Patent ID: 8639266

Claim:
A method for automatically determining location of a querying mobile device, wherein the querying mobile device and a plurality of mobile devices operate in a communication network, the method comprising: electronically receiving, via the communication network, a request from the querying mobile device to determine a location of the querying mobile device; assigning a temporary identifier to the querying mobile device; automatically identifying, from among the plurality of mobile devices, one or more participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device, wherein the participating mobile devices are configured to participate in determining location of the querying mobile device; electronically transmitting, to the one or more participating mobile devices via the communication network, a request to scan for a location broadcast message transmitted by the querying mobile device, wherein the location broadcast message includes the temporary identifier and does not indicate permanent identity of the querying mobile device; electronically receiving one or more location broadcast reports from the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein each received location broadcast report is indicative of the location broadcast message having been received at a corresponding participating mobile device; receiving the temporary identifier in each of the one or more location broadcast reports; and automatically estimating the location of the querying mobile device based on (i) the received one or more location broadcast reports and (ii) respective locations of the participating mobile devices from which the one or more location broadcast reports were received.