Configuring the internal navigation system using the tools Aruba
Until recently, organizing indoor navigation was an almost impossible task. After all, in buildings, the GPS signal can be caught except by the window, and even then in a very weak form. Aruba, part of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, developed the Aruba Mobile Engagement tool, which includes several tools to solve this and a number of other related issues.
This solution allows you to organize a simple access to the wireless network, send personalized push messages, and implement indoor navigation services (you can find a more detailed description of the system here ). It uses Aruba Beacons technology with easy-to-deploy Bluetooth beacons. And with the Aruba Meridian tool, you can quickly and easily create an application for your organization or event in which this navigation will be displayed.
MUK Group of Companies used this technology at the last exhibition “MUK Expo 2016”, which took place at the end of September. Participants and guests of the event could download to their smartphone an application with a map of the hall, indicated by the company's stands, navigation, timetables and other useful information.
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The interface of the Meridian system is simple and intuitive; it’s easy to understand. This application does not require installation and is available off-the-shelf in the HPE Aruba cloud at http://meridianapps.com (an active license is required). One of its main advantages is that it is not necessary to attract third-party developers and spend additional funds and resources to create applications. And the applications themselves are simple and understandable.
The idea behind the Meridian editor is to create the look and feel of an application for a mobile device. The entire result of your work can be immediately seen on the right side of the editor screen. Pages, menus and buttons are set up literally “in two clicks” and it’s easy to figure out the design procedure and it takes about 15 minutes.
Since there is usually no GPS signal indoors, special Bluetooth beacons take on the role of GPS satellites. They are available in two form factors: in the form of a device with a battery (the work period is about 3 years) and in the form of a USB device. Also, these beacons are built into modern Wi-Fi access points Aruba.
The first type is more convenient - such beacons can be placed almost anywhere on the walls and ceilings, without rushing to the eye.
To set up beacons you will need:
- Aruba Beacons beacons themselves (all configuration steps will be demonstrated for battery powered beacons);
- Apple mobile device with BLE (Bluetooth low energy) support and capability. Internet connection via Wi-Fi or 3G / 4G (iPhone 4s, iPod Touch 5, iPad 3 and higher);
- Aruba Beacons application for iOS 7 or higher (Android devices are not supported yet);
- Meridian account with a loaded location map for push notifications.
This is the map we downloaded for the MUK Expo 2016 application.
Lighthouses can be configured for two purposes - providing navigation inside the room (Location beacon) and for sending push notifications when visitors approach (Proximity beacon). In the latter case, the beacon setup takes place in two stages: first, it is configured through the Aruba Beacons application, and then through the Aruba Meridian editor.
Tuning beacons, you will encounter the following concepts:
UUID : string used to identify the organization.
Major / Minor : a combination that can be used to uniquely identify a specific beacon. These values ​​are also used for zoning lighthouses. For example, lighthouses on the first floor can have a value of 1000, on the second - 2000, and on the third - 3000. Accordingly, the first lighthouse on the first floor will have a value of 1000/1, the third on the second - 2000/3, etc.
Configurable transmit power levels for proximity beacons:
For location beacons, setting the transmit power levels is not available.
First you need to install the Aruba Beacons application on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. It can be found in the AppStore for the relevant keywords or directly on the link to the company's website http://meridianapps.com and download from there. Then you need to go into the application and enter your account information.
Once you have logged in and are inside, you need to make sure that the locations of Meridian are displayed in the application. To do this, in the lower right corner, click on the Accounts button and see if locations from Meridian are displayed in the program. Then you need to choose the one on which you are going to place the lighthouses (or they are already placed)
Now you need to configure the beacons themselves in the application. To do this, bring the iPhone or iPad close to the installed lighthouse and click on the Beacons button in the lower left corner of the screen. The application displays two lists - new and customized beacons (if they already exist). For each, its MAC address and signal level will be displayed. The one to which the device is brought is easily calculated by the highest signal level. Select the desired beacon by clicking on it in the list. The download of information to the device will begin, and then the message that the beacon has not been fully configured. Next, you need to enter some values ​​manually, to do this, click "Yes" in the message that appears.
Select the type of lighthouse Location or Proximity. For the first set the values ​​Major / Minor. You can also find out the battery level and reset the settings. Signal strength for this type of beacons cannot be set. After clicking the Save button, the beacon will reboot and will be displayed in the application in the list of configured ones.
For proximity beacons, the setup procedure is almost identical. The exception is the ability to set the signal strength.
After the beacons are configured, proceed to their placement on the map. To do this, go to the Maps tab by clicking on the appropriate button on the bottom panel. There you should click on the floor menu to select a location. In the menu that appears, select the floor or zone where you want to place the beacons.
Then again press the Maps button on the main panel, and in the upper right corner “+” to select the beacon. A list of nearby lighthouses will appear in a pop-up list. You can identify the desired one by the value of Major / Minor or MAC address.
In order to place a beacon on the map, you need to hold it with your finger and when the list disappears, release in the right place. Naturally, before this action, it is desirable that the selected beacon is physically present at the selected location on the map.
After setting up the beacons, you can begin to enrich our map with various objects. An object can be anything, what you choose to mark on the map. This can be a store, a coffee shop, a socket for charging the phone, etc. The object can be designated as a dot or as a polygon, an outlining area on the map. To do this, log in to the web editor Aruba Meridian and go to the Maps - Placemarks section.
After setting up the objects on the map, we proceed to creating notifications. To do this, in the Aruba Meridian web editor , go to the Campaigns section, select the desired location and click the Add button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Next, select the desired beacon on the map. In the right pane, in the Action menu, select Send device a message, and in the field below, type a message that will be sent to visitors' devices. After that, when the procedure is done for all the beacons, click Activate Campaign and Save.
The Aruba Beacons application has the means to check the level of the beacon signal and the correctness of sending and receiving push notifications within campaigns. This allows you to test the entire system before running and identify errors before visitors encounter them.
To start the tool, hold down the Map button on the bottom panel with two fingers. A pop-up menu will appear on the screen with the Show Beacons Signal button. The smaller the circle around the lighthouse, the better it can "hear" the device.
You can check the notification in the appropriate section of the application. Its button is marked with a flag. It is intended solely for testing and fixing problems. To edit and configure notifications, use the Meridian Editor.
To test the correctness of sending Push-notifications, you need to go with the device to the beacons. If the Proximity-beacon is marked in blue and ticked in the middle, then your device does not fall within its range. When you get closer, the color of the mark should change to green, and the check mark should be on the signal transmission icon. This means that the device has fallen into the zone of the lighthouse.
It is not at all difficult to set up an internal navigation and notification system using the Aruba Meridian solution. It is suitable both for small rooms with several rooms, as well as for huge halls and high-rise buildings. But the main thing is that for any type of premises the principle of deployment and configuration remains equally simple and clear.
This solution allows you to organize a simple access to the wireless network, send personalized push messages, and implement indoor navigation services (you can find a more detailed description of the system here ). It uses Aruba Beacons technology with easy-to-deploy Bluetooth beacons. And with the Aruba Meridian tool, you can quickly and easily create an application for your organization or event in which this navigation will be displayed.
MUK Group of Companies used this technology at the last exhibition “MUK Expo 2016”, which took place at the end of September. Participants and guests of the event could download to their smartphone an application with a map of the hall, indicated by the company's stands, navigation, timetables and other useful information.
')
The interface of the Meridian system is simple and intuitive; it’s easy to understand. This application does not require installation and is available off-the-shelf in the HPE Aruba cloud at http://meridianapps.com (an active license is required). One of its main advantages is that it is not necessary to attract third-party developers and spend additional funds and resources to create applications. And the applications themselves are simple and understandable.
The idea behind the Meridian editor is to create the look and feel of an application for a mobile device. The entire result of your work can be immediately seen on the right side of the editor screen. Pages, menus and buttons are set up literally “in two clicks” and it’s easy to figure out the design procedure and it takes about 15 minutes.
Work with lighthouses
Since there is usually no GPS signal indoors, special Bluetooth beacons take on the role of GPS satellites. They are available in two form factors: in the form of a device with a battery (the work period is about 3 years) and in the form of a USB device. Also, these beacons are built into modern Wi-Fi access points Aruba.
The first type is more convenient - such beacons can be placed almost anywhere on the walls and ceilings, without rushing to the eye.
To set up beacons you will need:
- Aruba Beacons beacons themselves (all configuration steps will be demonstrated for battery powered beacons);
- Apple mobile device with BLE (Bluetooth low energy) support and capability. Internet connection via Wi-Fi or 3G / 4G (iPhone 4s, iPod Touch 5, iPad 3 and higher);
- Aruba Beacons application for iOS 7 or higher (Android devices are not supported yet);
- Meridian account with a loaded location map for push notifications.
This is the map we downloaded for the MUK Expo 2016 application.
Lighthouses can be configured for two purposes - providing navigation inside the room (Location beacon) and for sending push notifications when visitors approach (Proximity beacon). In the latter case, the beacon setup takes place in two stages: first, it is configured through the Aruba Beacons application, and then through the Aruba Meridian editor.
Tuning beacons, you will encounter the following concepts:
UUID : string used to identify the organization.
Major / Minor : a combination that can be used to uniquely identify a specific beacon. These values ​​are also used for zoning lighthouses. For example, lighthouses on the first floor can have a value of 1000, on the second - 2000, and on the third - 3000. Accordingly, the first lighthouse on the first floor will have a value of 1000/1, the third on the second - 2000/3, etc.
Configurable transmit power levels for proximity beacons:
For location beacons, setting the transmit power levels is not available.
Setup process
First you need to install the Aruba Beacons application on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. It can be found in the AppStore for the relevant keywords or directly on the link to the company's website http://meridianapps.com and download from there. Then you need to go into the application and enter your account information.
Once you have logged in and are inside, you need to make sure that the locations of Meridian are displayed in the application. To do this, in the lower right corner, click on the Accounts button and see if locations from Meridian are displayed in the program. Then you need to choose the one on which you are going to place the lighthouses (or they are already placed)
Now you need to configure the beacons themselves in the application. To do this, bring the iPhone or iPad close to the installed lighthouse and click on the Beacons button in the lower left corner of the screen. The application displays two lists - new and customized beacons (if they already exist). For each, its MAC address and signal level will be displayed. The one to which the device is brought is easily calculated by the highest signal level. Select the desired beacon by clicking on it in the list. The download of information to the device will begin, and then the message that the beacon has not been fully configured. Next, you need to enter some values ​​manually, to do this, click "Yes" in the message that appears.
Select the type of lighthouse Location or Proximity. For the first set the values ​​Major / Minor. You can also find out the battery level and reset the settings. Signal strength for this type of beacons cannot be set. After clicking the Save button, the beacon will reboot and will be displayed in the application in the list of configured ones.
For proximity beacons, the setup procedure is almost identical. The exception is the ability to set the signal strength.
After the beacons are configured, proceed to their placement on the map. To do this, go to the Maps tab by clicking on the appropriate button on the bottom panel. There you should click on the floor menu to select a location. In the menu that appears, select the floor or zone where you want to place the beacons.
Then again press the Maps button on the main panel, and in the upper right corner “+” to select the beacon. A list of nearby lighthouses will appear in a pop-up list. You can identify the desired one by the value of Major / Minor or MAC address.
In order to place a beacon on the map, you need to hold it with your finger and when the list disappears, release in the right place. Naturally, before this action, it is desirable that the selected beacon is physically present at the selected location on the map.
Setting objects on the map
After setting up the beacons, you can begin to enrich our map with various objects. An object can be anything, what you choose to mark on the map. This can be a store, a coffee shop, a socket for charging the phone, etc. The object can be designated as a dot or as a polygon, an outlining area on the map. To do this, log in to the web editor Aruba Meridian and go to the Maps - Placemarks section.
Create notifications
After setting up the objects on the map, we proceed to creating notifications. To do this, in the Aruba Meridian web editor , go to the Campaigns section, select the desired location and click the Add button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Next, select the desired beacon on the map. In the right pane, in the Action menu, select Send device a message, and in the field below, type a message that will be sent to visitors' devices. After that, when the procedure is done for all the beacons, click Activate Campaign and Save.
Testing beacons and notifications
The Aruba Beacons application has the means to check the level of the beacon signal and the correctness of sending and receiving push notifications within campaigns. This allows you to test the entire system before running and identify errors before visitors encounter them.
To start the tool, hold down the Map button on the bottom panel with two fingers. A pop-up menu will appear on the screen with the Show Beacons Signal button. The smaller the circle around the lighthouse, the better it can "hear" the device.
You can check the notification in the appropriate section of the application. Its button is marked with a flag. It is intended solely for testing and fixing problems. To edit and configure notifications, use the Meridian Editor.
To test the correctness of sending Push-notifications, you need to go with the device to the beacons. If the Proximity-beacon is marked in blue and ticked in the middle, then your device does not fall within its range. When you get closer, the color of the mark should change to green, and the check mark should be on the signal transmission icon. This means that the device has fallen into the zone of the lighthouse.
Total
It is not at all difficult to set up an internal navigation and notification system using the Aruba Meridian solution. It is suitable both for small rooms with several rooms, as well as for huge halls and high-rise buildings. But the main thing is that for any type of premises the principle of deployment and configuration remains equally simple and clear.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/314770/
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