System and method for mapping wireless access points
An improved connectivity to radio access point is enabled by a server that includes a database storing data about various radio access points, and an evaluation module evaluating the quality of connection to each of the access points. Clients receive updates about relevant access points from the server and use the information to connect to the preferred access point. The clients also check connectivity to other access points in the vicinity, and report the findings to the server. The server uses the reports to update its database, and send corresponding updates to the clients. The database can include information about the location of the access points. The information about the location of the access points can be manually input or determined using GPS information. The location of an access points can be determined as a function of available information about other access points detected at the same location. An access point can be presumed to be located in approximately the same location as another access point detected in the same location by the same user terminal. Where more than one access point having a known location is detected in the same location as an unmapped access point (having an unknown location), the location of the unmapped access point can be determined as function of a weighted average of the known locations of the other access points and signal strength of the signal received from each access point.
1. A system for mapping locations of wireless access points, the wireless access points providing access to a network, the system comprising:
a server connected to the network and adapted to receive one or more sets of access point connection data from a first wireless user terminal connected to the network, said first set of access point connection data including information about one or more wireless access points within range of the first wireless user terminal;
a data storage device connected to the server and adapted to store information about a first access point wherein the information stored includes an access point identifier and location information for the first access point, and
wherein, the server receives wireless access point connection data that includes information about the first wireless access point and a second wireless access point from the same wireless user terminal at substantially the same time and the server is adapted to store information about the second access point, the information about the second access point including an access point identifier for the second access point and location information determined as a function the location information for the first access point;
wherein the data storage device stores information about a second wireless access point and the information stored includes an access point identifier and location information for the second wireless access point, and
the wireless access point connection data received by the server includes a first indication of signal strength of the signal received from the first wireless access point by the wireless user terminal, a second indication of signal strength of the signal received from the second wireless access point by the wireless user terminal and a third indication of signal strength of the signal received from a third wireless access point by the wireless user terminal; and
wherein location information for the third wireless access point is determined as a function of the first indication of signal strength, the second indication of signal strength and the third indication of signal strength and the location information for at least one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the location information for the third wireless access point is determined as a function of the first indication of signal strength, the second indication of signal strength and the third indication of signal strength and the location information for at least one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point.
3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the location information for the third wireless access point is determined as a function of a weighted average of the first indication of signal strength, the second indication of signal strength and the third indication of signal strength and the location information for at least one of the first wireless access point and the second wireless access point.
4. A method of mapping locations of wireless access points, the wireless access points providing access to a network, the method comprising:
detecting one or more wireless access points;
determining a first set of access point connectivity information about a first detected wireless access point by establishing a connection to the network through the first detected wireless access point;
storing in a data store, access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier and location information for the first detected wireless access point;
determining a second set of access point connectivity information about a second detected wireless access point by establishing a connection to the network through the second detected wireless access point, said second set of access point connection data including an access point identifier but no location information for the access point, and
storing in the data store, access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier for the second detected wireless access point and location information derived from the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point.
5. The method according to claim 4 further including sending the access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point and the access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point over a network to a server.
6. The method according to claim 4 further including determining a third set of access point connectivity information about a third detected wireless access point, said third set of wireless access point connection data including an access point identifier and location information for the third detected wireless access point, and
storing in the data store, access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier for the second detected wireless access point and location information determined as a function of the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point and location information for the third detected wireless access point.
7. The method according to claim 4 wherein the access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the first detected wireless access point;
the access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the second detected wireless access point;
the access point connectivity information about the third detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the third detected wireless access point; and
wherein the location information for the second detected access point is determined as a function of the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point, location information for the third detected wireless access point, the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the first detected wireless access point, the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the second detected wireless access point and the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the third detected wireless access point.
8. A computer readable medium including computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, are configured to cause the computer to perform the following:
detecting one or more wireless access points;
determining a first set of access point connectivity information about a first detected wireless access point by establishing a connection to a network through the first detected wireless access point;
storing in a data store, access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier and location information for the first detected wireless access point;
determining a second set of access point connectivity information about a second detected wireless access point by establishing a connection to the network through the second detected wireless access point, said second set of access point connection data including an access point identifier but no location information for the access point, and
storing in the data store, access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier for the second detected wireless access point and location information derived from the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point.
9. A computer readable medium according to claim 8 further including computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, are configured to cause the computer to send the access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point and the access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point over a network to a server.
10. A computer readable medium according to claim 8 further including computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, are configured to cause the computer to determine a third set of access point connectivity information about a third detected wireless access point, said third set of wireless access point connection data including an access point identifier and location information for the third detected wireless access point, and
store in the data store, access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point, wherein the information stored in the data store includes an access point identifier for the second detected wireless access point and location information determined as a function of the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point and location information for the third detected wireless access point.
11. A computer readable medium according to claim 8 wherein
the access point connectivity information about the first detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the first detected wireless access point;
the access point connectivity information about the second detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the second detected wireless access point;
the access point connectivity information about the third detected wireless access point includes information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the third detected wireless access point; and
wherein the location information for the second detected access point is determined as a function of the location information determined for the first detected wireless access point, location information for the third detected wireless access point, the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the first detected wireless access point, the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the second detected wireless access point and the information about the received signal strength of the signal received from the third detected wireless access point.