Proximity and tap detection using a wireless system

A method comprising:

• receiving signals via an antenna of a wireless mobile device, wherein the signals comprise packets transmitted from a signal source;
• generating, for received packets transmitted, an associated signal strength;
• determining a distance value representing a distance of the wireless device from the signal source, based at least in part on the associated signal strength for each of a plurality of the received packets;
• determining to exclude a packet of the received packets from use in determining the distance value when the associated signal strength for the packet represents an outlier value;
• and
• enabling an operation based at least in part on the distance value being within a predetermined range.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by circuitry of a wireless mobile device to:

• determine a received signal strength corresponding to each of a plurality of packets wirelessly received, from a signal source, by a receiver/transmitter of the wireless mobile device;
• calculate, based at least in part on the determined received signal strength corresponding to each of the plurality of the received packets, a current distance of the wireless mobile device from the signal source, wherein calculating the current distance comprises determining a weighted average signal strength based on the plurality of the received packets, wherein a more recently received packet of the plurality of the received packets is assigned a higher weight than a less recently received packet;
• determine whether the current distance is within a threshold distance sufficient for enabling an exchange of data between the wireless mobile device and the signal source, wherein the threshold distance corresponds to physically introducing the wireless mobile device into proximity of the signal source;
• and
• enable an operation based at least in part on the current distance being within a predetermined range.