Method and apparatus for facilitating use of services available via wireless connection
A method is disclosed for facilitating service usage by a wireless terminal. The method is implemented by a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon. The BLE beacon obtains service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point. The BLE beacon also obtains connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both. The BLE beacon periodically broadcasts the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions to a wireless terminal that lacks the non-BLE connection. A corresponding BLE beacon operative to implement the method is also disclosed.
1. A method of facilitating service usage by a wireless terminal, the method being implemented by a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon comprising:
obtaining service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point;
obtaining connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both of the non-BLE and BLE wireless connections; and
periodically broadcasting the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions to a BLE-enabled wireless terminal that lacks the non-BLE wireless connection.
2. The method of claim 1 :
wherein the non-BLE wireless connection to the wireless access point is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection; and
wherein the connectivity information includes at least one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID), a channel, and a security key of the wireless access point.
3. The method of claim 1 :
wherein the connectivity information relates to a plurality of different types of non-BLE wireless connections; and
wherein the service information describes a plurality of services offered via the plurality of non-BLE wireless connections.
4. The method of claim 1 :
wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that cannot be used once the wireless terminal moves out of a coverage area of the BLE beacon; or
wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that, once used by the wireless terminal to establish the non-BLE wireless connection, cannot be reused after the wireless terminal terminates the non-BLE wireless connection.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request for a BLE beacon coverage area size; and
adjusting a signal strength used for the periodic broadcasting of the service information and connectivity information based on the requested BLE beacon coverage area size.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connectivity information is first connectivity information, the method further comprising:
obtaining different, second connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection with the wireless access point, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both;
based on the periodic broadcasting, receiving a response from the wireless terminal; and
selectively transmitting the second connectivity information to the wireless terminal based on whether the response meets a predefined criteria;
wherein both the first and second connectivity information are required for the wireless terminal to successfully establish the non-BLE wireless connection and utilize the service via the non-BLE wireless connection.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the periodic broadcasting is only performed when the BLE beacon resides within a coverage area of the access point.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service information comprises a multi-bit value, with different bit positions representing different service attributes.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service information comprises one or more multi-bit values, each multi-bit value collectively serving as a single service attribute identifier.
10. A Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacon comprising:
a transceiver; and
one or more processing circuits configured to:
obtain service information describing a service available via a non-BLE wireless connection to a wireless access point;
obtain connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both of the non-BLE and BLE wireless connections; and periodically broadcast the service information and connectivity information via BLE transmissions from the transceiver to a BLE-enabled wireless terminal that lacks established the non-BLE wireless connection.
11. The BLE beacon of claim 10 :
wherein the non-BLE wireless connection to the wireless access point is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection; and
wherein the connectivity information includes at least one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID), a channel, and a security key of the wireless access point.
12. The BLE beacon of claim 10 :
wherein the connectivity information relates to a plurality of different types of non-BLE wireless connections; and
wherein the service information describes a plurality of services offered via the plurality of non-BLE wireless connections.
13. The BLE beacon of claim 10 :
wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that cannot be used once the wireless terminal moves out of a coverage area of the BLE beacon; or
wherein at least a portion of the connectivity information is single-use connectivity information that, once used by the wireless terminal to establish the non-BLE wireless connection, cannot be reused after the wireless terminal terminates the non-BLE wireless connection.
14. The BLE beacon of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:
receive, via the transceiver, a request for a BLE beacon coverage area size; and
adjust a signal strength used for the periodic broadcasting of the service information and connectivity information based on the requested BLE beacon coverage area size.
15. The BLE beacon of claim 10 , wherein the connectivity information is first connectivity information, and the one or more processing circuits are further configured to:
obtain different, second connectivity information for establishing the non-BLE wireless connection with the wireless access point, for utilizing the service via the non-BLE wireless connection, or both;
based on the periodic broadcasting, receive a response from the wireless terminal; and
selectively transmit the second connectivity information to the wireless terminal based on whether the response meets a predefined criteria;
wherein both the first and second connectivity information are required for the wireless terminal to successfully establish the non-BLE wireless connection and utilize the service via the non-BLE wireless connection.
16. The BLE beacon of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to perform the periodic broadcasting only when the BLE beacon resides within a coverage area of the access point.
17. The BLE beacon of claim 10 , wherein the service information comprises a multi-bit value, with different bit positions representing different service attributes.
18. The BLE beacon of claim 10 , wherein the service information comprises one or more multi-bit values, each multi-bit value collectively serving as a single service attribute identifier.