Patent Document ID: 9369838
Application ID: 14367217
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for estimating a position of a target using a plurality of smartphones, each smartphone being capable of communicating with the target over a limited wireless range, the method comprising: providing a target transmitting a wireless signal having a corresponding identification for uniquely identifying the target; providing the corresponding identification of the target to track to a group of smartphones; each smartphone of the group of smartphones being capable of receiving the signal transmitted if the target is in its vicinity and storing the corresponding identification of the target with a time stamp and an indication of a corresponding location of the smartphone; obtaining each of the stored corresponding identification of the target with a time stamp and an indication of a corresponding location of the smartphone to thereby estimate a position of the target, wherein obtaining each of the stored corresponding identifications of the target with a time stamp and an identification of a corresponding location of the smartphone comprises determining a pertinent communication channel for transmitting each of the stored corresponding identification of the target with a time stamp and an identification of a corresponding location of the smartphone; and wherein the providing of the corresponding identification of the target to track to a group of smartphones comprises determining a subset of smartphones and broadcasting a request for tracking the target to each smartphone of the subset of smartphones.