Using Neighboring Access Points to Provide Client Device Location Data

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface unit configured to enable communications over a network;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface unit and the memory and configured to:
• send a beacon report request action frame to a wireless client device, the beacon report request action frame configured to cause the wireless client device to transmit a broadcast probe request frame;
• receive a beacon report response message from the wireless client device, wherein the beacon report response message includes one or more probe response frames transmitted by one or more wireless access points that receive the broadcast probe request frame and which probe response frames are received by the wireless client device from the one o more wireless access points;
• and
• determine a location of the wireless client device based at least in part on signal strength information contained in the one or more probe response frames sent by the one or more wireless access points and which signal strength information indicates the signal strength observed by the one or more wireless access points with respect to the broadcast probe request frame transmitted by the wireless client device.

A computer-readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

• generate a beacon report request action frame to be sent to a wireless client device, the beacon report request action frame configured to cause the wireless client device to transmit a broadcast probe request frame;
• receive a beacon report response message from the wireless client device, wherein the beacon report response message includes one or more probe response frames transmitted by one or more wireless access points that receive the broadcast probe request frame and which probe response frames are received by the wireless client device from the one or more wireless access points;
• and
• determine a location of the wireless client device based at least in part on signal strength information contained in the one or more probe response frames sent by the one or more wireless access points and which signal strength information indicates the signal strength observed by the one or more wireless access points with respect to the broadcast probe request frame transmitted by the wireless client device.