Distributed location determination in wireless networks

A system for determining a location of an originating station,

• the system comprising:
• hardware processing circuitry configured to perform operations comprising:
• causing display of a user interface, the user interface configured to receive input selecting whether static configuration of locations is used for one or more first stations or the locations for the one or more first stations are derived from a network;
• obtaining location information for each of the one or more first stations from input defining static configuration of locations via the user interface:
• receiving, from each station of the first stations and one or more other second stations, a list identifying access points identified by respective station and from which signals have been received by the respective station within a predefined time period;
• receiving a message originating from the originating station, the message received via a first access point (AP) included in the one or more other second set of stations;
• determining a location for the first AP based on location information of at least two stations in the one or more first stations and two or more of received lists identifying the first access point;
• determining a location of the originating station based on the determined location of the first access point;
• and
• processing the message based on the determined location of the originating station.

An apparatus for determining a location of an originating station, the method comprising:

• means for causing display of a user interface, the user interface configured to receive input selecting whether static configuration of locations is used for one or more first stations or the locations for the one or more first stations are derived from a network;
• means for obtaining location information for each of the one or more first stations from input defining static configuration of locations via the user interface;
• means for receiving, from each station of the one or more first stations and one or more other second stations, a list identifying access points identified by a respective station and from which signals have been received by the respective station within a predefined time period;
• means for receiving a message originating from the originating station, the message received via a first access point (AP) included in the one or more other second stations;
• means for determining a location for the first AP based on location information of at least two stations in the one or more first stations and two or more of received lists identifying the first access point;
• means for determining a location of the originating station based on the determined location of the first access point;
• and
• means for processing the message based on the determined location of the originating station.