Obtaining location metadata for network devices using augmented reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11616699-B2
Application number	US-202016939709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

Obtaining location metadata for network devices using augmented reality (AR) is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an AR computing device receives first user inputs indicating boundary points of a device region, and determines first spatial coordinates for each boundary point. The AR computing device next receives a second user input that indicates a network device within the device region, and determines second spatial coordinates for the network device. The AR computing device may also correlate the network device with a known connected network device. The AR computing device then transmits, to a server computing device, first metadata that includes the first spatial coordinates and an identifier of the device region, and second metadata that includes the second spatial coordinates and an identifier of the indicated network device. In some embodiments, the metadata may be employed, e.g., to generate a floorplan visualization and/or a signal strength map of the device region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving, by an augmented reality (AR) computing device, a plurality of first user inputs indicating a respective plurality of boundary points defining a device region;
determining, based on the plurality of first user inputs, a plurality of first spatial coordinates for the respective plurality of boundary points defining the device region;
receiving, by the AR computing device, a second user input indicating a network device within the device region;
determining, based on the second user input, second spatial coordinates for the network device within the device region;
transmitting, to a server computing device, first metadata comprising the plurality of first spatial coordinates and an identifier of the device region and second metadata comprising the second spatial coordinates and an identifier of the network device within the device region;
generating a signal strength map for the device region based on the first metadata, the second metadata, third metadata comprising an indication of a correlation of the network device with a connected network device among one or more connected network devices communicatively coupled to a router computing device, and fourth metadata comprising a plurality of received signal strength indications (RSSIs) associated with the router computing device, the signal strength map comprising a visual representation of the plurality of RSSIs within the device region; and
displaying, via a display device of the AR computing device, the signal strength map for the device region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates comprises a three-dimensional location identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each boundary point of the plurality of boundary points represents one of an intersection of two walls of the device region, an intersection of two walls and a floor of the device region, and an intersection of two walls and a ceiling of the device region.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the plurality of first user inputs indicating the respective plurality of boundary points defining the device region comprises, for each first user input of the plurality of first user inputs indicating a boundary point of the respective plurality of boundary points:
displaying, via the display device of the AR computing device, a first scene comprising the boundary point; and
receiving the first user input comprising a selection of the boundary point; and

receiving the second user input indicating the network device within the device region comprises:
displaying, via the display device of the AR computing device, a second scene comprising the network device; and
receiving the second user input comprising a selection of the network device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, by the AR computing device from the server computing device, a connected device list identifying the one or more connected network devices communicatively coupled to the router computing device;
correlating the network device within the device region with the connected network device; and
transmitting, to the server computing device, the third metadata.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein correlating the network device within the device region with the connected network device comprises receiving, by the AR computing device, a third user input identifying the network device within the device region as corresponding to the connected network device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein receiving the third user input identifying the network device within the device region as corresponding to the connected network device comprises:
displaying, via the display device of the AR computing device, the connected device list; and
receiving the third user input comprising a selection of the connected network device of the one or more connected network devices of the connected device list.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein correlating the network device within the device region with the connected network device comprises identifying, using a machine learning (ML) model, the network device within the device region as corresponding to the connected network device.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
generating, based on the first metadata, the second metadata, and the third metadata, a floorplan visualization of the device region, the visual representation indicating relative locations of the router computing device, the plurality of boundary points defining the device region, and the network device within the device region; and
displaying, via the display device of the AR computing device, the floorplan visualization of the device region.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining, by the router computing device, the plurality of received signal strength indications (RSSIs) based on communications with the AR computing device; and
transmitting, by the router computing device to the server computing device, the fourth metadata.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the plurality of RSSIs based on communications with the AR computing device comprises performing an RSSI measurement responsive to expiration of a periodic time interval.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recording, by the AR computing device, a timestamp and a location identifier for the AR computing device responsive to detecting movement of the AR computing device; and
transmitting, to the server computing device, fifth metadata comprising the timestamp and the location identifier;
wherein generating the signal strength map is further based on the fifth metadata.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a location recommendation for the network device within the device region based on the signal strength map; and
displaying, via the display device of the AR computing device, an indication of the location recommendation within the signal strength map.

14. An augmented reality (AR) computing device, comprising:
a system memory; and
a processor device communicatively coupled to the system memory and configured to:
receive a plurality of first user inputs indicating a respective plurality of boundary points defining a device region;
determine, based on the plurality of first user inputs, a plurality of first spatial coordinates for the respective plurality of boundary points defining the device region;
receive a second user input indicating a network device within the device region;
determine, based on the second user input, second spatial coordinates for the network device within the device region;
transmit, to a server computing device, first metadata comprising the plurality of first spatial coordinates and an identifier of the device region and second metadata comprising the second spatial coordinates and an identifier of the network device within the device region;
generate a signal strength map for the device region based on the first metadata, the second metadata, third metadata comprising an indication of a correlation of the network device with a connected network device among one or more connected network devices communicatively coupled to a router computing device, and fourth metadata comprising a plurality of received signal strength indications (RSSIs) associated with the router computing device, the signal strength map comprising a visual representation of the plurality of RSSIs within the device region; and
display, via a display device, the signal strength map for the device region.

15. The AR comp

Assignees

• Charter Communications Operating Llc

Inventors

• Wright Ethan
• Wright Matthew J
• Labbee Micah

Classifications

• H04L41/12

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• H04L41/16 Primary

  using machine learning or artificial intelligence · CPC title

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• H04W64/003

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title