science

Types of beacons

Types of beacons is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Types of beacons rather than just read about it. In short: Beacons are small devices that enable relatively accurate location within a narrow range. Beacons periodically transmit small amounts of data within a range of approximately 70 meters, and are often used for indoor location technology.

Key takeaways

Types of beacons belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Types of beacons to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Types of beacons from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Beacons are small devices that enable relatively accurate location within a narrow range. Beacons periodically transmit small amounts of data within a range of approximately 70 meters, and are often used for indoor location technology. Compared to devices based on Global Positioning System (GPS), beacons provide more accurate location information and can be used for indoor location. Various types of beacons exist, which can be classified based on their type of Beacon protocol, power source and location technology.

Types of Beacon protocols

iBeacon (Apple) In December 2013, Apple announced iBeacon: the first beacon protocol in the market. iBeacon works with Apple's iOS and Google's Android. The beacon using the iBeacon protocol transmits a so-called UUID. The UUID is a string of 24 numbers, which communicate with an installed Mobile App. Advantages:

Widely supported; Simple and easy to implement; Reliable performance on iOS.

Eddystone (Google) Google announced Eddystone in July 2015, after it was renamed from its former name UriBeacon. Beacons with support from Eddystone are able to transmit three different frame-types, which work with both iOS and Android. A single beacon can transmit one, two or all three frametypes. The three frametypes are: URL: a URL (i.e. a website link) is transmitted to the device, eliminating the need for an installed Mobile App. UID (similar to Apple's UUID): a 16 digit string of characters, which can identify the individual beacon. This UID can activate an installed Mobile App. TLM: sensor and administrative data from the beacon itself is communicated through telemetry. Currently, examples include the beacon's battery level and its temperature. Advantages:

Can also send out URL, which removes the necessity of installed App, and Telemetry information; Open format and flexibility; Integration with Google Products.

AltBeacon (Radius Networks) Radius Networks announced AltBeacon in July 2014. This open source beacon protocol was designed to overcome the issue of protocols favouring one vendor over the other. Advantages:

Open source; Compatibility with other mobile operating platforms; More flexibility with a customisable source code.

SemBeacon (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) The Web & Information Systems engineering lab (WISE) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) announced SemBeacon in September 2023. It is an open source beacon protocol and ontology based on AltBeacon and Eddystone-URL to create interoperable applications that do not require a local database. Advantages:

Backwards compatible with AltBeacon applications; Does not require a local database to retrieve contextual information; Scalable with additional ontologies;

GeoBeacon (Tecno-World) Tecno-World (Pitius Tec S.L., Manufacture-ID 0x015C) announced GeoBeacon in July 2017. This open source beacon protocol was designed for usage in GeoCaching applications due to the very compact type of data storage. Advantages:

Open source; Compatibility with other mobile operating platforms; High resolution coordinates TLM-Data support (Battery life) 8 Bytes of user data

Types of power source In general, there are three types of power source for beacons:

Battery powered: beacons that are battery powered range from using coin cell (or Button cell) batteries, AA, or AAA batteries; Electricity plug powered; USB powered.

Types of location technology Most beacons use bluetooth technology to communicate with other devices and retrieve the location information. Apart from bluetooth technology however, several other location technologies exist. The most common location technologies are the following:

Bluetooth low energy (BLE) The majority of beacon location devices rely on Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology. Compared to 'classic' Bluetooth technology, BLE consumes less power, has a lower range, and transmits less data. BLE is designed for periodic transfers of very small amounts of data.

Wi-Fi Aware In July 2015, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced Wi-Fi Aware. Similar to BLE, Wi-Fi Aware has a lower power consumption than regular Wi-Fi and is designed for indoor location purposes.

Ultrasound

Combined technologies Whereas most beacon vendors focus on merely one technology, some vendors combine multiple location technologies.

See also Beacons iBeacon Eddystone (Google) Proximity marketing

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Types of beacons

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Types of beacons claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Types of beacons before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Types of beacons ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Types of beacons

In research: Types of beacons appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Types of beacons in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Types of beacons is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Beacons, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Types of beacons outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Types of beacons in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Types of beacons means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Types of beacons out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Types of beacons in simple terms?

Why does Types of beacons matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Types of beacons?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Types of beacons.