Alert based on detection of unexpected wireless device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284186-A1
Application number	US-201615065951-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to generate an alert in response to a detection of an unexpected wireless device within a premises. An access device may receive a communication from a wireless device and may retrieve identification information associated with the wireless device from the communication. The access device may compare the retrieved identification information to identification information associated with one or more known devices, and if the retrieved identification information does not match the identification information associated with any of the known devices, the access device may identify the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device. The access device may output an alert providing a notification that an unexpected wireless device has been detected within an associated premises.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving a communication from a wireless device; retrieving device identification information from the communication, wherein the device identification information is associated with the wireless device; determining that the retrieved device identification information does not match device identification information associated with any of one or more known devices; identifying the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device based on the determination that the retrieved device identification information does not match device identification information associated with any of the one or more known devices; and outputting an alert, wherein the alert comprises a notification of the identification of the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
retrieving an indication of the strength of a signal between the wireless device and one or more access devices; and based upon the measured strength of the signal between the wireless device and the one or more access devices, determining a location of the wireless device relative to the one or more access devices, wherein the location of the wireless device relative to the one or more access devices comprises a distance between the wireless device and the one or more access devices and a direction of the wireless device with respect to one or more of the access devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the retrieved device identification information; and storing a time at which the communication was received from the wireless device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is output to a remote server.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alert is output to a security device within a corresponding premises, the alert causing the activation of the security device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication comprises a probe request message.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved device identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

8 . An apparatus comprising:
one or more interfaces configured to be used to receive a communication from a wireless device; one or more modules configured to:
retrieve device identification information from the communication, wherein the device identification information is associated with the wireless device;
determine that the retrieved device identification information does not match device identification information associated with any of one or more known devices; and
identify the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device based on the determination that the retrieved device identification information does not match device identification information associated with any of the one or more known devices; and
wherein the one or more interfaces are further configured to be used to output an alert, the alert comprising a notification of the identification of the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the one or more interfaces are further configured to be used to retrieve an indication of the strength of a signal between the wireless device and one or more access devices; and the one or modules are further configured to, based upon the measured strength of the signal between the wireless device and the one or more access devices, determine a location of the wireless device relative to the one or more access devices, wherein the location of the wireless device relative to the one or more access devices comprises a distance between the wireless device and the one or more access devices and a direction of the wireless device with respect to one or more of the access devices.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the alert is output to a remote server.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the alert is output to a security device within a corresponding premises, the alert causing the activation of the security device.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the communication comprises a probe request message.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the retrieved device identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

14 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
receiving a communication from a wireless device, wherein the communication is received by an access device operating in a mode that requires the output of an alert upon the reception of a communication from a wireless device; identifying the wireless device as an unexpected wireless device; and outputting an alert, wherein the alert comprises a notification that an unexpected wireless device has been detected within a premises associated with the access device.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
retrieving an indication of the strength of a signal between the wireless device and the access device; and based upon the measured strength of the signal between the wireless device and the access device, determining a location of the wireless device relative to the location of the access device, wherein the location of the wireless device relative to the location of the access device comprises a distance between the wireless device and the access device and a direction of the wireless device with respect to the location of the access device.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further operable to cause one or more processors to perform the operations comprising:
retrieving device identification information from the communication, wherein the device identification information is associated with the wireless device; storing the retrieved device identification information; and storing a time at which the communication was received from the wireless device.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 , wherein the retrieved device identification information comprises a media access control (MAC) address.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the alert is output to a remote server.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the alert is output to a security device within the premises associated with the access device, the alert causing the activation of the security device.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the communication comprises a probe request message.

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Pavlich Bryan

Classifications

• H04W64/003

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• G08B13/2491 Primary

  Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field · CPC title

• H04W24/08

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04W12/71

  Hardware identity · CPC title

• H04W4/023

  using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds · CPC title