Beacon-Based Proximity Content Distribution Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current proximity marketing technologies face challenges in installing and maintaining communications equipment, such as beacons, which are costly due to overhead expenses and limited to physical locations, restricting retailers' ability to engage consumers beyond their footprint and mobile app user base.
Innovation Solution
Configuring consumer product machines with wireless communications beacons that assign network addresses, enabling a large, venue-independent communications network for pervasive coverage, allowing retailers to extend customer reach beyond physical spaces and manage assets like inventory and machine status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If beacons are installed in physical locations for proximity marketing, then consumer engagement at points-of-purchase is improved, but installation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service through automated beacon detection and content delivery. Mobile devices automatically detect beacons and receive relevant content without manual intervention, reducing the need for complex installation and maintenance infrastructure while maintaining consumer engagement capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon system is designed to serve multiple functions: proximity detection, content delivery, asset management, and inventory monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems, thereby lowering overall installation and maintenance overhead while enhancing consumer engagement
2Reliability
If beacons are deployed only in owned or managed real estate, then communication within physical footprint is reliable, but customer reach is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from purely physical location-based communication to a multi-dimensional approach by incorporating mobile device proximity detection. This allows communication to extend beyond physical real estate boundaries while maintaining reliability through beacon-based proximity verification
Solution Approach 2:
Mobile devices serve as intermediaries between consumers and the beacon network. They detect beacons in owned locations and facilitate communication, enabling extended reach to consumers at various locations including those outside physical footprint while maintaining communication reliability
3Ease of operation
If mobile applications are used for consumer communication, then direct communication channel is established, but limited app downloads restrict footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates multiple communication channels by copying the beacon presence information to various platforms including mobile devices, web browsers, and other communication interfaces. This allows consumers without the official app to still receive communications through alternative channels, expanding the effective user base
4Reliability
If asset management is implemented through centralized server, then machine status monitoring is improved, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asset management system is segmented into distributed components: beacons at machine locations for local data collection, mobile devices for intermediate processing, and centralized servers for aggregate analysis. This segmentation maintains reliable monitoring while reducing network complexity by distributing functions across multiple levels
Data Source
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AI summary
One embodiment of a system and method for providing a communications network may include disposing a corresponding set of networked beacons associated with multiple machines positioned configured to provide consumer products to consumers. The beacons may communicate wireless signals with unique data respectively indicative of the networked beacons to a mobile device of a user locally positioned from any of the machines. The unique data may be associated with a local beacon, and cause an app being executed by the mobile device to communicate the unique data and receive content associated with the local beacon in response to the communication of the unique data.