# US 11,122,443 B2 · Automated access point mapping systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,443 B2 - Document ID: US11122443B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/575,688 - Filed: 2019-09-19 - Published: 2021-03-25 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-19 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Vishal Satyendra Desai; David John Zacks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122443B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings - H04W 16/20: for indoor coverage or short range network deployment - G01S 5/14: Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location - G01S 11/06: using intensity measurements - H04B 17/364: Delay profiles - H04L 41/22: comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI] - H04L 43/0829: Packet loss - H04L 43/0852: Delays - H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals} - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols - H04W 84/22: with access to wired networks - Y02D 30/00: Reducing energy consumption in communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Wireless access point locations can be determined by processing a combination of wired and wireless telemetry. Wireless telemetry can be combined with backend network management information to isolate a set of access points within a radio frequency neighborhood cluster. Wired telemetry, including time domain reflectometer operations performed by a local switch, can be used to refine location estimates of the isolated set of access points. Trilateration can be used to pinpoint the access point locations and the pinpointed locations can be overlaid on a floor plan map. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for mapping access points to a building floor, the method comprising: identifying a switch that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of access points by a wired connection; generating a radio frequency cluster based on the plurality of access points using receiver messages and transmission messages between respective neighboring access points of the plurality of access points, the radio frequency cluster comprising a group of access points of the plurality of access points within a broadcast range of each other; determining pairwise distances between one or more pairs of access points of the group of access points of the radio frequency cluster based on a path loss model; determining a portion of the radio frequency cluster that is on a shared floor with the identified switch based on the wired connection; determining wired distances of each access point of the plurality of access points from the switch based on a wire length calculated by a message travel time over the wired connection from the access point of the plurality of access points to the switch; identifying respective locations of each access point of the plurality of access points relative to each other and the identified switch based on the wired distances, the pairwise distances, and respective trilateration information based on received signal strength indicators for each access point of the plurality of access points, the trilateration information generated by one or more deployed sensors; and overlaying the identified respective locations on a floor plan map. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the path loss model is a site specific path loss model for one of a building or geographic site corresponding to the floor plan map. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the switch further comprises retrieving topological network information from a network management system, the topological network information comprising switch locations for a networked site. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an installation site for a new access point based on the identified respective locations overlaid on the floor plan map. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the portion of the radio frequency cluster further comprises mapping access points of the plurality of access points associated with the identified switch by using a link layer discovery protocol. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the receiver messages and the transmission messages comprises receiving and processing neighbor discovery frames. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the overlaid identified respective locations on the floor plan map through a graphical user interface accessible by a network administrator. ### Claim 8 A system for mapping access points to a building floor, the system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory comprising instructions to: identify a switch that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of access points by a wired connection; generate a radio frequency cluster based on the plurality of access points using receiver messages and transmission messages between respective neighboring access points, the radio frequency cluster comprising a group of access points of the plurality of access points within a broadcast range of each other; determine pairwise distances between one or more pairs of access points of the group of access points of the radio frequency cluster based on a path loss model; determine a portion of the radio frequency cluster that is on a shared floor with the identified switch based on the wired connection; determine wired distances of each access point of the plurality of access points from the switch based on a wire length calculated by a message travel time over the wired connection from the access point of the plurality of access points to the switch; identify respective locations of each access point of the plurality of access points relative to each other and the identified switch based on the wired distances, the pairwise distances, and respective trilateration information based on received signal strength indicators for each access point of the plurality of access points, the trilateration information generated by one or more deployed sensors; and overlay the identified respective locations on a floor plan map. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the path loss model is a site specific path loss model for one of a building or geographic site corresponding to the floor plan map. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein identifying the switch further comprises retrieving topological network information from a network management system, the topological network information comprising switch locations for a networked site. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises instructions to determine an installation site for a new access point based on the identified respective locations overlaid on the floor plan map. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein determining the portion of the radio frequency cluster further comprises mapping access points of the plurality of access points associated with the identified switch by using a link layer discovery protocol. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein generating the receiver messages and the transmission messages comprises receiving and processing neighbor discovery frames. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further comprises instructions to display the overlaid identified respective locations on the floor plan map through a graphical user interface accessible by a network administrator. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: identify a switch that is communicatively coupled to a plurality of access points by a wired connection; generate a radio frequency cluster based on the plurality of access points using receiver messages and transmission messages between respective neighboring access points of the plurality of access points, the radio frequency cluster comprising a group of access points of the plurality of access points within a broadcast range of each other; determine pairwise distances between one or more pairs of access points of the group of access points of the radio frequency cluster based on a path loss model; determine a portion of the radio frequency cluster that is on a shared floor with the identified switch based on the wired connection; determine wired distances of each access point of the plurality of access points from the switch based on a wire length calculated by a message travel time over the wired connection from the access point of the plurality of access points to the switch; identify respective locations of each access point of the plurality of access points relative to each other and the identified switch based on the wired distances, the pairwise distances, and respective trilateration information based on received signal strength indicators for each access point of the plurality of access points, the trilateration information generated by one or more deployed sensors; and overlay the identified respective locations on a floor plan map. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the path loss model is a site specific path loss model for one of a building or geographic site corresponding to the floor plan map. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein identifying the switch further comprises retrieving topological network information from a network management system, the topological network information comprising switch locations for a networked site. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to determine an installation site for a new access point based on the identified respective locations overlaid on the floor plan map. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein determining the portion of the radio frequency cluster further comprises mapping access points of the plurality of access points associated with the identified switch by using a link layer discovery protocol. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein generating the receiver messages and the transmission messages comprises receiving and processing neighbor discovery frames.