DETERMINING A LOCATION OF A TARGET WIRELESS DEVICE

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transmitting a first frame by a network device on a channel of a radio frequency band;

assigning a first timestamp to the frame, wherein the first timestamp includes a time the frame is transmitted;

assigning a second timestamp to a second frame, wherein the second frame originates from a client device in response to the first frame and wherein the second timestamp indicates a time that the second frame is received at the network device;

determining a time difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp;

receiving an alternative time difference corresponding to an alternative network device, wherein the alternative time difference is based on a time that the alternative network device received the first frame and a time that the alternative network device received the second frame; and

determining a location of the client device using the time difference and the alternative time difference.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second alternative time difference corresponding to a second alternative network device on the channel, wherein the second alternative time difference is based on a time that the second alternative network device receives the first frame and a time that the second alternative network device received the second frame; and

determining a location of the client device using the time difference, the alternative time difference, and the second alternative time difference.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the network device, channel information corresponding to the channel, wherein the channel information facilitates the alternative network device connecting to the channel.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the network device and the alternative network device are connected to the same channel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning the first timestamp to the first frame before the first frame is transmitted; and

storing the first timestamp.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a location query including the time difference and the alternative time difference; and

receiving a response to the location query including a location of the client device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frame facilitates the second frame connecting to the channel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second frame includes an indication that the client device is connected to the channel.

9 . A network device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

transmitting a first frame by a network device on a channel of a radio frequency band;

assigning a first timestamp to the frame, wherein the first timestamp includes a time the frame is transmitted;

assigning a second timestamp to a second frame, wherein the second frame originates from a client device in response to the first frame and wherein the second timestamp indicates a time that the second frame is received at the network device;

determining a time difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp;

receiving an alternative time difference corresponding to an alternative network device, wherein the alternative time difference is based on a time that the alternative network device received the first frame and a time that the alternative network device received the second frame; and

determining a location of the client device using the time difference and the alternative time difference.

10 . The network device of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving a second alternative time difference corresponding to a second alternative network device on the channel, wherein the second alternative time difference is based on a time that the second alternative network device receives the first frame and a time that the second alternative network device received the second frame; and

determining a location of the client device using the time difference, the alternative time difference, and the second alternative time difference.

11 . The network device of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

transmitting, by the network device, channel information corresponding to the channel, wherein the channel information facilitates the alternative network device connecting to the channel.

12 . The network device of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

determining that the network device and the alternative network device are connected to the same channel.

13 . The network device of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

assigning the first timestamp to the first frame before the first frame is transmitted; and

storing the first timestamp.

14 . The network device of claim 9 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

transmitting a location query including the time difference and the alternative time difference; and

receiving a response to the location query including a location of the client device.

15 . The network device of claim 9 , wherein the first frame facilitates the second frame connecting to the channel.

16 . The network device of claim 9 , wherein the second frame includes an indication that the client device is connected to the channel.

17 . A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of a computing device, including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

transmit a first frame by a network device on a channel of a radio frequency band;

assign a first timestamp to the frame, wherein the first timestamp includes a time the frame is transmitted;

assign a second timestamp to a second frame, wherein the second frame originates from a client device in response to the first frame and wherein the second timestamp indicates a time that the second frame is received at the network device;

determine a time difference between the first timestamp and the second timestamp;

receive an alternative time difference corresponding to an alternative network device, wherein the alternative time difference is based on a time that the alternative network device received the first frame and a time that the alternative network device received the second frame; and

determine a location of the client device using the time difference and the alternative time difference.

18 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a second alternative time difference corresponding to a second alternative network device on the channel, wherein the second alternative time difference is based on a time that the second alternative network device receives the first frame and a time that the second alternative network device received the second frame; and

determine a location of the client device using the time difference, the alternative time difference, and the second alternative time difference.

19 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

transmit, by the network device, channel information corresponding to the channel, wherein the channel information facilitates the alternative network device connecting to the channel.

20 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the network device and the alternative network device are connected to the same channel.

21 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

assign the first timestamp to the first frame before the first frame is transmitted; and

store the first timestamp.

22 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

transmitting a location query including the time difference and the alternative time difference; and

receiving a response to the location query including a location of the client device.

23 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , wherein the first frame facilitates the second frame connecting to the channel.

24 . The computer-program product of claim 17 , wherein the second frame includes an indication that the client device is connected to the channel.