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Reality check -our proof of concept
This hardware’s role in the design would be to allow each smartphone to trace other devices’ presence. It will allow each user to keep track of her own encounters in her app, providing additional information about those (distance, duration, timestamp).
This hardware’s role in the design would be to allow each smartphone to trace other devices’ presence. It will allow each user to keep track of her own encounters in her app, providing additional information about those (distance, duration, timestamp).
All this information will be saved in each device log, for the incubation time period of a specific disease (14 days for Covid-19), to provide the set of data for the solution to work, as previously explained in the architecture.
All this information will be saved in each device log, for the incubation time period of a specific disease (14 days for Covid-19), to provide the set of data for the solution to work, as previously explained in the architecture.
We deep-dived on this technology and started prototyping to prove its value.
We deep-dived on this technology and started prototyping to prove its value.
What is BLE
What is BLE
“Bluetooth Low Energy” is simply marketed as “Bluetooth 5” now, but it had plenty of names in the past (Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth iBeacon, version 4.1, 4.2, 4.0 LE). The version 5, is also retro-compatible with all other nuances, and it includes a pair of different functionalities: the EDR standard (the classic serial one), and the LE (low energy) standard. The second one suits our needs.
“Bluetooth Low Energy” is simply marketed as “Bluetooth 5” now, but it had plenty of names in the past (Bluetooth Smart, Bluetooth iBeacon, version 4.1, 4.2, 4.0 LE). The version 5, is also retro-compatible with all other nuances, and it includes a pair of different functionalities: the EDR standard (the classic serial one), and the LE (low energy) standard. The second one suits our needs.
BLE is a standard de-facto, endorsed by Apple since about 2010 as “iBeacon”, and later on included in the official definition, by the Bluetooth SIG organisation. In turn, BLE has two ways of working: scanning/advertising, and connection/encryption.
BLE is a standard de-facto, endorsed by Apple since about 2010 as “iBeacon”, and later on included in the official definition, by the Bluetooth SIG organisation. In turn, BLE has two ways of working: scanning/advertising, and connection/encryption.
A basic use case is:
A basic use case is:
1. The peripheral device advertises its own presence, by broadcasting short and frequent bursts of static information, in a range about 10m (but it could be up to 100m). The data broadcasted is fundamentally an ID of the device and some other technicalities. It could be a wearable smartband, to help you figure it out;
1. The peripheral device advertises its own presence, by broadcasting short and frequent bursts of static information, in a range about 10m (but it could be up to 100m). The data broadcasted is fundamentally an ID of the device and some other technicalities. It could be a wearable smartband, to help you figure it out;
2. The central device scans for advertisement signals, and reads the info they contain. The central considers every diverse ID as a new device nearby. The central is usually a smartphone;
2. The central device scans for advertisement signals, and reads the info they contain. The central considers every diverse ID as a new device nearby. The central is usually a smartphone;
3. [not relevant in this use case] The central device decides to handshake with a given peripheral and calls it using the same ID it received from the advertising signal. This is that famous pairing phase you need to do every time you buy a new wearable device to connect to, or when you enter your car and the pairing happens automatically.
3. [not relevant in this use case] The central device decides to handshake with a given peripheral and calls it using the same ID it received from the advertising signal. This is that famous pairing phase you need to do every time you buy a new wearable device to connect to, or when you enter your car and the pairing happens automatically.
4. [not relevant in this use case] After the handshake happened, the central and the peripheral will be able to share any amount of data, encrypted, and without advertising their presence anymore.
4. [not relevant in this use case] After the handshake happened, the central and the peripheral will be able to share any amount of data, encrypted, and without advertising their presence anymore.
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