Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing collective sharing and learning of location information in a network, specifically by enabling wireless devices to become self-aware of their location by leveraging the presence of hybrid WLAN/GPS devices that are inherently location self-aware. Self-aware network devices are enabled to self-determine and maintain their own location awareness without the need for a GPS receiver, and using hybrid WLAN/GPS devices to assist WLAN-only devices in becoming location self-aware. Additionally, the method includes pass-by autonomous exchange of location information between network devices, and avoidance of the need to associate by bursting the location information in beacon and probe request/response packets. The system and method also provides for sharing of trusted location data.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining and sharing of trusted location data. The system includes a network device or application and at least two independent trusted sources of location data/location assistance data, where the at least two independent trusted sources have unique and unalterable ID codes. The network device or application receive and authenticate the location information/location assistance data from the at least two independent trusted sources, and the network device or application calculates a trusted location estimate by comparing the location data of the at least two independent trusted sources. The network device or application is a self-aware device. The trusted location data may be virally shared with other self-aware network devices in the network.