Automatic client device location detection within hospitality establishment

摘要

An apparatus for automatic client device location detection includes a controller module configured to receive first network traffic transmitted on a computer network of a hospitality establishment from a known location within the hospitality establishment. The controller module is further configured to query one or more network components of the computer network to determine a source access-node from which the first network traffic originated, and store a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in the storage device. The controller module is further configured to receive second network traffic transmitted on the computer network by a client device at the hospitality establishment, query the one or more network components of the computer network to determine that the second network traffic originated from the source access-node, and automatically determine the client device to be at the known location according to the mapping in the storage device.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computer server, first network traffic transmitted on a computer network of a hospitality establishment, wherein the first network traffic is transmitted by a first client device being a portable electronic device brought to the hospitality establishment by a first guest of the hospitality establishment; querying one or more network components of the computer network in order to follow an address of the first client device included in the first network traffic and find a source access-node on the computer network from which the first network traffic originated; directing the first client device to a login portal and requiring the first guest as part of a login process to enter both personal information and a location identifier representing a known location within the hospitality establishment from which the first network traffic was transmitted; authenticating the personal information received from the first client device during the login process to ensure that it matches an authorized user of the known location represented by the location identifier utilizing a property management system (PMS) of the hospitality establishment; storing a mapping of the source access-node to the known location in a storage device after ensuring that the personal information received from the first client device matches the authorized user of the known location; receiving, by the computer server, second network traffic transmitted on the computer network, wherein the second network traffic is transmitted by a second client device being a portable electronic device brought to the hospitality establishment by a second guest of the hospitality establishment after the mapping has been stored in the storage device; querying the one or more network components of the computer network in order to follow an address of the second client device included in the second network traffic and find that the second network traffic also originated from the source access-node; looking up the known location that is mapped to the source access-node in the storage device in response to finding that the second network traffic originated from the source access-node; and automatically determining the second client device to be at the known location according to the mapping in the storage device without the computer server receiving from the second client device the location identifier of the known location; whereby the second guest is not required to enter the location identifier of the known location at the login portal.