Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique is provided for wireless position determination wherein identification information and positional information about wireless beacons are supplied from a central database maintained by a central facility to a wireless computing device, the identification information and positional information usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device. The central facility receives a contribution from the wireless computing device of identification information and positional information for at least one wireless beacon, the positional information of the at least one wireless beacon estimated based on the position of the wireless computing device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique is provided for wireless position determination wherein identification information and positional information about wireless beacons is downloaded to a local database of a wireless computing device from a central database. The local database is usable by a wireless positioning system of the wireless computing device to estimate a position of the wireless computing device. A receiver unit of the wireless computing device may receive signals from wireless beacons that include a least one new wireless beacon not included in the local database. The wireless positioning system estimates positional information of the at least one new wireless beacon based on the position of the wireless computing device. Identification information and positional information for the at least one new wireless beacon is added to the local database. Thereafter, a contribution may be uploaded to the central database for the at least one wireless beacon, to further build the central database.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a technique is provided for wireless position determination wherein locations of Wi-Fi access points included in a collaborative database are both consumed to estimate the position of a wireless computing device and updated based on the position of the wireless computing device. Using the collaborative database, a geographic location of each one or more first Wi-Fi access points in signal reception range of the wireless computing device is determined based on a unique or semi-unique identification of each first Wi-Fi access point. A wireless positioning system estimates a position of the wireless computing device based on the geographic location of each of the one or more first Wi-Fi access points. It may be determined that a Wi-Fi access point of one or more second Wi-Fi access points in signal reception range of the wireless computing device is a new Wi-Fi access point whose geographic location is not contained in the collaborative database.