Patent ID: 9226224
Filing Date: 2015-12-29
Classification: H04W

Abstract:
1. A method for obtaining information about telecommunications devices that transmit signals seeking available Wi-Fi connectivity, comprising: configuring each of a plurality of Wi-Fi beacons to detect probing signals from any telecommunications device in its range, each of the probing signals containing an identifier of the telecommunications device that is sending the probing signal; extracting at each Wi-Fi beacon from probing signals detected by the Wi-Fi beacon, an identifier of at least one telecommunications device whose probing signals have been detected by the Wi-Fi beacon; associating each Wi-Fi beacon with the identifier of any telecommunications devices whose probing signals have been detected by that Wi-Fi beacon to thereby determine the presence of any telecommunications devices within the range of the Wi-Fi beacon; determining, at at least one of the Wi-Fi beacons, a position of a telecommunications device whose probing signal has been detected by that Wi-Fi beacon; and generating a map of an area within range of at least one of the Wi-Fi beacons on a display apart from any telecommunications devices whose probing signals have been detected by the at least one of the Wi-Fi beacons, and indicating the position of the telecommunications device on the map relative to the position of the at least one of the Wi-Fi beacons, whereby the telecommunications devices are not involved in the method other than providing in their usual manner of operation, probing signals containing identifiers.