment in which signal strengths data can be detected, a method for returning a sorted list of nearby resources of a specified type to a client, the method comprising:
-
receiving registration data from a user'"'"'s client device in the wireless network environment, the registration data including registration data identifying the user'"'"'s client device and identifying at least one non-networked resource, wherein the non-networked resource includes at least one of a room, a non-electronic device and an electronic device without wireless networking capabilities, the registration data for the non-networked resource being sent on behalf of the non-networked resource, the registration data being configured to include a client device wireless network environment signature for identifying the non-networked device'"'"'s location in relation to the user'"'"'s client device; generating a globally unique identifier based on the user'"'"'s registration data, such that transmissions from the user are associated with the user, regardless of which client device the user uses; returning a globally unique identifier to the client device in response to receiving the registration data; receiving a client device wireless network environment signature from and for the user, the client device wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the returned globally unique identifier with a MAC address and a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment; receiving a non-networked resource wireless network environment signature from the user, the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the user'"'"'s globally unique identifier with the corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment, such that the user'"'"'s client device can report on the non-networked resource'"'"'s behalf; storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in a database; receiving a query from the user for a specified type of resource subsequent to storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in the database; accessing resource wireless network environment signatures and non-networked resource wireless network environment signatures for resources of the specified type from the database, each resource wireless network environment signature associating a globally unique identifier for a resource with a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each detected base station associated with the resource; determining the similarity of each accessed resource wireless network environment signature to both the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature; generating a list of resources of the specified type of resource in response to the received query, the list of resources sorted by physical distance from the client device, wherein resources having wireless network environment signatures with increased similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically closer to the client device and wherein resources having a wireless network environment signature with reduced similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically further from the client device; and returning the generated list of resources to the client device to indicate resources of the specified type that are available for use by the client device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. At a computer system operating in a wireless network environment, a method for the computer system to obtain a list of nearby resources of a specified resource type, the method comprising:
-
transmitting registration data to register a user'"'"'s client device with a proximity management computer system, the registration data including registration data identifying the user'"'"'s client device and identifying at least one non-networked resource, wherein the non-networked resource includes at least one of a room, a non-electronic device and an electronic device without wireless networking capabilities, the registration data for the non-networked resource being sent on behalf of the non-networked resource, the registration data being configured to include a client device wireless network environment signature for identifying the non-networked device'"'"'s location in relation to the user'"'"'s client device; receiving a generated globally unique identifier from the proximity management computer system in response to registering with the proximity management computer system, the globally unique identifier being generated based on the user'"'"'s registration data, such that transmissions from the user are associated with the user, regardless of which client device the user uses; detecting one or more base stations within the wireless network environment; for each detected base station included in the one or more base stations; obtaining a MAC address for the detected base station; determining a corresponding signal strength indicator for signals received from the detected base station; creating a wireless network environment signature for the client device from the obtained MAC addresses and corresponding determined signal strength indicators of the detected base stations, the wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the generated globally unique identifier with each obtained MAC address and corresponding determined signal strength indicator; transmitting a non-networked resource wireless network environment signature from the user, the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the user'"'"'s globally unique identifier with the corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment, such that the user'"'"'s client device can report on the non-networked resource'"'"'s behalf; reporting the wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature to the proximity management computer system; submitting a query from the user for a specified type of resource to the proximity management computer system subsequent to reporting the wireless network environment signature; and receiving a list of resources of the specified type of resource in response to the submitted query, the list of resources sorted by physical distance from the client device, wherein resources having wireless network environment signatures with increased similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically closer to the client device and wherein resources having a wireless network environment signature with reduced similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically further from the client device.
-
-
25. A computer system for implementing a method for returning a sorted list of nearby resources of a specified type to a client, the computer system comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, cause the computing system to perform the method, the method comprising:
-
receiving registration data from a user'"'"'s client device in the wireless network environment, the registration data including registration data identifying the user'"'"'s client device and identifying at least one non-networked resource, wherein the non-networked resource includes at least one of a room, a non-electronic device and an electronic device without wireless networking capabilities, the registration data for the non-networked resource being sent on behalf of the non-networked resource, the registration data being configured to include a client device wireless network environment signature for identifying the non-networked device'"'"'s location in relation to the user'"'"'s client device; generating a globally unique identifier based on the user'"'"'s registration data, such that transmissions from the user are associated with the user, regardless of which client device the user uses; returning a globally unique identifier to the client device in response to receiving the registration data; receiving a client device wireless network environment signature from and for the user, the client device wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the returned globally unique identifier with a MAC address and a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment; receiving a non-networked resource wireless network environment signature from the user, the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature including a data structure that associates the user'"'"'s globally unique identifier with the corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each base station the client device detected within the wireless network environment, such that the user'"'"'s client device can report on the non-networked resource'"'"'s behalf; storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in a database; receiving a query from the user for a specified type of resource subsequent to storing the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature in the database; accessing resource wireless network environment signatures and non-networked resource wireless network environment signatures for resources of the specified type from the database, each resource wireless network environment signature associating a globally unique identifier for a resource with a corresponding determined received signal strength indicator for each detected base station associated with the resource; determining the similarity of each accessed resource wireless network environment signature to both the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networked resource wireless network environment signature; generating a list of resources of the specified type of resource in response to the received query, the list of resources sorted by physical distance from the client device, wherein resources having wireless network environment signatures with increased similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically closer to the client device and wherein resources having a wireless network environment signature with reduced similarity to at least one of the client device wireless network environment signature and the non-networking resource wireless network environment signature are indicated as physically further from the client device; and returning the generated list of resources to the client device to indicate resources of the specified type that are available for use by the client device.
-
Specification