Silicon Labs, also known as "core technology," is a key member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and is actively working to advance the adoption of the next-generation Bluetooth mesh network protocol. In this article, we will explore how industry professionals can implement real-time location services (RTLS) using Bluetooth Mesh profiles, based on insights from a recent blog post by the Bluetooth SIG.
One of the main advantages of using Bluetooth for RTLS is its low-power design. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices are compact and energy-efficient, making them ideal for tracking assets and people in real time. Their long battery life ensures that these devices remain operational for extended periods without frequent recharging. The new Bluetooth Mesh protocol enables tags to communicate through a network of relay nodes—often powered devices—allowing messages to be transmitted across larger areas.
The positioning of these nodes is typically determined using geometric trilateration, which calculates location based on signal strength (RSSI) from three or more nodes. The accuracy of this method depends on the quality of the hardware used for RSSI measurements. For example, commercial systems like WiSilica’s patient tracking solution can achieve precision up to one meter.
Bluetooth Mesh profiles are also widely used for lighting control. As more low-power Bluetooth-based lighting solutions emerge, especially in enterprise environments, they offer an efficient way to integrate location awareness into IoT ecosystems. Lighting devices can act as both functional units and network nodes, enabling seamless communication and real-time tracking of other connected devices.
The Bluetooth Mesh model specification allows for setting and reporting data from a single fixture location, such as defining reference points for trilateration. Additionally, it supports broadcast data packets, enabling efficient transmission of short-term asynchronous ADV packets from tags. This makes Bluetooth Mesh more secure than traditional beacon technologies, as each message is encrypted with a unique key and sequence number, preventing replay attacks. As a result, tags are less vulnerable to being copied or tracked by malicious actors.
Although no specific Bluetooth profile is currently defined for RTLS, ongoing work in the smart environment field aims to leverage Bluetooth Mesh profiles for this purpose. As an application-layer protocol, Bluetooth Mesh can coexist with other applications, allowing for the development of full RTLS systems even without standardized profiles.
The compatibility of the core Bluetooth Low Energy stack ensures smooth integration with mobile devices, giving Bluetooth a strong edge over other short-range wireless technologies. Even older phones can serve as provisioning devices to add new nodes to the mesh network safely.
RTLS applications often require higher tag density and more frequent updates compared to lighting control. In healthcare settings, for instance, hundreds of tagged patients and assets may need location updates every second. Bluetooth Mesh, with its flooding capability, can handle such traffic if properly engineered. The protocol includes different node types—such as passive, relay, and low-power nodes—that allow vendors to optimize performance and improve overall throughput.
Finally, most RTLS systems rely on a gateway to connect the mesh network to Wi-Fi or LAN, and then to cloud servers. These gateways receive and store all ADV packets along with their RSSI values, enabling accurate location calculations. As standardization efforts progress, a dedicated RTLS profile could be developed, leveraging Bluetooth 5 features like extended broadcast packets and multiple secondary channels. This would allow RTLS providers to deliver real-time location services to any device within a Bluetooth Mesh network via the cloud, making real-time tracking as essential to IoT as internet connectivity is today.
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