System and method of locating missing nodes in networks

A mobile data reading system, comprising:

• a data collection unit, comprising:
• a GPS module;
• one or more radios, each radio comprising a receiver and an antenna;
• and
• at least one memory module configured to store GPS coordinates periodically received from said GPS module and radio log files of data transmission collection information periodically collected from said one or more radios, wherein said radio log files comprise at least a node identifier associated with each data transmission collection and a signal strength indicator determined by the one or more radios;
• and
• a processor coupled to said data collection unit, said processor configured to execute code in the form of a node locating application, said node locating application configured to access the GPS coordinates and radio log files stored in said at least one memory module, electronically implement a triangulation procedure using the GPS coordinates and the signal strength indicator for a given missing node as determined in at least first and second different locations in order to identify an estimated location for the given missing node, and provide the estimated location for the given missing node as electronic output to a user;
• wherein the triangulation procedure implemented by said processor utilizes a weighted average of the GPS coordinates associated with different transmission collection locations such that transmission collection locations indicating a higher signal strength received from the missing node are weighted more heavily than transmission collection locations having a lower signal strength received from the missing node.

One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

• periodically receiving electronic GPS data including electronic GPS coordinates identifying the physical location of a mobile communication device, said mobile communication device comprising one or more radios, each radio having a respective receiver and corresponding antenna;
• collecting radio frequency (RF) data transmissions sent by one or more missing nodes in proximity to the mobile communication device, wherein each said RF data transmission comprises at least a node identifier used to identify whether a node in proximity to the mobile communication device is a missing node;
• determining a signal strength indicator from selected ones of the collected RF data transmissions, including those identified as being sent by missing nodes;
• wherein said RF data transmissions are received by the one or more radios and are collected while the mobile communication device is positioned in at least first and second different locations relative to each said one or more missing nodes;
• electronically implementing a triangulation procedure using the electronic GPS coordinates and the signal strength indicators for a given missing node as determined in said at least first and second different locations in order to identify an estimated location for the given missing node;
• and
• providing the estimated location for the given missing node as electronic output to a user;
• wherein said act of electronically implementing a triangulation procedure utilizes a weighted average of the GPS coordinates associated with different transmission collection locations such that transmission collection locations indicating a higher signal strength received from the missing node are weighted more heavily than transmission collection locations having a lower signal strength received from the missing node.