COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND EXPANDED USE OF UNIQUE NETWORK IDENTIFIERS
According to one configuration, a wireless access point receives a unique network identifier value. The wireless access point assigns the unique network identifier value to a respective wireless network supported by the first wireless access point. Map information maps the unique network identifier value maps to a geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides. For a wireless communication session over the wireless network, the wireless access point provides notification of the unique network identifier value to a remote management resource. The remote management resource uses the received unique network identifier value associated with a current communication session to identify a location of a communication device communicating over the communication session with the wireless access point. For example, the remote management resource utilizes the map information to identify a geographical location associated with the unique network identifier value.
1 . A method comprising:
at a first wireless access point in a network environment including multiple wireless access points:
receiving a unique network identifier value assigned to the first wireless access point;
assigning the unique network identifier value to a respective wireless network supported by the first wireless access point, the unique network identifier value mapped to a geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides; and
for a wireless communication session over the wireless network, providing notification of the unique network identifier value to a management resource.
2 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein a communication device establishes the communication session with the first wireless access point, the method further comprising:
providing the notification of the unique network identifier value to the management resource to notify the management resource that the communication device establishing the communication session with the first wireless access point resides at the geographical location.
3 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
from the first wireless access point: transmitting the unique network identifier value to the communication device to notify the communication device of an availability of the respective wireless network, the communication device within wireless communication range of the first wireless access point.
4 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the unique network identifier value is allocated to indicate an identity of the respective wireless network, the respective wireless network dedicated to support a predetermined type of communications.
5 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the unique network identifier value is a unique SSID (Service Set IDentifier) value indicating an identity of the respective wireless network supported by the first wireless access point.
6 . The method as in claim 5 further comprising:
broadcasting the unique network identifier value in the geographical region to a communication device establishing the communication session, the unique network identifier value indicating availability of the respective wireless network to handle a predetermined type of communications.
7 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
subsequent to providing notification of the unique network identifier value to the communication device, establishing the communication session between the first wireless access point and the communication device in response to a request from the communication device to establish the communication session over the respective wireless network.
8 . The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
at the management resource, mapping the unique network identifier value to the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides to identify a location of the communication device.
9 . The method as in claim 8 , wherein the management resource maps the unique network identifier value to geographical location information indicating the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides; and
wherein the geographical location information includes a multiple-digit string of numbers specifying the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides.
10 . The method as in claim 9 , wherein a first grouping of numbers of the string indicates an area code in which the first wireless access point resides;
wherein a second grouping of numbers in the string indicates an exchange within the area code in which the first wireless access point resides; and
wherein a third grouping of numbers in the string indicates a specific location of the first wireless access point in which the geographical region resides.
11 . The method as in claim 1 , wherein the unique network identifier value maps to geographical location information indicating the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides; and
wherein the geographical location information includes a multiple-digit string of numbers, each of multiple groupings of numbers in the string corresponding to a successively more specific location of the geographical region in which the first wireless access point.
12 . A method comprising:
via computer processor hardware, performing operations of:
receiving a unique network identifier value, the unique network identifier value assigned to a first wireless access point of multiple wireless access points in a network environment, the unique network identifier value associated with a corresponding geographical region in which the first wireless access point resides;
producing map information mapping the unique network identifier value to the corresponding geographical region in which the first wireless access point resides; and
utilizing the map information to identify a location of a mobile communication device communicating through the first wireless access point.
13 . The method as in claim 11 , wherein the unique network identifier value is allocated to support conveyance of a predetermined type of communications from the mobile communication device to a target recipient.
14 . The method as in claim 13 , wherein the unique network identifier value is a unique SSID (Service Set IDentifier) value assigned to a corresponding network supported by the first wireless access point.
15 . A method comprising:
receiving a unique network identifier value assigned to a geographical location;
distributing the unique network identifier value to a wireless access point in the geographical region; and
producing map information mapping the unique network identifier value to the geographical location.
16 . The method as in claim 15 , wherein distributing the unique network identifier value includes: transmitting the unique network identifier value to the wireless access point in response to receiving a query from the wireless access point.
17 . The method as in claim 16 further comprising:
controlling a power level of wirelessly transmitting a communication including the unique network identifier value to the wireless access point based at least in part on a signal strength of receiving the query from the wireless access point.
18 . The method as in claim 15 further comprising:
adjusting a power level of wirelessly transmitting a communication including the unique network identifier value to control which of multiple wireless access points are assigned the unique network identifier value.
19 . The method as in claim 15 , wherein distribution of the unique network identifier value to the wireless access point notifies the wireless access point that the unique network identifier value is assigned for use by the wireless access point to support communications with mobile communication devices.
20 . A method comprising:
at a management resource in a network environment including multiple wireless access points:
receiving a message from a first wireless access point in the network environment, the first wireless access point communicating the message to the management resource;
mapping a unique network identifier value in the message to geographical location information; and
providing notification of the geographical location information to a target recipient.
21 . The method as in claim 20 , wherein the message indicates attributes of a corresponding type of wireless communication session between a communication device and the first wireless access point.
22 . The method as in claim 21 , wherein the wireless communication session supports voice communications between the communication device and the first wireless access point, the first wireless access point forwarding communications received over the wireless communication session to the target recipient.
23 . The method as in claim 20 , wherein the target recipient includes call-handling personnel trained to manage the type of communications received over the wireless communication session from a user operating the communication device.
24 . The method as in claim 20 , wherein the geographical location information is a multiple-digit string of numbers, a first grouping of numbers of the string indicating an area code in which the first wireless access point resides, a second grouping of numbers in the string indicating an exchange within the area code in which the first wireless access point resides, and a third grouping of numbers in the string indicating a specific location of the first wireless access point in which the geographical region resides.
25 . The method as in claim 20 , wherein the geographical location information is a multiple-digit string of numbers, each of multiple groupings of numbers in the string indicating a successively more specific location of the geographical region in which the first wireless access point resides.
26 . A system comprising:
multiple wireless access points including a first wireless access point and a second wireless access point;
the first wireless access point operable to:
receive a unique network identifier value assigned to the first wireless access point, the unique network identifier value mapped to location information indicating a location in which the first wireless access point resides;
distribute the unique network identifier value to a communication device within wireless communication range of the first wireless access point; and
provide notification of the unique network identifier value to a management resource that obtains the location information using the unique network identifier information.
27 . The system as in claim 26 , wherein a communication device establishes the communication session with the first wireless access point, the first wireless access point further operable to:
provide the notification of the unique network identifier value to the management resource to notify the management resource that the communication device establishing the communication session with the first wireless access point resides at the geographical location.
28 . The system as in claim 26 , wherein the first wireless access point is further operable to: transmit the unique network identifier value to the communication device, the communication device within wireless communication range of the first wireless access point, the unique network identifier value indicating the wireless network supported by the first wireless access point.
29 . The system as in claim 26 , wherein the unique network identifier value is allocated to support a predetermined type of communications from the communication device to the first wireless access point.
30 . The system as in claim 26 , wherein the unique network identifier value is a unique SSID (Service Set IDentifier) value indicating an identity of the respective wireless network supported by the first wireless access point.
31 . The system as in claim 30 , wherein the first wireless access point is further operable to:
broadcast the unique network identifier value in the geographical region to a communication device, the unique network identifier value indicating availability of the respective wireless network to handle a predetermined type of communications.
32 . The system as in claim 26 , wherein the first wireless access point is further operable to:
subsequent to providing notification of the unique network identifier value to a communication device, establishing the communication session between the first wireless access point and the communication device in response to a request from the communication device to establish the communication link over the respective wireless network.
33 . The system as in claim 26 further comprising:
a management resource operable to map the unique network identifier value to the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides to identify a location of the communication device.
34 . The system as in claim 33 , wherein the unique network identifier value is mapped to geographical location information indicating the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides; and
wherein the geographical location information includes a multiple-digit string of numbers specifying the geographical location in which the first wireless access point resides.
35 . Non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to:
receive a unique network identifier value assigned to a first wireless access point, the unique network identifier value mapped to location information indicating a location of the first wireless access point;
distribute the unique network identifier value to a communication device within wireless communication range of the first wireless access point; and
provide notification of the unique network identifier value to a management resource obtains the location information using the unique network identifier value.