Cloud Beacon Management Resolves URL Length Limits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons require physical proximity for configuration and have limitations in URL length, leading to cumbersome management and loss of contextual information when broadcasting content, especially in large-scale deployments.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based URI Management System (UMS) tightly couples beacon devices with a central server, allowing remote management of beacons, expanding URL length capabilities, and ensuring secure, unique identifiers to prevent spoofing and track user proximity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If Physical Web beacons are used to broadcast URLs, then universal accessibility without custom apps is achieved, but URL length is limited to 18 characters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a domain name shortening service as an intermediary between the beacon and the full URL. The beacon broadcasts a shortened URL (e.g., goo.gl/abc123) instead of the full URL, and when users scan the beacon, their device automatically resolves the shortened URL to the full destination through the domain shortening service, thereby maintaining universal accessibility while overcoming the 18-character limitation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the URL storage from the beacon's limited broadcast capacity to the cloud-based domain shortening service. Instead of storing the full URL in the beacon's advertisement data, the system uses a two-dimensional approach: the beacon contains only a short identifier, while the full URL and contextual information are stored in the cloud, accessible through the shortened URL resolution process
2Ease of manufacture
If beacons are configured via Bluetooth proximity connection, then direct programming is achieved, but physical interaction is required for each beacon
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service configuration where beacons automatically obtain their URLs and contextual information from cloud-based sources without requiring manual physical configuration. The beacons autonomously fetch content from specified URLs, download associated media files, and configure themselves, eliminating the need for users to physically interact with each beacon for programming
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a cloud-based intermediary system that acts as a central configuration server. Instead of requiring direct Bluetooth connection between the user's device and each beacon for configuration, the cloud server mediates the configuration process by pushing URL and content information to multiple beacons simultaneously, enabling remote bulk configuration
3Area of stationary object
If beacons are deployed in large-scale dispersed installations, then coverage area is expanded, but individual beacon management becomes unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the management of multiple dispersed beacons into a single cloud-based management system. Instead of requiring separate configuration and management of each individual beacon, the system combines all beacon management functions (URL assignment, content updates, configuration) into a centralized cloud platform that can manage thousands of beacons simultaneously through automated processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where beacons automatically register themselves with the cloud system, autonomously receive configuration updates, and self-configure without human intervention. This automated self-service approach allows large-scale deployments to be managed efficiently through bulk operations and automated provisioning
4Loss of information
If contextual information is appended to shortened URLs, then information is preserved, but URL resolution complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the domain shortening service as an intelligent intermediary that automatically extracts and preserves contextual information from appended parameters during the URL resolution process. When a URL with appended information (e.g., goo.gl/abc123?context=food&location=newyork) is resolved, the domain shortening service automatically parses the contextual parameters and passes them to the content retrieval system, maintaining information preservation while handling complexity in the background
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile content management system includes a plurality of location-based source devices (e.g., beacon transmitters, QR codes, NFC tags), each associated with a source URL comprising a hosted domain and a unique identifier. A hosted user interface enables designation by an authorized user of destination URLs for the respective source devices. A client device with a resident hosted mobile application reads the source URL from a source device and generates a first call to the hosted server comprising the source device identifier, wherein selectable tokens are generated on the client device interface comprising displayed metadata corresponding to the source device and previewing selectable destination content. Upon user selection of a token, the application generates a second call to the hosted server, wherein the hosted server directs the client device to at least one of the one or more destination URLs designated for the respective source device.