US Patent 7512381 Monitoring mobile terminals via local wireless access points

The present invention allows an application to access a local wireless access point to monitor the status of a mobile terminal. The status of the mobile terminal bears on the relative presence or location of the mobile terminal with respect to a local wireless access point or an ability of the mobile terminal to communicate via the local wireless access point. When the status bears on the ability of the mobile terminal to communicate with a local wireless access point, the status may relate to signal strengths, bit rates, or locations associated with the local wireless communications between the mobile terminal and the local wireless access point.