Methods and apparatus relating to the use of real and/or virtual beacons

• US 10,536,894 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mist Systems, Inc. (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Friday, Robert, Castagnoli, Neal Dante, Frei, Randall Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Mew, Kevin D
• Application Number:
  US16/036,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20190150058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus relating to use of actual and/or virtual beacons are described. 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.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

memory including stored beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including stored information corresponding to a first virtual beacon signal which is not transmitted, said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal indicating a transmit power level of the first virtual beacon signal and a location of a first virtual beacon transmitter corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal; and

a processor configured to control the apparatus to;

determine, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first virtual beacon transmitter, to communicate a message indicating reception of the first virtual beacon signal which was not transmitted; and

communicate the message indicating reception of the first virtual beacon signal which was not transmitted to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said stored beacon transmitter information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal further includes:

a first beacon identifier.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said stored beacon transmitter information further includes stored information corresponding to a first real beacon signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes a virtual beacon indicator;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes a real beacon signal indicator.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes beacon content information for the first virtual beacon signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes beacon content information for the real beacon signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes a first beacon transmitter identifier;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes a second beacon transmitter identifier, said first and second beacon transmitters having the same format.

8. The apparatus of claim 7,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal further includes first beacon type information;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal further includes second beacon type information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said first beacon type information indicates one of an iBeacon type, Bluetooth type, or WiFi type.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a location determination device for determining the location of the wireless terminal based on received signal strength of signals received by the wireless terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said location determination device is a zone correlation engine.

12. A method, comprising:

storing in memory beacon transmitter information, said beacon transmitter information including information corresponding to a first virtual beacon signal which is not transmitted, said information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal indicating a transmit power level of the first virtual beacon signal and a location of a first virtual beacon transmitter corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal; and

determining, based on a location of a wireless terminal and the location of said first virtual beacon transmitter to communicate a message indicating reception of the first virtual beacon signal which was not transmitted; and

communicating the message indicating reception of the first virtual beacon signal which was not transmitted to the wireless terminal or a component in said wireless terminal which acts upon received beacon signal information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said stored beacon transmitter information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal further includes:

a first beacon identifier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said stored beacon transmitter information further includes stored information corresponding to a first real beacon signal.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes a virtual beacon indicator;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes a real beacon signal indicator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes beacon content information for the first virtual beacon signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes beacon content information for the real beacon signal.

18. The method of claim 14,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal includes a first beacon transmitter identifier;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal includes a second beacon transmitter identifier, said first and second beacon transmitters having the same format.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first virtual beacon signal further includes first beacon type information;

and

wherein said stored information corresponding to the first real beacon signal further includes second beacon type information.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining the location of the wireless terminal based on received signal strength of signals received by the wireless terminal.