Generating and publishing validated location information

A cloud-based computing system, comprising:

• a network interface that receives, from a wireless access point, initial location information including a respective location of each of a plurality of other wireless access points and data representative of respective distances between the wireless access point and each of the plurality of other wireless access points;
• a memory configured to store one or more modules;
• and
• one or more processors, wherein the one or more modules are operable by the one or more processors to:
• determine, based on the initial location information and location data stored in the memory a location of the wireless access point including a latitude and a longitude, wherein the location data includes respective location data for each known wireless access point from a plurality of known wireless access points, wherein one or more wireless access points from the plurality of other wireless access points are included in the plurality of known wireless access points, and wherein the respective location data for each known wireless access point includes a respective location of the known wireless access point and data representative of a distance between the known wireless access point and at least one other known wireless access point from the plurality of known wireless access points;
• generate a tuple for the wireless access point, the tuple including a token, the latitude, and the longitude, wherein the token includes a description of the location of the location of the wireless access point;
• sign the location information for the wireless access point with a credential to form signed location information;
• store the signed location information in the memory;
• and
• communicate the signed location information to the wireless access point.

A system, comprising:

• a cloud-based location provider;
• a plurality of wireless access points connected to the cloud-based location provider;
• and
• a mobile computing device comprising a wireless interface configured to connect to one or more wireless access points from the plurality of wireless access points,
• wherein the cloud-based location provider determines a respective location for each wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points and communicates the respective location as respective tuples to the corresponding wireless access point, wherein the respective tuples for each of the wireless access points includes a respective latitude, a respective longitude, and a respective description of the location of the corresponding wireless access point and is signed with a digital signature associated with the cloud-based location provider,
• wherein each wireless access point from the plurality of wireless access points wirelessly transmits the respective tuple for that wireless access point,
• wherein the mobile computing device:
• receives, from two or more wireless access points from the plurality of wireless access points, the respective tuples for the two or more wireless access points,
• determines whether the respective tuple for each of the two or more wireless access points was signed by the cloud-based location provider,
• for each wireless access point for which the mobile computing device determined that the respective tuples were signed by the cloud-based wireless access provider, calculates a respective distance between the mobile computing device and the wireless access point, and
• determines a location of the mobile computing device based on the respective distances and the respective latitudes and longitudes included in the tuples determined to be signed by the cloud-based location provider.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a wireless device, respective signed location information from each of a plurality of wireless access points, wherein the respective signed location information includes a tuple comprising a latitude, a longitude and a token, indicating a location of the wireless access point that transmitted the respective signed location information, and wherein the token included in the tuple includes a first basic service set identification for the wireless access point that transmitted the respective signed location information;
• receiving, by the wireless device, a respective second basic service set identification broadcast by each of the plurality of wireless access point;
• determining whether the first basic service set identification included in the tuple of the respective signed location information matches the second basic service set identification broadcast by the corresponding wireless access point;
• responsive to determining that the first basic service set identification included in the tuple of the respective signed location information matches the second basic service set identification broadcast by the corresponding wireless access point, determining that the respective signed location information has not been comprised;
• for each wireless access point for which the mobile computing device determined that the respective signed location information was not compromised, calculating a respective distance between the mobile computing device and the corresponding wireless access point;
• and determining, by the wireless device and based on the latitude and longitude included in respective signed location information that is not compromised and the respective distances between the wireless device and each of the plurality of wireless access points associated with respective signed location information that has not been compromised, a location of the wireless device.

A mobile computing device, comprising:

• a memory;
• a wireless network interface;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory and to the wireless interface, wherein the processor is configured to:
• store, in the memory, respective signed location information received from each of a plurality of wireless access points and respective data representative of a distance between the mobile computing device and each wireless access point, the signed location information including a (latitude, longitude, token) tuple indicating the location of the wireless access point that transmitted the respective signed location information, and wherein the token includes a first basic service set identification for the wireless access point that transmitted the respective signed location information;
• receive a respective second basic service set identification broadcast by each of the plurality of wireless access point;
• determine whether the first basic service set identification included in the tuple of the respective signed location information matches the second basic service set identification broadcast by the corresponding wireless access point;
• responsive to determining that the first basic service set identification included in the tuple of the respective signed location information matches the second basic service set identification broadcast by the corresponding wireless access point, determine that the respective signed location information has not been comprised;
• for each wireless access point for which the device determined that the respective signed location information was not compromised, calculating, based on the respective data representative of the distance between the mobile computing device and the corresponding wireless access point, a respective distance between the mobile computing device and the corresponding wireless access point;
• and
• determine, based on the latitude and longitude included in the respective signed location information that is not compromised and the respective distances between the mobile computing device and each of the plurality of wireless access points associated with respective signed location information that has not been compromised, a location of the wireless device.