Diagnosis of beacons in an open architecture

• US 10,321,265 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gerken, III, John K., Greenberger, Jeremy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C
• Application Number:
  US14/944,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561, 4554562, 4554563, 4554564, 4554565, 4554566, 340988-996
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for diagnosing a beacon in an open architecture. Specifically, each of a set of beacons is associated with a beacon location. Each beacon of the set of beacons is a transmit-only device that is designed to emit a relatively short-range electronic signal. When a mobile device, such as a cell phone, enters the venue, the location of the mobile device within the venue is determined. Any information received by the mobile device from the set of beacons is retrieved from the mobile device. This information is used in conjunction with the location of the mobile device to diagnose the operational status of the beacon.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for diagnosing a beacon in an open architecture, the method comprising:

associating each of a set of beacons in a venue with an associated beacon location, each beacon of the set of beacons in the open architecture being a transmit-only device using a iBeacon technology standard that communicates only by emitting a relatively short-range Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) electronic signal and that is not connected to a network;

determining a location of a mobile device within the venue with a Wi-Fi based location determiner that does not utilize any beacon of the set of beacons;

retrieving, in real time from an application on the mobile device, any information received by the mobile device from the set of beacons; and

diagnosing an operational status of a beacon based on a comparison of the information and the location without utilizing information communicated from the beacon otherwise than via the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an identifier that uniquely identifies a specific beacon of the set of beacons.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the diagnosing further comprises determining a strength of a power source of the specific beacon based on a strength of a signal received by the mobile device and a calculated distance between the mobile device and the specific beacon.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination that the specific beacon has been moved away from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon in response to the location of the mobile device that is currently receiving information from the specific beacon being removed from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination, in response to the location of the mobile device corresponding to the beacon location associated with a particular beacon location and the mobile device receiving no information from the particular beacon, that the particular beacon is either not functioning or the particular beacon has been moved.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of a mobile device within the venue is performed using at least one of:

a set of Wi-Fi devices, a set of mobile devices, or a set of GPS satellites.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relatively short-range electronic signal is a Bluetooth signal.

8. A computer system for diagnosing a beacon in an open architecture, the computer system comprising:

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor for executing the program instructions, the instructions causing the system to;

associate each of a set of beacons in a venue with an associated beacon location, each beacon of the set of beacons being a transmit-only device using a iBeacon technology standard that communicates only by emitting a relatively short-range Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) electronic signal and that is not connected to a network;

determine a location of a mobile device within the venue with a Wi-Fi based location determiner that does not utilize any beacon of the set of beacons;

retrieve, in real time from an application on the mobile device, any information received by the mobile device from the set of beacons; and

diagnose an operational status of a beacon based on a comparison of the information and the location without utilizing information communicated from the beacon otherwise than via the mobile device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the information includes an identifier that uniquely identifies a specific beacon of the set of beacons.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the diagnosing further comprises determining a strength of a power source of the specific beacon based on a strength of a signal received by the mobile device and a calculated distance between the mobile device and the specific beacon.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination that the specific beacon has been moved away from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon in response to the location of the mobile device that is currently receiving information from the specific beacon being removed from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination, in response to the location of the mobile device corresponding to the beacon location associated with a particular beacon location and the mobile device receiving no information from the particular beacon, that the particular beacon is either not functioning or the particular beacon has been moved.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the location of a mobile device within the venue is performed using at least one of:

a set of Wi-Fi devices, a set of mobile devices, or a set of GPS satellites.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the relatively short-range electronic signal is a Bluetooth signal.

15. A computer program product for diagnosing a beacon in an open architecture, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to:

associate each of a set of beacons in a venue with an associated beacon location, each beacon of the set of beacons being a transmit-only device using a iBeacon technology standard that communicates only by emitting a relatively short-range Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) electronic signal and that is not connected to a network;

determine a location of a mobile device within the venue with a Wi-Fi based location determiner that does not utilize any beacon of the set of beacons;

retrieve, in real time from an application on the mobile device, any information received by the mobile device from the set of beacons; and

diagnose an operational status of a beacon based on a comparison of the information and the location without utilizing information communicated from the beacon otherwise than via the mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information includes an identifier that uniquely identifies a specific beacon of the set of beacons.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the diagnosing further comprises determining a strength of a power source of the specific beacon based on a strength of a signal received by the mobile device and a calculated distance between the mobile device and the specific beacon.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination that the specific beacon has been moved away from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon in response to the location of the mobile device that is currently receiving information from the specific beacon being removed from the beacon location associated with the specific beacon.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the diagnosing further comprises making a determination, in response to the location of the mobile device corresponding to the beacon location associated with a particular beacon location and the mobile device receiving no information from the particular beacon, that the particular beacon is either not functioning or the particular beacon has been moved.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the location of a mobile device within the venue is performed using at least one of:

a set of Wi-Fi devices, a set of mobile devices, or a set of GPS satellites and wherein the relatively short-range electronic signal is a Bluetooth signal.