Abstract: Embodiments described herein use customized beacons embedded in Bluetooth low-energy advertisements to transmit information between a user device and a beacon module. In one embodiment, the beacon module transmits the advertisement to the user device. The user device then parses the data contained within the advertisement to identify a customized beacon. Based on the information contained in the beacon, the application may provide an audio and/or visual presentation to the user. For example, the beacon may inform the user device that it is within close proximity to a particular geographic location (e.g., a point of interest). In response, the beacon application may present a visual presentation about the geographic location using a display screen within the user device.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein use customized beacons embedded in Bluetooth low-energy advertisements to transmit information between a user device and a beacon module. In one embodiment, the beacon module transmits the advertisement to the user device. The user device then parses the data contained within the advertisement to identify a customized beacon. Based on the information contained in the beacon, the application may provide an audio and/or visual presentation to the user. For example, the beacon may inform the user device that it is within close proximity to a particular geographic location (e.g., a point of interest). In response, the beacon application may present a visual presentation about the geographic location using a display screen within the user device.

Abstract: A computing device may rely on GPS and IR communication to determine its current location. The limits of GPS may prevent it from reliably providing location data to the computing device in a variety of situations such as in downtown metropolitan areas, geographic regions with thick canopies, in buildings, and the like. As a result, a second communication technique may also be used to provide location data to the computing device. For example, an IR transmitter may transmit location data to the computing device which, in turn, uses the location data to identify its current location. In addition, the computing device may receive or transmit supplemental data using the second communication technique for, e.g., synchronizing the computing device to a real-time event happening at the identified location or providing the location of the device to a central computing system.