Patent ID: 8175613
Filing Date: 2012-05-08
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for estimating a location of a first wireless device within a wireless network, the method comprising: a second device receiving signal characteristic information in a transmission from each of one or more third wireless devices, each signal characteristic information received from each of the one or more third wireless devices including (i) measured signal characteristics of a first signal transmitted by the first wireless device at a first power level during a first variable signal level period of a first media access control (MAC) superframe and received at the respective third wireless device and (ii) measured signal characteristics of a second signal transmitted by the first wireless device at a second power level during a second variable signal level period of a second MAC superframe and received at the respective third wireless device, the second power level being different than the first power level; the second device estimating a range from the first wireless device to each of the respective one or more third wireless devices based upon the signal characteristic information received from the one or more third wireless devices; and the second device estimating a location of the first wireless device based upon the estimated ranges.