Determining virtual location based upon scanned wireless signals

A method for determining a location based upon scanned wireless signals comprising:

• receiving a first wireless fingerprint from a first mobile unit, the first wireless fingerprint including identifying information of at least a first wireless signal received by the first mobile unit;
• receiving a first time stamp indicating a time of reception of the at least a first wireless signal or device ID by the first mobile unit;
• receiving a second wireless fingerprint from a second mobile unit, the second wireless fingerprint including identifying information of at least a second wireless signal device ID scanned by the second mobile unit;
• receiving a second time stamp indicating a time of reception of the at least a second wireless signal by the second mobile unit;
• determining relative proximity of the first mobile unit using the first wireless fingerprint, the first time stamp, the second wireless fingerprint, and the second time stamp;
• and
• sending information indicative of the relative proximity to the first mobile unit.

A method for interfacing with a plurality of mobile wireless devices and controlling actions thereof based on the presence thereof in a particular locale, comprising the steps of:

• each of the mobile wireless devices when entering the locale:
• scanning wireless devices within the locale within a scanning range associated with the scanning one of the mobile wireless devices,
• creating a wireless fingerprint of the scanned wireless devices representing identifying information and scan characteristics of the scanned wireless devices, and
• transmitting the wireless fingerprint to a server for storage in a wireless fingerprint database;
• and
• at the server:
• determining from the received fingerprint if the transmitting one of the mobile wireless devices is within at least a portion of the locale by comparing the received wireless fingerprint with known stored wireless fingerprints,
• determining if there is an associated action for the locale,
• if there is an associated action for the locale, transmitting such to all of the mobile wireless devices determined to have transmitted wireless fingerprints from within the locale to al or select ones of the mobile wireless devices;
• and
• executing the actions at the ones of the mobile wireless devices to which the action to be executed was transferred.