Wireless Access Point Location via Electromagnetic Signal Triangulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual operation of locating wireless access points (WLAN APs) is labor-intensive, error-prone, and difficult due to the large number of APs and their often concealed locations, making network management challenging.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize electromagnetic wave signals from reference APs to determine the physical location of to-be-located APs, calculating distances and using building drawing information to accurately place APs, reducing manual effort and increasing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual operations are used to locate wireless access points, then network administrators can place APs on building drawings, but the workload is huge and errors are frequent due to the large number of APs and concealed locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with electromagnetic wave-based automatic locating. Instead of network administrators manually placing AP icons on building drawings, the system uses reference APs to emit electromagnetic wave signals that are received by mobile terminals, automatically calculating and determining the physical locations of all APs through signal processing and distance calculation algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service locating where the network management system automatically performs the locating function without requiring manual intervention. The reference APs automatically emit signals, mobile terminals automatically receive and process these signals, and the system automatically calculates positions, making the entire locating process autonomous and eliminating the need for manual operations.
2Measurement precision
If manual operations are used to locate wireless access points, then APs can be marked on building drawings, but the process is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming manual operations with automated electromagnetic wave-based locating. The system uses reference APs to emit signals that are processed by mobile terminals, automatically calculating positions through algorithmic processing, which dramatically reduces the time required compared to manual placement of hundreds or thousands of AP icons on building drawings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-deploying reference APs at known locations before the actual locating process. These reference APs are positioned in advance and configured to emit electromagnetic wave signals, preparing the system in advance so that when locating is needed, the infrastructure is already in place to enable rapid automatic positioning of all other APs.
3Ease of operation
If manual operations are used to locate wireless access points, then APs can be placed on building drawings, but it is difficult and error-prone due to concealed locations and large quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and placement operations with automated electromagnetic wave-based detecting. Mobile terminals equipped with sensors automatically receive electromagnetic wave signals from reference APs and measure signal strength, eliminating the need for network administrators to physically locate and identify each AP, especially those in concealed locations, thereby improving both ease of operation and locating accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces mobile terminals as intermediaries between the reference APs and the network management system. These mobile terminals act as mediators that receive electromagnetic wave signals from reference APs, process the signals to calculate distances, and communicate location data back to the network management system, enabling automatic locating without direct manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Automatically determines the physical location of APs within a network management system, reducing errors and workload for network administrators by using electromagnetic wave signals and building drawing integration.
Implementation Method 1
obtaining a first electromagnetic wave signal received by a first to-be-located AP of the L to-be-located APs, where the first electromagnetic wave signal includes an electromagnetic wave signal sent by each first reference AP
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclose a method and an apparatus for locating a wireless access point. M APs are deployed in a physical area, the M APs include N first reference APs and L to-be-located APs, and physical locations of the first reference APs and a first distance between any two first reference APs are determinate. The method includes obtaining a first electromagnetic wave signal received by a first to-be-located AP of the L to-be-located Aps, where the first electromagnetic wave signal includes an electromagnetic wave signal sent by each first reference AP. The method also includes determining a second distance between the first to-be-located AP and each first reference AP according to the first electromagnetic wave signal, and determining a physical location of the first to-be-located AP according to the first distance, the second distance, and the physical locations of all the N first reference APs.