Wearable BLE Contact Tracking via Segmented Data Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact tracking systems rely heavily on smartphones, which may not be feasible or accessible for all individuals, such as children, the elderly, or in certain settings like fitness or workplaces, necessitating an alternative method for anonymous contact tracking.
Innovation Solution
A wearable Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device that collects and shares resolvable public identifiers to detect proximity to potential virus carriers, using BLE advertising beacons and a paired device to notify users and transmit identifiers, enabling contact tracing without the need for a smartphone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If smartphone-based contact tracking is used, then contact tracing capability is improved, but accessibility and usability deteriorate for children, elderly, and certain workplace settings
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the contact tracking functionality into two parts: a lightweight wearable BLE device for data collection and a paired device (smartphone or server) for processing and notification. This allows the core tracking function to be separated from the processing burden, enabling deployment on simple wearables while maintaining robust contact tracing capabilities through the paired device.
Solution Approach 2:
A paired device acts as an intermediary between the wearable BLE device and the contact tracing system. The wearable collects and stores resolvable public identifiers locally, then transfers them to the paired device for comparison with viral carrier data. This intermediary approach enables contact tracing without requiring the wearable itself to have full processing capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If smartphone processing is required for contact tracking, then tracking accuracy is improved, but device complexity and portability requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides processing tasks between the wearable device and the paired device. The wearable handles only simple BLE identifier collection and local storage, while the paired device performs the computationally intensive tasks of comparing identifiers against viral carrier databases and generating notifications. This segmentation maintains accuracy while minimizing wearable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable device performs self-service by autonomously collecting resolvable public identifiers from nearby devices and storing them with timestamps locally. It does not require real-time smartphone processing to function, instead preparing data for later transfer and analysis by the paired device or server.
3Loss of information
If anonymous identifier collection is implemented, then privacy protection is improved, but data matching capability deteriorates without centralized processing
Solution Approach 1:
The paired device serves as an intermediary that handles the matching process between collected identifiers and viral carrier databases. This allows the wearable to maintain privacy by never exposing user identifiers beyond local storage, while the paired device performs the necessary comparisons to enable contact notifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses resolvable public identifiers as anonymous copies of user identities. These identifiers can be collected and compared without exposing actual user identities, maintaining privacy while enabling contact tracing functionality through the paired device's matching capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device may collect one or more resolvable public identifiers from one or more wireless devices, each of the resolvable public identifiers indicating whether a user associated with a respective one of the wireless devices is a possible virus carrier. The BLE device may generate a timestamp for each of the collected resolvable public identifiers, each timestamp indicating a time at which a corresponding resolvable public identifier was received by the BLE device. The BLE device may share the collected resolvable public identifiers and their corresponding timestamps with a paired device. The BLE device may receive, from the paired device, an indication of whether one or more of the collected resolvable public identifiers is associated with a possible virus carrier. The BLE device may be included within or attached to one of a bracelet, neckless, a belt, watch, a smartwatch, or a key fob.