# US 2013/0281110 A1 · Using peer devices to locate a mobile device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0281110 A1 - Document ID: US20130281110A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/450,029 - Filed: 2012-04-18 - Published: 2013-10-24 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-18 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Inventors: Stephen D. Zelinka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130281110A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - G01S 5/0284: {Relative positioning} - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H04W 4/20: Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel - G01S 5/0289: {of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks} - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract To determine the location of a querying mobile device, a request is received from the querying mobile device via a communication network. One or several participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device are identified. A request to scan for a location broadcast message transmitted by the querying mobile device is sent to the participating mobile devices. One or more location broadcast reports from participating mobile devices are received, where each received location broadcast report indicates that the location broadcast message was received at the corresponding participating mobile device. The location of the querying mobile device is estimated based on (i) the received one or more location broadcast reports and (ii) respective locations of the participating mobile devices from which the one or more location broadcast reports were received. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for automatically determining location of a querying mobile device, wherein the querying mobile device and a plurality of mobile devices operate in a communication network, the method comprising: electronically receiving, via the communication network, a request from the querying mobile device to determine a location of the querying mobile device; automatically identifying, from among the plurality of mobile devices, one or more participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device, wherein the participating mobile devices are configured to participate in determining location of the querying mobile device; electronically transmitting, to the one or more participating mobile devices via the communication network, a request to scan for a location broadcast message transmitted by the querying mobile device; electronically receiving 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 automatically estimating the location of the querying mobile device based on (i) the received one or more location broadcast reports and (ii) respective locations of the participating mobile devices from which the one or more location broadcast reports were received. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: assigning a temporary identifier to the querying mobile device, wherein the location broadcast message includes the temporary identifier and does not indicate permanent identity of the querying mobile device; and receiving the temporary identifier in each of the one or more location broadcast reports. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising assigning a random value to the temporary identifier in response to receiving the request from the querying mobile device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the querying mobile device includes a coarse location estimate of the querying mobile device, and identifying the one or more participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device includes: accessing coarse location estimates of the one or more participating mobile devices electronically stored in a database, and comparing the coarse location estimates of the one or more participating mobile devices to the coarse location estimate of the querying mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying the one or more participating mobile devices includes retrieving, for each identified participating mobile device, a respective electronic configuration record that indicates that a user selected an option to participate in locating querying mobile devices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein automatically identifying the one or more participating mobile devices further includes determining one of: (i) whether the querying mobile device and the one or more participating mobile devices are associated with a common organization, (ii) whether the querying mobile device and the one or more participating mobile devices are associated with a common group specified in a social network, (iii) whether an estimated location of a respective participating mobile device is within a particular geographic area, (iv) whether a time at which the request from the querying mobile device is received is within a particular time range, (v) whether a battery of the respective participating mobile device is depleted below a particular level, and (vi) whether the respective participating mobile device is otherwise occupied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving mobile device identification information in the received one or more location broadcast reports; and retrieving the locations of the participating mobile devices from an electronic database based on the received mobile device identification information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein automatically estimating the location of the querying mobile device includes using triangulation or trilateration to determine the estimated location. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: electronically transmitting the estimated location to the querying mobile device via the communication network. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The location provider system of claim 10, wherein: the request from the querying mobile device includes a coarse location estimate of the querying mobile device, and to identify the one or more participating mobile devices that potentially are physically proximate to the querying mobile device, the participant identification module is configured to (i) access coarse location estimates of the participating mobile devices stored in a database, and (ii) compare the coarse location estimates of the participating mobile devices to the coarse location estimate of the querying mobile device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The location provider system of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of electronic configuration records stored on a computer-readable medium, wherein each of the plurality of configuration records corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of participating mobile devices, and wherein each of the plurality of electronic configuration records indicates that a user associated with the participating mobile device selected an option to participate in locating querying mobile devices. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein: the first communication network is a cellular communication network and the second communication network is a wireless local area network (WLAN), and the method further comprises automatically configuring the mobile device as a WLAN hotspot before transmitting the location broadcast message. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the location broadcast message includes a predefined pattern indicating that the mobile device is attempting to be located. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving a temporary identifier from the location provider system, wherein the temporary identifier does not reveal permanent identity of the mobile device; and providing the temporary identifier in the location broadcast message. ### Claim 17 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein scanning for location broadcast messages is in response to receiving, from the location provider system via the first communication network, a request to scan for location broadcast messages. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising providing a location of the mobile device in the location broadcast report. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising providing an indication of a signal strength of the location broadcast message received by the mobile device.