[论文解读] Using Bluetooth Low Energy in smartphones to map social networks

Samuel Townsend, Mark Larsen+2 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Aug 17, 2015

Digital Mental Health Interventions参考文献 7被引用 6

一句话总结

本研究评估了在个人智能手机中使用蓝牙低能耗（BLE）技术进行社交网络映射的可行性。开发了一款适用于安卓和iOS设备的定制应用程序，用于广播和检测附近的BLE信号，成功测量了除两部iOS设备均处于锁屏状态外的所有设备组合的连接性，凸显了在大规模社交网络映射中使用消费级智能手机时的关键限制。

ABSTRACT

Social networks have an important role in an individual's health, with the propagation of health-related features through a network, and correlations between network structures and symptomatology. Using Bluetooth-enabled smartphones to measure social connectivity is an alternative to traditional paper-based data collection; however studies employing this technology have been restricted to limited sets of homogenous handsets. We investigated the feasibility of using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol, present on users' own smartphones, to measure social connectivity. A custom application was designed for Android and iOS handsets. The app was configured to simultaneously broadcast via BLE and perform periodic discovery scans for other nearby devices. The app was installed on two Android handsets and two iOS handsets, and each combination of devices was tested in the foreground, background and locked states. Connectivity was successfully measured in all test cases, except between two iOS devices when both were in a locked state with their screens off. As smartphones are in a locked state for the majority of a day, this severely limits the ability to measure social connectivity on users' own smartphones. It is not currently feasible to use Bluetooth Low Energy to map social networks, due to the inability of iOS devices to detect another iOS device when both are in a locked state. While the technology was successfully implemented on Android devices, this represents a smaller market share of partially or fully compatible devices.

研究动机与目标

• 评估利用用户自有智能手机中的BLE技术进行社交网络映射的可行性。
• 研究安卓与iOS设备在使用BLE进行近距离检测时的跨平台兼容性。
• 评估不同设备状态（前台、后台、锁屏）下BLE检测的性能。
• 识别阻碍BLE在社交网络数据采集中广泛应用的技术限制。
• 确定BLE是否能够在现实世界中的健康与行为研究环境中可靠地测量社交连接性。

提出的方法

• 为安卓和iOS智能手机开发了一款定制应用程序，以支持BLE广播和定期扫描附近设备。
• 在三种设备状态（前台、后台、锁屏）下，对两部安卓和两部iOS设备的所有组合进行了测试。
• 通过记录设备之间的BLE广告和扫描响应来测量近距离检测。
• 数据采集聚焦于在不同条件下检测设备间通信，以评估其可靠性和一致性。
• 研究分析了不同设备类型和状态下的检测成功率，以识别平台相关的限制。
• 采用统计分析比较不同设备类型和操作系统之间的检测性能。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 在真实环境中，智能手机中的BLE能否可靠检测用户之间的近距离连接？
• RQ2 BLE在安卓与iOS设备之间的检测性能有何差异？
• RQ3 设备状态（锁屏、后台、前台）对BLE检测成功率有何影响？
• RQ4 为何两部均处于锁屏状态的iOS设备无法互相检测？
• RQ5 BLE在多大规模的社交网络映射中，使用个人智能手机的适用程度如何？

主要发现

• 基于BLE的应用程序在除两部iOS设备均处于锁屏且屏幕关闭外的所有测试设备组合中成功检测到社交连接。
• 在所有测试状态下，安卓设备之间以及安卓与iOS设备之间的检测成功率保持一致。
• 两部锁屏的iOS设备无法互相检测，构成了社交网络映射中的重大技术限制。
• 该限制显著降低了在iOS设备上长期、被动数据采集中使用BLE的可行性。
• 本研究得出结论：由于iOS系统对后台BLE扫描的限制，BLE目前尚不可行于大规模社交网络映射。
• 尽管在安卓设备上技术上可行，但兼容设备的市场份额有限，限制了该方法的实际应用价值。