Cryptographic Beacon Authorization for Near-Owner Accessory Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for locating wireless devices and accessories inefficiently manage battery resources by continuously monitoring wireless connections, leading to inaccurate proximity notifications and unnecessary battery drain.
Innovation Solution
Implement a system where wireless devices and accessories enter a 'near-owner' mode, using a timer reset packet to manage beacon advertisements, and generate cryptographic keys collaboratively to reduce resource consumption and maintain accurate proximity notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the first device continuously monitors wireless connections to detect beacon advertisements, then connection status reporting accuracy is improved, but battery consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic beacon advertisement transmissions by the second device instead of continuous monitoring by the first device. The second device transmits beacons at specific intervals, allowing the first device to enter low-power states between transmissions while still detecting connection status changes accurately when beacons are sent.
Solution Approach 2:
The second device (accessory) actively transmits beacon advertisements to maintain connection status information, rather than requiring the first device to continuously poll or monitor. This self-service approach allows the first device to conserve battery while the second device handles the active transmission task.
2Reliability
If the first device repeatedly wakes the processor to detect advertisements, then connection status monitoring is improved, but device resource drainage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic beacon advertisements transmitted by the second device at predetermined intervals. This allows the first device's processor to remain in sleep mode between beacon transmissions, waking only briefly to detect and process beacon messages, thereby maintaining monitoring reliability while minimizing processor activation and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon advertisement message serves as an intermediary carrier that conveys connection status information from the second device to the first device. Instead of requiring continuous active communication or processor engagement, the beacon message acts as a periodic intermediary that transfers necessary information efficiently.
3Measurement precision
If the wireless connection is maintained actively to ensure accurate proximity notifications, then notification accuracy is improved, but battery drain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic beacon advertisement transmissions that provide proximity information at specific intervals rather than requiring continuous active connection maintenance. This periodic approach ensures accurate proximity notifications are received when beacons are transmitted while allowing the first device to enter low-power states between transmissions, reducing overall battery consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein provide for a mobile electronic device including a wireless network interface coupled to a bus, a memory device coupled to the bus, and one or more processors coupled to the bus, the one or more processors to execute instructions to perform a scan, via the wireless network interface, for a beacon advertisement that is broadcast by a wireless device within range of the wireless network interface, detect the beacon advertisement broadcast by the wireless device, retrieve an identifier broadcast within the beacon advertisement, based on a result of a comparison between the identifier to at least one expected identifier, selectively send a timer reset packet to the wireless device and an authorization token for the wireless accessory to remain in near-owner mode, and allow the one or more processors to sleep for a predetermined time.