Smart Tokens for Proximity Marketing and Supply Chain Tracking - Vicima

Abstract: Facing the predominance of online market places like Amazon physical stores are increasingly losing valuable customers. This challenge is particularly acute for smaller business owners who face additional hurdles. Expanding their physical shops into the digital world not only causes labor and marketing costs but also needs to meet various legal requirements. Even then, small shops are easily overshadowed by the vast competition of digital offerings. Due to the pervasiveness of mobile phones and internet usage the pressure on local stores will likely become an increasing thread. In an attempt to counter these effects, concepts like Proximity Marketing have emerged, merging digital technology with locality. A prominent representative is Bluetooth Beacons. Those are typically small devices equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to send a specific data packet using a session-less connection. The data can be used to transmit very specific information related to an actual physical location. However, due to the nature of statically transmitted data, traditional Bluetooth Beacons offer limited variability and lack interactivity between sender and receiver. In particular, they cannot easily tailor information to specific users, as every user in proximity receives the same broadcast. Additionally, interpreting these messages typically requires specialized applications tailored to specific locations, which hinders the widespread adoption of this technology. With Vicima, we introduce a unified solution that consolidates the emission of tailored tokens into a single interactive app. This approach reduces entry barriers for both local businesses and users by leveraging symbiotic effects across different locations. Unlike traditional systems, our smart token system establishes a BLE connection with individual devices. This enables the enforcement of dynamic rules, such as issuing only one token per person within 24 hours or requiring proof of possession of specific previous tokens. By adding these capabilities, the system creates a secure, user-specific interaction layer, addressing key limitations of traditional proximity marketing solutions. Furthermore, the system is designed to support offline functionality for the token emitters. This allows for token emission without a constant network connection, reducing infrastructural requirements for shop owners. The workflow is outlined in Fig. 3, which is divided into three steps (A) Token Request; (B) Activation Request and (C) Receiving Request. The Receiving Request is initiated by a shop owner. It includes a user-defined coupon description, along with its emission locations and emission rules which define the conditions under a Emitting Device is allowed to generate tokens. The Token will then be listed as an for customers within the neighborhood, who can activate the tokens initiating an Activation Request. When the user is nearby a Emitting Device it can send a Receiving Request locally. Using the generated Receiving Certificate followed by the Activation Request, the user can prove to the Device that they interacted with the App and are allowed to receive a the specific token. The Emitting Device will then check the Emission Rules and create a unique Token tailored to the user. This Token is signed using the Key proven by the Emission Certificate issued by the Token Request.The described workflow allows for the emission of verifiable, unique tokens while enforcing customer-tailored rules in an offline scenario. This lowers the entry barrier for shop owners, providing them with a digital presence and increasing the visibility of small shops within a relevant group of nearby customers, all in a frictionless system.

Keywords: Proximity Marketing, Smart Devices, Regional Businesses, IoT, Supply Chain Tracking

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006303

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