System and methods for locating a mobile device

Abstract

A system for locating a mobile device emitting a radio frequency signal. A wireless access point device of a wireless local area network is configured to communicatively connect to a wide area network. The system comprises a first access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a first signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the first access device, a media access control (MAC) address, and a first timestamp of the first signal strength, of the mobile device; a second access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a second signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the second access device, the MAC address, and a second timestamp of the second signal strength, of the mobile device; a third access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a third signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the third access device, the MAC address, and a third timestamp of the third signal strength, of the mobile device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for locating a mobile device emitting a radio frequency signal, a wireless access point device of a wireless local area network is configured to communicatively connect to a wide area network, comprising:
 a first access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a first signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the first access device, a media access control (MAC) address, and a first timestamp of the first signal strength, of the mobile device;   a second access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a second signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the second access device, the MAC address, and a second timestamp of the second signal strength, of the mobile device;   a third access device for wirelessly communicatively detecting a third signal strength of the radio frequency signal in relation to the third access device, the MAC address, and a third timestamp of the third signal strength, of the mobile device;   a trilateration processor; and   a gateway device communicatively connected to the wireless local area network and the trilateration module, for communicative delivery of the first signal strength, the MAC address, and the first timestamp, the second signal strength, the MAC address, and the second timestamp, and the third signal strength, the MAC address, and the third timestamp, to the trilateration module;   wherein the first timestamp, the second timestamp and the third timestamp are substantially concurrent, and the first access device, the second access device and the third access device, wirelessly communicatively connect to the wireless access point device for delivery, respectively, of the first signal strength, the MAC address, and the first timestamp, the second signal strength, the MAC address, and the second timestamp, and the third signal strength, the MAC address, and the third timestamp.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gateway and the trilateration engine are each respectively communicatively connected to a wide area network. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the wide area network is the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first access device includes a first modular architecture of a first wireless sensing layer module for reading the first signal strength and the MAC address, and deriving the first timestamp, a first collation and encryption module for collating and encrypting the first signal strength, the first timestamp and the MAC address, and a first wireless transmission module for communicatively connecting to the wireless access point device.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the second access device includes a modular architecture of a second wireless sensing layer module for reading the second signal strength and the MAC address, and deriving the second timestamp, a second collation and encryption module for collating and encrypting the second signal strength, the second timestamp and the MAC address, and a second wireless transmission module for communicatively connecting to the wireless access point device; and   the third access device includes a modular architecture of a third wireless sensing layer module for reading the third signal strength and the MAC address, and deriving the third timestamp, a third collation and encryption module for collating and encrypting the third signal strength, the third timestamp and the MAC address, and a third wireless transmission module for communicatively connecting to the wireless access point device.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a server computer communicatively connected to the wide area network, the server computer includes, at least in part, the trilateration engine.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the server computer includes, at least in part, each of a mapping engine and a reporting engine. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the mapping engine generates a map plotting the relative x, y Cartesian coordinates position of the mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a communications device communicatively connected to the wide area network, the communications device capable of accessing the server computer on the wide area network.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the server computer is, at least in part, a cloud server computer remote from the wireless local area network and the gateway device. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 probe signal sensing of a radio frequency communication of a mobile device, for a signal strength of the radio frequency communication, a media access control (MAC) address of the mobile device, and a time of the radio frequency communication;   collating the signal strength, the time and the MAC address;   encrypting the signal strength, the time and the MAC address;   transmitting the signal strength, the time and the MAC address to a wireless access point device of a wireless local area network.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving by a wide area network gateway from the wireless local area network, the signal strength, the time and the MAC address, the wide area network gateway communicatively connected to a wide area network.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving from the wide area network gateway the signal strength, the time and the MAC address, by a server computer communicatively connected to the wide area network.   
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 wirelessly communicatively detecting, respectively, by at least three access devices each, respectively, a signal strength, respectively, a timestamp, respectively, and a MAC address of a mobile device;   wirelessly communicating, respectively, by each of the at least three access devices, the signal strength, respectively, the timestamp, respectively, and the MAC address, to a wireless local area network;   receiving, respectively, by a gateway device communicatively connected to the wireless local area network and a wide area network, the signal strength, respectively, the timestamp, respectively, and the MAC address, for each of the at least three access devices, respectively; and   transmitting, respectively, by the gateway device over the wide area network to a server, the signal strength, respectively, the timestamp, respectively, and the MAC address, for each of the at least three access devices, respectively.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 trilaterating by the server computer to convert the signal strength, respectively, the timestamp, respectively, and the MAC address, for each of the at least three access devices, respectively, to x and y Cartesian coordinates.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 mapping by the server computer, a location of the mobile device per the x and y Cartesian coordinates.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 reporting by the server computer, the location of the mobile device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 accessing the server computer over the wide area network, by a communications device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the server computer includes at least one cloud server. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the mapping includes display of a map with trace and zoom capability.