nRF8001. Tell iPad user to initiate BLE connection

[barbqman]

Is it possible to send any kind of message, etc. from a board using nRF8001 to an iPad with no BT app running to tell the iPad user to initiate a connection?

Thanks, Dennis

[nick]

I don't think this is possible because the ipad is not listing to any Bluetooth signal. You will need some sort of software that activates and listings to Bluetooth signals or use NFC to activate the Bluetooth at the ipad.

[awneil]

Obviously, there has to be something listening!

Does iOS have the facility to have a "service" running in the background that could notify the user?

I think this is really an iOS question - nothing specifically to do with Nordic - so you'd be better asking on an iOS forum?

[Anders Strand]

If you have previously bonded with the iPad, it will connect to you when you are advertising. This is provided that your nRF device has a service that iOS wants to connect to, like a mouse/keyboard or an ANCS device. I am not sure if it will connect to a custom service it does not recognize.

Other than that, I see no other solution than creating a background scanning service like @awneil suggested.

You could create an ultrasonic sound with a buzzer, which you pick up with the microphone of the iPad. That would have been cool :)

[awneil]

Something like this: http://chirp.io/