What is the technology used in iOS 11 settings migration (moving blue dots / particles pattern / animated QR code?) During the setup of a new iPhone 8 / iPhone 8 Plus / iPhone X, there is a step for migrating the settings from another iOS 11 device.

On the old device, it says:


  Set Up New iPhone
  
  Use your Apple ID "xxx@xxx.com" to set up your new iPhone.


On the new device, it says:


  Quick Start
  
  If you have an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11, bring it nearby to sign in automatically.
  
  If you want, you can also set up this iPhone manually.


After tapping "Continue" on the old device, on the old device, it says:


  Hold Your New iPhone Up to the Camera
  
  Position the pattern in the circle


On the new device, it says:


  Waiting for Other iPhone...
  
  Position this image in the frame of your other iPhone.


A pattern of moving blue dots appears in the new device, as shown in this picture:

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2017/06/05/automatic-setup-feature-ios-11/

And in this video:

https://youtu.be/tHxhZu97pXc

I believe it works like QR code, but it is not. Does anybody know what the name of this technology is?
The technology can be thought of very much like an animated QR-code. The main principle of data encoding is very much like QR-codes, but obviously with the difference that as time goes forward, the displayed data changes as an animation.

In addition there seems to be the use of a neat trick with two different colors shown in quick alternation, which makes it possible for Apple to "hide" or make less obvious the clues that are used for the receiver of the data to synchronize with the signal (i.e. figure out where the boundaries of the encoded data is).

With a traditional QR code these sync markers are much more evident as they are big black square boxes with white borders that are set different places in the code to make it easy for the receiver to figure out what's encoded data, and what's not part of the code.

Much more details are available in these two patent applications by Apple:

US Patent 9,022,291
US Patent 9,022,292