Some devices involved in a wireless network lack the hardware needed to find their location, e.g., most commercial WiFi access points lack GPS receivers, or even the ability to store manually specified geolocation coordinates. As a result, a device with WiFi networking capability cannot currently retrieve location information from a WiFi access point.
Most devices that need to know their location contain a GPS receiver and supporting software. The GPS hardware and software add to the cost of the device, and successfully establish a current location only if the GPS receiver can successfully receive the numerous satellite signals needed to establish a location fix. Other devices support manual specification of the device's geolocation coordinates. A limited number of mobile devices establish a current location fix using technologies other than GPS, e.g., dead reckoning from a known location, or establishing a connection to a WiFi access point whose location appears in a location database.
Devices that could benefit from knowing their own geolocation lack the ability. Applications, such as migratable agent applications, which may be running on a different device and which may be dependent on knowing their own location don't work when migrated because the device is ignorant of its location. Identifying a WiFi access point's location based on a database query provides an accurate location only when the access point has been entered into the database and hasn't moved since the last database update. Accessing the database requires either substantial on-device storage, or access to the Internet.
What is required is an improved system and method for determining locations of wireless devices and/or wireless access points.