TM BlueFlyers Bluetooth Flyers Product of Embedded Solutions, Inc www.BlueFlyers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Warnings............................................................................................................... ii Manufacturer Certifications ................................................................................... ii BlueFlyers Base Unit......................................................................................... ii AIRcable Bluetooth Transmitter........................................................................ iii TRENDnet Bluetooth Transmitter......
WARNINGS • • • • • • • Read the eBox 2300, AIRcable Host XR, TRENDnet TBW-104UB, and C.Crane FM transmitter manuals for complete safety instructions. Operating the AIRcable Bluetooth transmitter without the external antenna connected may result in damage to the unit. The BlueFlyers unit is not intended for use outdoors. Exposing the unit to rain or moisture may result in electrical shock or fire hazards or damage to the equipment. Never install the BlueFlyers unit in wet locations.
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the interference - causing equipment standard entitled “Digital Apparatus”, ICES-003 of the Department of Communications.
FM Transmitter This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions. 1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and 2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
BLUEFLYERS OVERVIEW BlueFlyers Concept The BlueFlyers unit electronically transmits information directly to Bluetooth enabled cell phones, laptops, PDAs, Blackberries, or other portable devices. The Bluetooth advertisement can contain images, audio, video, business cards, Java applications, and more. Bluetooth marketing is proximity-based, and the choice of Bluetooth transmitters will determine the distance covered by the marketing effort. The BlueFlyers unit can also transmit an FM broadcast audio message.
seconds. Some devices implement a size limit for file transfers; transferring reasonably sized files will help avoid reaching a device's limit. Additional Bluetooth Information can be found at: http://www.bluetooth.com/ http://www.bluetooth.org/ BlueFlyers Base Unit Base Unit Front Panel (BlueAgent version shown) The BlueFlyers unit consists of a compact base unit, and a Bluetooth transmitter. Depending on the chosen Bluetooth transmitter, an external antenna may be required.
operate. The soft switch on the front panel can be used to turn the unit on and off. The unit has an AC to DC power transformer built into its power cable. The AC end of the power cable plugs into a standard 120V AC outlet. The DC end of cable connects to the power jack on the rear panel of the base unit. Neither of the Bluetooth transmitters requires a separate power connection. Base Unit Rear Panel There are two USB ports on the front of the unit and one on the rear of the unit.
The CompactFlash (CF) card installed in the front of the BlueFlyers unit is not removable. Attempts to do so may cause damage and void the warranty. TRENDnet Bluetooth Transmitter TRENDnet Bluetooth Transmitter The TRENDnet Bluetooth transmitter connects to the base unit via a USB port. Select a USB port that allows the antenna to be extended vertically. Power is provided to the transmitter over USB and no other power connection is required for the transmitter.
The optional AIRcable Bluetooth transmitter connects to the base unit using the USB cable (provided). Plug one end of the USB cable into the transmitter and the other end into the base unit. The antenna connects to the RP-SMA antenna jack on the transmitter. Power is provided to the transmitter over the USB cable and no other power connection is required for the transmitter. Cell Phones Customers will typically use a cell phone to download the BlueFlyers’ electronic advertisement.
Mode Description Passive Passive mode is always enabled. In this mode, flyers are sent when customers initiate the Bluetooth contact. This mode waits for parties to show interest before sending the advertisement. Active Active mode is optional. In this mode, a request to send a flyer is made to all Bluetooth devices that are found within the BlueFlyers’ transmit range. For each device found, only one request to send is made for a particular flyer’s file set.
From the Start Menu, select the BlueFlyers Wizard application. The BlueFlyers Wizard walks through the creation of an advertisement’s file set (flyer). These files will be stored on the PC. Plug the provided USB flash drive into a USB slot on the PC. Use the BlueFlyers Wizard to select the BlueFlyers configuration desired and to save the selected flyer’s file set to the flash drive.
Be sure to properly remove the USB flash drive from the PC (click on “Safely Remove Hardware” icon in the Taskbar) so that no files are lost. If Windows is not notified that the USB flash drive is about to be removed, then it may not write all files to the flash drive. The flash drive can now be used to configure the BlueFlyers unit. Take the USB flash drive to the location of the BlueFlyers unit. Plug the flash drive into a USB slot on BlueFlyers.
A CD is provided with the BlueFlyers Wizard application along with a free audio recording application called Audacity. Audacity is not covered by the warranty. Support for this application can be found at: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/ Audacity may not be suitable for any particular use. It is provided as an option for recording audio files; however other programs may provide better results. Audacity requires the LAME MP3 encoder to be installed in order to save files as MP3s.
Read the Welcome screen and then click the Next button. Read the License Agreement. If the terms are agreed upon, click the ‘I Agree’ button, otherwise click the Cancel button.
On the Installation Options screen, select a directory for the installation of the BlueFlyers Wizard software or leave the default installation directory if desired. Click the Install button. When the process has finished, click the Finish button.
The BlueFlyers Wizard is now installed and a BlueFlyers Wizard folder should appear on the Windows Start menu. On the main installation screen, select to install Audacity if desired. Click on the radio button to select the Audacity and click the Install button. This will start Audacity’s installer. Read the Welcome screen and then click the Next button.
Read the License Agreement. If the terms are agreed upon, click the radio button next to ‘I accept the agreement’ and click the Next button, otherwise click the Cancel button. Read the Information screen and click the Next button.
On the Select Destination Location screen, select a directory for the installation of the Audacity software or leave the default installation directory if desired. Click the Next button.
On the Select Additional Tasks screen, select the options to be installed by Audacity. On the Ready to Install screen, review the installation options and click the Install button.
When the process has finished, uncheck the Launch Audacity check box if it is not desired for to start the application immediately. Click the Finish button. Audacity is now installed and there should be an Audacity program icon on the Windows Start menu. This will not be located in a folder, but may be moved to one if desired. Use the Help menu on Audacity to learn how to use the software. The software installation is now complete; click the Exit button on the main installation screen.
To create a file set for a flyer, start the BlueFlyers Wizard and click Next on the Welcome screen. Click the radio button next to “Create Or Modify A Flyer’s File Set”, then click the Next button.
Click the radio button next to “Create A New Flyer File Set”, then click the Next button. The next screen will request the description of the flyer. This is used to catalog the flyer and allow future identification of it. A title must be entered before the Next button will be enabled.
The Unit Name field is the name customers will see over Bluetooth and it will appear on some cellular phones when a connection request is made. This field is limited to 247 characters. If left blank, the name “BlueFlyers (PIN: 00)” will be used. After clicking the Next button, an information screen will appear with a notification that files are to be selected to create a flyer that will be sent over Bluetooth to customers. Read this information and click the Next button.
Click the Add File button to select the files to be included in this flyer. After clicking the Add File button, a file browser window is shown to select the files which will be included in this flyer’s file set. The first time the Add File button is clicked after starting the BlueFlyers Wizard, an informational screen that explains how the file browser’s filter works is shown. Read the information and click the OK button.
Use the file browser to locate the files to include in the flyer. More than one file can be selected in the file browser at a time. The “Files of Type” filter can be used to view only certain files, such as audio files or images, or select All files to remove the filter. Select one or more files by clicking on the file names in the browser.
files. After files are selected, click the Open button on the file browser to add the files to the file set. Files can be added individually; it is not necessary to select all files at once. The files added will be displayed by the BlueFlyers Wizard. The file size is also shown. Keep in mind that the larger a file, the longer it will take to transfer over Bluetooth.
To remove a file from the file set, click on the file name so that it is selected, and the click the Remove button. Any of the files in the flyer’s file set can be opened by double clicking on the file name. Windows’ default application for handling the selected type of file will be used to display the file’s contents. For example, if Microsoft Paint is the default program for BMP files, then double clicking on a BMP file will use Paint to open and display the image.
An information screen is shown with a notification that audio files are to be selected to be broadcast over the FM transmitter. Use of broadcast files is optional. Read this information and click the Next button.
Select the MP3 audio files to include in this flyer’s FM broadcast. It is optional to include any broadcast files. Leave the list empty and click the Next button if no broadcast is desired. To include broadcast files, click the Add File button. A file browser window is shown to select the MP3 audio files which will be included in this flyer’s FM broadcast.
More than one file for broadcast may be included. The BlueFlyers unit will repeatedly cycle through playing each file. The size of these files will not affect customers, but the BlueFlyers does have a limited amount of memory and files that are too large may affect the performance of the BlueFlyers unit. Files under 5MB are recommended. Click the Next button after the broadcast files for this flyer are selected.
Creation of the flyer’s file set is now complete. Click the Save button to store the file set. All files that have been selected for the electronic flyer and the FM broadcast will be copied to the BlueFlyers Wizard’s local directory. Modifying An Existing Flyer File Set The BlueFlyer Wizard allows the modification of an existing flyer file set. On the first Flyer File Set screen, click the “Open An Existing Flyer File Set” radio button and then click the Next button.
A list of all flyers that exist on the computer is shown. The flyer title shown is based on the title provided when the flyer’s file set was created. The Open button will be disabled until a flyer is selected. Click on the flyer title and click the Open button.
Files can be added or removed as desired. The Save screen will be shown if changes were made to the flyer’s file set. Remove A Flyer File Set The BlueFlyers Wizard allows the removal of a flyer file set. On the first Flyer File Set screen, click the “Remove A Flyer File Set” radio button and then click the Next button.
A list of all flyers that exist on the computer is shown. The flyer title shown is based on the title provided when the flyer’s file set was created. Select the flyer that is to be removed by clicking on its title and then click the Remove button. A confirmation screen will be shown to verify that the flyer is to be removed. Removed properties cannot be restored. Click the Yes button to confirm removal, otherwise click the No button. When finished removing flyers, click the Back button.
BlueFlyers configures itself with the files located on the flash drive. The flash drive can be removed after configuration is complete. To setup a USB flash drive to configure the BlueFlyers unit, start the BlueFlyers Wizard and click Next on the Welcome screen. Click the radio button next to “Set Up USB Flash Drive”, then click the Next button.
A list of all flyers that exist on the computer is shown. The flyer title shown is based on the title provided when the flyer’s file set was created. The Next button will be disabled until a flyer is selected. Click on the flyer title that the BlueFlyers unit is to send and click the Next button. Active mode can be enabled if desired. In Active mode, a request to send a flyer is made to all Bluetooth devices that are found within the BlueFlyers’ transmit range.
To enable Active mode, click the radio button next to “Enable Active mode”, then click the Next button. To disable Active mode, click the radio button next to “Disable Active mode”, then click the Next button. The BlueFlyers unit stores log files on its permanently installed CompactFlash card. These logs store information about the download of the flyers from the unit and the unit’s operational status. As the log files grow, they will consume the free space on the card.
Click the radio button next to “Clear Logs” and then click the Next button to configure the BlueFlyers unit to clear its logs. Click the radio button next to “Do Not Clear Logs” and then click the Next button if the unit’s logs do not need to be cleared.
The BlueFlyers’ time zone can be configured to reflect the local time. Click the check button next to “Set BlueFlyers’ Time Zone” and then use the drop down box to select the appropriate time zone from the list. A unit’s time zone only needs to be set once. Click the Next button.
There are several advanced networking modes supported by the BlueFlyers unit. Use of these modes is optional. Remote FTP and HTTP access to the unit can be enabled to allow updating flyers and access to logs over a network connection. This mode requires an Ethernet connection to a network or the Internet. If advanced networking is not needed, click the radio button next to “Disable Remote Access” and click the Next button.
Directory logs private public radio remote_logs update Use Contains logs with information about flyer distribution and process performance Contains the unit’s configuration file Contains the files to be sent to customers over Bluetooth – any files placed in this directory will be sent to consumers Contains the MP3 files to be played for broadcast using the optional FM transmitter Exists only when in network mode and will contain a temporary copies of the flyer distribution logs from other units – not foun
If remote access is enabled, then the unit’s FTP ports can be configured. The default FTP port is 21, and the default passive mode port range is 50000 to 50100. These can be changed for security or networking purposes. If a BlueFlyers unit is behind a firewall, then the firewall must be configured to pass the FTP and passive mode ports to the BlueFlyers unit.
The FTP port configuration screen will show default settings of FTP port 21, and a passive port range of 50000 to 50100. These values can be modified if unique ports are desired. Allowed port numbers are 1 through 65534. Many ports have standard uses such as port 80 for HTTP and port 443 for secure HTTP (HTTPS); be careful when choosing alternate ports. Ports in the range of 49152 to 65534 are reserved for dynamic use and are fairly safe to use. Click the next button when finished selecting FTP ports.
Similarly, the units HTTP port can be configured. The default HTTP port is set to 80. If the unit resides behind a firewall, the firewall will need to be configured as described above to pass the configured HTTP port activity to the BlueFlyers unit’s local network IP address. Click the next button when finished selecting the HTTP port.
If remote access is enabled, then the unit can be configured to have a static IP address or to use DHCP. Using DHCP, the unit will automatically try to acquire an IP address from a DHCP server on the network. If remote access is enabled, the unit will write its IP address into its log file. This can be useful if DHCP is enabled. Be sure the Ethernet cable is connected to the unit when it is powered up. To use a static IP address, click the radio button next to “Static IP Address”.
When a unit first powers up and after every flyer transmission, it will copy its access log to the Master unit. Before every transmission of a flyer, the unit will check the sizes and times of all access logs on the Master to determine if any logs have been updated since they were last retrieved. This operation requires all units to have the same time zone for correct time comparisons (accuracy of the clock’s time is not important).
The power level of either the TRENDnet or AIRcable Bluetooth transmitters can be adjusted. A power level of 100 is full power for the device. This can be reduced by dragging the power level slider. Default power level is 100%. Select the desired power level and click the Next button.
After the configuration options have been selected, the USB flash drive which will be used to configure the BlueFlyers unit needs to be selected. Be sure the USB flash drive is plugged into an available USB port on the PC. If a USB device is found that contains the proper directory structure that is used by BlueFlyers, then it will be shown as selected. A different device can still be chosen.
Once a device is selected, the Save button is enabled. Click the Save button to store the flyer’s file set and BlueFlyers configuration information. This flash drive will be used to configure the BlueFlyers unit. The USB flash drive can now be used to configure the BlueFlyers unit. Logs Log files are copied from the BlueFlyers unit to the USB flash drive every time the unit is configured using the flash drive. Any existing log files that were previously copied to the USB flash drive will be over written.
The BlueFlyers Wizard allows easy viewing of the information stored in the log files. To view the logs that were copied to the USB flash drive by the unit, plug the flash drive into the PC and start the BlueFlyers Wizard. Click the radio button next to “Review Flyer Logs”, then click the Next button.
Be sure the USB flash drive is plugged into an available USB port on the PC. If a USB device is found that contains the proper directory structure that is used by BlueFlyers, then it will be shown as selected. A different device can still be chosen. To choose a device, click on the drive that corresponds to the USB flash drive that was used to configure the BlueFlyers unit and contains its logs. The Open button will be disabled until a device is selected.
The first log shown is the flyer download attempts. These are the Active and Passive downloads; FTP downloads are not included. Three columns of information are displayed. The first column contains the date of the flyer download. The second column contains the Bluetooth device’s unique ID. This information is not traceable to a particular person; it is only used to uniquely identify the device.
Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen to view the third column. This column lists the title of the flyer that was downloaded. This title is the one provided when the flyer’s file set was created. If the BlueFlyers unit has been used for multiple flyers without clearing the logs, then downloads from multiple flyers may be present in the log.
The BlueFlyers Wizard assigns a unique ID (a time stamp) to each flyer when the flyer’s file set is created. This ID is stored on the computer and is stored in the log file by the BlueFlyers unit. When viewing logs, it is used as a reference to determine the flyer’s title. If the flyer no longer exists on the computer, then the title cannot be determined. The title will be listed as “Unknown flyer (UniqueID)”, where the UniqueID is the ID number assigned to the flyer.
A system log is also stored and provided. This log contains information from the BlueFlyers’ applications. The applications will write information to this log when they start, including version information. They will also write information if an error is encountered or a special function, such as a software update, is performed. Click the Next button when done reviewing this log. Audio Recordings Use the Help menu on Audacity to learn how to use the provided audio software.
connectors on each end. Be sure to use the end of the cable that mates with the USB ports on the base unit. Connect the other end of the USB cable to the AIRcable Bluetooth transmitter. Connect the provided antenna to the RP-SMA jack on the AIRcable Bluetooth transmitter. Be sure to screw the antenna onto the RP-SMA connector snuggly by hand. Do not over-tighten. To avoid damaging the transmitter, never operate the unit without the antenna connected.
The USB flash drive can be removed any time after the single long beep has been played. Time The BlueFlyers’ time can be synchronized with an NTP server. To accomplish this, connect the BlueFlyers unit to a network that has a DHCP server and an Internet connection, and then boot the unit. The BlueFlyers unit will DHCP when it boots. After booting, it will attempt to synchronize time over the network with a public NTP server. When successful, the unit will play five short tones that increase in frequency.
Audio Tones Description Two short beeps that rise in frequency Two short beeps that decline in frequency A long single beep Three short beeps followed by a higher pitch beep Two short beeps Continuous beeps alternating between two frequencies Short low frequency beep repeating every 3 seconds Five short beeps that rise in frequency Frequency 440 Hz for ¼ second followed by 660 Hz for ¼ second 660 Hz for ¼ second followed by 440 Hz for ¼ second 800 Hz for 1 second 3 beeps at 440 Hz for ¼ second followed
Upload or remove files from the unit’s public directory. All files located in this directory will be transferred over Bluetooth. Removed files cannot be restored.
Upload or remove MP3 files from the unit’s radio directory. The files located in this directory will be rotated through and played over the audio output port for FM transmission. Removed files cannot be restored.
The flyer transmission log file can be reviewed, downloaded, and cleared. Cleared logs cannot be restored.
The application log file can be reviewed, downloaded, and cleared. Cleared logs cannot be restored.
The BlueFlyers unit can be configured. Please review the BlueFlyers Wizard section of this document for the meaning of fields.
be disabled by changing the unit’s configuration. After making changes, use the Save button to store the new configuration. The Flyer ID must be updated when new flyer files are uploaded to the public directory. If the Flyer ID is not updated, then the new flyer will not be pushed to Bluetooth devices which have already received the flyer files associated with the current ID. The unit must be rebooted before the changes will take effect.
SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TIPS 1. Provide clear usage instructions to consumers. Educating consumers is key to successful downloads. Instructions could be in writing on a display or played as audio from the BlueFlyers unit. 2. Instruct consumers to make sure their phone has Discoverable or “Find Me” mode enabled. Without Discoverable mode enabled, some phones will disallow access even when the phone initiates contact and BlueFlyers is in passive mode. 3. Limit files to a reasonable size.
TROUBLESHOOTING 1. What FM frequency is available for transmitting in my area? Try using the radio locator web site to find a vacant frequency. This web site’s address is: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant 2. Why does the FM broadcast have a periodic ticking noise in it? There may be interference from the BlueFlyers’ periodic Bluetooth scans. Move the FM transmitter unit further away from the BlueFlyers’ Bluetooth transmitter. 3.
Some cellular service providers limit the types of files that the phone will transfer, even if the phone has greater capabilities built into it. Contact the service provider if you feel that a phone’s functionality is being limited. 7. Why can’t I view an image on my phone even though I can view images from larger files? Some phones don’t only care about the size of the file in bytes, but they also care about the size of the image in pixels.
13. Why does the BlueFlyers unit reboot itself? Be sure the Bluetooth transmitter is properly connected to the base unit. If the software cannot find the transmitter, it will reboot to try to correct the problem. The BlueFlyers’ logs can be reviewed for information about the unit’s specific problem. 14. Why doesn’t the unit connect to the network after I plug in the Ethernet cable? The Ethernet cable needs to be connected to unit when it is powered on. Ethernet is only configured when the unit is booting.
WARRANTY A limited 1 year warranty is provided with the BlueFlyers. Attempts to remove the CompactFlash card from the front of the unit will void the warranty. Opening the BlueFlyers unit will void the warranty. Removing or tampering with the warranty seal on the bottom of the unit will void the warranty. Damage from moisture, excessive heat, operating the unit without an antenna connected, or other neglect or mishandling of the unit is not covered by the warranty.
