Patent ID: 7853269

Claim:
A method for providing wireless network services using three-dimensional access zones, comprising: defining a three-dimensional managed network space, wherein the three-dimensional managed network space includes four or more reference point devices having known three-dimensional positions within the three-dimensional managed network space; determining a three-dimensional position within the three-dimensional managed network space for a wireless networking device visible to the four or more reference point devices, wherein determining the three-dimensional position for the wireless networking device includes: calculating relative distances from the wireless networking device to the four or more reference point devices, wherein the relative distances calculated from the wireless networking device to the four or more reference point devices provide relative radii for four or more individual spheres respectively centered at the four or more reference point devices, and wherein at least one of the four or more reference point devices includes a sectored antenna having a plurality of directional antenna that calculate the relative distance from the wireless networking device to the at least one reference point device, and wherein calculating the relative distances from the wireless networking device to the four or more reference point devices includes: collecting relative distances, relative directions, and relative strengths for signals received from the wireless networking device in sectors visible to two or more of the plurality of directional antenna, wherein the relative distances and the relative directions collected for the signals in the sectors visible to the two or more directional antenna provide possible positions for the wireless networking device along a circular arc; and adjusting the possible positions for the wireless networking device along the circular arc based on the relative strengths collected for the signals received in the sectors visible to the two or more directional antenna, wherein the three-dimensional position determined for the wireless networking device comprises a location within the three-dimensional managed network space where the four or more individual spheres intersect along the circular arc; and enforcing one or more policies to determine whether to provide the wireless networking device access to the three-dimensional managed network space based on the three-dimensional position determined for the wireless networking device.