Multi-member bluetooth device capable of avoiding signal interrupt and related main bluetooth circuit and auxiliary bluetooth circuit

• US 10,721,666 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2019
• Issued: 07/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Original Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
• Inventors: Chen, Yi-Cheng, Huang, Kuan-Chung, Hung, Chia-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorowar, Golam
• Application Number:
  US16/381,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20190320370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/035 in self-organising networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A multi-member Bluetooth device includes: a main Bluetooth circuit capable of directly communicating with a remote Bluetooth device through a Bluetooth transmission approach; and an auxiliary Bluetooth circuit capable of indirectly communicating with the remote Bluetooth device through the main Bluetooth circuit. After operating for a certain period, the main Bluetooth circuit transmits the main Bluetooth circuit'"'"'s device identification data and multiple Bluetooth connection parameters between the main Bluetooth circuit and the remote Bluetooth device to the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit. When received instructions from the main Bluetooth circuit, the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit utilizes the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters transmitted from the main Bluetooth circuit to directly communicate with the remote Bluetooth device through a Bluetooth transmission approach by imitating the main Bluetooth circuit, and the main Bluetooth circuit then indirectly communicates with the remote Bluetooth device through the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit.

Claims

1. A multi-member Bluetooth device (100) for communicating data with a remote Bluetooth device (102), the multi-member Bluetooth device (100) comprising:

a main Bluetooth circuit (110), comprising;

a first Bluetooth communication circuit (111);

a first data transmission circuit (113);

a first control circuit (115) arranged to operably communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the first Bluetooth communication circuit (111) by utilizing a Bluetooth wireless transmission approach, and arranged to operably communicate data with other devices through the first data transmission circuit (113); and

a first determining circuit (117) coupled with the first control circuit (115) and the first data transmission circuit (113), and arranged to operably evaluate a computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), or an operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), and further arranged to operably receive indication messages regarding a computing loading, a temperature, or an operating environment of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) transmitted from the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the first data transmission circuit (113); and

an auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120), comprising;

a second Bluetooth communication circuit (121);

a second data transmission circuit (123); and

a second control circuit (125) arranged to operably control the second data transmission circuit (123) to communicate data with the first data transmission circuit (113), so as to indirectly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the main Bluetooth circuit (110);

wherein the first control circuit (115) transmits a device identification data of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and multiple Bluetooth connection parameters between the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and the remote Bluetooth device (102) to the second data transmission circuit (123) through the first data transmission circuit (113);

when the second control circuit (125) received instructions from the main Bluetooth circuit (110), the second control circuit (125) controls the second Bluetooth communication circuit (121) to directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters; and

the first control circuit (115) then controls the first data transmission circuit (113) to communicate data with the second data transmission circuit (123), so as to indirectly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120);

wherein when the computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds the computing loading of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) for a predetermined degree, the temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds the temperature of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) for a predetermined degree, or the operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) deviates from corresponding predetermined conditions but the operating environment of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) matches corresponding predetermined conditions, the first determining circuit (117) notifies the first control circuit (115) so that the first control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the first data transmission circuit (113) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102), and

wherein when the second Bluetooth communication circuit (121) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), the first control circuit (115) controls the first Bluetooth communication circuit (111) to stop directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

2. The multi-member Bluetooth device (100) of claim 1, wherein the first control circuit (115) transmits the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters to the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the first data transmission circuit (113) when the first control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

3. The multi-member Bluetooth device (100) of claim 1, wherein the device identification data comprises at least one of following data:

a sync word utilized by the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a Bluetooth address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a logical transport address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), an access address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), and an advertising device address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110).

4. The multi-member Bluetooth device (100) of claim 1, wherein the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters comprise at least one of following parameters:

a piconet clock, an adaptive frequency hopping map (AFH map), a link key, an encryption key, an anchor point instant, a connection counter, a connection interval, a channel map, a long term key, a session key, an initialization vector, a CCM counter, an advertising interval, and a vendor specific timing data.

5. The multi-member Bluetooth device (100) of claim 1, wherein during a period in which the first Bluetooth communication circuit (111) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102), the second Bluetooth communication circuit (121) does not directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102);

while during a period in which the second Bluetooth communication circuit (121) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102), the first Bluetooth communication circuit (111) does not directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

6. A main Bluetooth circuit (110) of a multi-member Bluetooth device (100), the multi-member Bluetooth device (100) being utilized for communicating data with a remote Bluetooth device (102) and comprising the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and an auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120), the main Bluetooth circuit (110) comprising:

a Bluetooth communication circuit (111);

a data transmission circuit (113);

a control circuit (115) arranged to operably communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) by utilizing a Bluetooth wireless transmission approach, and arranged to operably communicate data with the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113), so that the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) is allowed to indirectly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the main Bluetooth circuit (110); and

a determining circuit (117) coupled with the control circuit (115) and arranged to operably evaluate a computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), or an operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110);

wherein the control circuit (115) transmits a device identification data of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and multiple Bluetooth connection parameters between the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and the remote Bluetooth device (102) to the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113), so as to enable the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) to directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters; and

the control circuit (115) then indirectly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120);

wherein the determining circuit (117) notifies the control circuit (115) when the computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds a predetermined level, the temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds a predetermined temperature, or the operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) deviates from a predetermined condition, so that the control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102),

when the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), the control circuit (115) controls the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) to stop directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

7. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 6, wherein after the main Bluetooth circuit (110) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) for a period of time, the control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) utilizing a Bluetooth wireless transmission approach, so as to decrease a computing loading, a power consumption, or a resulting heat of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), or to avoid the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) from signal interruption caused by reestablishing a Bluetooth connection with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120).

8. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) does not need to ask for a permission from the remote Bluetooth device (102) before directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters.

9. A main Bluetooth circuit (110) of a multi-member Bluetooth device (100), the multi-member Bluetooth device (100) being utilized for communicating data with a remote Bluetooth device (102) and comprising the main Bluetooth circuit (110) and an auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120), the main Bluetooth circuit (110) comprising:

a Bluetooth communication circuit (111);

a data transmission circuit (113);

a control circuit (115) arranged to operably communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) by utilizing a Bluetooth wireless transmission approach, and arranged to operably communicate data with the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113), so that the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) is allowed to indirectly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) through the main Bluetooth circuit (110); and

a determining circuit (117) coupled with the control circuit (115) and the first data transmission circuit (113), and arranged to operably evaluate a computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), or an operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), and further arranged to operably receive indication messages regarding a computing loading, a remaining power, a temperature, or an operating environment of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) transmitted from the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113);

wherein the determining circuit (117) notifies the control circuit (115) when the computing loading of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds the computing loading of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) for a predetermined degree, the temperature of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) exceeds the temperature of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) for a predetermined degree, or the operating environment of the main Bluetooth circuit (110) deviates from corresponding predetermined conditions but the operating environment of the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) matches corresponding predetermined conditions, so that the control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) by utilizing the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102),

when the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102) in the name of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), the control circuit (115) controls the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) to stop directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

10. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 9, wherein the control circuit (115) transmits the device identification data and the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters to the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) through the data transmission circuit (113) when the control circuit (115) instructs the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) to replace the main Bluetooth circuit (110) for directly communicating data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).

11. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 9, wherein the device identification data comprises at least one of following data:

a sync word utilized by the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a Bluetooth address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), a logical transport address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), an access address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110), and an advertising device address of the main Bluetooth circuit (110).

12. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 9, wherein the multiple Bluetooth connection parameters comprise at least one of following parameters:

a piconet clock, an adaptive frequency hopping map (AFH map), a link key, an encryption key, an anchor point instant, a connection counter, a connection interval, a channel map, a long term key, a session key, an initialization vector, a CCM counter, an advertising interval, and a vendor specific timing data.

13. The main Bluetooth circuit (110) of claim 9, wherein during a period in which the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102), the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) does not directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102);

while during a period in which the auxiliary Bluetooth circuit (120) directly communicates data with the remote Bluetooth device (102), the Bluetooth communication circuit (111) does not directly communicate data with the remote Bluetooth device (102).