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Google Eddystone: Open Source and Cross Platform Beacon Technology

According to Google, Eddystone is a protocol specification that defines a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) message format for proximity beacon messages. It describes several different frame types that may be used individually or in combinations to create beacons that can be used for a variety of applications.

Google Eddystone

Give your users better location and proximity experiences by providing a strong context signal for their devices in the form of Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons with Eddystone™, the open beacon format from Google.

The Eddystone specification includes a number of broadcast frame types, including Eddystone-URL, the backbone of the Physical Web.

Eddystone: Openness and Flexibility

Google Eddystone Location Proximity

Well, it is not just the open nature; Eddystone supports multiple frame types for different use cases, making it easy to introduce new functionality easily. Historically, Bluetooth beacons signify one-way communications with the primary goal of sending a notification capable of displaying or transferring information upon a tap. Due to support of multiple frameworks, vendors will be able to use Eddystone for different functionality or purpose.

It can broadcast three signal types: UUID (similar to the iBeacon standard), URL (a successor to the UriBeacon standard) and TLM (a new telemetry signal).

Eddystone

Universally Unique Identifier (UUID): This is a 128-bit value that can separately identify every specific beacon in the world, which an app can listen and perform actions for. For instance, you can walk in WalMart, your favorite retail store. WalMart could deploy beacons in its store. The Walmart app could be programmed to listen for specific beacons and send special coupons or such information. The downside to UUIDs is that you need the appropriate app do anything with the information. This brings us to the second frame type.

URLs: With this capability, users don’t need to download app. The store can send a URL to the user’s phone and the consumer can look up the coupon or relevant information on a web browser. URL instead of UUID looks like a feasible option with universal appeal. It works best for small businesses without a dedicated app.

beacon fleet

Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs): Privacy and security are the center point of this new technology. With Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs), you can allow only authorized clients to decode them. While the technical specification of this feature will be released soon, we can be rest assured that this feature will allow users to do tasks in a secure manner.

Telemetry Data: This frame type would allow organization to manage their vast fleets of beacons. Beacons are battery driven and need batteries changed or fixed frequently. Telemetry frame type in sync with Proximity Beacon API can help deployers monitor beacons’ battery health and displacement.

Know more about Google's Eddystone

ethan

I am Web Analyst I love to analyse the web for the betterment of businesses and providing information to my blog reader. I love to write about trending technologies, specially mobile technologies.

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