Bluetooth Proximity Contact Tracing with Periodic Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracing the contact history of potentially infected individuals during epidemics, such as COVID-19, are inaccurate due to a large error range when confirming if a person has visited specific locations, as they rely on text messages and base station location tracing.
Innovation Solution
A personnel contact history recording system using a mobile device that scans surrounding Bluetooth devices, compares lists from a server to identify contacts, and sends warning messages based on predefined lists and scanning criteria, ensuring accurate tracking of proximity and contact history.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If base station location tracing and text message methods are used to confirm contact history, then the coverage area is large, but the measurement precision is poor with a large error range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the contact tracing system into two components: base station tracing for broad coverage and Bluetooth scanning for precise contact confirmation. The mobile device performs both base station location tracking and Bluetooth scanning of surrounding devices, then cross-references both data sources to confirm actual contacts, thereby maintaining large coverage while improving measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If Bluetooth scanning is performed continuously to improve contact tracking precision, then the measurement precision is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic Bluetooth scanning at predetermined time intervals rather than continuous scanning. The mobile device scans for Bluetooth devices periodically, compares scanned device identifiers with the target device identifier, and determines contact status based on these periodic measurements combined with base station location data, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining contact tracking precision.
3Measurement precision
If multiple data sources are integrated to improve contact confirmation accuracy, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges base station location data and Bluetooth scanning data into a unified contact confirmation system. The server integrates both data sources, cross-references them to identify actual contacts, and generates contact history records, thereby improving contact confirmation accuracy while managing system complexity through centralized processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A personnel contact history recording method executable by an electronic device, comprising: scanning surrounding devices via Bluetooth by a preset time interval; requesting a device name and an IMSI of the scanned device, when at least one device is scanned, and generating a surrounding phone list according to the scanned devices; comparing the surrounding phone list with a daily list to determine whether the devices recording in the surrounding phone list are recorded in the daily list; and, if at least one device recording in the surrounding phone list is recorded in the daily list, sending a warning message to the electronic device and a server.