Dynamic virtual beacon methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of operating a device in a communications system, the method comprising:
- storing in memory, 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 the location of a wireless device and the information stored in said memory indicating the location of the first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of the first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the location of said first beacon transmitter indicated by the information in said memory; and
communicating a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; and
changing the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least one of i) the location of the first beacon transmitter or ii) the transmit power level of the first beacon signal based on at least one of;
i) a schedule, ii) a location of a device associated with the first beacon transmitter, iii) a location of a group associated with the first beacon transmitter, iv) a size of geographic area occupied by said group associated with the first beacon transmitter, or v) a rate of motion of a group or individual associated with the first beacon transmitter.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 may be considered to transmit virtual beacons. Beacon transmitter information indicates transmission power and location of actual and virtual beacon transmitters as well as information to be communicated by virtual beacons and is dynamically updated based on device movement, a schedule and/or the locations of devices in a group. Virtual personal beacons, virtual group beacons and virtual scheduled beacons are supported. A virtual personal beacon transmitter location is updated as the location of a device corresponding to the person moves. Reception of a virtual beacon is reported in a message sent to a wireless terminal or a component of the wireless terminal which acts upon receiving an indication of beacon reception.
65 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of operating a device in a communications system, the method comprising:
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storing in memory, 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 the location of a wireless device and the information stored in said memory indicating the location of the first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of the first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the location of said first beacon transmitter indicated by the information in said memory; and communicating a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; and changing the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least one of i) the location of the first beacon transmitter or ii) the transmit power level of the first beacon signal based on at least one of;
i) a schedule, ii) a location of a device associated with the first beacon transmitter, iii) a location of a group associated with the first beacon transmitter, iv) a size of geographic area occupied by said group associated with the first beacon transmitter, or v) a rate of motion of a group or individual associated with the first beacon transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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8. A method of operating a device in a communications system, the method comprising:
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determining, based on a location of a wireless device and information stored in memory indicating a location of a first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of a first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the indicated location of said first beacon transmitter in said memory, the wireless device being associated with the first beacon transmitter; communicating a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; receiving information from which the location of the wireless device associated with the first beacon transmitter can be determined; and changing the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least the location of the first beacon transmitter based on the location of the wireless device associated with the first beacon transmitter, said wireless device being a mobile wireless terminal which moves over time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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18. A communications device, 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;a processor configured to; determine, based on a location of a wireless device and said information indicating the location of the first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of the first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the location of said first beacon transmitter indicated by the beacon transmitter information stored in said memory; and communicate a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; and wherein said processor is further configured to change the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least one of i) the location of the first beacon transmitter or ii) the transmit power level of the first beacon signal based on at least one of;
i) a schedule, ii) a location of a device associated with the first beacon transmitter, iii) a location of a group associated with the first beacon transmitter, iv) a size of geographic area occupied by said group associated with the first beacon transmitter, or v) a rate of motion of a group or individual associated with the first beacon transmitter. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A communications device, comprising:
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memory including stored information indicating a location of a first beacon transmitter; and a processor configured to; determine, based on a location of a wireless device and said information indicating the location of the first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of a first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the indicated location of said first beacon transmitter in said memory; and communicate a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; wherein the wireless device is associated with the first beacon transmitter; wherein the communications device further comprises a receiver configured to receive information from which the location of the wireless device associated with the first beacon transmitter can be determined; and wherein said processor is further configured, as part of being configured to change the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least one of i) the location of the first beacon transmitter or ii) the transmit power level of the first beacon signal, to change the location of the first beacon transmitter based on the location of the wireless device associated with the first beacon transmitter, said wireless device being a mobile wireless terminal which moves over time. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a communications device, said non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by at least one processor cause said communications device to:
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store in memory, 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 the location of a wireless device and information stored in the memory indicating the location of a first beacon transmitter, a beacon signal strength to be reported, said beacon signal strength to be reported being an expected received beacon signal strength of the first beacon signal at the location of said wireless device given the indicated location of said first beacon transmitter indicated by the information stored in said memory; communicate a message indicating the determined received beacon signal strength to the wireless device or a component in said wireless device which acts upon received beacon signal information; and change the stored beacon transmitter information to alter at least one of i) the location of the first beacon transmitter or ii) the transmit power level of the first beacon signal based on at least one of;
i) a schedule, ii) a location of a device associated with the first beacon transmitter, iii) a location of a group associated with the first beacon transmitter, iv) a size of geographic area occupied by said group associated with the first beacon transmitter, or v) a rate of motion of a group or individual associated with the first beacon transmitter.
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Specification