Wireless local area network with geo-location capability

A system for locating a wireless station in communication with a wireless local area network comprising:

• a plurality of cells defining a wireless local area network (WLAN) and each having an access point base station and adapted for communicating with wireless mobile devices using wireless spread spectrum communications signals, each base station further comprising edge detection circuitry time for detecting the leading edge of a communications signal transmitted from a mobile device;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to each of said access point base stations and operative to process the detected leading edge of received communications signals and determining first-to-arrive signals based on a common timing signal and conducting differentiation of the first-to-arrive signals to locate the mobile station.

A system for locating a wireless station in communication with a wireless local area network comprising:

• a plurality of cells defining a wireless local area network (WLAN) and each having an access point base station and adapted for communicating with wireless mobile devices contained within a cell using wideband spread spectrum communications signals;
• and
• a correlator operative with each of said access point base stations and time referenced with a common timing signal for receiving a portion of a wideband spread spectrum communications signal received from a mobile device for determining first-to-arrive signals and conducting differentiation of the first-to-arrive signals to locate the mobile device.