SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTI-BEACON INTERACTION AND MANAGEMENT

• US 20170280298A1
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Estimote Polska Sp. z o.o.
• Original Assignee: Estimote, Inc.
• Inventors: Mycek, Marcin, Sznajder, Michal, Krukiewicz-Gacek, Grzegorz, Kostka, Lukasz, Krzych, Jakub
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• 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 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• 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 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/322 Power control of broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for multi-beacon management including: determining occurrence of a trigger event; determining a beacon to be acted upon; determining the settings to be assigned; assigning the settings to the beacon; and operating the beacon according to the settings.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling Bluetooth beacon broadcasting, comprising:

determining a target broadcasting period;

determining a common broadcast identifier;

determining collocation of a first and second Bluetooth beacon;

in response determining collocation of the first and second Bluetooth beacon;

assigning the common broadcast identifier to each of the first and second Bluetooth beacon; and

determining a broadcasting period and a broadcasting time for each of the first and second Bluetooth beacon based on the target broadcasting period; and

broadcasting the common broadcast identifier from the first and second Bluetooth beacon according to the respective broadcasting interval and broadcasting time, wherein the first and second Bluetooth beacon cooperatively broadcast the common identifier at the target broadcasting period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second beacon each comprise a battery with a state of charge, wherein the broadcasting intervals for the first and second beacon are determined based on the state of charge for the respective beacon.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a frame broadcast by the respective beacon; and

extracting the state of charge for the respective beacon from the frame.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the broadcasting intervals for the first and second beacons are equal.

5. A method for scheduling broadcasting for a first and second beacon, comprising:

determining collocation of the first and second beacons;

assigning a common identifier to the first and second beacons in response to first and second beacon collocation determination;

determining a broadcast schedule for the first and second beacons in response to first and second beacon collocation determination; and

broadcasting the common identifier according to the broadcast schedule from the first and second beacons.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the broadcast schedule comprises:

receiving a target broadcasting parameter from a user device; and

determining target broadcasting parameter values for the first and second beacons based on the target broadcasting parameter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the target broadcasting parameter comprises a target advertising interval;

wherein determining the target broadcasting parameter values comprises determining an advertising interval and an advertisement time for each of the first and second beacons, based on the target advertising interval; and

wherein broadcasting the common identifier according to the broadcast schedule from the first and second beacons cooperatively broadcasts the common identifier at the target advertising interval.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the target broadcasting parameter comprises a target signal strength for a physical location, different from a first and second beacon location;

wherein broadcasting the common identifier according to the broadcast schedule comprises broadcasting a signal comprising the common identifier from each of the first and second beacons; and

wherein the signals broadcast by the first and second beacons constructively interfere at the physical location to create a total signal having the target signal strength.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the broadcasting schedule for the first and second beacons comprises determining a broadcasting power, lower than a reference broadcasting power associated with the target signal strength at the physical location for a single beacon, for the first and second beacon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the broadcasting schedule further comprises determining an advertisement time for the first and second beacons, wherein determining the advertisement time and the broadcasting power for the first and second beacon comprises:

at a user device, connecting to the first and second beacons; and

while the user device is connected to the first and second beacons and located at the physical location, iteratively adjusting the respective broadcasting power and the respective advertisement time for the first and second beacons until a total received signal strength, measured at the user device, is within a predetermined range of the target signal strength.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein determining collocation of the first and second beacon comprises:

broadcasting a first and second broadcast identifier from the first and second beacons, respectively; and

receiving the first and second broadcast identifier at a user device within a predetermined time period, while the user device is located within a predetermined physical location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein further comprising:

at the user device;

transmitting the first and second beacon identifier to the remote computing system;

at the remote computing system;

resolving the first and second beacon identifiers into a first and second manufacturer identifier for the first and second beacons, respectively;

assigning the common identifier to the first and second beacon, comprising assigning the common identifier to the first and second manufacturer identifiers;

determining the broadcast schedule for the first and second beacons based on a target broadcasting parameter; and

transmitting the common identifier and broadcast schedule for the first and second beacons to the first and second beacons, wherein the first and second beacon broadcast the common identifier according to the respective broadcast schedule after receiving the common identifier and respective broadcast schedule from the user device.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein determining collocation of the first and second beacons comprises:

detecting a trigger event; and

determining first and second beacon collocation with the first beacon in response to trigger event detection.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the trigger event comprises first beacon acceleration satisfying a predetermined pattern, wherein the first beacon acceleration is sampled by an orientation sensor on-board the first beacon.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining first and second beacon collocation with the first beacon comprises:

operating the first beacon in a master mode while broadcasting a preliminary signal with the second beacon;

receiving the preliminary signal at the first beacon; and

determining first and second beacon collocation when a signal strength of the preliminary signal, measured at the first beacon, exceeds a signal strength threshold.

16. A method for scheduling beacon advertising, comprising:

determining a common broadcast identifier;

determining collocation of a plurality of beacons at a first location;

determining a target signal strength for a second location different from the first location;

in response determining collocation of the plurality of beacons;

assigning the common broadcast identifier to each beacon of the plurality;

determining an advertisement time and a broadcasting power for each beacon of the plurality based on the target signal strength, wherein the broadcasting power for each beacon is lower than a reference broadcasting power associated with the target signal strength at the physical location for a single beacon; and

broadcasting a signal comprising the common broadcast identifier from each beacon of the plurality, wherein each signal is broadcast at the respective advertisement time with the respective broadcasting power, wherein the signals cooperatively broadcast by the plurality of beacons constructively interfere at the physical location to create a total signal having the target signal strength.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the signals are broadcast concurrently.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the broadcasting power and the advertisement time for each beacon of the plurality comprises:

at a user device located at the physical location, connecting to each beacon of the plurality; and

while the user device is connected to each beacon of the plurality, iteratively adjusting the respective broadcasting power and the respective advertisement time for each beacon of the plurality until a target condition is met.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the target condition comprises a total received signal strength, measured at the user device, falling within a predetermined range of the target signal strength.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the beacon comprises an omnidirectional Bluetooth antenna, wherein the signal is broadcast using the omnidirectional Bluetooth antenna.