Hierarchical WLAN Location Server for Accurate Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless network systems lack integrated capabilities for accurate location tracking and data processing, making it difficult to develop applications that require precise location information and network diagnostics within the WLAN infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A location server functions as a middleware data collection and calculation engine in a hierarchical WLAN system, collecting and processing network data from mobile nodes, including wireless stations, RFID tags, and rogue access points, to determine their locations and track their histories, while also computing traffic patterns and resource requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a location server is integrated into the WLAN infrastructure, then location tracking accuracy and network diagnostic capability are improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a location server as an intermediary component within the WLAN infrastructure that collects location information from access points and processes it to provide accurate location tracking. This mediator handles the complexity of location calculations centrally, allowing access points to remain relatively simple while achieving high location precision through the server's processing capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive network data collection is implemented, then location-aware applications and network diagnostics are enabled, but data processing overhead and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data collection and processing functions across multiple components: access points collect raw location data, the location server processes this data to generate location information, and application servers utilize this processed information for specific applications. This segmentation allows comprehensive data collection while distributing processing overhead, preventing any single component from being overwhelmed.
3Productivity
If hierarchical processing is applied to protocol information, then location computation efficiency is improved, but implementation complexity in the WLAN system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the WLAN system architecture, with access points operating at the network edge collecting data, a location server in the middle layer processing location computations, and application servers at the upper layer utilizing location information. This dimensional hierarchy enables efficient location computation by distributing tasks across different levels, with each layer handling specific functions to optimize overall system performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and systems directed to processing location and network data in a wireless network. According to one implementation of the present invention, a location server functions both as a middleware data collection engine and a calculation engine in a hierarchical WLAN system. In one implementation, the location server collects network data associated with mobile nodes. As described in further detail below, mobile nodes may include one or more of wireless mobile stations (e.g., wireless laptops, dual-mode phones, personal digital assistants, etc.), radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, rogue wireless access points and rogue wireless clients. In one implementation, the location server may process at least some of the network data to determine information associated with the mobile nodes. For example, the location server may compute the location of a given mobile node, which is accessible to other applications using one or more defined application programming interfaces (APIs). In one implementation, the location server may track the node history of a given mobile node. In one implementation, the location server may correlate processed network information to one or more locations or regions in the wireless network environment. For example, in one implementation, the location server may compute the load (i.e., amount of traffic) in a given region. The load may be used to further compute traffic patterns in the region. Such computations may be based on types of mobile nodes (e.g., wireless clients) and/or based on time periods (e.g., 12 pm-5 pm). As described in more detail below, such information may facilitate management of a wireless network. For example, the processed information may indicate locations that may require deployment of more resources (e.g., additional wireless access points).