When WIFI and the GPS do not work, let sound carry your data

Sonarax has created a software protocol able to transform any standard microphone and speaker in nearly all electronic devices into recipients and senders of data through ultrasonic waves

By this, Sonarax addresses one of the most critical limitations of the existing wireless communication protocols, the inability to work efficiently (if at all) in underground or indoor environments. For example, GPS navigation devices require a direct line of sight with satellites in order to function properly, and therefore do not fully work in indoor or underground environments. Other technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, inherently rely, respectively, on an internet connection and establishing a connection only between devices held within a few meters of each other.

Sonarax has successfully managed to use sound waves to transfer data by resolving critical issues not solved until today, and by developing a data-over-sound protocol that is superior to that of competitors, placing the company at the forefront of this cutting-edge technological field.

Why sound and what are the challenges?

Radio waves move quickly, making RF-based protocols ideal for communicating large amounts of data. However, the relatively slow speed of sound waves presents valuable advantages for M2M data connectivity. Sound can be:

● Confined in a physical space — Enables verification of physical presence.

● Analyzed like a physical layer, making it easy to extract statistics and characteristics.

Our innovation is based on the observation that sound is more than what meets the ear. It’s an ocean depth of information, only a fraction of which is heard by the ear. A physical phenomenon, sound is naturally omnipresent in any and all environments on the planet. Aware of the potential of mastering an advanced technology able to fully take advantage of these characteristics of sound, for years a number of companies have researched potential data-over-sound solutions. With this in mind, Sonarax has the vision to place itself at the forefront of these research efforts with the goal of launching the most advanced, practical and reliable solution to the mass market.

What Sonarax can do with sound?

Sonarax is a software-based solution — it does not require any specialized hardware whatsoever. In fact, Sonarax technology has been developed to work with simple microphones and micro speakers that are a standard feature in the majority of electronic devices around us, from vending machines, ATMs, electronic signs to mobile phones and digital smart door locks. The no need for costly installations means that Sonarax’s technology is readily accessible — it can be easily adopted by businesses, manufacturers and consumers to enhance a virtually unlimited number of their daily interactions. Sonarax cost-effective solution is also particularly attractive given nearly negligible maintenance costs, and the fact that the software is supported in all operating systems with

minimal signature over memory, processing, and battery power.

Sonarax’s solution establishes a connection between devices in a simpler, yet powerful way, offering a unique complement to other communication protocols and opening up a whole new world of uninterrupted connectivity and ubiquitous reach. Sonarax’s high-frequency sound wave are beyond the threshold of human hearing, and work under any conditions, remaining unaffected by very loud noises, echoes and inclement weather. Devices, therefore, do not need to be connect to the internet or a cellular network, with the connection between devices performing perfectly even in indoor and underground environments where other connections can be notoriously spotty.

Importantly, Sonarax strikes the perfect balance between frictionless connectivity and security. Our protocol is the only one to fully harness the two unique powers of sound: verifying physical presence, including the ability to measure distance, and tracking movement at an unprecedented accuracy measures in centimeters, including in complex indoor landscapes and spaces where other technologies such as GPS or Wi-Fi do not work effectively and are too costly.

Regarding physical presence, Sonarax is the only technology that enables ad-hoc pairing between a mobile phone and any online screen by utilizing a unique, one-time sonic token. The Sonarax Sound Tokenization™ technology enables any device equipped with a speaker and microphone to become an ultrasonic proximity sensor. These sensors can be used for encrypted data transfer, person-to-system authentication (e.g. payment solutions, ATM interactions, secure login), device-to-environment connectivity (e.g. out of band pairing, direction/distance filtering) or sonic QR solution providing the ability to embed and decode alphanumeric information over sound.

The ability to instantly verify physical presence alone has numerous useful uses, such as the prevention of friendly frauds and the ability to instantly exercise a second-factor authentication at an ATM, without the need to send an SMS, for example. Although recording ultrasonic token messages is possible, each token can only be used once, and only by a specific device, and only for a specific transaction. Tokens become useless unless they are received by their specific target device.

The uses of the Sonarax developed solution can be divided into six broad categories:

• Sonic Cue (Audio- QR): Inaudible audio messages embedded in video content –
  A powerful way to get real-time analytics on TV ad viewers, add interactivity to ads, compete with second screen and drive conversions — all offline. Sonic Cue embeds coded, ultrasonic signals into the soundtrack of any video file. The signals are inaudible to humans but can be heard by standard microphones, such as in a smartphone. It’s like a watermark that is invisible to the human eye but can be seen under a certain kind of light.
  When TV, VOD or streaming video content with embedded Sonic Cue signals play, nearby smartphones and tablets automatically receive the “silent” messages. Because it’s a purely audio signal, Sonic Cue works with any mobile phone or tablet, regardless of the SIM card. Only physical presence is needed — no pairing!
• Asset Tracking As sonic positioning is able to pinpoint location to an accuracy of a few square centimeters, it is possible to track assets and essential staff. For example, an EKG machine in a hospital, a police guard in a stadium, employees within a sequestered area. Asset tracking enables increased security and enhanced operational management capabilities. Asset tracking can also be used to manage crowds.
• Access Control Since asset tracking and positioning verification is enabled by sonic connectivity, it’s easy to implement effective access control for nearly endless applications. From large public places such as a stadium or airports to virtual keys for shared automotive mobility. As ultrasonic waves can verify presence and tokenized security a mobile phone can become a key. A person can send a car key to another person by sending a SMS code. The virtual key can be smart in terms of being defined as operative only between certain dates, or times to limit teen drivers or shared mobility, rental cars etc. Ticketing lines everywhere can be shortened and secured, reducing ticket fraud.
• P2P Payments — secure mobile payments solution for customers using an ultrasonic-pairing method for nearby mobile payments — All without sharing email, mobile or bank details and without being required to establish a connection for pairing. Instead, ad-hoc pairing becomes a sonic handshake between two devices. It’s a perfect alternative to the familiar Bluetooth (BT) QR Code, or to NFC, using ultrasonic instead of radio waves. No need for special alignment, nor a camera, nor a screen, and no special hardware. Any nearby mobile sonically recognizes its sending or receiving mobile partner. Select ‘Receive’ or ‘Send’ to pay sonically as easily as exchanging cash. It is automatic, no learning curve for clients.
• User Identification: Unique Audio Identification enables connecting to secured systems such as ATMs and bank accounts on a computer by sending a one-time sound signal for each use. This option saves users from having superfluous passwords and enables faster and easier access.
• Connection between Devices: The sound wave technology enables connecting between devices rapidly and qualitatively compared with a connection using an Internet or Bluetooth network. This connection can be used as a supplementary means for the aforementioned connections for creating an entire IoT network.