Improved ability to trigger beacon receiver devices in a short-range wireless beacon communication system

A method of operating a beacon communication system which comprises a short-range wireless beacon transmitter device and a short-range wireless beacon receiver device, the method comprising:

• repeatedly transmitting, by the short-range wireless beacon transmitter device, a short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal on a first beacon broadcast channel, the first beacon broadcast channel being defined by a predefined unique identity included in the short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal, the predefined unique identity remaining fixed between subsequent transmissions of the short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal;
• and
• temporarily transmitting, by the short-range wireless beacon transmitter device, a short-range wireless beacon trigger signal an alternate beacon broadcast channel, the alternate beacon broadcast channel being defined by a dynamically allocated unique identity included in the short-range wireless beacon trigger signal, the dynamically allocated unique identity being different from the predefined unique identity and being different between subsequent transmissions of the short-range wireless beacon trigger signal.

A short-range wireless beacon transmitter device for use in a beacon communication system which furthermore comprises a short-range wireless beacon receiver device,

• wherein the short-range wireless beacon transmitter device is configured to repeatedly transmit a short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal on a first beacon broadcast channel, the first beacon broadcast channel being defined by a predefined unique identity included in the short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal, the predefined unique identity remaining fixed between subsequent transmissions of the short-range wireless beacon advertisement signal, and
• wherein the short-range wireless beacon transmitter device is configured to temporarily transmit a short-range wireless beacon trigger signal on an alternate beacon broadcast channel, the alternate beacon broadcast channel being defined by a dynamically allocated unique identity included in the short-range wireless beacon trigger signal, the dynamically allocated unique identity being different from the predefined unique identity and being different between subsequent transmissions of the short-range wireless beacon trigger signal.