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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 6/10

Apple patents low-power beacons that help phones find their exact location

Apple describes a method where small, battery-saving beacons send out regular signals to tell nearby phones when to listen for precise location data. The beacons mostly stay in a low-power sleep mode and only wake up briefly to transmit the detailed information needed to calculate distance and angle.

Why it mattersThis could improve indoor navigation and location accuracy for users by allowing small, energy-efficient devices to provide precise positioning without constantly draining their batteries.

In the filing’s own words

Certain embodiments are directed to techniques (e.g., a device, a method, a memory or non-transitory computer readable medium storing code or instructions executable by one or more processors) for passive beacon communication techniques. Transmitting devices (e.g., beacons) can transmit advertising messages using a first wireless protocol to provide timing for ranging messages for one of more ranging messages over a second protocol (e.g., UWB). One or more receiving devices can determine using signal strength if the devices are within a threshold range to perform communication techniques. Various ranging communications techniques can be used to determine a range between the receiving device and transmitting device. Other techniques can be used to passively calculate the angle of arrival for transmitter signals. The angle of arrival information can be used for precise position locating for the receiving device or to indicate interest in information provided by the one or more transmitting devices.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method of transmitting information to mobile devices by a beacon device, the method comprising: storing a schedule specifying a transmission time for broadcasting, by the beacon device, ranging packets that comprise information usable to locate the mobile devices relative to the beacon device; broadcasting, by the beacon device, advertising packets at an interval using a wireless communication protocol, the advertising packets including the schedule for broadcasting the ranging packets and information concerning an identity of the beacon device; after broadcasting an advertising packet, entering, by the beacon device, a reduced power state until the transmission time specified by the schedule; exiting, by the beacon device, the reduced power state at the transmission time; and broadcasting, by the beacon device, a ranging packet via a wireless protocol according to the schedule, wherein the advertising packets or the ranging packet includes additional information for the mobile devices to use for display.

Facts

Company
Apple (APPLE INC.)
Official title
Communication techniques using passive beacons
Patent number
US12739593B2
Application number
18229926
Filed
Aug 3, 2023
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
20

Classified under

H04W 4/023 Electricity & electronicsG01S 3/50 Physics & computingH04W 74/0808 Electricity & electronicsG01S 13/765 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.