System and method for determining and representing one or more potential physical locations of a newly detected wireless network device
View Patent ↗A previously unknown wireless device, which may be either an access point or a station, is detected by receipt of transmissions from that device at one or more access points that are currently operating within a managed wireless network. A graphic representation of the newly detected device is displayed in a region of a user interface external to a region containing a representation of the physical environment of the managed wireless network. A user selects a number of known access points from which an estimated distance to the newly detected device is to be determined and represented. A representation is generated of an estimated distance from each one of the selected number of access points, such as those access points that are estimated to be physically closest to the newly detected device, for example on the asis of signal strength with regard to transmissions from the newly detected device received at the known access points. The distance representations from the known access points may be provided using substantially circular “distance rings”, displayed in the region of the user interface containing a representation of the physical environment in which the wireless network is deployed. The distance rings enable a user to may observe one or more distance ring intersections indicating one or more potential positions within the wireless network's physical environment at which the newly detected device may be located.
1. A method for determining and representing at least one potential physical location of a wireless network device, comprising:
detecting the presence of said wireless network device in a wireless communication network;
generating a graphical representation of said detected wireless network device within a first display region of a graphical user interface, wherein said first display region of said graphical user is external to a second display region of said graphical user interface, and wherein said second display region of said graphical user interface includes a representation of a physical environment in which said wireless communication network is deployed;
inputting, from a user, a number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated; and
generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said distance representation comprises a substantially circular ring surrounding a graphical representation of each of said number of known access points within said second display region.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating said distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points further comprises determining which known access points are estimated to be physically closest to said detected wireless network device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating said distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points further comprises determining said estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device based on a signal strength of at least one transmission from said detected wireless network device at said corresponding known access point.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detected wireless network device is an access point.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detected wireless network device is a station.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising inputting a second number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated, and generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said second number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling a user to move said graphic representation of said detected wireless network device from said first display region into said second display region.
9. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating a number of substantially circular rings representing radio coverage range of each corresponding one of the known access points; and
wherein each said distance representation comprises a substantially circular ring generated in a visually distinct manner with respect to said substantially circular rings representing radio coverage range of each corresponding one of the known access points.
10. A system for determining and representing at least one potential physical location of a wireless network device, comprising:
device detecting logic operable to detect the presence of said wireless network device in a wireless communication network;
detected device display logic operable to generate a graphical representation of said detected wireless network device within a first display region of a graphical user interface, wherein said first display region of said graphical user is external to a second display region of said graphical user interface, and wherein said second display region of said graphical user interface includes a representation of a physical environment in which said wireless communication network is deployed;
number of known access points input logic operable to input, from a user, a number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated; and
distance representation display logic operable to generate a distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said distance representation comprises a substantially circular ring surrounding a graphical representation of each of said number of known access points within said second display region.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said generating said distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points further comprises determining which known access points are estimated to be physically closest to said detected wireless network device.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein said distance representation display logic is further operable to generate said distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points further by determining said estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device based on a signal strength of at least one transmission from said detected wireless network device at said corresponding known access point.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein said detected wireless network device is an access point.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein said detected wireless network device is a station.
16. The system of claim 10 , further wherein said number of known access points input logic is further operable to input a second number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated, and generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said second number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein said detected device logic is further operable to enable a user to move said graphic representation of said detected wireless network device from said first display region into said second display region.
18. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
radio coverage range ring display logic operable to generate a number of substantially circular rings representing radio coverage range of each corresponding one of the known access point; and
wherein each said distance representation comprises a substantially circular ring generated in a visually distinct manner with respect to said substantially circular rings representing radio coverage range of each corresponding one of the known access points.
19. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for determining and representing at least one potential physical location of a wireless network device stored thereon, said computer program comprising:
program code for detecting the presence of said wireless network device in a wireless communication network;
program code generating a graphical representation of said detected wireless network device within a first display region of a graphical user interface, wherein said first display region of said graphical user is external to a second display region of said graphical user interface, and wherein said second display region of said graphical user interface includes a representation of a physical environment in which said wireless communication network is deployed;
program code for inputting, from a user, a number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated; and
program code for generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
20. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal including at least one computer program for determining and representing at least one potential physical location of a wireless network device stored thereon, said computer program comprising:
program code for detecting the presence of said wireless network device in a wireless communication network;
program code for generating a graphical representation of said detected wireless network device within a first display region of a graphical user interface, wherein said first display region of said graphical user is external to a second display region of said graphical user interface, and wherein said second display region of said graphical user interface includes a representation of a physical environment in which said wireless communication network is deployed;
program code for inputting, from a user, a number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated; and
program code for generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.
21. A system for determining and representing at least one potential physical location of a wireless network device, comprising:
means for detecting the presence of said wireless network device in a wireless communication network;
means for generating a graphical representation of said detected wireless network device within a first display region of a graphical user interface, wherein said first display region of said graphical user is external to a second display region of said graphical user interface, and wherein said second display region of said graphical user interface includes a representation of a physical environment in which said wireless communication network is deployed;
means for inputting, from a user, a number of known access points for which distance representations are to be generated; and
means for generating a distance representation corresponding to each of said number of known access points, wherein each said distance representation represents an estimated distance from said corresponding known access point to said detected wireless network device.