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iRidium BYOD

In summer 2018 a new type of cloud object - “BYOD object” became available to all users of iRidium pro.

What is it?

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a technology that allows a user to use his personal mobile device to work with corporate resources. In most cases this technology is used in companies where emplyees have to use their mobile devices for work. This tehcnology can be used in the Smart home sphere as a means to provide guest access tp an object. For example, when relatives come for a visit and they need access to certain control functions. The standard procedure means involving an integrator and the process can take time and effort. These difficulties can be solved with the help of BYOD technology. All guests have to do is to install the app and scan a QR-code. After getting data from the QR-code, the app downloads the required project with functions of guest access to the object.

This concept is successfully used in the hospitality sphere. When a guest checks in, a receptionist sets the dates of checking in and checking out and gives a generated QR-code to the guest. After scanning the code a guest has access to devices in his hotel room. Access is limited in time by the dates of cheking in and checking out. Thus, after a guests checks out he has no access to devices.

Advantages of technology

It's simple to use. There is no need to register or authorize in the system. All that has to be done is to download the app and scan a QR-code from it.
Security. A user has access to those functions, that an integrator set in a guest project.
Adjusting for a device. The system determines the resolution of a user's device and gives a project with corresponding parameters.
Different user rights. BYOD system can include several groups of projects with different functions (guest projects, projects of the object owner, projects of the object personnel)
Simple device replacement. If a user loses his smart phone, he can download a control project on a new device on his own. There is no need to authorize or download a project manually.

Variants of use

Home automation. BYOD provides guest access with a limits in time and functions. Guests do not get access to important subsystems of an object.
Renting apartments. There is a difficulty with providing temporary access to rented apartments. BYOD solves this problem. An apartment owner can provide access to the tenant for the time of the rent only. When the renting period is over, the project stops working.
Hotels. The technology gives guests access to devices in a hotel room.
Meeting rooms. At the start of a meeting in an automated meeting room, participants get access to controlling light, climate, AV devices, etc. after scanning a QR-code.

General principles of BYOD object

BYOD object is a cloud entity that consists of

Configurations, a set of projects for a number of devices with different resolutions. If we use an example of a hotel, configuration is a set of projects to control rooms of suite type. And each project is created for a definite type of panels (iPad Air, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy s9, etc.)
Projects, regular iRidium pro projects
Users - there are 2 types of users in the BYOD technology: adimistrators and receptionists. Administrators can create and edit configurations. Receptionists can check in guests and edit the time of their stay
Guests, hotel guests who will use BYOD projects

Structure of BYOD object

Steps to Set BYOD

Setting any BYOD object consists of the following steps:

Creating and setting projects, configuring rooms, addiitonal fields and its values.
Licensing and setting a cloud object
Setting room configurations, additional fields and its values by the administrator.
Registering guests

Creating projects

Creating a BYOD project starts with creating automation objects. A project for BYOD is in no way different from a regular i3 pro project.

It has to be considered that it's impossible to predict on whar device a project will be opened/ In this case several projects with one configurations have to be created for most popular screen resolutions.

When working the administrator can create additional custom fields, where he assigns certain values and their list and values must finally get into a guest project.

When a project is downloaded a user's device must request the list and field values from the BYOD object in the cloud. To do it a script has to be created that request these fields from the BYOD object in the cloud.

For example, the administrator created 4 additional fields with names and values. One of them is a link to a KNX device in a room and the other 3 must be displayed in the project (Pole123, Simbol, a123456789).

In this case field values will be displayed in items 1,2 and 3 of the project.

IR.GetByodData() command is created in the script for this purpose, it allows to send requests to the cloud by transferring BYOD id.

var g_data = IR.GetByodData();
IR.Log("DATA******************************** " + JSON.Stringify(g_data))
IR.AddListener(IR.EVENT_START,0,function()
{
var l_data = IR.GetByodData();
IR.Log("DATA##################### " + JSON.Stringify(l_data))

In responce the cloud sends a list of created fields as a JSON file. This JSON file is added to the script and processed

      var object =  JSON.Parse(l_data);
      if(object.Knx){
            var ip =   object.Knx;
            var deviceknx = IR.GetDevice("KNX IP BAOS 771-774/777");
            if(deviceknx)
                  deviceknx.SetParameters({
                        Host: ip
         });
   }
      if(object.Pole123){
            var p1 = object.Pole123
            IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 27").GetState(0).Text = p1;
   }
      if(object.Simbol){
            var p2 = object.Simbol
            IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 28").GetState(0).Text = p2;
   }
      if(object.a1234567890){
            var p3 = object.a1234567890
            IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 29").GetState(0).Text = p3;
   }

Field values from the web-site are assigned to items of a project.

Here is the full script to display fields, described in the example

 var g_data = IR.GetByodData();
 IR.Log("DATA******************************** " + JSON.Stringify(g_data))
 IR.AddListener(IR.EVENT_START,0,function()
 {
   var l_data = IR.GetByodData();
   IR.Log("DATA##################### " + JSON.Stringify(l_data))
      var object =  JSON.Parse(l_data);
      if(object.Knx){
      var ip =   object.Knx;
       var deviceknx = IR.GetDevice("KNX IP BAOS 771-774/777");
       if(deviceknx)
         deviceknx.SetParameters({
            Host: ip
         });
   }
      if(object.Pole123){
      var p1 = object.Pole123
      IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 27").GetState(0).Text = p1;
   }
      if(object.Simbol){
      var p2 = object.Simbol
      IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 28").GetState(0).Text = p2;
   }
      if(object.a1234567890){
      var p3 = object.a1234567890
      IR.GetPage("Page 1").GetItem("Item 29").GetState(0).Text = p3;
   }
   });

Setting a cloud object

After crеating projects an integrator enters his account at iRidium mobile web-site, creates a cloud object and uploads all projects to it.

To make the admin work simpler a csv file can be created where an integrator can set room configurations, system fields and their default values. To create system fields in a csv file use reserved names.

Configuration
ArrivalDate
ArrivalTime
DepartureDate
DepartureTime
SessionTime
Email

This file is also uploaded in My account. It is not obligatory, as system fields can be created by the administrator.

After it a license with BYOD addon is to be bought.

Licensing

A license with BYOD addon can be bought in My Account at iRidium mobile website

BYOD technology is an addon to a regular iRidium pro license. The price of BYOD addon depends on the number of rooms that will be created in a BYOD object.

Question: How is the number of panels in a license related to the number of rooms (configurations) in BYOD?

Answer: BYOD addon does not limit the number of panels. Several panels can get a temporary BYOD license at the same time and control equipment in one room (configuration). But the limit on the number of panels is set by iRidium pro license (for example, "Advanced" license sets the limit of 10 panels).

Creating categories

When an object is licensed, there appears a capability to assign a tag to each project.

Projects with the same tags are later on grouped into categories.

Each group must have a "Default" project.

Setting supported project resolutions

and when a user device sends a request for a project of a definite category, the system selects a project for the resolution of this device. If such a project does not exist the system sends the "Default" one.

Subsystem of intellectual project delivery

To solve the problem of the variety of user devices the sysetm of intellectual project delivery is used. When a user device requests a project, it sends its type (smart phone or tablet) and resolution. The cloud starts searching for a project that fits these parameters. If such a project exists, it is downloaded on a user's device. If such a project does not exist, a "default" project is downloaded. Thus, an integrator must predict the most popular user device and create projects for these resolutions. When projects are uploaded to the cloud, their resolution has to be indicated and a "default" project must be selected. As several resolutions can be set in a project, the system allows to use this project on devices with different resolutions on condition that the aspect ratio is the same. In this case a project is streched to the resolution of a definite device, and is displayed on a user's device well.

Below you'll find project examples for:

tablets with 4:3 aspect ratio

smart phones with 16:9 aspect ratio

Inviting users

After setting categories, the administrator and a receptionist must be invited. To do it, go to "Users" section and invite a new user.

Enter the user login and select his role (administrator, receptionist) in the window that appears. One and the same user and different users can have these roles. An integrator can't get the roles of an administrator or a receptionist.

Select projects that can be later on edited by the integartor.

Administering a project

After projects are created and uploaded, users are invited and roles are assigned, the administrator creates rooms on the basis of categories. To do it, the admin goes to https://byod.iridi.com, authorizes and sees available BYOD objects and their categories.

For example, it's necessary to set a project where projects are grouped in 3 categories: Econom, Standart, Luxe.

3 rooms in each category must be created. To do it, click on any category and open the list of rooms in this category. At the moment the list is empty. + add new button will appear at the bottom. When it is pressed a menu to create a room will appear where the admin must enter its name and click the "tick" icon.

A required number of rooms in all catagories canbe added this way.

The administrator can set the standard time to check in and to check out. To do it, click the Settings button and set time.

It is required for the licensing system. When a license is generated for a guest, the start of license work is the check-in time, and the end is the check-out time. After rooms are created, work with the system can be started.

“Multiple tokens in one configuration” parameter can be activated in this menu. that allows to book a room by several guests at a different time and date. Otherwise when a room is booked for a period of time, it disappears from the list of available rooms for any time and date till the first guest checks out.

Creating additional fields

Additional fields are requierd to diplay and edit information about a room configuration, period of stay and the guest.

To create category fields click the "Fields" button in the menu for creating rooms.

2 types of fields canbe created: system and custom.

System fields are already in the "Fields" folder. Their values can't be edited, they are set by the system. System fields can be deleted.

There is a button to add new fields - Add field in the Fields menu below the list of system fields. If any system field is deleted the system offers to restore the system field or create a new custom field.

Custom fields, unlike system ones, can be edited.

After creating custom fields, they have to be assigned a name, a default value and the state of "edit by customer" checkbox has to be selected. If the checkbox is active, it is displayed to a receptionist and he can edit the value of this field. Note that the checkbox is always active for system fields.

After creating required fields set which fields for each room are displyed to a receptionist.

To do it click Set fields next to the room name

Select required fileds and make other checkboxes inactive in the menu that appears.

It's possible to import fields created beforehand as a csv file. Click Upload file in the settings menu, select the required csv file and save changes.

The template of csv file can be downloaded here https://s3.amazonaws.com/licensetext/import_template.csv

System work

When a guest checks in the hotel, a receptionist books a room for him.

To check in a new guest, click the "Register client" button. A window will appear to select a room configuration, time and date of check-in and check-out, e-mail and to fill in additional fields.

You can limit the time of session and set "Limit session time". Set the time limit of a session in minutes and i3 pro project closes automatically in the indicated period of time. When the session is over an user can download a project again with the help of a QR code and the time countdown of a session starts again. This setting is very convenient for meeting rooms and showrooms.

After it the system books a room for selected dates and a record about it appears in the main interface.

Now a receptionist can send a QR-code to a user's e-mail or print it or show it to a user on the screen.

Information about check-in time and date and check-out time and date is diplayed together with a QR-code.

The project will be available to a guest only for the period of his stay. On the check-out date and time the system will close access to the project and it will nor be available to a guest. A receptionist can edit check-in and check-out dates and send registered users push-notifications.