Methods and apparatus for device location services

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory;

said at least one processing device being configured:

to determine in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node;

to replicate at least a portion of the identifying information from the first node to one or more additional nodes of the node network; and

to track the user device utilizing the identifying information in the first node and the one or more additional nodes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing device implements at least one of the first and additional nodes of the node network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the identifying information sufficient for tracking the user device comprises at least an identifier of the user device and clock information of the user device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing device is further configured:

to determine a location of the user device based at least in part on the tracking; and

to provide at least one service based at least in part on the location of the user device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein tracking the user device utilizing the identifying information in the first node and the one or more additional nodes comprises performing the tracking without requiring each of the first and additional nodes to pair with the user device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

identifying the user device as having not been paired with any of the nodes of the node network; and

extracting at least a portion of the identifying information sufficient for tracking the user device from the radio communications generated by the user device as part of its communication with another device with which it is paired.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

extracting an identifier from the radio communications of the user device;

extracting clock information from the radio communications of the user device; and

determining a hopping sequence of the user device based at least in part on the master identifier and the clock information.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first node and the user device are paired with one another in a master-slave pairing arrangement, with one of the first node and the user device operating as a master device and the other of the first node and the user device operating as a slave device, and wherein the extracted identifier comprises one of a master device identifier and a slave device identifier.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the hopping sequence identifies a particular ad hoc wireless network with which the user device is associated and wherein tracking the user device utilizing the identifying information in the first node and the one or more additional nodes comprises monitoring communications between the user device and one or more other devices of the particular ad hoc wireless network.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein replicating at least a portion of the identifying information from the first node to one or more additional nodes of the node network comprises replicating at least information characterizing the hopping sequence from the first node to the one or more additional nodes and wherein tracking the user device comprises tracking the user device based at least in part on the hopping sequence.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

initiating a pairing arrangement between the first node and the user device with the first node operating as a master device and the user device operating as a slave device;

requesting the user device to reverse master-slave roles with the first node; and

in conjunction with reversal of the master-slave roles, receiving in the first node from the user device a master device identifier of the user device and clock information of the user device, and determining in the first node a hopping sequence from the master device identifier and the clock information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

generating in the first node, in conjunction with a pairing of the first node and the user device, a link key shared by the first node and the user device;

wherein the link key is replicated from the first node to the one or more additional nodes of the node network as at least a portion of the identifying information sufficient for tracking the user device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing device is further configured:

to detect in a given one of the first and additional nodes one or more radio communications generated by the user device;

to generate at least one signal strength measure associated with the one or more detected radio communications; and

to provide information characterizing the one or more detected radio communications and said at least one signal strength measure to at least one of (i) another one of the first and additional nodes, and (ii) a central authority, in conjunction with the tracking of the user device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one processing device is further configured:

to associate a policy with the user device in at least one of the first and additional nodes; and

to control generation of an output from said at least one of the first and additional nodes, in conjunction with the tracking of the user device, in accordance with the policy associated with the user device.

15. A method comprising:

determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node;

replicating at least a portion of the identifying information from the first node to one or more additional nodes of the node network; and

tracking the user device utilizing the identifying information in the first node and the one or more additional nodes;

wherein the method is performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

identifying the user device as having not been paired with any of the nodes of the node network; and

extracting at least a portion of the identifying information sufficient for tracking the user device from the radio communications generated by the user device as part of its communication with another device with which it is paired.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

extracting an identifier from the radio communications of the user device;

extracting clock information from the radio communications of the user device; and

determining a hopping sequence of the user device based at least in part on the master identifier and the clock information.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code when executed by at least one processing device causes said at least one processing device:

to determine in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node;

to replicate at least a portion of the identifying information from the first node to one or more additional nodes of the node network; and

to track the user device utilizing the identifying information in the first node and the one or more additional nodes.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

identifying the user device as having not been paired with any of the nodes of the node network; and

extracting at least a portion of the identifying information sufficient for tracking the user device from the radio communications generated by the user device as part of its communication with another device with which it is paired.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein determining in a first node of a node network identifying information sufficient for tracking a user device that generates radio communications detectable by at least the first node comprises:

extracting an identifier from the radio communications of the user device;

extracting clock information from the radio communications of the user device; and

determining a hopping sequence of the user device based at least in part on the master identifier and the clock information.