Patent ID: 8504057

Claim:
A location tracking method in a coordinator-based wireless network, the location tracking method comprising: transmitting, from a first device, a first frame including identifiers of the first device and a second device to at least two reference devices in the coordinator-based wireless network so that the first device associated to the wireless network becomes aware of a location of the second device; requesting, by the at least two reference devices in response to receiving the first frame, the second device for time information, receiving, by the at least two reference devices in response to the requesting, a second frame from the second device, the second frame including time information of the second device, determining, by the at least two reference devices in response to the received second frame, respective positioning data values of the second device based on the time information included in the second frame; transmitting, from the at least two reference devices to a coordinator of the coordinator-based wireless network, the respective positioning data values of the second device and respective signal strength values of the received second frame at the at least two reference devices; determining, by the coordinator of the coordinator-based wireless network, location information of the second device based on the respective positioning data values of the second device and the respective signal strength values; and transmitting, to the first device, a response frame including location information of the second device from the coordinator-based wireless network based on the identifier of the first device, wherein the first device is a device which receives a beacon from the coordinator-based wireless network verifying the existence of the coordinator-based wireless network, requests to be associated with the coordinator-based wireless network, and receives an association response from the coordinator-based wireless network confirming that the first device is associated with the coordinator-based wireless network, wherein if the second device denies location tracking, the second device transmits an alternative second frame to the coordinator-based wireless network, the alternative second frame including the identifier of the first device and the identifier of the second device, and wherein if at least three reference devices transmit the respective positioning data values, the coordinator selects three positioning data values that are determined based on their received signal strength values.