Architecture of managing beacons using access points

• US 9,736,870 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Dunsbergen, Ben, Kubo, Kiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Abelson, Ronald B
• Application Number:
  US14/634,572
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 370328, 370329
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described herein are systems, methods and computer program products for controlling operation of wireless beacons, such as Bluetooth Low Energy beacons. Multiple beacons may be controlled centrally or may work together in a cooperative fashion such that signals can be exchanged between or repeated by beacons in order to allow for signals received at one beacon to reach another beacon without requiring further central interaction. Power settings of beacons may be altered to change power consumption or to change a detectable range of the beacons.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, a status request for a status of a low-power wireless beacon, wherein the status request is associated with a controller, wherein the controller is configured for managing a network of low-power wireless beacons, wherein the wireless device includes a network transceiver that provides network communications compliant with a network communications standard, wherein the wireless device includes a wireless transceiver compliant with a low-power wireless data communications standard, and wherein the status request is received using the network transceiver;

receiving a wireless advertisement packet using the wireless transceiver;

identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless advertisement packet;

transmitting a response to the status request using the network transceiver, wherein the response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon, and wherein receiving the status at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller;

receiving, using the network transceiver, a configuration change request to change a configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the configuration change request is associated with the controller;

establishing a wireless communication channel between the wireless device and the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless transceiver; and

transmitting instructions to change the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the instructions are transmitted using the wireless communication channel, and wherein receiving the instructions at a low-power wireless beacon facilitates changing the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Zigbee standard, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Z-wave standard, or wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is an access point.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is a transmission parameter of the low-power wireless beacon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration is firmware or software of the low-power wireless beacon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power wireless beacon is battery powered and the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes a battery level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the wireless transceiver, a confirmation that the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon has changed; and

transmitting the confirmation using the network transceiver, wherein receiving the confirmation at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.11 standard, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.3 standard, or wherein the network transceiver is a wireless network transceiver that provides wireless network communications compliant with a wireless network communications standard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes:

transmitting a scan request using information from the wireless advertisement packet, wherein the scan request is transmitted using the wireless transceiver standard, and wherein receiving the scan request at a low-power wireless beacon causes the low-power wireless beacon to generate a scan response; and

receiving a scan response using the wireless transceiver, wherein the scan response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver has an output power of 10 mW or less.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a network transceiver communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the network transceiver provides network communications compliant with a network communications standard;

a wireless transceiver communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the wireless transceiver is compliant with a low-power wireless data communications standard; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium includes instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including;

receiving, using the network transceiver, a status request for a status of a low-power wireless beacon, wherein the status request is associated with a controller, and wherein the controller is configured for managing a network of low-power wireless beacons;

receiving a wireless advertisement packet using the wireless transceiver;

identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless advertisement packet;

transmitting a response to the status request using the network transceiver, wherein the response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon, and wherein receiving the status at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller;

receiving, using the network transceiver, a configuration change request to change a configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the configuration change request is associated with the controller;

establishing a wireless communication channel between the wireless device and the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless transceiver; and

transmitting instructions to change the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the instructions are transmitted using the wireless communication channel, and wherein receiving the instructions at a low-power wireless beacon facilitates changing the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Zigbee standard, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Z-wave standard, or wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is a wireless access point.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the configuration is a transmission parameter of the low-power wireless beacon.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the configuration is firmware or software of the low-power wireless beacon.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the low-power wireless beacon is battery powered and the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes a battery level.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

receiving, using the wireless transceiver, a confirmation that the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon has changed; and

transmitting the confirmation using the network transceiver, wherein receiving the confirmation at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.11 standard, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.3 standard, or wherein the network transceiver is a wireless network transceiver that provides wireless network communications compliant with a wireless network communications standard.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes:

transmitting a scan request using information from the wireless advertisement packet, wherein the scan request is transmitted using the wireless transceiver, and wherein receiving the scan request at a low-power wireless beacon causes the low-power wireless beacon to generate a scan response; and

receiving a scan response using the wireless transceiver, wherein the scan response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver has an output power of 10 mW or less.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving, at a wireless device, a status request for a status of a low-power wireless beacon, wherein the status request is associated with a controller, wherein the controller is configured for managing a network of low-power wireless beacons, wherein the wireless device includes a network transceiver that provides network communications compliant with a network communications standard, wherein the wireless device includes a wireless transceiver compliant with a low-power wireless data communications standard, and wherein the status request is received using the network transceiver;

receiving a wireless advertisement packet using the wireless transceiver;

identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless advertisement packet;

transmitting a response to the status request using the network transceiver, wherein the response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon and wherein receiving the status at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller;

receiving, using the network transceiver, a configuration change request to change a configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the configuration change request is associated with the controller;

establishing a wireless communication channel between the wireless device and the low-power wireless beacon using the wireless transceiver; and

transmitting instructions to change the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon, wherein the instructions are transmitted using the wireless communication channel, and wherein receiving the instructions at a low-power wireless beacon facilitates changing the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Zigbee standard, wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Z-wave standard, or wherein the low-power wireless data communications standard is a Bluetooth Low Energy standard.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the wireless device is an access point.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the configuration is a transmission parameter of the low-power wireless beacon.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the configuration is firmware or software of the low-power wireless beacon.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the low-power wireless beacon is battery powered and the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes a battery level.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving, using the wireless transceiver, a confirmation that the configuration of the low-power wireless beacon has changed; and

transmitting the confirmation using the network transceiver, wherein receiving the confirmation at the controller facilitates management of the low-power wireless beacon by the controller.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.11 standard, wherein the network communications standard is an IEEE 802.3 standard, or wherein the network transceiver is a wireless network transceiver that provides wireless network communications compliant with a wireless network communications standard.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein identifying the status of the low-power wireless beacon includes:

transmitting a scan request using information from the wireless advertisement packet, wherein the scan request is transmitted using the wireless transceiver, and wherein receiving the scan request at a low-power wireless beacon causes the low-power wireless beacon to generate a scan response; and

receiving a scan response using the wireless transceiver, wherein the scan response includes the status of the low-power wireless beacon.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the wireless transceiver has an output power of 10 mW or less.