Estimote iBeacon: Monitoring in background (Android)

Question

I would like to have push notifications when my app is open but is in background. For now I have changed the Estimote Demo, and my app gives me a notification when my app is in foreground which is not much of use. I post here my code of NotifyDemoActivity class which is called as soon as I open the app

public class NotifyDemoActivity extends Activity {
  private static final String TAG = NotifyDemoActivity.class.getSimpleName();
  private static final int NOTIFICATION_ID = 123;
  private BeaconManager beaconManager;
  private NotificationManager notificationManager;
  private Region region;
  private long[] mVibratePattern = { 0, 200, 200, 300 };

  @Override
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.notify_demo);
    getActionBar().setDisplayHomeAsUpEnabled(true);

    beacon.getMinor());
    region = new Region("rid", null, null, null);
    notificationManager = (NotificationManager) getSystemService(Context.NOTIFICATION_SERVICE);
    beaconManager = new BeaconManager(this);

    beaconManager.setBackgroundScanPeriod(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(1), 0);

    beaconManager.setMonitoringListener(new MonitoringListener() {
      @Override
      public void onEnteredRegion(Region region, List<Beacon> beacons) {
        postNotification("Entered region");
      }

      @Override
      public void onExitedRegion(Region region) {
        postNotification("Exited region");
      }
    });
  }

  @Override
  public boolean onOptionsItemSelected(MenuItem item) {
    if (item.getItemId() == android.R.id.home) {
      finish();
      return true;
    }
    return super.onOptionsItemSelected(item);
  }

  @Override
  protected void onResume() {
    super.onResume();
    notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID);
    beaconManager.connect(new BeaconManager.ServiceReadyCallback() {
      @Override
      public void onServiceReady() {
        try {
          beaconManager.startMonitoring(region);
        } catch (RemoteException e) {
          Log.d(TAG, "Error while starting monitoring");
        }
      }
    });
  }

  @Override
  protected void onDestroy() {
    notificationManager.cancel(NOTIFICATION_ID);
    beaconManager.disconnect();
    super.onDestroy();
  }

  private void postNotification(String msg) {
    Intent notifyIntent = new Intent(NotifyDemoActivity.this, NotifyDemoActivity.class);
    notifyIntent.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_SINGLE_TOP);
    PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivities(
      NotifyDemoActivity.this,
      0,
      new Intent[]{notifyIntent},
      PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
    Notification notification = new Notification.Builder(NotifyDemoActivity.this)
    .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.beacon_gray)
    .setContentTitle("Notify Demo")
    .setContentText(msg)
    .setAutoCancel(true)
    .setContentIntent(pendingIntent)
    .setVibrate(mVibratePattern)
    .build();
    notification.defaults |= Notification.DEFAULT_SOUND;
    notification.defaults |= Notification.DEFAULT_LIGHTS;
    notificationManager.notify(NOTIFICATION_ID, notification);

    TextView statusTextView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.status);
    statusTextView.setText(msg);
  }
}

Stealing

Info from the Estimote site : iOS 7 iBeacon Works Even When the App is Closed This week Apple has rolled out a stable release of iOS 7.1. The new version brought all the people working with Beacons some pretty exciting changes. Namely: the app does not have to keep running in the background anymore to be able to send notifications to the user. See more info on estimote community forum. – Patrology

@Stealing Can you please join me Here , I need some guidance on Estimote. – Luzern

Answer 1

You should hold BeaconManager in your application class not in the activity.

Activity will be stopped, destroyed and BeaconManager will stop monitoring. Application on the other hand will still hold reference and will continue to monitor.

When a beacon is being found while monitoring your application class can post a notification. It trigger some activity when user decides to tap on it.

Hermineherminia

Thanks! It works now! ..I have a new problem related to Ranging/Monitoring now however :) Do you know how to do that each time the user enters in a new region gets a notification? That is if my blue beacon is closer I want to have a certain notification, but then if the green beacon gets closer I would like to have another one. I don't understand if this should be inside Monitoring or Ranging, I think Ranging but I don't understand where.. – Stealing

Monitoring is good choice here. Just find beacons' identifiers and start monitoring for three regions that corresponds yours three beacons. – Hermineherminia

what is the application class ur referring to? right now all my java files in the source folder as activity files – Teodoro

i had use the function in my code where beacon founds i call this function but it stops at beaconmanager.setMonitoringListener line and exited from this function. – Bik

Answer 2

You should create service.

In your code you should do some changes.

After

beaconManager = new BeaconManager(this);

you should start "beacon service"

      if (!beaconManager.isBluetoothEnabled()) {
          stopSelf();
      }

          beaconManager.connect(new BeaconManager.ServiceReadyCallback() {
              @Override
              public void onServiceReady() {
                try {
                  beaconManager.startRanging(ALL_ESTIMOTE_BEACONS_REGION);
                } catch (RemoteException e) {
                  Log.e("error", "Cannot start ranging", e);
                }
              }
          });

Also check if Bluetooth is active on you device.

In procedure beaconManager.setMonitoringListener(new MonitoringListener() add commands to create Notifications.

Tewell