Smart Beacon Video Protocol for Secure Blank-Frame Messaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beacons, particularly thermal beacons operating in the mid-wave infrared band, are limited in communication utility as they primarily rely on flashing light, which is expensive and complex to detect, and lack effective data transmission capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A smart beacon video-based communication protocol encodes data into blank video frames between light flashes, allowing for data extraction and decoding using digital video analysis, enhancing security and enabling programmable data encoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If beacons use flashing light for communication, then data transmission is possible, but the detection system becomes expensive and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a camera to capture video frames as a copy of the beacon's light emissions. Instead of requiring complex specialized detection equipment, the system creates a video record that can be analyzed later, replacing expensive real-time detection systems with ordinary camera equipment combined with post-processing analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by recording video frames in advance before analysis is needed. The camera continuously captures video data including the beacon flashes, storing this information for later decoding. This allows the actual data extraction to happen after the fact, rather than requiring complex real-time detection during the beacon's operation.
2Ease of operation
If beacons use uniform flashing patterns, then the beacon is simple to operate, but communication utility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action by analyzing video frames at regular intervals to detect beacon flashes. The system processes video data frame-by-frame, comparing consecutive frames to identify flash patterns. This periodic analysis of blank video frames between light emissions enables sophisticated data extraction while maintaining simple beacon operation, as the beacon itself doesn't need to change its flashing behavior.
3Loss of information
If data is encoded in visible light flashes, then communication is possible, but security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts data from the blank video frames between light flashes rather than encoding it in the visible flashes themselves. By taking out the data transmission function from the light emission and placing it in the temporal gaps between flashes, the system maintains secure communication that isn't easily detectable by casual observation while still enabling reliable data transmission through video analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method includes receiving, by a smart beacon video processor and from a digital video camera, digital video data including light from a smart beacon. The smart beacon video processor processes the digital video data to determine a smart beacon pixel location. The smart beacon video processor analyzes the smart beacon pixel location. The smart beacon video processor determines blank video frames associated with the smart beacon pixel location as determined blank video frames. The smart beacon video processor decodes as message data the determined blank video frames.