System and method for locating a target wireless device

An apparatus for locating a target wireless device, comprising:

• a) a directional antenna configured to be swept through a field of view at each of a plurality of sensing locations;
• b) a positioning system configured to determine each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• c) a compass configured to determine bearing information for the directional antenna;
• d) a user interface;
• and
• e) a processor coupled to the directional antenna, the positioning system, the compass, and the user interface, wherein the processor is configured to:
• 1) collect a set of signal strength data for transmissions received from the target wireless device by the directional antenna during a sweep of the directional antenna at each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• 2) determine a position from the positioning system for each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• 3) collect a set of bearing information from the compass for each set of signal strength data;
• 4) determine a plurality of lines of bearing, one from each of the plurality of sensing locations to the target wireless device, based on the determined position, collected set of signal strength data, and collected set of bearing information for each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• 5) determine a target location of the target wireless device based on an intersection of at least two lines of bearing from the plurality of lines of bearing;
• and
• 6) display the target location on the user interface.

A system for locating a target wireless device, comprising:

• a) a plurality of directional antennas, each configured to be swept through a field of view at one or more sensing locations;
• b) a plurality of compasses, each of the plurality of compasses configured to determine bearing information for one of the plurality of directional antennas;
• c) at least one user interface;
• and
• d) at least one processor coupled to the plurality of directional antennas, the at least one compass, and the at least one user interface, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• 1) collect multiple sets of signal strength data from transmissions received from the target wireless device by the plurality of directional antennas during a sweep of the plurality of directional antennas at the one or more sensing locations;
• 2) collect multiple sets of bearing information from the plurality of compasses, each of the sets of bearing information corresponding to one of the multiple sets of signal strength data;
• 3) determine a plurality of lines of bearing, one from each of the one or more sensing locations to the target wireless device, based on the collected sets of signal strength data and bearing information for each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• 4) determine a target location of the target wireless device based on an intersection of at least two lines of bearing from the plurality of lines of bearing;
• and
• 5) display the target location on the at least one user interface.

A set of instructions, embodied on a computer readable medium, for locating a target wireless device, comprising:

• instructions for sweeping at least one directional antenna through a field of view at each of a plurality of sensing locations;
• instructions for determining a position for each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• during the sweep at each of the plurality of sensing locations, instructions for collecting a set of signal strength data for the target wireless device and a set of bearing information;
• instructions for determining a plurality of lines of bearing, one from each of the plurality of sensing locations to the target wireless device, based on the determined position for each of the plurality of sensing locations, the collected set of signal strength data for each of the plurality of sensing locations, and the bearing information for each of the plurality of sensing locations;
• and
• instructions for determining a target location of the target wireless device based on an intersection of at least two lines of bearing from the plurality of lines of bearing.

A graphical user interface for use on an apparatus for locating a target wireless device, the apparatus having a directional antenna, the graphical user interface comprising:

• a device list configured to display information identifying one or more wireless devices;
• bearing information for the directional antenna;
• a signal strength indicator for wireless transmissions received by the directional antenna;
• a lock control configured to select one of the one or more identified wireless devices as the target wireless device for location and to initiate the determination of one or more lines of bearing toward the target wireless device;
• and
• a coordinate display configured to show a location of the target wireless device as determined from an intersection of a plurality of the one or more lines of bearing.