Methods for providing location of wireless devices using Wi-Fi

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining on a database server, a collaborative database containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points received from a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users, the collaborative database including database records for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, wherein at least a first portion of the database records are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a first user of the plurality of different users and at least a second portion of the database records different than the first portion are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a second user of the plurality of different users such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled devices operated by the first and second users, each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone;

receiving, at a server, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

retrieving, via a query issued to the database server using at least one MAC address included in the location request, geographic location data for at least one of the Wi-Fi access points from the collaborative database;

determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data retrieved from the collaborative database; and

returning, via the server, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined geographic location includes a latitude and longitude value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each are a cell phone.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing software configured to be executed on the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, wherein the software, upon execution enables the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to:

identify a MAC address for at least one Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal that is received by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

generate a location request including a respective MAC address for each of the at least one Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal for which a MAC address is identified; and

send the location request to the server which is configured to facilitate access to the collaborative database.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the software is further configured, upon execution, to enable a user of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to cause the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to generate and send a location request to the server in response to selection of an icon by the user.

6. A method, comprising:

maintaining on a server system, a collaborative database containing geographic location information pertaining to Wi-Fi access points received from a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users, the collaborative database including database records for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points including a MAC address and geographic location of the Wi-Fi access point, wherein at least a first portion of the database records are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a first user of the plurality of different users and at least a second portion of the database records different than the first portion are based on Wi-Fi identification and geographic location data received from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a second user of the plurality of different users such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by the first and second users, each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone;

receiving, at the server system, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a respective MAC address of at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

retrieving, via a query issued to the server system using at least one MAC address included in the location request, geographic location data for at least one of the Wi-Fi access points from the collaborative database;

determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data retrieved from the collaborative database; and

returning, via the server system, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determined geographic location includes a latitude and longitude value.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices each are a cell phone.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing software configured to be executed on the first Wi-Fi- and GPS- enabled mobile device, wherein the software, upon execution enables the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to:

identify a MAC address for at least one Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal that is received by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

generate a location request including a respective MAC address for each of the at least one Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal for which a MAC address is identified; and

send the location request to the server system which is configured to facilitate access to the collaborative database.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the software is further configured, upon execution, to enable a user of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to cause the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to generate and send a location request to the server system in response to selection of an icon by the user.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving at a database server, first Wi-Fi access point location data from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a first user, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone, the first Wi-Fi access point location data including,

GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

a MAC address of a first Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

processing, via a processor, the first Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point;

adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point to a collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data built in a collaborative manner from geographic location data from multiple mobile devices operated by users;

receiving, at a server, a location request from a second mobile device operated by a second user, the location request including a MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the second mobile device;

retrieving via a query issued to the database server, geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point from the collaborative database;

determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the second mobile device based at least on the geographic location data for the first Wi-Fi access point; and

returning, via the server, geographic location data to the second mobile.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the geographic location data includes a latitude and longitude value.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device is a cell phone and the second mobile device is a cell phone.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing software configured to be executed on the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, wherein the software, upon execution enables the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device to:

identify a MAC address for at least one Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal that is received by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

determine a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device through use of the GPS device of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

generate the first Wi-Fi access point location data; and

send the first Wi-Fi access point location data to the server.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point to the collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data is performed only when the geographic location data and MAC address of the first Wi-Fi access point is not already present in the collaborative database.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a database server from a first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a first user, a first set of Wi-Fi access point location data, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a cell phone, the first set of Wi-Fi access point location data including,

for each of at least one Wi-Fi access point from which a wireless signal transmitted from a Wi-Fi access point is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS enabled mobile device,

a MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point as detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

receiving, at the database server from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device operated by a second user, a second set of Wi-Fi access point location data, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a PDA or a cell phone, the second set of Wi-Fi access point location data including,

for each of at least one Wi-Fi access point from which a wireless signal transmitted from a Wi-Fi access point is detected by the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device,

a MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point as detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS- enabled mobile device;

processing, via a processor, data in the set first and second sets of Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for at least one Wi-Fi access point having a MAC address included in the first and second sets of Wi-Fi access point location data; and

adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the at least one Wi-Fi access point to a collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data,

whereby the collaborative database is thus built in a collaborative manner by the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by the first and second users.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving, via a server, a location request from the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the location request including a MAC address corresponding to at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

in response to receiving the location request, retrieving geographic location data from the collaborative database for at least one Wi-Fi access point for which a MAC address is provided in the location request;

determining, via a processor, a geographic location of the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device based at least on the geographic location data for the at least one Wi-Fi access point; and

returning, via the server, the determined geographic location to the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving, at the database server from a Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, a set of Wi-Fi access point location data including,

a MAC address for a Wi-Fi access point transmitting a wireless signal received by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; and

for each of a plurality of geographic locations,

GPS-measured coordinates, generated by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

at least one signal strength measurement of the wireless signal transmitted from the Wi-Fi access point measured by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

processing, via the processor, data in the set of Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for the Wi-Fi access point; and

adding the geographic location data for the Wi-Fi access point and MAC address of the Wi-Fi access point to the collaborative database.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving, at the database server from a Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, a set of Wi-Fi access point location data including,

a respective MAC address for each of a plurality of Wi-Fi access points transmitting a wireless signal received by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device; and

for each of a plurality of geographic locations,

GPS-measured coordinates, generated by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

at least one signal strength measurement of a wireless signal transmitted from at least one of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points measured by the Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

processing, via the processor, data in the set of Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for at least one of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points; and

adding the geographic location data and MAC address for the at least one of the plurality of Wi-Fi access points for which geographic location data is generated to the collaborative database.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the at least one Wi-Fi access point to the collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data is performed only when the geographic location data and MAC address of the at least one Wi-Fi access point is not already present in the collaborative database.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein in each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices, the scanner is equipped with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the scanner.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein in each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices, the scanner is collocated with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the scanner.

23. The method of claim 6 , wherein in each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices, the Wi-Fi scanner is equipped with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the Wi-Fi scanner.

24. The method of claim 6 , wherein in each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices, the Wi-Fi scanner is collocated with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the Wi-Fi scanner.

25. The method of claim 11 , wherein in the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the Wi-Fi scanner is equipped with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the Wi-Fi scanner.

26. The method of claim 11 , wherein in the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the Wi-Fi scanner is collocated with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the Wi-Fi scanner.

27. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second mobile device constitutes a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a PDA or a cell phone.

28. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

enabling a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users to contribute to the collaborative database, the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices including the first Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

receiving at the database server, second Wi-Fi access point location data from a second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices that is operated by a third user, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a Wi-Fi scanner and a GPS device, the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device comprising a PDA or a cell phone, the second Wi-Fi access point location data including,

GPS location data generated by the GPS device of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device, and

a MAC address of a second Wi-Fi access point for which a wireless signal is detected by the Wi-Fi scanner of the second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile device;

processing, via a processor, the second Wi-Fi access point location data to generate geographic location data for the second Wi-Fi access point; and

adding the geographic location data and MAC address of the second Wi-Fi access point to the collaborative database containing Wi-Fi access point location data such that the collaborative database is built in a collaborative manner by at least the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices of the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by the first and third users.

29. The method of claim 16 , wherein in each of the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices, the Wi-Fi scanner is equipped or collocated with the GPS device such that position data provided by the GPS device is considered position data for the Wi-Fi scanner.

30. The method of claim 16 , further comprising enabling a plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices operated by a plurality of different users to contribute to the collaborative database, the plurality of Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices including the first and second Wi-Fi- and GPS-enabled mobile devices.