Ble rapid room entry system and method

Abstract

A system and method for rapid room entry are provided in which at least two Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons may be used to determine when a BLE enabled object has crossed a boundary. The BLE enabled object may sense the signals from BLE beacon and a location engine may determine the crossing of the boundary based on the sensed signals from each BLE beacon. Each BLE beacon may have a directional antenna so that a portion of the signal having a strong strength is directed towards the boundary and a portion of the signal having a weaker strength is directed away from the boundary.

1 . A system, comprising:
 two Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons adjacent a boundary in an area with a first BLE beacon mounted on a first side of the boundary in the area and a second BLE beacon mounted on a second side of the boundary in the area;   a BLE enabled object that senses a signal from the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area and captures one or more characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area; and   a location engine that determines when the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary intersect each other and determines, based on the intersection of the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary, a crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the signal for each BLE beacon further comprises a received signal strength indication for each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the BLE enabled object senses one of a periodic signal from each BLE beacon and a continuous signal from each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location engine is resident in the BLE enabled object. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the location engine is remote from the BLE enabled object and the BLE enabled object communicates the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons to the remote location engine and wherein the remote location engine communicates the determination of the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object back to the BLE enabled object. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein determining the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object further comprises determining a movement of the BLE enabled object through a door. 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 providing a location determining system having two Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons adjacent a boundary in an area with a first BLE beacon mounted on a first side of the boundary in the area and a second BLE beacon mounted on a second side of the boundary in the area;   sensing, by a BLE enabled object, a signal from each of the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area, the sensing further comprising capturing one or more characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area;   comparing the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area;   determining when the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary intersect each other; and   determining, based on the intersection of the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area, a crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the signal for each BLE beacon further comprises a received signal strength indication for each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein sensing the signal from the BLE beacons further comprises sensing a periodic signal from each BLE beacon or continuously sensing a signal from each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising communicating the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons from the BLE enabled object to a remote location engine. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object further comprises determining, at the remote location engine, the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising communicating the determination of the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object back to the BLE enabled object. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the crossing of the boundary by the BLE enabled object further comprises determining a movement of the BLE enabled object through a door. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a device having a processor, a memory and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) receiver;   wherein the Bluetooth low energy receiver senses a signal from two Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons adjacent a boundary in an area with a first BLE beacon mounted on a first side of the boundary in the area and a second BLE beacon mounted on a second side of the boundary in the area and captures one or more characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons; and   wherein the processor of the device determines when the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary intersect each other and determines, based on the intersection of the one or more gathered characteristics of the signal for each of the two BLE beacons adjacent the boundary in the area, a crossing of the boundary by the device.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more characteristics of the signal for each BLE beacon further comprises a received signal strength indication for each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the Bluetooth low energy receiver one of senses a periodic signal from each BLE beacon and continuously senses a signal from each BLE beacon. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the processor determines a movement of the device through a door.