Back in June 2013, Apple unveiled its next big thing in the wireless communication world – iBeacon. This technology hadn’t drawn too much attention at that time, but it was still impressive. It relies on the back of Bluetooth 4.0 (introduced in 2010), or as we call it, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. iBeacon specification represents a significant move in proximity-based services optimizing the core benefits of BLE.
Introduction to iBeacon offered by Apple
iBeacon is a Bluetooth advertising protocol. This protocol basically guides Bluetooth beacons that what data and in what format need to advertise. If you want to check the complete iBeacon specification, you can visit the official website of Apple for iBeacon.
Apple iBeacon isn’t a hardware product you can pick up at the Apple Store. It’s more like a set of rules – a protocol specification, if you want to get technical – for BLE-based proximity sensing. iBeacon utilizes low energy Bluetooth proximity detecting technology.
Apple was the company that introduced an iBeacon to the world. The ‘i’ in iBeacon, as we’ve seen from Apple’s branding, denotes Apple’s implementation. However, the underlying technology is not proprietary. It’s based on the Bluetooth 4.0 BLE protocol and can be implemented on any compatible device, not just iOS products. The market then has also seen a proliferation of beacon services and devices from other tech giants, such as Google’s Eddystone.
How does iBeacon specification work
iBeacon technology utilizes BLE, a part of the Bluetooth 4.0 specification released in 2010. The core of iBeacon is broadcasting. iBeacon operates without the need for a connection. All the information obtained by the APP is broadcast.
The basic methodology to broadcast advertising packets is the same. A beacon device sends the same packets to all three of the advertising channels. When a receiver receives a packet, it determines the relevancy of the packet. It mean the receiver checks whether the advertising packet is decodable or not? If the packet is decodable, it performs further actions.
iBeacon communication is unidirectional: beacons continuously broadcast small data packets. Any BLE-enabled device can receive these transmissions. These packets contain unique identifiers and additional information. When a compatible device enters the beacon’s range, it detects this signal and can estimate its proximity to the beacon based on signal strength.
iBeacon broadcasting and encoding
iBeacon is all about broadcasting. Each iBeacon device has a unique ID (UUID + Major + Minor). This ID marks a specific area within the device’s broadcast range. Here, we focus on the critical aspects: what information iBeacons broadcast? What you need to transmit and the default technical requirements.
Key iBeacon packet format includes:
UUID (Universally Unique Identifier): The size of the UUID is 16 bytes. A string is most often used to represent it.
Major: 2 bytes form major. This is basically a number ranging from 1 to 65,535.
Minor: The size of the minor is 2 bytes, similar to the major.
This design of the identifiers uses to unequally identify a beacon among thousands. Together, they identify which iBeacon in which group is transmitting. So this packet format is very useful to build large beacon networks.
Additional elements in iBeacon broadcast packet:
AD Field Length: This tells you how much useful data is in the ad.
Type: What kind of ad are we dealing with here?
CompanyID: A two-byte company identifier assigned by the Bluetooth SIG. This helps applications parse the data fields correctly. Apple’s is 0x004C, while Nordic Semiconductor goes by 0x0059.
iBeacon Type: Always set to 0x02, meaning “I’m a proximity beacon!”
iBeacon Length: How long is the rest of this message?
TxPower: Represents the calibrated RSSI at 1 meter. This is like a yardstick for how far away you are from the beacon.
Take a national retail chain using iBeacons. All the beacons in all the stores share one UUID. Each store gets its own Major value, and each department in the store? They get unique Minor values. So when shoppers walk in, the system can ping them with anything from chain-wide deals to special offers just for the shoe department.
Core applications of iBeacon technology
iBeacon, a location-aware technology, has two primary applications:
Proximity-based notifications
iBeacon can trigger message pushes to users when they enter specific beacon zones. On iOS 7 and above, the system supports iBeacon detection natively. When a user’s device enters a monitored iBeacon’s range, it can wake up the associated app.
Indoor positioning
iBeacons use Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) to estimate device proximity. The iOS SDK provides an Accuracy value in meters, representing the distance to an iBeacon. Due to signal fluctuations and environmental factors, Apple defines four proximity ranges:
- Immediate: < 1 meter
- Near: 1-3 meters
- Far: Relative term, not necessarily indicating great distance
- Unknown: Occurs during initialization or when distance can’t be determined
The “Far” status here doesn’t really mean the device is far from the iBeacon. In fact, it could be pretty close – like just a meter away. We just lack enough data to confirm it’s nearby. “Far” really means “somewhere in this range” – the device could be anywhere within it.
Indoor positioning strategies include:
- Single-point: Uses the nearest beacon’s coordinates as the user’s position
- Two-point: Calculates location based on two beacons’ RSSI signals
- Multi-point: Triangulates position using three or more beacons
These methods can be applied in various scenarios that we’ll talk about later, such as providing location-based information in museums or enhancing navigation in large indoor spaces.
Real-world iBeacon use cases
The versatility of iBeacon technology has led to its adoption in various innovative applications. Here are some real-world examples:
- Weather Assistant: A Japanese company developed an iBeacon-based solution to prevent forgetting umbrellas on rainy days. Users place a small iBeacon device near the door, it will trigger the app to send weather alerts automatically.
- Luggage Tracking: Travellers can attach an iBeacon to their luggage. When their bags approach on the airport carousel, the app will automatically alert users. No need to wait with the crowd around the carousel.
- Interactive Art Exhibitions: An Italian museum uses our iBeacon devices (L01A Wayfinding Tag) to provide location-aware digital guides and navigation. As visitors move through exhibits, their smartphones unlock relevant information about the artwork.
Configure MOKO beacons to broadcast iBeacon
MOKO Smart Beacons are fully iBeacon-compatible. We provide a user manual for all our Bluetooth beacons, you can set the iBeacon protocol based on that. Notice that ensure your beacon’s firmware is always up-to-date. If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to talk to our Bluetooth expert!
