Beacon Service Coverage Expansion via User Terminal Relay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beacon service coverage expansion is limited by the need for increased transmission power in beacon devices, which reduces battery life and requires additional devices, while existing solutions fail to efficiently expand coverage without increasing device numbers or power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method where user terminals receive beacon signals, measure signal strength, and transmit beacon signals within a certain coverage only when the signal strength is below a predetermined value, adjusting coverage based on available resources and stopping the function when exiting the coverage area, thereby extending coverage without increasing device numbers or power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the transmission power strength of the beacon device is increased to expand coverage, then the beacon service coverage is improved, but the battery life of the beacon device is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon service coverage is segmented into multiple zones, with beacon devices covering core areas and user terminals extending coverage to peripheral areas. This division allows the beacon device to maintain lower transmission power while still achieving expanded overall coverage through terminal participation.
Solution Approach 2:
User terminals are designed to perform multiple functions: they act as both service receivers and beacon transmitters. This multi-functionality allows terminals to extend beacon coverage without requiring additional dedicated beacon devices, thereby avoiding the power consumption trade-off.
2Area of stationary object
If additional beacon devices are deployed to expand coverage, then the beacon service coverage is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying additional physical beacon devices, the system creates virtual copies of beacon functionality within user terminals. These terminal-based beacon instances replicate the coverage extension effect without the hardware overhead, reducing device complexity while maintaining expanded coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-dimension beacon deployment model (adding more beacon devices) to a multi-dimensional model where coverage is extended through user terminals distributed across different spatial locations. This dimensional shift allows coverage expansion without linearly increasing beacon device count.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of expanding beacon service coverage, more particularly, a beacon service coverage expanding method that may expand beacon service coverage by using a user terminal to perform a beacon function to transmit a beacon signal within a certain coverage, and an apparatus and system therefor. The method of expanding beacon service coverage using the terminal may include receiving a beacon signal transmitted from a beacon device, measuring signal strength of the beacon signal to determine whether to perform a beacon function, and transmitting the beacon signal within a certain service coverage when the terminal determines to perform the beacon function.