iBeacon iBeacon is the Apple Trademark for an indoor
positioning system that Apple Inc. calls "a new class of low-powered, low-cost transmitters
that can notify nearby iOS 7 devices of their presence." They can also be used by the Android
operating system . The technology enables an iOS device or other hardware to send push
notifications to iOS devices in close proximity. The iBeacon works on Bluetooth Low Energy
(BLE), also known as Bluetooth Smart. BLE can also be found on Bluetooth 4.0 devices
that support dual mode. One potential application is a location-aware, context-aware, pervasive
small wireless sensor beacon that could pinpoint users' location in a store: iBeacons could
send notifications of items nearby that are on sale or items customers may be looking
for, and it could enable payments at the point of sale (POS) where customers don’t need
to remove their wallets or cards to make payments. It could be a possible Near Field Communication
(NFC) competitor. It uses Bluetooth low energy Proximity sensing
to transmit a Universally unique identifier picked up by a compatible app or operating
system that can be turned into a physical location or trigger an action on the device
such as a Check-in on social media. The beacons come in different formats, including
small coin cell and AA powered devices, USB sticks, and software versions.
Functions Region monitoring
Region monitoring is limited to 20 regions and can function in the background (of the
listening device) and has different delegates to notify listening app (and user) of entry/exit
in the region - even if app is in the background or phone is locked. Region monitoring also
allows for a small window in which iOS gives a closed app an opportunity to react to the
entry of a region. Ranging
Ranging works only in the foreground but will return (to the listening device) an array
(unlimited) of all iBeacons found along with their properties (UUID, etc.)
An iOS device receiving an iBeacon transmission can approximate the distance from the iBeacon.
The distance (between transmitting iBeacon and receiving device) is categorised into
3 distinct ranges: Immediate: Within a few centimetres
Near: Within a couple of metres Far: Greater than 10 metres away
An iBeacon broadcast has the ability to approximate when a user has entered, exited, or lingered
in region. Depending on a customer's proximity to a beacon, they are able to receive different
levels of interaction at each of these 3 ranges. The maximum range of an iBeacon transmission
will depend on the location and placement, obstructions in the environment and where
the device is being stored (e.g. in a leather handbag or with a thick case).
Settings The frequency of the iBeacon transmission
depends on the configuration of the iBeacon and can be set over-the-air by the developer.
Both the rate and range have an effect on the battery life. iBeacons come with predefined
settings and several of them can be changed by the developer. Amongst others the rate
and range can be changed as well as the Major and Minor values. The Major and Minor values
are settings which can be used if you want to connect to specific iBeacons or if you
want to work with more than one iBeacon at the same time. You can for example set the
Major values of all the iBeacons in a specific store to the same value and use the Minor
value to identify a specific iBeacon within the store. All the iBeacons of another store
that connects with the same app would then get another Major value so you can distinguish
between iBeacons of different stores even if both stores are located within the range
of the app. Latest developments
In mid 2013 Apple introduced iBeacons and experts wrote about how it is designed to
help the retail industry by simplifying payments and enabling on-site offers. With the launch
of iOS 7, retailers and other small to medium enterprises will be able to use this Bluetooth
4.0 based technology. On December 6, 2013, it was reported that Apple activated iBeacons
across its 254 US retail stores. Compatible devices
iOS devices with Bluetooth 4.0 (iPhone 4S and later, iPad (3rd generation) and later,
iPad Mini (1st generation) and later, iPod Touch (5th generation).
Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.3 and later (Samsung Galaxy S3/S4/S4 Mini,
Samsung Galaxy Note 2/3, HTC One, Google/LG Nexus 7 (2013 version)/Nexus 4/Nexus 5, HTC
Butterfly (aka Droid DNA). Macintosh computers with OS X Mavericks (10.9)
and Bluetooth 4.0 Passkit GemTot Proximity Beacons with Apple
Licensed iBeacon Technology Comparable technologies
Although the NFC environment is very different and has many non-overlapping applications,
it is still compared with iBeacons. NFC range is up to 20 cm (7.87 inches) but
the optimal range is less than 4 cm (1.57 inches). iBeacons have a significantly larger
range. NFC can be either passive or active. When
using passive mode, the power is sent from the reader device. Whereas although Passif
(bought by Apple Inc.) has worked on reducing the energy consumption, a battery pack is
still needed inside iBeacon tags at this time. Most smartphones ship with both Bluetooth
4.0 LE and NFC support but at this time, no iOS devices have been released with NFC support.