Proximity node location using a wireless node network

A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions which when executed on a processor performs an improved method for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network having a server, the method comprising:

• instructing a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over a time period;
• receiving, by the server, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period;
• receiving, by the server, a second indication from the second other node, the second indication related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period;
• determining a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication;
• and
• receiving, by the server, at least one of a first updated location from the first other node and a second updated location received from the second other node;
• and
• refining the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location received from the first other node and the received second updated location received from the second other node.

An apparatus for locating a particular one of a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network, comprising:

• a server in communication with at least a first other of the nodes and a second other of the nodes, the server further comprising,
• a server processing unit,
• a server volatile memory coupled to the server processing unit,
• a server memory storage coupled to the server processing unit, the server memory storage maintaining at least a program code section and location data, and
• a communication interface that provides a communication path operatively coupling the server with the first other node and the second other node;
• and
• wherein the server processing unit, when executing at least the program code section resident in the server volatile memory, is operative to
• send an operation message to the first other node instructing the first other node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over a time period,
• send another operation message to the second other node instructing the second other node to detect any message broadcast from the particular one node over the time period,
• receive, from the communication interface, a first indication from the first other node, the first indication related to a characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the first other node during the time period,
• receive, from the communication interface, a second indication from the second other node, the second indication related to the characteristic of all messages broadcast from the particular one node that are detected by the second other node during the time period,
• determine a location of the particular one node based upon a difference in the first indication and the second indication,
• receive, from the communication interface, at least one of a first updated location from the first other node and a second updated location received from the second other node, and
• refine the location of the particular one node based upon at least one of the received first updated location received from the first other node and the received second updated location received from the second other node.