Location of unprotected access points through protected access points

摘要

A solution for locating unprotected access points is provided. Particularly, a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection maintains a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the access point, each unprotected access point providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally. A mobile station submits a request to access the network to the access point when the mobile station is within a transmission range thereof, receives the indication of the geographical position of at least part of the unprotected access points in response to a denial of the access from the access point, and outputs directions towards one of the unprotected access points according to the corresponding geographical position.

主权项

1. A method for operating a wireless network access point providing an access to a network over a wireless connection, the method comprising:
maintaining a location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of unprotected access points in proximity of the wireless network access point, each unprotected access point in the set of unprotected access points providing the access to the network at least partially unconditionally; receiving a request to access the network from a mobile station within a transmission range of the wireless network access point; denying the access to the network to the mobile station; returning the indication of the geographical position of one or more of the set of unprotected access points to the mobile station in response to the denial of the access to the network; responsive to receiving a further location structure from a further access point within the transmission range of the wireless network access point, the further location structure comprising an indication of a geographical position of each one of a set of further unprotected access points in proximity of the further access point, updating the location structure according to each further unprotected access point; responsive to detecting each one of a set of still further unprotected access points within the transmission range of the wireless network access point and determining an indication of a geographical position of each still further unprotected access point, updating the location structure according to each still further unprotected access point; updating the location structure according to a comparison among an indication of a distance of the further unprotected access point or still further unprotected access point from the wireless network access point and an indication of a distance of each unprotected access point from the wireless network access point; and updating the location structure according to a comparison among a hop counter of a further unprotected access point or a still further unprotected access point and a hop counter of each unprotected access point, the hop counter of the further unprotected access point being incremented with respect to a value thereof in a further location structure and the hop counter of the still further unprotected access point being set to a null value.