# US 2023/0056966 A1 · Communication techniques using passive beacons > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0056966 A1 - Document ID: US20230056966A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/895,862 - Filed: 2022-08-25 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-18 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Yagil Burowski; Santhoshkumar Mani; Robert W. Brumley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056966A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - G01S 3/12: Means for determining sense of direction, e.g. by combining signals from directional antenna or goniometer search coil with those from non-directional antenna (determining direction by amplitude comparison of signals derived by combining directional and non-directional signals G01S3/24, G01S3/34) - G01S 3/50: the waves arriving at the antennas being pulse modulated and the time difference of their arrival being measured - H04W 4/026: {using orientation information, e.g. compass} - H04W 74/0808: using carrier sensing, e.g. carrier sense multiple access [CSMA] - G01S 3/48: the waves arriving at the antennas being continuous or intermittent and the phase difference of signals derived therefrom being measured - G01S 5/08: Position of single direction-finder fixed by determining direction of a plurality of spaced sources of known location - G01S 13/765: {with exchange of information between interrogator and responder} - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Certain embodiments are directed to techniques (e.g., a device, a method, a memory or non-transitory computer readable medium storing code or instructions executable by one or more processors) for passive beacon communication techniques. Transmitting devices (e.g., beacons) can transmit advertising messages using a first wireless protocol to provide timing for ranging messages for one of more ranging messages over a second protocol (e.g., UWB). One or more receiving devices can determine using signal strength if the devices are within a threshold range to perform communication techniques. Various ranging communications techniques can be used to determine a range between the receiving device and transmitting device. Other techniques can be used to passively calculate the angle of arrival for transmitter signals. The angle of arrival information can be used for precise position locating for the receiving device or to indicate interest in information provided by the one or more transmitting devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of communicating with a transmitting device by a mobile device, the method comprising: receiving, at an antenna array of the mobile device, a ranging signal via a second wireless protocol during a listening window, wherein the antenna array comprises a plurality of antennas including a first antenna and a second antenna; comparing a first measurement of the ranging signal at the first antenna to a second measurement of the ranging signal at the second antenna; determining an angle of arrival of the ranging signal using the comparison and a physical configuration of the plurality of antennas; comparing the angle of arrival to a threshold; and based on the comparison, retrieving information specified by a link from the transmitting device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving transmitting device identification information in an advertising packet; and based on the transmitting device identification information, determining if the transmitting device has information relevant to an application executing on the mobile device, the application including functionality that is dependent on a position of mobile device relative to the transmitting device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the position of the mobile device includes an orientation of the mobile device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the information concerns a local environment. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the transmitting device identification information comprises details about an object to which the transmitting device is attached. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a schedule for transmitting the one or more ranging signals that comprise transmitting device identification information via an advertising packet using a first wireless protocol is hardcoded in one or more mobile devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more ranging packets of the ranging signal comprise a deep link, wherein the deep link is a hyperlink that links to a specific piece of web content on a website. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an advertising packet comprises one or more deep links. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an advertising packet comprises a schedule for transmitting information packets, the schedule specifies a time delay following transmission of the advertising packet to listen for the information packets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving transmitting device information that comprises a link to a floorplan for a transmitting device location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a second angle of arrival from a second ranging signal from a second transmitting device; and determining a location of the mobile device by triangulating the ranging signal and the second ranging signal. ### Claim 12 A mobile device, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the mobile device to perform operations including: receiving, at an antenna array of the mobile device, a ranging signal via a second wireless protocol during a listening window, wherein the antenna array comprises a plurality of antennas including a first antenna and a second antenna; comparing a first measurement of the ranging signal at the first antenna to a second measurement of the ranging signal at the second antenna; determining an angle of arrival of the ranging signal using the comparison and a physical configuration of the plurality of antennas; comparing the angle of arrival to a threshold; and based on the comparison, retrieving information specified by a link from a transmitting device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the operations further include: receiving transmitting device identification information in an advertising packet; and based on the transmitting device identification information, determining if the transmitting device has information relevant to an application executing on the mobile device, the application including functionality that is dependent on a position of mobile device relative to the transmitting device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the position of the mobile device includes an orientation of the mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the transmitting device identification information comprises details about an object to which the transmitting device is attached. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The mobile device of claim 13, wherein a schedule for transmitting the ranging signal that comprise transmitting device identification information via the advertising packet using a first wireless protocol is hardcoded in one or more mobile devices. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: based on the angle of arrival, retrieving information specified by the transmitting device, wherein the information is specified by an advertising packet or the ranging signal. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, at an antenna array of a mobile device, a ranging signal via a second wireless protocol during a listening window, wherein the antenna array comprises a plurality of antennas including a first antenna and a second antenna; comparing a first measurement of the ranging signal at the first antenna to a second measurement of the ranging signal at the second antenna; determining an angle of arrival of the ranging signal using the comparison and a physical configuration of the plurality of antennas; comparing the angle of arrival to a threshold; and based on the comparison, retrieving information specified by a link from a beacon device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, receiving transmitting device identification information in an advertising packet; and based on the transmitting device identification information, determining if the transmitting device has information relevant to an application executing on the mobile device, the application including functionality that is dependent on a position of mobile device relative to the transmitting device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein a position of the mobile device includes an orientation of the mobile device.