Patent ID: 8140094

Claim:
In a location-based services system, a method of utilizing WiFi-enabled devices to monitor WiFi access points in a target area to indicate whether a WiFi access point is newly-observed, the method comprising the acts of: a) a WiFi-enabled device communicating with WiFi access points within range of the WiFi-enabled device so that observed WiFi access points identify themselves; b) accessing a reference database to obtain information specifying a recorded location for each observed WiFi access point in the target area; c) identifying observed WiFi access points for which the reference database has no information specifying a corresponding recorded location; d) using the recorded location information for each of the observed WiFi access points obtained in act (b) to calculate the position of the WiFi-enabled device; e) informing the reference database of the WiFi access points identified in act (c) and providing the position calculated in step (d) in conjunction therewith to serve as location information for the newly-observed WiFi access points; and f) the WiFi enabled device calculating the position of itself based on the locations of the WiFi access points.