Patent Application
20140148194
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to location position management of a mobile device and, more particularly, to a mobile device management system for determining a location of a mobile device using wireless communications equipment and controlling the mobile device based on the location.
2. Related Art
Nowadays, wireless communication devices are equipped with various enhanced features to identify its current geographical location. Examples of wireless communication devices include mobile devices such as cell phones, laptops, and personal digital assistants (PDA). Many wireless communication devices, for example mobile devices, are equipped with global positioning system (GPS) navigators to identify its current location. Hence, a mobile device in the wireless communication network, upon receiving a request to find its coordinates or current geographical location, automatically switches on the GPS module for resolving geographical bearings.
Another method to identify a current location is the use of the Wi-Fi triangulation method and Bluetooth triangulation method. In this method, the location of a particular Wi-Fi base station to which the mobile device is currently associated is identified. However, one challenge lies in clearly identifying the physical location of the mobile device, whether the physical location is indoors or outdoors of a building. Also, several additional problems in current geo-location technologies exist. The power consumption at a GPS receiver is always one of the major concerns in view of the portability of the mobile unit. The more data processed at the receiver, the more profound the problem. Having a GPS receiver receive plural signals and then calculate its position requires extensive processing power.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,532,158 describes a system and method for locating mobile devices using location information received from a mobile device to be located, wherein the information may include GPS-related information and/or path length information with respect to one or more signals transmitted by network elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,599,796 describes a dual mode location positioning system that comprises multiple wireless or wired network communication devices, one of the multiple network communication devices including a GPS receiver.
United States Patent Application US20110312337 describes a method for identifying location of a mobile device in a wireless communication network that includes identifying Hierarchical Cell Structure (HCS) priority number of a cell in which the mobile device is currently located.
United States Patent Application No. US20080231499 describes providing a mobile phone device that includes a global positioning system (GPS) module that allows the mobile phone device to be located by a third party device using a location query methodology.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,808 discloses a system that receives assistance information developed from ephemeris data via a wireless network to determine the location of a mobile station.
Therefore, what is needed is a solution that addresses at least one of the deficiencies of the current art.
In general, embodiments described herein provide approaches relating generally to location position management of mobile devices and, more particularly, to a mobile device management system for determining a location of a mobile device using wireless communications equipment and controlling the mobile device based on the location.
One aspect of the present invention includes a method for managing a mobile device in a mobile device management system (MDMS), the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving a wireless identifier associated with a wireless equipment device; determining a policy associated with the wireless identifier; and applying the policy to a mobile device.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a mobile device management system for managing a mobile device, comprising: a receiver component configured to receive a wireless identifier associated with a wireless equipment device; a policy component configured to determine a policy associated with the wireless identifier; and the policy component further configured to apply the policy to a mobile device.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions which, when executed, enables a computer system to manage a mobile device in a mobile device management system (MDMS), the computer instructions comprising: receiving a wireless identifier associated with a wireless equipment device; determining a policy associated with the wireless identifier; and applying the policy to a mobile device.
These and other features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are merely representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. The drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting in scope. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements.
Exemplary embodiments now will be described more fully herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. Embodiments described herein provide approaches relating generally to location position management of mobile devices and. more particularly, to a mobile device management system for determining a location of a mobile device using wireless communications equipment and controlling the mobile device based on the location.
It will be appreciated that this disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the terms “a”, “an”, etc., do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, or “includes” and/or “including”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “embodiments,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” “in embodiments” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Mobile device 114 includes client management tool 240. Client management tool 240 includes receiver component 242 and policy component 244. Policy component 244 includes client policy table 250, policy search component 246, and policy application component 248. The operation of wireless equipment 112 and mobile device 114 is described in greater detail in
Referring now to
MDMS server 202 includes server policy table 220. Server policy data 222 may be used to populate and/or update client policy table 250. In one example, server policy data 222 is pre-loaded onto the mobile device 114. In addition, client policy table 250 may be periodically updated via server policy data 222 when one or more changes are made to server policy table 220. As shown, server policy data 220 and client policy table 250 contain two columns of data: policy data (e.g., P1, P2, etc.) and ID (e.g., SSID1, SSID2, etc.). Each ID corresponds to a wireless equipment identifier related to a particular area. A wireless equipment identifier is used to retrieve related policy data associated with a particular area. The number of rows may equal the total number of predefined areas. For example,
Wireless equipment (e.g., wireless equipment 112) within an area (e.g., Area A 110A) may have an area identifier (e.g., wireless equipment ID 210) that is unique to that area. An identifier is used to distinguish one area from another. Each geographic location, such as a business or enterprise, may be divided into any number of “areas”, with each area being assigned a unique identifier representing the respective area. Referring back to
The wireless equipment ID 210 is received at the mobile device 114 via the receiver component 242 of the client management tool 240. In one example, the wireless equipment ID 210 is transmitted to (or “pushed”) to the mobile device 114 after the wireless equipment 112 detects the mobile device 114. In another example, the mobile device 114 searches for nearby wireless equipment and detects wireless equipment 112. The mobile device ID 210 then retrieves the wireless equipment ID 210 from the wireless equipment 112
After the wireless equipment ID 210 is received at receiver component 242, it is transmitted to the policy search component 246. The policy search component 246 searches the client policy table 250 for a match using the wireless equipment ID 210. The search may be performed by performing a table lookup operation based on the wireless equipment ID 210. If a match of the wireless equipment ID 210 is found, the policy 252 associated with the wireless equipment ID 210 is transmitted to the policy application component 248. The policy application component 248 applies the policy 252 to the mobile device 114. In one example, a default policy may be applied when a match is not found in the client policy table 250. The policy data allows for managing or controlling the mobile device 114. For example, the policy data may be operable to: securely enroll the mobile device 114 in an enterprise environment, limit access of the mobile device 114, wirelessly configure and update settings, monitor compliance with corporate policies, remotely wipe or lock the mobile device 114, or any other appropriate management or security function.
For example, the mobile device 114 enters an area (e.g., Area B 110B). The wireless equipment 112 located in Area B 110B has a wireless equipment ID 210 of “SSID2”. In
Turning now to
Mobile device 114 includes client management tool 240. Client management tool 240 includes receiver component 242 and policy component 244. Policy component 244 includes client area table 230, client policy table 250, area search component 246, policy search component 246, and policy application component 248. The operation of wireless equipment 112 and mobile device 114 is described in greater detail in
Referring now to
The wireless equipment ID 210 is received at the mobile device 114 via the receiver component 242 of the client management tool 240. After the wireless equipment ID 210 is received at receiver component 242, it is transmitted to the area search component 236. The area search component 236 searches the client area table 230 for a match using the wireless equipment ID 210. If a match of the wireless equipment ID 210 is found, the area 232 (i.e., location of mobile device) associated with the wireless equipment ID 210 is transmitted to the policy search component 246. The policy search component 246 searches the client policy table 250 using the area 232 that was retrieved from the client area table 230. If a match of the area 232 is found, the policy 252 is sent to the policy application component 248. The policy application component 248 applies the policy 252 to the mobile device 114. In one example, a default policy may be applied when a match is not found in the client area table 230 and/or the client policy table 250.
For example, in
In one example, client area data and client policy data may be stored in one or more tables. For example,
MDMS server 202 includes server area table 224 and server policy table 220. Server area data 226 may be used to populate and/or update client area table 230. Server policy data 222 may be used to populate and/or update client policy table 250. In one example, server area data 226 and server policy data 222 are pre-loaded onto the mobile device 114. In addition, client area table 230 and/or client policy table 250 may be periodically updated when one or more changes are made to the respective server table.
As shown, server area table 224 and client area table 230 contain two columns of data: area information and ID. Each ID corresponds to a wireless equipment identifier related to a particular area. The number of rows may equal the total number of predefined areas. For example,
Referring now to
While shown and described herein as a unified transportation payment solution, it is understood that the invention further provides various alternative embodiments. For example, in one embodiment, the invention provides a computer-readable/useable medium that includes computer program code to enable a computer infrastructure to provide financial transaction record generation functionality as discussed herein. To this extent, the computer-readable/useable medium includes program code that implements each of the various processes of the invention. It is understood that the terms computer-readable medium or computer-useable medium comprise one or more of any type of physical embodiment of the program code. In particular, the computer-readable/useable medium can comprise program code embodied on one or more portable storage articles of manufacture (e.g., a compact disc, a magnetic disk, a tape, etc.), on one or more data storage portions of a computing device, such as memory 28 (
In another embodiment, the invention provides a computer-implemented method for applying policy data to a mobile device. In this case, a wireless infrastructure, such as implementation 100 (
As used herein, it is understood that the terms “program code” and “computer program code” are synonymous and mean any expression, in any language, code, or notation, of a set of instructions intended to cause a computing device having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following: (a) conversion to another language, code, or notation; and/or (b) reproduction in a different material form. To this extent, program code can be embodied as one or more of: an application/software program, component software/a library of functions, an operating system, a basic device system/driver for a particular computing device, and the like.
A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing program code can be provided hereunder and can include at least one processor communicatively coupled, directly or indirectly, to memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can include, but are not limited to, local memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulk storage, and cache memories that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution. Input/output and/or other external devices (including, but not limited to, keyboards, displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening device controllers.
Network adapters also may be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems, remote printers, storage devices, and/or the like, through any combination of intervening private or public networks. Illustrative network adapters include, but are not limited to, modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards.
The foregoing description of various aspects of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed and, obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.
