Bluetooth advertising

Last updated
BluetoothLogo.svg

Bluetooth advertising is a method of mobile marketing that utilizes Bluetooth technology to deliver content such as message, information, or advertisement to mobile devices such as cellular phones or tablet computers. Bluetooth advertising can also be received via laptop or personal digital assistants (PDAs).

Contents

Bluetooth advertising is permission based advertising, which means that when a mobile device has received a Bluetooth message, the recipient has the choice to either accept or decline the message. The recipient needs to positively indicate that they wish to receive marketing messages.

While not all users of Bluetooth-mobile devices leave their Bluetooth activated, they can interact with a sign to encourage them to turn on their Bluetooth to receive the content. The advertiser is required to explain that those marketing messages may contain information about other companies’ products and services, if appropriate. It is highly recommended that the Direct Marketing Associations guidelines are used.

Bluetooth advertising proximity range

Bluetooth advertising generally is a broadcast function. The average range of Bluetooth advertising in class two is 15 meters to 40 meters for most Bluetooth enabled mobile devices.

As with all wireless transmission, the range and accessibility to most Bluetooth advertising depends on the transmitter power class and the individual portage of the receiver equipment. However, with advances in mobile devices technology, this distance for proper receiving is increasing to reach 250 meters or more in nowadays smart phones, tablet computers and other mobile devices.

The selectivity goes down with extension of range. Hence the transmission power raise as well as receiver sensitivity raise will reduce the contextual connection between actual location of receiver and contents of broadcast message.

There are several major types of Bluetooth advertising solutions. These are generally Bluetooth dongles as transmitter hardware in conjunction with mostly USB networked common server functions.

Embedded scheduling software serves transmission via dongles to enabled Bluetooth receivers. As Bluetooth reception modes require battery power, the distribution depends on the preparedness of the bearers of receiver units for receiving such transmission.

Bluetooth advertising content types

Bluetooth advertising can send file formats like image files, ring tone files, vCard, barcodes, audio files, Java applications, mobile applications, video files, text files and theoretically any file format mobile devices can handle [1] .

There are two types of possible communications in Bluetooth 1-Broadcasting or 2-Connection. Broadcasting doesn't need pairing (connection). Broadcaster will send data along with its ID and any receiver can receive it by recognizing that ID. It is best suited for gaming where one device has to continuously send its status to other devices.

Apple provides this feature through iBeacon but one can develop their own. It's easily possible in Android but little bit tricky in iOS. See didDiscoverPeripheral and CBCentralManager class for that. See specific data using CBAdvertisementDataManufacturerDataKey.

Bluetooth advertising applications

Bluetooth advertising applications include:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluetooth</span> Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limited to 2.5 milliwatts, giving it a very short range of up to 10 metres (33 ft). It employs UHF radio waves in the ISM bands, from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz. It is mainly used as an alternative to wired connections to exchange files between nearby portable devices and connect cell phones and music players with wireless headphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frequency-shift keying</span> Data communications modulation protocol

Frequency-shift keying (FSK) is a frequency modulation scheme in which digital information is encoded on a carrier signal by periodically shifting the frequency of the carrier between several discrete frequencies. The technology is used for communication systems such as telemetry, weather balloon radiosondes, caller ID, garage door openers, and low frequency radio transmission in the VLF and ELF bands. The simplest FSK is binary FSK, in which the carrier is shifted between two discrete frequencies to transmit binary information.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wireless</span> Transfer of information or power that does not require the use of physical wires

Wireless communication is the transfer of information (telecommunication) between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most common wireless technologies use radio waves. With radio waves, intended distances can be short, such as a few meters for Bluetooth or as far as millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications. It encompasses various types of fixed, mobile, and portable applications, including two-way radios, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of applications of radio wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers, wireless computer mouse, keyboards and headsets, headphones, radio receivers, satellite television, broadcast television and cordless telephones. Somewhat less common methods of achieving wireless communications involve other electromagnetic phenomena, such as light and magnetic or electric fields, or the use of sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital signage</span> Sub-segment of electronic signage

Digital signage is a segment of electronic signage. Digital displays use technologies such as LCD, LED, OLED, projection and e-paper to display digital images, video, web pages, weather data, restaurant menus, or text. They can be found in public spaces, transportation systems, museums, stadiums, retail stores, hotels, restaurants and corporate buildings etc., to provide wayfinding, exhibitions, marketing and outdoor advertising. They are used as a network of electronic displays that are centrally managed and individually addressable for the display of text, animated or video messages for advertising, information, entertainment and merchandising to targeted audiences.

Mobile marketing is a multi-channel online marketing technique focused at reaching a specific audience on their smartphones, feature phones, tablets, or any other related devices through websites, e-mail, SMS and MMS, social media, or mobile applications. Mobile marketing can provide customers with time and location sensitive, personalized information that promotes goods, services, appointment reminders and ideas. In a more theoretical manner, academic Andreas Kaplan defines mobile marketing as "any marketing activity conducted through a ubiquitous network to which consumers are constantly connected using a personal mobile device".

Proximity marketing is the localized wireless distribution of advertising content associated with a particular place. Transmissions can be received by individuals in that location who wish to receive them and have the necessary equipment to do so.

In computing, Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 introduced in 2007/2008 a new networking stack named Next Generation TCP/IP stack, to improve on the previous stack in several ways. The stack includes native implementation of IPv6, as well as a complete overhaul of IPv4. The new TCP/IP stack uses a new method to store configuration settings that enables more dynamic control and does not require a computer restart after a change in settings. The new stack, implemented as a dual-stack model, depends on a strong host-model and features an infrastructure to enable more modular components that one can dynamically insert and remove.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANT (network)</span> Canadian multicast wireless sensor network technology

ANT is a proprietary multicast wireless sensor network technology designed and marketed by ANT Wireless. It provides personal area networks (PANs), primarily for activity trackers. ANT was introduced by Dynastream Innovations in 2003, followed by the low-power standard ANT+ in 2004, before Dynastream was bought by Garmin in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio</span> Use of radio waves to carry information

Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connected to an antenna which radiates the waves. They are received by another antenna connected to a radio receiver. In addition to communication, radio is used for radar, radio navigation, remote control, remote sensing, and other applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airplane mode</span> Device setting to suspend radio-frequency signal transmission

Airplane mode is a setting available on smartphones and other portable devices. When activated, this mode suspends the device's radio-frequency (RF) signal transmission technologies, effectively disabling all analog voice, and digital data services, when implemented correctly by the electronic device software author.

Bluetooth Low Energy is a wireless personal area network technology designed and marketed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group aimed at novel applications in the healthcare, fitness, beacons, security, and home entertainment industries. Compared to Classic Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy is intended to provide considerably reduced power consumption and cost while maintaining a similar communication range.

Close range marketing, commonly referred to as CRM, is a form of proximity marketing. Close Range Marketing is an emerging technology that allows businesses to both promote goods and services and involve their customers in interacting with the business. It commonly uses bluetooth technology to transfer content to cellular devices or laptops within the range of the transmitter. While Bluetooth is the most common means of transmitting, other signal types such as Wi-Fi and FM are becoming more common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dongle</span> Small piece of computer hardware

A dongle is a small piece of computer hardware that connects to a port on another device to provide it with additional functionality, or enable a pass-through to such a device that adds functionality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RF module</span> Electronic device to transmit and receive RF signals

An RF module is a (usually) small electronic device used to transmit and/or receive radio signals between two devices. In an embedded system it is often desirable to communicate with another device wirelessly. This wireless communication may be accomplished through optical communication or through radio-frequency (RF) communication. For many applications, the medium of choice is RF since it does not require line of sight. RF communications incorporate a transmitter and a receiver. They are of various types and ranges. Some can transmit up to 500 feet. RF modules are typically fabricated using RF CMOS technology.

Wireless lock is a protection concept for authenticated LAN or WLAN network clients offered from various vendors in various functional shapes and physical designs. In contrast to wireless keys, wireless lock puts emphasis on automatic locking instead of just locking by time-out or unlocking.

iBeacon Indoor positioning system

iBeacon is a protocol developed by Apple and introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013. Various vendors have since made iBeacon-compatible hardware transmitters – typically called beacons – a class of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices that broadcast their identifier to nearby portable electronic devices. The technology enables smartphones, tablets and other devices to perform actions when in proximity to an iBeacon.

Nearables is a term for a type of smart object, invented by Estimote Inc.. The term is used to describe everyday items that have small, wireless computing devices attached to them. These devices can be equipped with a variety of sensors and work as transmitters to broadcast digital data through a variety of methods, but they usually use the Bluetooth Smart protocol. Due to this, these objects are able to provide mobile devices in range with information about their location, state and immediate surroundings. The word 'nearables' is a reference to wearable technology – electronic devices worn as part of clothing or jewellery.

Bluetooth beacons are hardware transmitters — a class of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) devices that broadcast their identifier to nearby portable electronic devices. The technology enables smartphones, tablets and other devices to perform actions when in close proximity to a beacon.

Beacons are small devices that enable relatively accurate location within a narrow range. Beacons periodically transmit small amounts of data within a range of approximately 70 meters, and are often used for indoor location technology. Compared to devices based on Global Positioning System (GPS), beacons provide more accurate location information and can be used for indoor location. Various types of beacons exist, which can be classified based on their type of Beacon protocol, power source and location technology.

Makita Auto-Start Wireless System, Festool Autostart (2018‒) and Bosch Wireless Auto-Start (2024‒) are Bluetooth-based systems for remotely starting industrial vacuum cleaners from power tools. Several power tools, cordless battery packs, and industrial vacuum cleaners ship with wireless connectivity, mostly using Bluetooth Low Energy to communicate, but as of 2024 the systems remained incompatible between different brands.

References

  1. "Developing Beacons with Bluetooth® Low Energy BLE Technology". www.silabs.com. 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.