Programmable Beacon Payloads

• US 20150181384A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mayor, Robert, Kazemi, Pejman Lotfali, Prats, Augustin, Tucker, Brian J., Linde, Joakim
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel

Abstract

In some implementations, a beaconing protocol can be used to broadcast beacon information to mobile devices. The beaconing protocol can be used by a Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) (e.g., Bluetooth 4.0) beacon to transmit a package of information that identifies the beacon and indicates the calibrated transmission power (e.g., measured power) of the beacon. The package of information can be configured by beacon providers and/or beacon installers at the locations where the beacons are installed. When a mobile device receives the beacon package, the mobile device can use the beacon identification information and/or the measured power of the beacon to determine a location (e.g., precise location, geofence location) of the mobile device. In some implementations, the mobile device can transmit the beacon information to a server and the server can determine the location of the mobile device and send location and/or content information back to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

broadcasting, from a beacon device, a plurality of signals;

receiving a measured power value calculated based on a received signal strength of the plurality of signals by a calibration device within communication range of the beacon device;

generating a beacon payload that includes the measured power value; and

broadcasting the beacon payload.

2. The method of claim 1, where the beacon device is programmed by a network server to broadcast at a specified time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, where the beacon device is programmed by a network server to broadcast at a specified transmission power.

4. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a signal from a beacon device, where the signal includes a beacon payload;

extracting from the beacon payload a measured power value;

determining the received signal strength of the signal; and

determining a distance between the mobile device and the beacon device based on the measured power value and the received signal strength.

5. The method of claim 4, where determining a distance between the mobile device and the beacon device includes calibrating a distance function using the measured power value.

6. The method of claim 5, where the distance function is based on a path loss model that uses an exponential decay curve that is calibrated based on the measured power value.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device, a signal from a beacon device, where the signal includes a beacon payload;

extracting from the beacon payload information identifying a particular beacon protocol; and

extracting data from the beacon payload according to the beacon protocol.

8. The method of claim 7, where the data includes a beacon identifier and values for identifying a location of the beacon device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending the data to a network server; and

receiving, from the network server, a location of the mobile device or content information relevant to the location of the mobile device.

10. A beacon device comprising:

one or more processors configured to generate a beacon payload that includes a measured power value; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the one or more processors and configured to;

receive the measured power value from a calibration device; and

broadcast the beacon payload to receiving devices.

11. The beacon device of claim 10, where the beacon device is programmed by a network server to broadcast at a specified time interval.

12. The beacon device of claim 10, where the beacon device is programmed by a network server to broadcast at a specified transmission power.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a signal from a beacon device, where the signal includes a beacon payload; and

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to;

extract from the beacon payload a measured power value;

determine the received signal strength of the signal; and

determine a distance between the mobile device and the beacon device based on the measured power value and the received signal strength.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, where determining a distance between the mobile device and the beacon device includes calibrating a distance function using the measured power value.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, where the distance function is based on a path loss model that uses an exponential decay curve that is calibrated based on the measured power value.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a signal from a beacon device, where the signal includes a beacon payload;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless transceiver and configured to extract from the beacon payload information identifying a particular beacon protocol; and

extract data from the beacon payload according to the beacon protocol.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, where the data includes a beacon identifier and values for identifying a location of the beacon device.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

sending the data to a network server; and

receiving, from the network server, a location of the mobile device or content information relevant to the location of the mobile device.

19. A system for calibrating beacon devices, comprising:

a beacon device configured to;

broadcast a plurality of signals;

receive a measured power value;

generate a beacon payload that includes the measured power value; and

broadcast the beacon payload; and

a calibration device in communication range of the beacon device and configured to;

calculate the measured power value based on a received signal strength of the plurality of signals; and

transmit the measure power value to the beacon device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a mobile device in communication range of the beacon device and configured to;

receive the broadcasted beacon payload;

extract from the beacon payload a measured power value;

determine the received signal strength of the signal; and

determine a distance between the mobile device and the beacon device based on the measured power value and the received signal strength.