The relationship between Bluetooth beacon tracking and Bluetooth tag tracking

Bluetooth beacon tracking and tracking can realize location push service:

Bluetooth beacon tracking is an external device for mobile phone applications. Its working principle is to send its own unique ID to the surroundings through low-power Bluetooth. The application software on the mobile phone can scan and parse the ID, and finally achieve information push based on indoor location. Bluetooth beacon tracking itself does not have the function of collecting data and will not steal the identity information of the mobile phone user, but it has the function of locating the mobile phone and pushing information.

Compared with traditional GPS positioning, Bluetooth beacon tracking has the advantages of low power consumption, accurate positioning, and convenient indoor use. At the same time, it has the "signal" function of sending information and the "beacon" function of marking the location. And because Bluetooth beacon tracking can continuously send signals, once the mobile phone user enters the signal coverage of the Bluetooth beacon tracking, an automatic response mechanism on the mobile phone can be formed, and the information receiving function can be realized without the user's extra manual operation.

Based on the above advantages, the application prospects of Bluetooth beacon tracking are broad: For example, the Bluetooth beacon tracking installed in the restaurant can automatically push electronic coupons to every mobile phone user who enters the restaurant; the Bluetooth beacon tracking installed in the museum can be sent to The visiting mobile phone users push the information of each exhibit, and in the push method, the user can push it only within a certain distance when the user is close to the exhibit; even the wild explorer who is lost can also be tracked by the Bluetooth beacon set in the bushes on the roadside , To receive the most convenient route home information. Just as there are media comments, the widespread application of Bluetooth beacon tracking, like magical magic, greatly reduces the application space of traditional manual scanning of barcodes or QR codes, which greatly facilitates people's production and life.

Bluetooth beacon tracking potential risks:

Technology is like a double-edged sword. While bringing convenience to people, it may also cause many risks. If there are no restrictions on the installation settings of Bluetooth beacon tracking, and no receiving conditions are attached, it may cause mobile phone users to receive a lot of spam every day, and the beacon information that is really useful to them will be overwhelmed. Just like spam, Bluetooth beacon tracking information may also be pushed repeatedly, consuming mobile phone memory and wasting mobile phone user time.

In addition, if the maintenance and operation rights of Bluetooth beacon tracking fall into the hands of criminals, it is very likely to become a tool of crime and be used to send all kinds of illegal information. The more common online telecommunications fraud crime information, such as tracking and sending through Bluetooth beacons installed in elderly apartments and schools, makes it easier for criminals to send them to special groups such as the elderly and school students, leading to a high incidence of fraud crimes. Because Bluetooth beacon tracking is usually used to push all kinds of commercial advertisements, it is more common that individual advertising operators may use controlled Bluetooth beacons to track and send all kinds of false advertisements in order to seek illegal benefits, infringing the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.

In addition, although Bluetooth beacon tracking does not have the function of collecting mobile phone user information data, the information it pushes can be added to the Trojan horse link. Once the mobile phone user clicks on the relevant link, it will be planted with a hidden Trojan horse program, and then the mobile phone All kinds of identity information, financial account information, etc. were sent to the mobile phone number designated by the suspect, causing the privacy of the mobile phone user to be leaked and property loss. Therefore, in the face of the popularization and popularization of the new thing of Bluetooth beacon tracking, it is necessary to guide its development within the track of the rule of law, neither can it be strangled in the cradle because of the "unknown truth", nor can it be left unchecked and allowed to infringe upon society wantonly. The lawful rights and interests of tranquility and community residents.

Both Bluetooth tag tracking and Bluetooth beacon tracking are common terms for Bluetooth devices used in positioning systems. Although there are different devices tracked by Bluetooth tags derived from the original Bluetooth beacon tracking, these terms are often confused, leading to misunderstandings about what Bluetooth can provide. The purpose of this article is to clarify some common misunderstandings by comparing the two technologies.

Since the introduction of Bluetooth beacon tracking, it has followed the principle of Bluetooth beacon tracking and developed it as the latest technology. Today, Bluetooth-based direction finding technology can provide some of the most advanced real-time positioning systems (RTLS) and indoor positioning systems (IPS) on the market. High precision, low latency and robustness are just part of the signature functions that can be achieved by the Bluetooth direction finding system. Moreover, they are cost-effective and scalable.

Over the years, various devices with the name "Bluetooth Tag Tracking" have been introduced on the market, but the introduction of Bluetooth direction finding technology has formally determined the specifications for smart Bluetooth tag tracking devices. At the hardware level, these Bluetooth tag tracking are very similar to their predecessor Bluetooth beacon tracking. However, their operating logic and firmware are very different. Bluetooth tag tracking is not only a static broadcast signal, but also a dynamic device, which can move and change its operating behavior (ie configuration file) according to its location, motion state (static or mobile) and other configuration factors (for example, remote commands) . The ability to use the updated Bluetooth direction finding method to effectively track active items has changed the rules of the game for asset tracking businesses.

The main differences between Bluetooth beacon tracking and Bluetooth tag tracking can be summarized as follows.

Configuration file logic

Usually Bluetooth beacon tracking is installed in a fixed location and sends signals according to a defined profile, while Bluetooth tag tracking moves and dynamically changes (using finite state machine logic) its transmission power and rate. Centralized system. By dynamically adjusting the transmission rate and power of the states according to the configuration file settings, this ability to switch between states significantly extends battery life and reduces radio congestion in the area, thereby increasing system capacity and performance.

example:

Bluetooth tag tracking can be affixed to industrial tools and configured to transmit at a frequency of 2-3 Hz when stationary (for example, placed on a shelf) at a frequency of 0.1 Hz (with smooth and continuous tracking). In some advanced cases, artificial intelligence (AI) logic can also be integrated into Bluetooth tag tracking so that they can automatically detect predefined events (for example, a person falling on the ground).

Deployment density

Although Bluetooth beacon tracking is usually evenly distributed throughout the environment, Bluetooth tag tracking is attached to items in motion and can be found in higher concentrations in certain areas. For example, when tracking goods or tools in an industrial facility. With the ability to switch between states as needed, Tags can enable thousands of devices to transmit Bluetooth signals in the same space without increasing the burden of the air interface.

example:

It is not uncommon in industrial environments (such as warehouse facilities) where 30,000 units (such as boxes, pallets, tools, machinery, barcode scanners, printers) need to be tracked in real time. If all these devices are active at the same time and broadcast at 1 Hz, the air interface will become very congested. However, it is more common that only some of these items are in motion at the same time. Therefore, by controlling the transmission rate based on motion (2-3 Hz for motion, 0.1 Hz for static), we can dynamically allocate air interface resources to those that are in motion and need the system Bluetooth tag tracking for more active tracking. Similarly, the tracking of Bluetooth tags attached to storage items can be set to be sent infrequently to reduce the load on the air interface.

Constitutive factors

Because Bluetooth beacon tracking is usually installed in a fixed location, its size or shape is not strictly limited by usage (although larger devices can indeed increase the larger battery capacity). However, because Bluetooth tag tracking is a dynamic device that moves in the environment, shape factors (such as shape, size, weight, and ergonomics) become an indispensable design parameter.

example:

Wearable Bluetooth tag tracking such as integrated in ID badges must be small, light and unobtrusive. These requirements are very different from the requirements for rugged industrial Bluetooth tag tracking that will be attached to the device.

Selection of color

The difference in usage between Bluetooth tag tracking and Bluetooth beacon tracking will also affect the color selection at the design stage. Bluetooth beacon tracking is an effective infrastructure device designed to be mixed into the background, while Bluetooth tag tracking is used to track items that are moving and easy to find when needed (for example, delete them if needed). Therefore, Bluetooth tag tracking usually has bright or even fluorescent colors to make it stand out.

example:

Generally, the Bluetooth tag tracking used to track items on the production line will be affixed to the object at the beginning of the production line and moved after the item is ready for shipment. This means that they need to be easily found and removed at the right time. In addition, the aviation industry has foreign object damage (FOD) policies that require easy identification of foreign objects in the surrounding environment (such as Bluetooth tag tracking).

Mechanical installation

The installation requirements for Bluetooth tag tracking and Bluetooth beacon tracking are very different. For Bluetooth beacon tracking, the accessory is designed for static use (that is, once fixed, the Bluetooth beacon tracking will not move). On the other hand, Bluetooth tag tracking has more general accessory requirements. They need to be installed on a variety of moving objects (for example, personnel, equipment, machinery, pallets, boxes). They need to be firmly fixed, and may even be configured to sound an alarm if they are sent out inadvertently, but they can be easily removed when needed. It's even common to see various temporary installation options (for example, cable ties, glue, tape, Velcro, magnets, bolts or screws for securing Bluetooth tag tracking).

example:

Generally, the Bluetooth tag tracking used to track items in the warehouse will attach the Bluetooth tag to the item when it arrives at the facility and delete it when the item is shipped out. Bluetooth tag tracking needs to be firmly fixed to the item and remain in place throughout the warehouse, but when the item is ready for transportation, it is easy to remove it.

Onboard sensor

Unlike Bluetooth beacon tracking, Bluetooth tag tracking can carry a variety of sensors, making it the best device for combining tracking and remote sensing. Sensors for tracking parameters (such as acceleration, temperature, light, humidity, and pressure) are usually added to the device. In addition, sensors can report the movement status of the objects to which they are attached, for example, if they are static, moving or vibrating. All this data can be sent to the software application layer through the locator (also used as an IoT gateway). Wearable Bluetooth tag tracking can even be used to provide real-time feedback to the person wearing them, or to expose the person's vital signs information.

example:

If the system recognizes that there may be danger ahead, such as a forklift may collide with a person, wearable Bluetooth tag tracking can be used by sending real-time notifications (such as buzzing, vibration or light signals) to the person carrying the Bluetooth tag to track Use cases to avoid collisions.

Radio characteristics

The design features of Bluetooth tag tracking and Bluetooth beacon tracking are also different. Bluetooth beacon tracking is designed for wireless data transmission. Therefore, the transmission of data is more important than the way data is moved between Bluetooth beacon tracking and phones (this is similar to the way Wi-Fi works for Internet connections). However, Bluetooth tag tracking is designed for positioning, and the positioning system uses the propagation characteristics of the radio signal to estimate the signal source. This means that it is important to minimize phenomena such as abundance of scattering, shadows, and multipath propagation, otherwise these phenomena are generally considered useful for wireless data transmission. In order to ensure the best results, the antenna for Bluetooth tag tracking needs to be carefully designed to maximize the visibility of Bluetooth tag tracking.

example:

The design of the Bluetooth tag tracking antenna should be optimized according to the radiation pattern. For this reason, the antenna should be as omnidirectional as possible to minimize the deep space area. Due to this requirement, it is also recommended to use PCB printed antennas instead of ceramic dipoles. In some cases, it may also be useful to design Bluetooth tag tracking with dual antennas in order to alternately send the transmitted data packets to increase space and polarization diversity.

Manufacturing attributes

Compared with Bluetooth beacon tracking, Bluetooth tag tracking bears significantly higher mechanical stress during its life cycle. In order to withstand wear and tear, everything needs to be designed to be strong. For soldering to battery accessories, the soldering tin of all components and PCB needs to be durable.

example:

Bluetooth tag tracking is installed on moving objects, these objects will be frequently used, in some cases will accelerate or even collide (such as forklifts and hockey pucks). In the manufacturing process, the same Bluetooth tag tracking will be used repeatedly throughout the production line, which means that they need to be continuously expanded under industrial conditions.