Using peer devices to locate a mobile device

A location provider system configured to couple to a communication network in which a querying mobile device and a plurality of participating mobile devices operate, the location provider system comprising:

• a participant identification module configured to:
• receive a request from the querying mobile device to determine a location of the querying mobile device,
• identify one or more of the plurality of participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device, and
• send, to each of the one or more participating mobile devices via the communication network, a request to scan for a location broadcast message;
• and
• a location determination module configured to:
• receive one or more location broadcast reports from the one or more participating mobile devices, wherein each received location broadcast report is indicative of the location broadcast message having been received at a corresponding participating mobile device, and
• estimate a location of the querying mobile device based on the received one or more location broadcast reports and on respective locations of the participating mobile devices from which the one or more location broadcast reports were received.

A method in a mobile device for determining location of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a first communication network and a second communication network, the method comprising:

• generating a request to determine a location of the mobile device;
• transmitting the request to a location provider system via the first communication network;
• transmitting a location broadcast message via the second communication network, wherein the location broadcast message includes an identifier of the mobile device;
• and
• in response to the transmitted location broadcast message, receiving, from the location provider system via the first communication network, an estimated location of the mobile device, wherein the estimated location is based on locations of devices in the second communication network that received the location broadcast message.

A method in a mobile device for assisting in determining a location of a querying mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to operate in a first communication network and a second communication network, the method comprising:

• scanning for location broadcast messages transmitted via the second communication network;
• receiving a location broadcast message from a querying mobile device via the second communication network, wherein the location broadcast message includes an identifier of the querying mobile device;
• in response to receiving the location broadcast message, generating a location broadcast report corresponding to the received location broadcast message;
• and
• transmitting the location broadcast report to a location provider system via the first communication network for determining the location of the querying mobile device.