System and method for determining Wi-Fi client station location to avoid resale theft

1. A method for determining and monitoring a relative location of two or more wireless stations (STAs) associated with an access point (AP) comprising:

receiving a predetermined input, wherein the predetermined input signals an initiation of an initial fingerprint setup between the AP and each of the STAs;

initiating an initial fingerprint setup process, wherein the initial fingerprint setup process comprises initiating a signal between the AP and each of the STAs and logging at least one signal function associated with the signal between the AP and each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP;

generating an initial fingerprint from the initial fingerprint setup process;

outputting the initial fingerprint to a Multiple System Operators (MSO) provider;

re-initiating the initial fingerprint setup process at a later time according to the predetermined input signals, generating a post installation fingerprint, and comparing the post installation fingerprint to the initial fingerprint to determine if there has been a change in the signal functions; and

outputting a communication to the MSO provider if it is determined that there has been a change in the signal functions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-initiating the initial fingerprint setup process upon the occurrence of an event set by the predetermined input signals, generating a post installation fingerprint, and comparing the post installation fingerprint to the initial fingerprint to determine if there has been a change in the signal functions.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the event comprises initiation of a restart of the STA after a power disconnect of a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal function associated with each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP comprises signal strength.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signal function associated with each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP comprises pulse time of the signal, wherein the pulse time is determined by a pulse timing operation that measures time it takes for the signal to travel between the AP and the STA.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a distance of each STA relative to the AP is calculated as a function of the pulse time multiplied by a radio wave speed.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the AP uses a Request to Send/Clear to Send (RTS/CTS) Wi-Fi feature to block out a time slot for initiating and carrying out the pulse timing operation.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pulse timing operation comprises the steps of:

the AP sends out a primary timing pulse to each STA that both clears and starts an up counter on each STA;

after an initial selected time period after the primary timing pulse is transmitted a secondary pulse is transmitted, when the secondary pulse is received by the STA the up counter is stopped;

a value is recorded in the up counter as a function of time it took for the secondary signal to travel between the AP and the STA less the initial selected time period; wherein if the value is greater than the initial selected time period it is converted to distance by multiplying the value by a radio wave speed.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each STA transmits the value back to the AP by standard 802.11 messaging, and wherein the value is converted to distance by the AP.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein there are at least two APs located within a signal range of one another, at least one AP being a client AP having at least two client STAs associated with it and for which the initial fingerprint is being generated to create a home initial fingerprint, wherein the client AP and client STA's are in overlapping range with the other APs, wherein the client AP and the other APs initiate the pulse timing operation measuring the time it takes for the signal to travel between the client AP, the client STAs, and the other APs, whereby the client AP and the other APs are used to definitively locate each of the client STAs to generate the home initial fingerprint.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein there are at least three APs, whereby an absolute location of each client STA is determined.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

each STA is sequentially temporarily converted to an AP mode rendering a temporary AP STA, whereupon the timing pulse operation is initiated by the AP STA;

during the timing pulse operation the AP STA sends out an AP STA primary timing pulse to the AP and each of the STAs that both clears and starts an up counter on the AP and each STA;

after an initial selected time period after the primary timing pulse is transmitted a secondary pulse is transmitted, when the secondary pulse is received by the AP and each STA the up counter is stopped;

an AP STA value is recorded in the up counter as a function of time it took for the secondary signal to travel between the AP STA and the AP and the STAs less the initial selected time period; wherein if the AP STA value is greater than the initial selected time period it is converted to distance by multiplying the AP STA value by a radio wave speed;

an AP STA initial fingerprint is generated from steps above and transmitted to the AP and the AP mode for the STA deactivated;

the steps are repeated until performed by each STA.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the AP and the STAs do not require any additional hardware to execute the method.

14. An apparatus for determining and monitoring a relative location of two or more wireless stations (STAs) associated with an access point (AP) comprising:

a first interface configured to be used to receive a predetermined input, wherein the predetermined input signals an initiation of an initial fingerprint setup between the AP and each of the STAs;

a module configured to: initiate an initial fingerprint setup process, wherein the initial fingerprint setup process comprises initiating a signal between the AP and each of the STAs and logging at least one signal function associated with the signal between the AP and each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP; and

a second interface configured to be used to: generate an initial fingerprint from the initial fingerprint setup process and to output the initial fingerprint to a Multiple System Operators (MSO) provider; re-initiate the initial fingerprint setup process at a later time according to the predetermined input signals, generate a post installation fingerprint, comparing the post installation fingerprint to the initial fingerprint to determine if there has been a change in the signal functions; and output a communication to the MSO provider if it is determined that there has been a change in the signal functions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the signal function associated with each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP comprises signal strength.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the signal function associated with each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP comprises pulse time of the signal, wherein the pulse time is determined by a pulse timing operation that measures a time it takes for the signal to travel between the AP and the STA, and wherein a distance of each STA relative to the AP is calculated as a function of the pulse time multiplied by a radio wave speed.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:

receiving a predetermined input, wherein the predetermined input signals an initiation of an initial fingerprint setup between the AP and each of the STAs;

initiating an initial fingerprint setup process, wherein the initial fingerprint setup process comprises initiating a signal between the AP and each of the STAs and logging at least one signal function associated with the signal between the AP and each of the STAs for determining an initial location of the STAs relative to the AP;

generating an initial fingerprint from the initial fingerprint setup process;

outputting the initial fingerprint to a Multiple System Operators (MSO) provider;

re-initiating the initial fingerprint setup process at a later time according to the predetermined input signals, generating a post installation fingerprint, and comparing the post installation fingerprint to the initial fingerprint to determine if there has been a change in the signal functions; and

outputting a communication to the MSO provider if it is determined that there has been a change in the signal functions.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-initiating the initial fingerprint setup process upon the occurrence of an event set by the predetermined input signals, generating a post installation fingerprint, and comparing the post installation fingerprint to the initial fingerprint to determine if there has been a change in the signal functions.