Methods and apparatus relating to the use of real and/or virtual beacons
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- memory including stored beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including for a first beacon signal, information indicating;
i) a location of a first beacon transmitter and ii) a transmit power level of the first beacon signal; and
a processor configured to;
determine, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected beacon signal strength at the location of said wireless terminal given the location of said first beacon transmitter and the transmit power level; and
communicate a message indicating the determined beacon signal strength to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Virtual beacons are virtual in that an actual beacon need not be transmitted but a rather a virtual beacon transmitter at a desired location maybe considered to transmit virtual beacons. In some embodiments a set of beacon transmitter information for one or more beacons is supplied to devices in a communications system. The beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons. Devices with access to beacon information can determine based on the location of a wireless terminal whether the wireless terminal is within coverage area of a virtual beacon and report reception of the virtual beacon to the wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.
79 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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memory including stored beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including for a first beacon signal, information indicating;
i) a location of a first beacon transmitter and ii) a transmit power level of the first beacon signal; anda processor configured to; determine, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected beacon signal strength at the location of said wireless terminal given the location of said first beacon transmitter and the transmit power level; and communicate a message indicating the determined beacon signal strength to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of operating an apparatus, the method comprising:
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storing beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including for a first beacon signal, information indicating;
i) a location of a first beacon transmitter, and ii) a transmit power level of the first beacon signal;determining, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected beacon signal strength at the location of said wireless terminal given the location of said first beacon transmitter and the transmit power level; and communicating a message indicating the determined beacon signal strength to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in an apparatus, said non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by at least one processor cause said apparatus to:
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store beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including for a first beacon signal, information indicating;
i) a location of a first beacon transmitter, and ii) a transmit power level of the first beacon signal;determine, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected beacon signal strength at the location of said wireless terminal given the location of said first beacon transmitter and the transmit power level; and communicate a message indicating the determined beacon signal strength to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification